I love interiors. Even when I know a lot of it won’t be seen, its one of those things that just begs to be done. If there is a way to “open” the vehicle to show the interior…even bigger yes. I have tried to do a closed hatch tank, and I just can’t seem to do it, I always like having something open where you can see down inside.
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I have done a few kits w basic interiors and definitely want to do more involved ones. As far as seeing it, if the turret is indexed I may just modify it so it’s easy to remove. I want the challenge of doing them as well as w subjects I like adding to them for more accuracy. As my budget allows I’ll but more w full or partial interiors.
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Interesting question. Much like women, motorcycles and bourbon, my tastes have changed considerably over the years. I built a ton of aircraft and cars as a kid, as well as some sort of hot rod fire truck. I built many of the Monogram 1/35 and Bandai 1/48 kits when I discovered I didn’t need to spend my lunch money at school on some very immemorable meals, but I wouldn’t say I was an armor builder per se. I even built the Evil Iron trike and the Hillbilly Hauler as a kid. The cars, the halftracks, the biplanes - all had “interiors” as a matter of course. I didn’t even build that much armor during my first stint in the army, and most of those were for “recognition” purposes and all were given away at some point. (except for a Centurion build it took over a decade to finish) So my first serious foray into armor building didn’t start until the early nineties, and for some reason I decided everything had to have an interior. I guess because you didn’t see many back then.
I did a full interior on a Tamiya 1/35 IDF Centurion by copying their larger version. although I did make a reasonable facsimile of the radiator fans on the diesel version using model railroad parts. In spite of the fact it turned out extremely well I never took a single photo of it, during the build or after, save for one collective photo I took of three Centurions I took to Japan in '96. I guess If I ever want to see it again I need to go back to Shizuoka City, as I left it there.
Still, others thought it was cool so I felt like everything had to have an interior. I had already started this Merkava and took it with me to Japan as an “in progress” build.
Odd that to this day no manufacturer has done any version with an interior. The information is certainly out there.
Yes, there is a full interior in there, barely visible. I even went through the ass pain of opening the hatches…
And the rear as well. I may have obsessed on the molded tow hooks a bit. They way they were in the kit bothered me…
And I did at least half a dozen M109 series, including three Paladin interiors. Talk about obsessing:
I made the seats so they could be repositioned:
The keen eye may notice the Kadee coupler spring on that treadle.
I even took a SWAG at interiors when I had no reference material, like on the IDF M110:
And several T-55’s from Lindberg to Tamiya got the treatment. That’s not photo etch:
I used Tamiya WWII bayonet handles for the steering yokes.
And then slowly over time I quit caring. I don’t even have photos of a lot of other builds. And now they’re packed away in shoe boxes. Maybe they’ll see the light of day again, maybe not. Part of it is my own doing. A lot of the kits I did research for like the RG-31, the Maxx Pro, the Cougar, the Buffalo, the Husky, even Meng’s Bradleys and Abrams - all had interiors based on my photos. Suddenly anyone could do the interior, and quite well. The novelty had sort of worn off for me. Now I’m back to Shep Paine’s gizmology method for the most part. A few parts here and there that suggest an interior. He was the true master at it, and always will be as far as I’m concerned. I don’t even use the interiors that come with kits half the time, the Meng Bradleys, (they send more kits than I’ll ever be able to build) the Mini Art T-55’s. It’s just not as fun for me any more. Sure, I still have two more Chinooks to add interiors to, but after one, I almost ask myself what’s the point. I may just close them up too.
The models I build these days are mainly for my own enjoyment. I seldom post photos any more, and when I do it’s never the finished kit, swayed by some ill-conceived notion they won’t be as “fresh” if I ever take the plunge and do an article for a publication, or take one to a contest, which I haven’t done in decades.
But in answer to your question - these days it’s a resounding meh for me.
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NO interiors.
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Very impressive work thanks for sharing
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@Darren may I ask whats your interest is? Air or Armor? I think some on here could make some very good recommendations.
Honestly I would say a M240A1 because just opening the doors and hood makes for an easy display.
I built a AT ST and its pointless doing that interior even though I did because, well trust me…pointless.
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Oh no grumpy old man setting in 
? You need to stay with it, all craftsmanship is slowly dying off.
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I like armor…modern Russian mostly
Just depends… I go in either direction according to what I want to do with the model.
I will say, though, that IF I go to all the work to do an interior, I will also come up with a plan to show it off.
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No, we already have one of those. Sad thing is, he’s not even that old. But I did fail to mention another reason interiors are no longer that important to me: The Joe Bob effect.
As in, Joe Bob with his 13 Jigawatt Maglite shining it down into every hatch, If he doesn’t melt your model he’ll almost certainly snag an antenna or MG with his eyeglasses or camera strap.
Seen it more than once. And I’ve said this before - in most places the sun does not shine directly down a tank hatch. Just shining a light into the opening creates unrealistic lighting. Another reason for Gizmology.
Just for fun I tried to photograph the Merkava interior where you could see every little switch and amber light. It took me and my wife fiddling with my camera and her camera light, all whilst getting in each other’s way, to get even this poor image:
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Now that’s a heck of a wife
truth be told, you did some builds and Gino that I would never have tried because not being able to see them.
Everything I have chosen has been done by others in a way that allows me to enjoy the pitfalls they went thru. And they have amazing tutorials to follow in there steps. I have two of the ikea cabinets that also allow me to showcase something that I wouldnt try unless I had them.
The Ukrainian Army is doing what they can to show off thos interiors for us to copy. 
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I have seen the King Tiger from Takom cut off on the long side. Another guy builded some LED’s in his full interieur kit
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Yes, interiors.
Great, more for this project or another one
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I’m not sure what the point of this poll is - I thought we’d generally agreed (in various other polls) that the answer is whatever you think, doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It depends on the purpose of building an interior – presumably one of these reasons:
- Plenty of open hatches.
- Destroyed vehicle displaying what’s left of its guts.
- IKIT – I Know It’s There, even if it’s invisible.
I can’t think of another reason to go to the trouble/expense but I’ll keep an open mind. Unable to resist the temptation here’s an SU122 from the cabinet – solely Reason #3…
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For me its not just the build/challenge. I had no idea what the inside of a tank looked like. Building an interior kit was a real education. So much research.
Fun? No, maybe frustration but worth it.
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I won’t let the hatch hit me on my way out …
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#4. Educational model
Show off the internals to give the viewer an idea of what the insides of a tank or whatever looks like.
I might do it some time, maybe …
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Yep OK and…
#5 – To show others of like mind.
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