Magach 6 - M60 slick post YKW
I used the Italeri kit no 6391 M60 Blazer with DEF models turret and air cleaners. Some scratchbuilding was done too.
Italeri/Esci M60 hull corrections:
a) General Corrections:
Bolt details have to be added to the headlight guards, fender support brackets, engine grilles hinges, travel lock, engine doors at the back and rear fender supports.
The cast texture has to be added to the engine deck.
The tensioner wheel arm has to be correctly attached to the first wheel not on the hull as Italeri has made it to. Remove the mounting hole for the tensioner arm from the hull.
Fill the gaps at the front and rear sides of the hull with plastic pieces.
Fill the back of the sprocket hubs.
Mud relief holes need to be drilled to the sprockets.
You need to correct the shape of the bilge water outlet at the front of the hull or plug the hole with a flange.
Replace the bump stops of the suspension with correct shaped ones.
Fill the holes at the back of the suspension arms. There must be a piece of plastic protruding there in order to hit the bump stop.
Add the two round transmission inspection covers at the rear end of the hull.
Correct the front fender bracket attachment point at the hull.
Add the support/ rubber pads at the inside of the front fenders, behind the headlights.
The travel lock needs a small piece of plastic under its mounting point on the engine deck.
Add the pulling levers at the fire extinguishing actuator box at the front of the hull.
Correct the fender support bracket holes. (size and number).
Correct the way the heater exhaust is mounted on the support bracket and drill the exhaust.
The infantry phone is either attached on the fender (early vehicles) or on a base above the fender. You have to add the wire for the phone.
b) For a M60 slick tank just follow the link: http://www.guntruck.com/M60MBTPage1.html
The Italeri turret is decent enough, just needs some detailing and some work on the manlet cover to remove the mold sims.
The Urdan cupola of the Italeri kit is too wide in diameter and tall, as is the Academy one I used. That is why Academy provides new cupolas in their Magach 6B Gal Batash and 7C Gimmel kits. But these cupolas are a little small in diameter, by a couple of mms. In order to get a correct Urdan someone must wait for Def model to release theirs, or correct the Academy M48A5K cupola. Unfortunately I had started my build when Def spread the news of their Urdan release.
IDF additions are the armored filters (actually a welded armored box over the side loading filters), uzi mounts on the turret for the loader and the commander, cupola and machine guns.
The vehicles saw service in their original configuration. So you can make a simple M60 painted in IDF colors, especially for the Yom Kippur war.
Other details are:
- the antennas on the command vehicles, which are the same as my vehicle (2 spring bases instead of the one on the non command version)
- the heater exhaust was later removed, before ERA was added
- spare tracks on the left rear fender
- a stretcher on the front right fender
- sometimes wooden ammo crates on the back fenders etc
Completed model:
Please one of the mods/admins inform me if I need to change the style of presentation so as not to create any issues to the forums.