Some Fun with Older Model Kits: Stuarts and Such!

Recently I pulled a couple of aging “shelf queens” down with an eye to finishing them up nice and proper: (But still staying mostly OOB)
Decal sheets were missing on both kits but I had enough US Stars to do the job . However I am still waiting for my order covering proper registration marks and Unit ID’s for these two. Those needed decals should arrive in the next week or so:

For now here is where I am:

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The old Tamiya M3 kit came with the Tank Commander figure but all the rest of the crew were MIA.

I have now added driver figures to both vehicles and have custom positioned a number of newer Tamiya figures to crew the M8.

Most of these figures came out of my box of spares from the Tamiya Dragon Wagon and PC&F Recovery Vehicles. (I have three!)

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Your Stuarts look great.

Jim

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Tanks (Thanks)

Neat! They are fun little models and yours turned out very nice.

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Some Stuart Inspiration:

Seen at the 2018 Louisville MVPA National Convention.

Vehicle then Property of 14th Armored Group; Shepherdsviile, Kentucky

(Some of these photos just MIGHT have appeared in David Doyle’s latest book on the subject)

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Just a Suggestion here:

I have found that it you are going to try and take good photos of basically dark colored boxes on tracks (tanks) that it is wiser to put them on a medium, to dark background to allow the vehicle and the details to stand out. (In this case a medium brown towel,)

If you try and use a pure white background the auto-exposure in your camera or phone is going to see all that bright white in the picture, shut down the iris on your lens and leave you with nothing but a black blob in the middle of a white field.

(I am very much over simplifying the process here but I think you get the picture ~ pun most definitely intended.)

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So a way to hide my modeling flaws. :face_with_monocle::+1:

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As a modeler AND as a photographer; it all depends on what you are going for!

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Nice pair of classic Tamiya US light tanks. Now you just need their M5 to complete the trio. Although technically speaking the M8 is a self propelled gun and not a tank :wink:

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Oops, I need to add the armored caps over the old sponson 30 cal. gun mounts on the M3!

Cruse’n the stash last night and found these!

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The Patton Museum had one of these on display in the LST building. I always thought the sloped armor was a good idea. (Apparently so did the Germans!)

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As to those tanker crews:
. . . . and also those Self Propelled Gun crews.

M3 Driver

M8 Driver

M8 Crew*
If you look closely at that turret you will see the gunner dozing off in his seat. (I did not want to disturb him!


Hints of a few extra details, all very rough additions can be seen - some simple seats, a drive shaft housing plus a firewall added to the M3.

Of course the open topped M8 comes with a fairly nice interior but not so with the M3.

Additionally I always choose to add a firewall to any tank I might build regardless. Even if no interior details are planned. However, I will say that a few simple, rough hewed interior details COULD make all the difference by simply hinting at (giving the impression of) an otherwise fully done interior. I feel that I just never want to look down thru the hatches and see a big black hole where an engine and firewall ought to be.* *

(Just my personal choice and opinion.)


** The same with not wanting to look down thru a turret hatch and see daylight coming in thru an incomplete sponson that has no floor to it! I always close these up as well!

Exterior weathering done with pigments. Interior dirt & grime done with washes.

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Here is an image you might enjoy:
The Commander at Knox wanted an “old vs new” recce photo.
Who am I to refuse such a request?

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The Stuart always reminds me of one of the best Twilight Zone episodes EVER.

Nice work!!

Or comic books… GI Combat and “The Haunted Tank”

image

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Some more M5 Stuart Inspiration:
Two M5’s from 14th Armored in Shephardsville, KY participating in a “Secret City,” TN event some years ago.

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I still have some of those old comics! The crew always a bit uneasy about their tank commander “talking to himself”.

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Wouldn’t you be uneasy in that situation? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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And some M3A3 inspiration in original color

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