M47 5th ID Germany
The kit
The decals
The subject
Steps 1 & 2, road wheel arms on
Running gear added to suspension
Running gear added to suspension
Temptation... what to do to improve this?
Transmission area plumbed
And what will be visible in transmission area
Brush guards replaced with earlier type to backdate tank variant
Stowage boxes and mufflers added to fenders
Kit “auxiliary motor” cut away, will scratch build a replacement.
Actual auxiliary motor - to be created
Test view of installed harness
Ignition harness scratch built and fuel tank extension scratched up and added
Sprue and spare idler mount to used for scratch built carburetor and intake manifold
Ignition harness installed
More plumbing added
Extra detailing seen from the right side
Extra detailing seen from the left side
Scratch made carburetor and intake manifold installed
Intake ducting for carburetor added
Oil coolers detailed and plumbed, carburetors & ducting installed
View of added detailing thru open grill hatches
Oil coolers detailed and plumbed, carburetors & ducting installed
Auxiliary motor made from modified jeep motor
Fire extinguisher nozzle and plumbing lines added
Final add ons overview
Sample view of visible work
Primer on
Power pack detail painting on. Just needs some washes and such now then I can install it.
Wash on and cleaned up, power pack installed
And what will be visible
Upper hull and muffler covers added
Upper hull and hull .30 cal. Added
Beginnings of small bits added to front of hull
Small bits added to hull rear
Rear fender attachment point improved
Rear fender attachment point improved
Detail parts added to front of hull
Main gun assembled and installed
Turret interior painted
Breech block painted
Turret halves assembled
Test fitted... now it’s a TANK!
Weld seam added to turret and location holes for side rails filled
Weld seam added to turret and location holes for side rails filled
Early style grab handles added to turret right side
Early style grab handles added to turret left side
Tube styrene added to represent trunnion attachment points
And sanded down to more scale thickness
Cast Armor Texture added
Cast Armor Texture added, close up of turret
Cast Armor Texture added, close up of glacis
Cast Armor Texture added
Final bits added to turret
Final bits added to turret
Final bits added to turret
Archer raised resin casting mark decals added
Archer raised resin casting mark decals added
More casting marks added, and the dust cover for the mantlet made from tissue paper.
Current overall condition
Dust cover clamps added, right side
Dust cover clamps added, left side
Dust cover clamps added, top
Basic construction now complete
Basic construction now complete
Casting mark decal and texture under paint
Casting mark decals and texture under paint
Black base paint on
Black base paint on
Mission Models OD applied, close up of added glacis cast armor texture and casting marks
Turret left side w/paint
Turret right side w/paint
Frontal quarter view w/Mission Models OD applied
Rear quarter view w/Mission Models OD applied
Gloss coat on, road wheel tires painted, ready for decals.
Tracks test fitted
Decals on, rear quarter
Decals on, front quarter
Pretty much done
Pretty much done
Pretty much done
Comments
63 10 January 2021, 23:19
Carlos CisnerosThis project is something of a multi purpose. It is for a Group Build in a club chapter of which I am a member, Southern California AMPS. It is also part of my "Dad's Army" collection, being something that was assigned to US 7th Army in West Germany when my father was there in the 1950's. And lastly I chose the unit, because it was part of my first assigned line division during my time in the US Army, the 5th Infantry Division. So this build touches on both my fathers soldier past and somewhat upon my own as well.
11 January 2021, 17:31
CortexThis project is inspiring, I love when old kits are tackled because it shows what difference can new tools, detail sets, and paints can do.
15 January 2021, 00:39
Carlos CisnerosThank you. This kit holds up pretty well in detail. Italeri did a very nice job on it back in the day. Certainly cutting edge in level of detail for that time. It just needs a little help here and there to really shine. But no new tools, or detail sets are going into this. Just stuff from my spares bin and whatever I can think of that I have onhand.
15 January 2021, 00:44
Carlos CisnerosThank you Joshua. It's certainly one of Italeri's better armor kits.
22 January 2021, 17:21
Steven Van DyckI built the Revell ŕebox on Scalemates and it really holds up as a kit. I suppose you will expose the engine, I left it out because of the heavy louvres.Good luck!
28 January 2021, 18:12
Carlos CisnerosThank you Steven. Yes I am going to expose the engine. At least with the louvres that can be posed open. And yes, I am finding out this does hold up well as a kit very nicely. The Italeri mold makers did very nice work on this one.
28 January 2021, 22:23
Steven Van DyckOne thing I decided to add to my model are 2 raingutters on the cupola.
[img1]
But I think these are not on all versions.
28 January 2021, 22:46
Carlos CisnerosThose rain gutters were more commonly seen on some of the different NATO army M47s. US M47s did not carry them. Probably because of their short timespan with the Regular Army.
28 January 2021, 23:55
Carlos CisnerosThank you Paul. I'm looking forward to getting past the engine compartment and then getting some momentum on this project again.
9 February 2021, 03:57
Carlos CisnerosThank you Paul! I want to get this one completed before I resume my other ongoing projects.
27 June 2021, 20:26
Carlos CisnerosThank you Alex! The M47 Patton does have a unique look compared to many other tanks of the same era.
6 November 2021, 06:27
Michael KohlWell done. I like the extra detailling and texturing. Maybe next time the added texture can be stippled with a brush to make it appear a bit less blotchy
6 November 2021, 09:06
NeulingVery good result! I always liked the M 47. It hasn´t seen much action though ... soon to be replaced by the M 48 with the better shaped (but less characteristic) turret.
6 November 2021, 09:36
Carlos CisnerosMichael & Neuling, thank you.
Michael, I did use a couple of brushes to work the texture, but yes, my technique there needs further development effort. A different brush sounds like a good idea.
Neuling, the M47 did not see any combat action with NATO countries, aside from exercises and starring in WWII movies, but it did see considerable combat action in Jordanian, Pakistani, and Iranian hands. I think a few saw action in the Balkans and Africa as well.
I'll be tackling the follow on M48 next year, 😉
6 November 2021, 14:30
Carlos CisnerosNeuling, I can get back to you on that. I haven't come across much information on the Iran/Iraq war, but have read of the Jordanian and Pakistani combat experiences some time ago, and will have to "refresh my memory" on those.
7 November 2021, 17:58
Carlos CisnerosFrom some quick reading, the Pakistani M47s had mixed performance. In one battle the performed poorly, but that was mainly due to a very unfavorable battlefield employment on their part. In another battle, they performed well, and gave as good as they got against the Indians. In Jordanian hands in 1967 they gave the Israelis a very rough time, facing mostly AMX-13s and Sherman's, but suffered very heavy casualties to Israeli air attacks.
8 November 2021, 18:28
Carlos CisnerosYou're welcome. I'm curious to find out how the Iranian M47s did against Iraqi T-54s/T-55s as that would have been the likely opponents in Central Europe. In South Vietnamese and Israeli hands, the M48 gave a very good account of itself against the T-54/T-55 in those wars. But both of those armies fielded better trained tank crews compared to their opponents.
9 November 2021, 15:31
JohnGlad to have found this one. I'm itching to do an M47 to give the T55 something to square off against. I hear that the Testors/Italeri kit is one of their best and it holds up even today, not that I would turn down a Takom. Brilliant job on this one. The casting texture and numbers alone are first rate. 👍
11 January 2023, 16:47
Carlos CisnerosJohn & Pietro, thank you.
John, I had lots of guidance during the build telling me some small details that I was unaware of to help make this one turn out even better. About the only change that I'd suggest on this kit if you build one, is to replace the tracks. The Italeri vinyl ones are rather stiff.
11 January 2023, 18:09
JohnThat would probably be the one thing I would replace. I see that Bronco makes a set of T84 workable tracks and that would be the go-to. I saw a build here where someone used them and wow, looks like a ton of work with separate links and pads. Maybe the Takom after all!
11 January 2023, 19:37
