M16 Half Track "Meat Chopper" Korea 1950 - Build

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:04 am

Hi, thank you Kaczor !

The 8 ammo canisters that are made of 2 halves have a large seam that is really bad.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

It took me 2 evenings of filling the seam with superglue in layers and sanding them smooth all around.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The canisters are temporarily installed on their guns. They will be permanently installed only after painting. A band of SOL resin .50 cal ammo links will be present between the canister and the gun. The purpose of taking so much time filling the seam is to make the M45 quad mount shine in all its glory and ensure nothing is breaking up the images to betray it as a model.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build; Capture5.JPG (95.14 KiB) Viewed 1810 times

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Regards, Louis

Post by **Model Builder 4** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:51 pm

This is going to be spectacular once finished Louis and I'm sure it'll be another TOTM winner for you

Cheers, Lee.

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 4:27 am

Thanks Lee,

This is the detailing of the M45 Quadmount.

Its very difficult to find good detailed pictures of the M45 quadmount installed on the M16. We mostly only see the top part all the time, with no interior shots available. What we can easily determine though is that the barrel handles are not present in most wartime pictures i have seen. Below view is an M16 at the Remagen bridge.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build; Capture.JPG (75.1 KiB) Viewed 1773 times

The Quadmount on the M16 has a small platform at the back. It is totally missing on the WSN RC model and needs to be crafted.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The static Trumpeter model has it so for the first time, i used it as references for dimensions and construction method, corroborated by the GunPower book.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

I want to keep my Trumpeter kit intact for future purposes or reselling, so the parts were kept on sprue.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The GunPower book show the platform with single diamond treadplate.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The brackets were constructed in brass.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

In order to install the platform, the rear section of the battery area that the servo replaced needs to be reconstructed.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

I also gave the servo a representation of the battery braces for holding it in place.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

For solidity, i had to put a plasticard strip between the platform and the side brackets, a small compromise.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

continuing on following post.

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 4:43 am

The M45 quadmount is equipped with 6.4mm of armor at the front. The GunPower book show the side plates at the front holding with bolts. However, after finishing to install the bolts, i realized i could not find a single pictures of a real M45 with them and those plates must therefore be soldered in place. I gave the benefit of the doubt to GunPower at this time until further research. I thought the bolts made sense and look better. Maybe there are 2 versions. If this is found to be inaccurate, i will remove the bolts.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

References show a firing mechanism with a wire connecting to the mount. The WSN machine guns are totally inaccurate in this area.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The Tamiya M2 are enhanced to show something similar. I have seen pictures of the real thing and it is much more complicated in reality, but this will do. Notice the cranking handles coming with the Tamiya machine guns, missing on WSN.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Bolts and nuts are missing here and there.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

And this is the finished M45 quadmount. The removal of the seam on the ammo canisters and the new machine guns with fine and strait barrels are significantly improving the look and feel of the quadmount.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Regards, Louis

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:31 pm

Hi,

I summarily put together one of the figure to test the size and placements when the model will be on static display. The figures will remain removable. This is a 1/16 scale figure and from the actual height of the figure, my conversion calculations indicate that this is a 6 foot man, good.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

When the M45 quadmount is installed, i am really surprised by the lack of space left in the compartment for the two loaders to move around. They have a cushion to sit on the floor in the front of the rear basket but not much space to work at reloading the guns.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

From what i see, reloading in action must have been a risky process, and not just because of snipers. Lowering the flaps probably help avoiding the men being crushed to death between the ammo bins, guns and side armor. Some must have fallen overboard.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

This resin figure is finely detailed and a good match for a Korean war M16 loader, although i will have to make him look down a bit because they would more likely shoot at ground targets than Migs or Yaks.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The M16 would typically have a loader on each side. Space is very limited at the rear but the front of the compartment allow for a couple of positions.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Here, the figure is standing on the raised platform at the back of the quadmount. This is probably the best place to stand when the mount is rotating, gun shooting or for protection against enemy gunfire.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Comparing the resin figure with the WSN figures show the difference in size. Next to my new 1/16 resin crew figure, the WSN guys are like 5 foot tall men, kind of very short. If they were 6 foot tall, they would therefore be in 1/18 scale, not 1/16. They are likely 1/18 scale and not a very good match for this vehicle.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

This situation prompted me to investigate if the WSN M16 is really 1/16 scale, or 1/18. The GunPower book has an advertised 1/16 scale graphic. But wait a minute, the WSN model is actually larger than the graph. So, something is wrong somewhere. Continuing the investigation on the following post.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:52 pm

The WSN model is much longer. So, it is either the Gunpower graph that is 1/18 instead of the advertised 1/16, or the WSN model is closer to 1/15. Investigations is showing that its the Gunpower graph scale that is not accurate.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

My Squadron Signal book has graph but no stated scale, so not useful. I went into my model collection and brought up the Tamiya and Monogram half tracks i have. Both are advertised as 1/35.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

But they are different, the monogram rear compartment is at the bottom, Tamiya above it. The Monogram kit is larger and probably more around 1/32. Why is it so complicated getting the right scale... When i extrapolate the Tamiya kit dimensions to 1/16, i get to about the same as the WSN model. So, with the assumption that we can trust the Tamiya 70s model, the WSN kit is 1/16. As for the GunPower book, their large graph sheet seems to be 1/18 scale, and their 1/35 graphs inside the book seems to be 1/31. Stated dimension of the real vehicle downsized to 1/16 is also a near match for WSN.

Notice that the Monogram M3 model has the rear armor flaps of the M16, which is obviously wrong.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

At the same time, i am noticing that the bad 1/16 WSN radio is actually the same part as the Tamiya 1/35 from the 70s. Not sure where both companies got their specs for that radio but we can assume that WSN used the same source as Tamiya, or simply copied and up-scaled it without questioning its authenticity. So i guess this is the source of the WSN radio...

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build; Capture13.JPG (88.77 KiB) Viewed 1740 times

Interestingly, the latest new Dragon 1/35 M16 half track kits shows 2 options of radios, finally with SCR-528, none looking like the totally wrong Tamiya and WSN offerings above. It is a difficult to find kit.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The latest AFV Club 1/35 also has a good radio, a 2020 offering and probably the best option to select for someone rebuilding a WSN M16 and wanting a good reference. Both Dragon and AFV Club are expensive 1/35 kits at $65+.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build; Capture17.JPG (66.96 KiB) Viewed 1714 times

FYI, Monogram also has an old half track kit with Quadmount so we know where the folding side armor of their M3 came from. With that roller in the bumper, it is closer to an M17, but it has the strait folding flap of the M14 for the rear compartment. These were shipped to allies. The Monogram armor kits are mostly for nostalgic collectors of old kits.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Regards, Louis

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 6:30 pm

As the M16 had a crew of 5, i found another 1/16 Korean war figure, winter uniform so perfect fit with the others. He will be the driver sitting in the cabin. This is a resin figure from Coree, difficult to find.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build; Capture15.JPG (65.6 KiB) Viewed 1734 times

PainlessWolf · Post by **PainlessWolf** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 2:54 am

Louis!
The Gun Mount is a work of art. A re-doable work of art. Thank you very much for the guidelines to follow on my own Halftrack. Following along for the Grand Finale!
regards,
Painless

lmcq11 · Post by **lmcq11** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 12:40 am

Thank you Painless, with this post, it is the end of the construction phase of the vehicle itself. Here is a walk around of the construction before the painting phase.

The Head and tail lights LEDs had to be completely rewired with new wires, resistors and main connection.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

The small enclosure under the gun mount for the electronics is full. It can't accept any more functions. The 35RCTANK MTC-2 control board does not have a light port or lighting function. I also could not get any juice coming out of an available port on the receiver. So, i had to connect the headlight and tail light main wire directly to the Pos and Neg wires of the power connection between the MTC-2 to the Flysky receiver.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Tail lights on.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Re-testing everything. There is barely 1mm between the gun mount tip/back ramp and the armor and ammo canisters on the sides.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

Reload Ammo canisters are temporarily put in place for testing. Every mm counts.

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

: 1/16 RC M16 Half Track MGMC Meat Chopper Korea build

It really adds to the look and feel to have lowered the flaps. In addition to being realistic for shooting the gun, it also makes the gun mount more visible.