M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

User avatar
c.rainford73
Major
Posts: 6104
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:34 pm
Location: Connecticut USA

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by c.rainford73 »

Louis you have done such an amazing job. :clap: That is the best looking Walker bulldog ever. Take a bow :wave:
Tanks alot.... :wave:
User avatar
lmcq11
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2602
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:42 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Hi, thank you Barry and Carl.
philipat wrote: It might be the angle, but it looks like the rear end is squatting
Thank for the suggestion for the headlights Philipat, I will look into it. For the suspension, its the angle on the last picture. The suspension is very strong. With the way the shock absorbers number 3 and 4 were installed inside the tank, they provide a harder suspension than before when they were strait with the suspension arm.

Continuing with the build

Here is the ARVN tank crew, part 1

The plan is to have 2 tank crews and 4 infantry riders. They will make the tank come alive on its own.I want to show an ARVN crack armored unit so I will make them very well equipped in terms of uniform and weapons. There will be no drivers because he would be decapitated by the rotating turret. I have seen someone that created a mechanism the lower the driver when the mantlet is over him, it's cute.

The core body of the crew and infantry will come from the Ultimate Soldier 1/18 M48 US tank crew figure of which i bought 6. These figures sell for between $20 and $25 on eBay. They provide flak jackets (with ARVN style scarf... cool) for everyone, helmets for the tank crews, and legs with jungle boots for the infantry. Most components need some kind of modifications. I never saw a shirtless ARVN soldier so the torso will be modified to show a uniform under the flak jacket. Also, the arms will come from elsewhere.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Compared to a Verlinden 120mm figure of a US infantryman, the 1/18 scale provides a realistic size for the South Vietnamese crew.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Most of the heads will come from Ultimate Soldier 1/18 Imperial Marines set. They sell for about $8 to S10 on eBay. Ok, they are Japanese and most Vietnamese will likely be insulted but there are very few options available. However, I think they are all very expressive and good looking faces. I won't even have to repaint the head and hands.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
The Imperial marines are totally dismembered for the purpose of providing body parts for the tank crew. The head, arms and lower body are reused. The arms are too long and were cut at the highlighted line and reprofiled to fit the flak jacket.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
The two tank crew figures are built with the selected body parts. Putty is used inside the Jacket to make it fit the Asian head. A shirt is also improvised over the torso. The arms are still flexible at this point.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Capture3.JPG (77.31 KiB) Viewed 4733 times
The crew is positioned on the turret so that the position of the arms can be tested and chosen. Each arm have 3 adjustments points that are enough to provide a lot of flexibility in designing the pose. The arms are then superglued in the selected position. The tank commander will be manning the M2 Machine gun in both hands.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Then putty is applied to remove all signs of the flexible joints. It will be thoroughly sanded for seamless joints.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
These are very cool tank crews. Pretty sure they are unique in the world... The loader has the head of Pvt Yamato, while the commander has the head of Pvt Higashiyama. They look good to me. Before painting them, I will build the infantry. I am still waiting for a few items in the mail but I cannot wait to start.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Tank crews are important. When they are well positioned in a lively pose, they bring a lot of authenticity to the model. Having them is worth the 3 hours it took so far to make them, it was actually quite fun and easy.
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
ARVN 1/16 tank crew RC for Walker Bulldog
Now, the infantry riders...

Regards, Louis
User avatar
HERMAN BIX
Brigadier
Posts: 10234
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:15 am
Location: Gold Coast,Australia

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by HERMAN BIX »

God your good !
HL JAGDPANTHER,HL TIGER 1,HL PzIII MUNITIONSCHLEPPER, HL KT OCTOPUS,HL PANTHER ZU-FUSS,HL STuG III,HL T34/85 BEDSPRING,
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
User avatar
Ad Lav
Captain
Posts: 4154
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:44 pm
Location: Kent

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by Ad Lav »

My thoughts exactly!

Bravo sir!
User avatar
Model Builder 4
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2329
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 3:46 pm
Location: South Wales valleys
Contact:

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by Model Builder 4 »

The whole thing looks superb Louis :clap: it's taken you a lot of work but the end results are realistic and worth all your efforts :thumbup:

Cheers, Lee.
Me ? Addicted ? Never !! :crazy:
User avatar
BarryC
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2463
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:43 am
Location: Savannah, GA. USA

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by BarryC »

HERMAN BIX wrote:God your good !
Yup! :thumbup:

Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
User avatar
square4
Lance Corporal
Posts: 205
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:45 am
Location: Southport

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by square4 »

Cracking work on tank & figures, one to be proud of. :thumbup:
I never finish anyth
User avatar
lmcq11
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2602
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:42 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Well, thank you everyone, I am glad you like it. And believe me, there is still room for a lot of improvements for those who would like to push it further.

Here is the first infantry rider.

In similar fashion as the tank crew, 1/18 parts are assembled for the first prototype of the infantry, but with the Vietnam US tank crew legs and 1/16 infantry gears. You can see a Reedees miniature M-16A1 rifle (Vietnam era A1 version of the M-16), a Verlinden M-72 LAW anti-tank rocket, Tamiya WW2 US steel helmet, the rest of the gears are mostly from the Dragon Vietnam Seal figure which fits well.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
The legs need to be spread out using a plasticard strip. The side pockets have to be deleted with the Dremel because there were no pant pockets seen on the ARVN uniforms. The legs are also trimmed to be much less muscular and more natural around the knees.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
The first infantry rider is sitting on the tank. Be aware that the putty is still wet here and the finishing and polishing is not done. Painting will be done later.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
The plan is to paint the uniform Olive green, the flak jacket a bit more Olive drab, the scarf will likely be red as seen on documentaries. Not sure if it was wise to wear a red scarf around the neck in combat... but it looked good and was likely important for morale.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
The figure is still very dusty and unpolished but it gives a good idea. You can also inspect the quality of the M-16 rifle.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-16 and M-72 Slings, ammo belts and other details will be added at the end of the build. At this point, none of the figures or ammo boxes are glued.
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
M-41A3 Walker Bulldog Infantry rider 1/16 RC
Taking a short break for the weekend

Regards, Louis
User avatar
lmcq11
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2602
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:42 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Hi,
The tank itself is basically finished. Before I put on the crew and more items on the tank, here is a Before/After comparison of the basic shape to show the modifications performed. The M41 experts will notice a few mistakes here and there for sure but the overall result is satisfactory considering the number of issues with the base product and a relatively fast two months build period. My style is to avoid getting bugged down with secondary details and to maximize shape accuracy with a focus on visible items.

Summary of modifications

Notice lowered hull by 7.5mm, shock adsorber on road wheel 3 and 4 moved inside the hull, longer turret by 6mm and the embossed stiffeners on the fenders that were all redone with 1mm half rods in the proper shapes. Also new aluminum gun barrel that had to be perforated end to end to allow for gun flash. The gun has Clark recoil and also has much better elevation than before. And Barry got his red dust, typical of Vietnam roads in dry season. I finally decided to retain the Shapeways roadwheel 4 pins hubs, they do not look too bad in the dust.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Capture0.JPG (82.58 KiB) Viewed 4634 times
Notice lower hull, narrower fenders and tracks, and wider turret ring and turret bottom properly overlapping the fenders. Clark TK-22 is inside with Jagdpanther lower gearbox. No Smoker.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Notice the bigger size and different angles of the turret armor all around. The 'production' turret looks much better and more accurate. Builders should not get confused like Heng Long designers with the early M41 turret with different cast lines and angles, ending up with a mixture of both. The updated turret was relatively easy to do and is a high value modification. Notice new angles on rear deck and repositioned commander MG mount on top of the turret, consistent with late M41 version, with no secondary mount on the side.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Notice deeper turret nose bottom shape and cast texture. I am not fully satisfied with the bottom shape despite reworking it many times. But it is way better than the original. This is an area that is difficult to repro. Did my best from photographic reference and Tamiya kit shape. Also notice reworked driver's area with new lowered trap, and correctly shaped and positioned periscopes. The original position of the periscopes were good enough for bird watching, not for driving a tank.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Notice mantlet cast texture, new telescope trap, higher coax Browning MG, and various details. Because of the RC gun elevation pivot not in same position as the real tank, it would have been very difficult to create a rain canvas cover that looks good, authentic and functional at the same time. I kept this as a challenge for future builders who will push it further...
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Capture4.JPG (68.25 KiB) Viewed 4639 times
The 6mm extension of the turret in front of the cupola allowed for the front shape of the cupola to be accurate, with larger loader's hatch in late version type.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Capture5.JPG (78.34 KiB) Viewed 4639 times
Notice the 7.5mm reduction height and new MLRS tracks from AFV-Model. Also notice Tank Modellbau M26 shackles and the auxiliary muffler that was reposition at the front, consistent with later version M41 with angled fenders at the front and back.
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Heng Long M41A3 Before and After comparison
Now I finally have an M41 that I truly like.

Regards, Louis
Last edited by lmcq11 on Tue Oct 30, 2018 1:15 pm, edited 9 times in total.
User avatar
lmcq11
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2602
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:42 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

And here is a set of 20 close up pictures. I will issue more once the crew and Infantry riders are finished.
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Capture4.JPG (84.73 KiB) Viewed 4636 times
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Capture7.JPG (89.07 KiB) Viewed 4636 times
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Heng Long M-41A3 M41A3 M41 Walker bulldog RC 1/16 fixed Modified
Capture10.JPG (98.28 KiB) Viewed 4636 times
Post Reply

Return to “Modern Builds”