M-113A1 ACAV APC - Vietnam - Build

[Soeren]

That is some nice work.

[lmcq11]

Hi and thank you,

Tonight was spent on the engine grilles.

All references show these to be of an overall similar type but close up pictures of the M-113 from the top are difficult to find. Main reference was Squadron M113 walk around, below. Cross reference pictures from other sources are difficult to find for analysis.

M113 grilles

The issue with the kit is that the grille on the left is not as per reference. I could not find any pictures showing these 2 overlapping sections distanced from each other and that are not at full length. Maybe the vendor had access to a vehicle that was modernized and replicated it. In any cases, that left grille does not fit a Vietnam era M113.

M113 grilles

I therefore decided to built a new left grille as per references. I used leftover plasticard from the kit sprues, one of them is of the perfect thickness for it, cut some blades and assembled them with superglue. It is easier than it seems to be.

M113 grilles

The top section was modified to handle the new grille.

M113 grilles

An important component is the metal mesh that goes on top of both. I stopped at the dollar store of the way back from the office and bought this kitchen instrument for 2$, the mesh was of good size and of a rectangular shape, perfect.

M113 grilles

The grilles are installed and look good compared to references. I made the mesh a bit larger on some sides in order to curve them around the edge, like i saw on pictures. The top section was not glued to the hull. Need to keep this removable til the end of course.

M113 grilles

M113 grilles

The exhaust pipe was made of 5mm aluminum tube and mounted on a plasticard piece.

M113 grilles

M113 grilles

Meng nuts are always as useful.

M113 grilles

That grill section will be enhanced with additional parts as next step.

Regards, Louis

[c.rainford73]

Louis truly exceptional workThe efforts you have invested in this part of the build are really paying off!

[Ad Lav]

Smart.

[BarryC]

I'm liking what I am seeing, awesome build you've got going.

An APC would be a great pairing with the M-48..

Barry

[AlwynTurner]

Fantastic build as always Louis, not so much a build as a work of art.

Alwyn

[HERMAN BIX]

Spell-binding
Looking ahead, I wish you well with the mass of crew figures that would festoon the roof !!

[lmcq11]

Oh, thank you. I am enjoying this type of modelling, making a few mistakes here and there that I will correct but overall it is going well I think.

Spell-bindingLooking ahead, I wish you well with the mass of crew figures that would festoon the roof !!

Yes indeed. Vietnam era tank riders are impossible to find so it will be interesting to see what I will be able to scramble and modify. I just finally found good M-16A1 rifles in 1/16 scale in resin. Got Verlinden stuff but I am concerned with the 1/15 scale.

Reedees M-16a1

Slowly accumulating various items.

Louis

[lmcq11]

Hi,

This is the driver's hatch. As per Squadron M113 walk around, the hatch has four M17 periscopes on the sides and one M19 on top.

Below are the parts provided with the kit, the basics are there but there is a lot missing. For some unknown reason, Ludwigs seems to have 2 versions of this roof section. This one and another one shown in the instructions with wider periscope holes and engine grille. The one I have needs correction in order to be more accurate.

M113 driver's hatch

I disregarded my earlier plans to use Shapeways King Tiger periscopes. The M17 periscope is much wider and size matters in order to represent the hatch section correctly. The first task is to fill the pre-cut periscope holes because they are not located at the right place and are not of the right size.

M113 driver's hatch

The hatch hole itself is too much on the left when viewed from the back. It needs to be moved to the right, closer to the engine grille as shown. The 3 rings are glued together and once in place, the hole is trimmed as per revised hatch tunnel location.

M113 driver's hatch

Overall view of the driver's hatch.

M113 driver's hatch

New 13mm wide periscopes were created out of plasticard. References show the M17 periscope to be quite flat and as such are easy to reproduce. Periscope guard are made of Photo etched fret left overs. The M19 periscope vocer was built with the help of a Sherman 1/35 road wheel, emptied, with a plasticard part added on top and then trimmed on front and back, then placed on a thin plasticard round piece. Now that I look at it in pictures on large screen, I can see a few things that can be improved.

M113 driver's hatch

I tried to reproduce the production hatch hinge arrangement as best as a could, reusing some parts provided by the kit, the rest is hand made from plasticard and a simple brass rod. This was quite fun to do.

M113 driver's hatch

That third bracket on the right attached to the hatch is not provided in the kit and needs to be scratch built.

M113 driver's hatch

M113 driver's hatch

The hatch can be opened of course. I am planning to show a driver. However, I have not yet finished the interior of the hatch. I am still searching for a good picture showing the location of the handle and of the locking mechanism in order to reproduce them. The hatch will be left open. I have not seen any reference picture of M113 in storage or in the field with the M19 periscope installed.

M113 driver's hatch

I can see superglue residue that needs to be cleaned up. The 3 rings had to be filed a long time to end up with a smooth surface. This is one area that will need pre-painting and thorough checking to ensure no cracks or misalignments are left between them. Its hard to see cracks within all that white stuff.

M113 driver's hatch

Regards, Louis

[Estnische]

Once again great work, and leaving a fantastic record for those that might want to tackle it themselves.