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

[BarryC]

Louis,

I like you idea for making the ARVN troops using 1/18 scale figures. I believe it's going to yield some very realistic looking figures.

Your detail work really "tricks out" and takes the build to the next level.

Barry

[HERMAN BIX]

The work that Mr Cq11 and Mr Barry C do ?.......................I'd be searching the family tree for relations
Or, the archives at NASA/Area 51

[lmcq11]

I reckon that if H/L took just a bit more time to get things better, the much maligned Bulldog would be a better seller !!

Yeah, it would not have taken longer for the model designers to use their ruler instead of inventing shapes and dimensions... But the short story of this tank development likely goes as follows;

- Decision made to use the larger M26 road wheels, and it went downhill from there.
- Decision made to widen the tracks and fenders to make the M26 road wheels look more proportional.
- No one noticed that road wheel 3 and 4 do not have shock absorbers.
- Decision made to raise the hull to fit a badly selected gearbox and all the electronics inside, which by default required the hull to be stretched as well.
- The hull and turret designers obviously did not agree on a key element, the size of the turret ring. The hull guy got it right but the turret guy used the wrong turret ring diameter and then tried somehow to reconciliate the top and bottom of the turret the best he could.
- Mixing components of the early and later variants into a single tank.
- The driver's periscopes were made too big to fit the slots that the hull designer had made for them so the simple solution was to put them on top of the driver's compartment instead of making them fit. "Ya Man, no problem, I'll just glue them on top like this and nobody will notice".

[mcovalsk]

I love all the build but this was the best and I still have pain in the belly of so much laughing.

"The driver's periscopes were made too big to fit the slots that the hull designer had made for them so the simple solution was to put them on top of the driver's compartment instead of making them fit. "Ya Man, no problem, I'll just glue them on top like this and nobody will notice"

Seriously talking. Did you realize the idler wheels are solid with oval openings?
http://www.modelersite.com/Dic2012/TheB ... _small.jpg

[lmcq11]

Seriously talking. Did you realize the idler wheels are solid with oval openings?

Hi, thanks, yes, saw that. I let it go. The HL idler is very thick plastic, it did not think they would look good with the openings. The sprockets also has openings but I did not make them because it would have weaken them after they were cut in 3 sections right where the openings should be.


Now, the construction phase is finished and here are some details on the remaining work that was done.

Overall view

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

Latch on the rear deck

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

Storage holder for the tow hook when not installed.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

Spare track holder. I was happy to see that the new 32mm tracks fit perfectly in the allocated space. This is something that cannot be done with regular HL 40mm wide tracks. They do not fit. The holder was built as per reference picture.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

I was missing a complicated bracket for the tow cable holders.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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Brass job for the bolts on the cast nose of the turret. The HL molding on the top was showing pins instead of bolts.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

I decided not to reproduce a canvas rain cover for the gun mantlet. Whatever I would have been able to achieve would not have looked good. It would have been easier if the gun was static but as it need to elevate and the barrel to recoil, it would have been extremely difficult to do a good job. I understand that in Vietnam, there is a rain season and a dry season. It would be logical for the crew to remove the rain cover during the dry season in order to preserve it. I also saw many pictures of M41 in Vietnam without it. However, the retaining bolts for the canvas need to be positioned.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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The larger bolts for the cast nose are M1.0 size, the smaller ones for the canvas are M0.8 with washers. It would have been better with M0.6 but I am out. I need to replenish my brass bolts reserve after this build.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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continuing on following post

[lmcq11]

Spare MG gun barrel and hammer holders on left side of turret. The MG gun barrel is the Tamiya one, leftover from the Aber conversion.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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The guard for the loader's periscope was redone in brass.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

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Last views prior to the painting and weathering job. From pictures I have seen, ARVN M41 were painted in a very dark Olive green with a dark blue tone. I will have to do some more research. In the meantime, I will give it a Tamiya OD oil based primer prior to acrylics. Yes Barry, it will have some red dust too.

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

M41 A3 Walker Bulldog 1/16 RC Heng Long updated fixed

This is it, construction is over. The model and the whole work place need a thorough clean up, dust, tools and material everywhere, I lost control. I have never done such a dusty project in the past.

Also need to start assembling the ARVN crew and infantry and I will show that as well soon.

Regards, Louis

[philipat]

Yep, that's an awesome build!

The idler can be correct as it is. There were three versions of the idler on the M41. Two with variations on the rubber tire and one without the tire, which had the oval cutouts.

Looking forward to the paint job, even though all of that work is an art piece of itself.

[rolling-thunder]

To me this is an unusual choice of Tank, it wouldn't be my choice but I can sit here admiring the level of detail you've put into this model. The end result looks fantastic, it almost seems a shame to cover all that work and detail with paint but I look forwards to the end model. I hope it turns out like you want it too.

[BarryC]

Fantactic work Louis!

You have given your model a "presences" and by that I mean, lookers will take note of the details without even thinking about it. It will attract attention because it has the details to make it look like a scaled down version of the actual tank.

Cheers,
Barry

P.S. Looking forward to that "red dust".

[square4]

good to see photos like this so all the extra work that has been done can be seen, very well done.