[D-Day] M26 Pershing

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon!
Herman sourced the exact parts sets. As a matter of fact, I think those were the parts I used back in the day. From Oz, not Taigen since there was no such entity in the modeling zeitgeist at the time. I used them on the HL lower and had the Glue Monkey to contend with while removing the plastic originals...Using a more modern Taigen lower, Herr Doc, maybe you can escape that trial.
regards,
Painless

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Yes, Painless (not still in pain, I hope), I am not sure the Taigen idlers and the HengLong idlers would be the same, but I sure do appreciate Herman's offer of help. Herman has been a help to me ever since I was on a defunct "Down Under" tank list.
Now as for "glue monkeys" (I use "Gluenatics"). Actually, as frustrating as that glue is (what it is, anyway? Is it a high-temp hot glue?)...as frustrating as it is, I say, my heart goes out to workers in factories all over the world. I'd bet many know of better ways to do the job, but must abide by the big bosses' instructions or lose their (likely boring, low-paying) jobs. (Uh-oh, can somebody help this old guy get down off this soap box?)

[PainlessWolf]

Herr Doc!
No denegration of those hardworking folks. HL and it's workers were the Genesis of the current Golden Age of RC Tank Modeling that we now enjoy. Back in the day, when those first Tiger 1s were rolling out of HLs factory, there was this one over enthusiastic individual with a glue gun....and the rest is Forum History!
regards,
Painless

P.S. I 'll be living with the broken elbow for some three months. The leg will hopefully heal up sometime in the next 30 days. ;o)

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Wow! Painless, you can do more with a broken elbow than I can with my klutzy hands and arms. Keep us up to date on the healing, Painless. We're cheering for ya!
My Pershing is stripped of all the grating "stowage" that Taigen put on it gratis. Today being Tuesday Modelers' day at my house (Make Modeling Mediocre Again), I will assess the next step. I am quaking in my sandals about any cloth cover over the gap between the turret and the gun mantlet. (I had to check the spelling on that one.)

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have been bugged by the "weathering" that came on the Taigen M26, for while it is better than just dull OD airbrush and far better than OD plastic, it does seem a tad overdone and not logically placed. You can see this in the photos on the first page of this thread.

Then, too, while the Taigen M26 did come with metal drive sprockets and tracks, the idlers, return rollers, and road wheels, as well as their suspension components are plastic and a bit out of line. So after a bit of prompting here in RCTW, I have ordered up HengLong metal replacements from Toucan Hobby, as it is likely the HengLong components are identically sized to the Taigen.

I have also done some airbrushing of the lower hull and Mr. Hobby 500 primer over the upper hull to hide the twenty-six holes I had to fill after removing Taigen "stowage" placed with no visible means of support (e.g. ten .50 cal. and .30 cal. boxes just sitting on the fenders). Here's an unspectacular update:

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[Herr Dr. Professor]

Some years ago, I repainted what I call the "HengLong Guy," that is, the US G.I. tanker that (who? ) comes with many of the Taigen and HengLong US tanks. I actually think this half-fellow is the best of the HengLong stock figures, for he represents a rather natural pose reaching for he .50 cal. MG on his tank. I painted him as an African-American tanker, but given the U.S. history of racism, he may be a fiction: I doubt any G.I. of African heritage got to command or even be a crew member in a Pershing tanks in '45. Whether he will stay as part of this M26 Pershing crew I have not yet decided, but here he is.

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[Meter rat]

Better than my human painting..

[Ecam]

Details and especially the patches are superb!

[Exhibitedbrute]

It is unlikely but possible that the Pershing could have had African-American crews.

I base my theory on known outfits using top equipment of the day. The red tails in their p51 Merlin powered mustangs.

I have read reports of hellcat crews but they did later get bumped down to infantry under some sort of racist based disaplinary action.

So I say roll with it

[MrChef]

Here's an unspectacular update:

I never thought updates had to be spectacular Mine sure aren't, especially at this point. I'm still cutting, sanding and fitting. And trying not to bleed. Others are building Model Marvels.