RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

This is my first large scale R/C tank. In hindsight, it was probably not the best choice for a first attempt, but it's too late now. In an attempt to keep the painting a bit more simple, I have decided to go for the 1943 Russian summer, all grey version.

Having had several reads of the instructions, I have made a start. The photos will show my progress to date.
Apologies for the quality of the photos. I will try to do better. I realised that I had not masked off enough of the hull when priming, hence the paint that has leached onto the insides.

It's a great kit. Keep up the good work

Very good kit - just got another one recently which I'm rebuilding.

Any plans for extras?

I had a look at the possible enhancements and found the options a little daunting. Some seemed to require considerable surgery to the body, which i am loath to do. I was taken by the possibility of metal tracks or a metal barrel, but am not sure of the implications for the rest of the kit. Any useful suggestions would be appreciated. I am only proposing to produce one tank (a cause of some hilarity in my introductory posts) so would like to make this one the best I can.

Some mods are a little daunting, if you don't want to chop the body about i'd recommended some metal upgrades that have better details to replace the plastic parts.

Just about to order parts for my tiger.

silversurfer1947 wrote:I had a look at the possible enhancements and found the options a little daunting. Some seemed to require considerable surgery to the body, which i am loath to do. I was taken by the possibility of metal tracks or a metal barrel, but am not sure of the implications for the rest of the kit. Any useful suggestions would be appreciated. I am only proposing to produce one tank (a cause of some hilarity in my introductory posts) so would like to make this one the best I can.

(Hes STILL thinks he's stopping at ONE guys )

Ahem.................De-nile is not just a creek in Egypt

This is a big first go at it for sure, but the build when approached methodically(like you have) and with open mindedness for ideas & input(like you have) I'm sure you have such a great feeling at the end, one wont be enough.

please keep us in the loop with pics when you can, cheers

silversurfer1947 wrote:I had a look at the possible enhancements and found the options a little daunting. Some seemed to require considerable surgery to the body, which i am loath to do. I was taken by the possibility of metal tracks or a metal barrel, but am not sure of the implications for the rest of the kit. Any useful suggestions would be appreciated. I am only proposing to produce one tank (a cause of some hilarity in my introductory posts) so would like to make this one the best I can.

(Hes STILL thinks he's stopping at ONE guys )

Ahem.................De-nile is not just a creek in Egypt

This is a big first go at it for sure, but the build when approached methodically(like you have) and with open mindedness for ideas & input(like you have) I'm sure you have such a great feeling at the end, one wont be enough.

please keep us in the loop with pics when you can, cheers

Looking good so far. I'm building the very same kit & its an enjoyable build. Patience is the key. The only problem I have had so far is dealing with the microscopic sized screws & other fasteners. I would recommend Aber PE screens for the engine deck to make that area really stand out.

Some progress to report. Hull painted and motors fitted. Next task - fitting all the wheels.

I have discovered a couple of mistake so far (that I am aware of). When I came to fit the front armour, I could not find the push washers/nuts. I have been meticulous when dealing with screws etc. Each bag is in a separate labelled container and I replace the lid immediately I have removed the required item. My initial reaction was that they were missing. Then I realised I had 2 bearings in the container. Tracking back through the instructions, I found they were the bearings for the idler adjuster screws - I had fitted the push washers there - a case of mistaken identity. A little time and a lot of wrist action on the screws and the fault was rectified.

The second mistake was in the painting. Not owning or ever having used an airbrush, I am using rattle cans. The primer went on with absolutely no problems. However, when it came to the grey paint, I got rather more than I bargained for, the result being some paint runs. Anyway, I have rubbed down the offending areas with very fine wet and dry. I won't say they have been completely corrected, but you have to look quite hard to find them. I shall be a lot more cautious for all future work.

Slick work mate, real tidy.
The cans are a bit of an art to avoid runs, but its a tank, not a candy apple red hot rod , so weathering and dirt etc hides most little evils