T-23 Experimental Tank Build

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi All
I got bored so I was looking around and came across this Tank. It appears only 7 was built and it used a hybrid diesel/Electric drive system. All the 7 seem to be slightly different, some have fenders some don't as well as little differences on the rear deck and turret.
Well that makes it different enough for me to give it a go and scratch build one.

.
I raided my bit box for an old HL M6 hull and some old Mato Sherman bogies, then contacted Dave at Forgebeartanks and raided him for some spares, before finally started to cut and hack things apart, (Ohhh I do like a bit of destruction derby) .
Anyway I cut and sliced off all the old M26 bogies and mounting points plus the back end off the hull. Then rebuild it back using plastic card and parts from an mato Sherman front plate.

Once I was happy with alignment I added the VVS Mato bogies and an Hentec Adjustable idler and finally the mato gearboxes in the back of the hull. The tracks are from a mato Sherman and with a tiny bit of fiddling everthing lined up and drives very nicely.

Some of the bits I chopped off for re-use.

Started on the top hull then by re-attaching the front mudguards with a 10mm extension o fit the tracks and also trimming 11mm off each side of the mudguards to fit the new slimmer tracks and hull dimensions.

Well that's it for now I'll make a start on the rear top deck next once I get my head around the layout.
Denzil

[Ad Lav]

I like this - never liked it on world of tanks though lol

Look forward to the build!

[RobW]

Looks good. Where's the other prototype you were working on at the last GLAD meet?

[hawkeye3guns]

Had a problem with electrics so put it on the back burner for now.

[Cruiser133]

Awesome job, this is brilliant!

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi all
Had a bit of spare time to get my head around the rear deck and also a big thank you to Sassgrunt for a couple of clear photo's of a rear deck showing the exhaust layout and shape.
It appears that all the 7 vehicles are slightly different possibly due to the engineers trying out different idea's, but I've done my best to interpret the photo's as I see them as a mechanical engineer. Anyway here's my rear deck and fenders up till now.

Well I fairly happy with the look and the attachment of the rear fenders, So the next job until I get a turret is to sort out whether to fit the side skirts or not and what type. Then pore over photo's with a magnifier and do some detail work ie. lights, tow rope attachment points, and such. Also do I box in the side tool boxes or leave them exposed. Decisions, Decisions
Ta Ta for now

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi All
Got the rear done to my satisfaction (apart from Fitting it out). I was not happy with the front so shaved the lot off and started again. Rebuilt the Front plate, reshaped the machine gun housing and its position and also the front ventilator housing.
After that was able to place the front lights and towing brackets in the correct place also re- positioned the lifting eyes.

Started on the turret next. I got a Mato Sherman turret from Dave at Forgebear, and then gutted it and removed the 5.5mm step from the turret base in order to lower the turret to the correct height.
Next was to fit a Jagpanther recoiling unit (again from Dave in place of the BB unit ) in order to have a recoiling barrel and muzzle flash. The fitting of this unit was one of the easiest I've done, the recoil unit was a straight swop and once the BB unit and its tube was removed the plastic outer was a free sliding fit in the mantle, so by just gluing a tube into the barrel outer and the recoil unit to connect them together, Voila! you have a recoiling barrel

I have test fitted the turret to the hull to check operation, But something is not quite right ?, I know the rear of the turret has a couple of fitting that should not be there so will be shaved off. But Some photo's show the turret to be a more squared off shape at the rear but others show it as is. Any Idea's ?

Well that's it for now, next job is to sort out the toolboxes in the correct position and the fender sides/skirts, whether to go for the full fenders and cover the tracks or just the short skirt and leave the tracks exposed?. Then finally a paint job (at least that will be easy Drap olive with a tiny bit of weathering ).

[c.rainford73]

Looking good and quite unique following along

Carl

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi all
Well finally got the toolboxes relocated and decided to go with the short side skirts. Primed the hull and then did a bit of joint filler to blend in and then gave her a coat of Olive Drap.
Did a bit of black wash around the various tool box lid and engine panels then fitted the rear tow hawser and the turret machine gun. Found a commander curtesy of "Frankie" and gave him a first colour coat.

None of the Photo's I have show any Tool placements, So due to her being one of seven experimental tanks of this type I'll just leave the tooling off.
I have a photo showing a Number for this tank so when I can locate some 5mm white letraset I'll add the number and just give her some road dust and mud to the lower hull to finish her off.
I have looked but cannot find anything that said these went anywhere but Aberdeen Proving ground.
Anyway I will post a last couple of Photo's when I locate the numbers and finally finish the wiring for the radio and add a bit of weathering
Denzil

[c.rainford73]

This is a super cool build