M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

[Ad Lav]

Good progress Louis.

The clear part is on the Leopard and I think Type 10 as well.

[yan33]

and the abram's too

[lmcq11]

Hi,

After a crazy day at work in the IT business, there is nothing like building an M2 Machine gun to change your mind.

The Clark TK-60 control board has 2 machine guns with flash and sound. So, in addition to the coax machine gun, I decided to give flash and sound to the commander's M2 machine gun. Since I gave the cupola some horizontal mouvement, it is logical to also be able to shower the front of the vehicle and get those VCs.

This is the Aber M2 brass barrel, getting ready to be cut, drilled and modified. It is not obvious to do. I did it once for the cupola MG on the M48 build but this time, it is for a complete standalone M2 on its external mount.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

The solid brass barrel is cut at the larger sleeve level, and the sleeve is drilled and made hollow to carry a fibre optic through it.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

Here, the thin solid brass barrel will be replaced by a brass tube that will be extensively reworked to replace the barrel with a good look and feel of the original.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

After much hand file sanding to make the tube progressively thinner towards the tip, then polishing and adding a larger muzzle with the same brass tube, the new brass barrel is connected to the sleeve area with the fibre optic running through it.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

As the TC machine gun is well protected behind a gun shield, the plan is for the fibre optic to go down through the MG mount and then inside the turret where a LED will be connected. The fibre should be well hidden.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

The barrel is mounted on the Tamiya M2 body.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

The M2 is given an Aber PE treatment to optimize the details. I've build the Aber M2 many times now, it is somehow getting easier all the time. What was taking me hours and a lot of cursing years ago is now done in minutes...

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

Still have to attach a few extremely small PE details, but its getting dark.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

Here we are, a 1/16 scale M2 Machine gun with fibre optic gun flash ready to be installed on its mount.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

Regards, Louis

[Jimster]

That is a beautiful job. You made a perfect looking replacement barrel. Very impressive modeling as usual.

[lmcq11]

Thank you Jimster,

With this post, the two Browning M2 machine guns are completed and mounted on the Sheridan. The gunner's M2 has not been made functional with flash and sound but I could technically have connected it to the same LED as the TC for parallel shooting, but it would have been a bit too extreme.

As per all reference picture I have seen, the carry-on handle under the barrel is never seen on these machine gun on Sheridan tanks. So, for the guys who use the Tamiya M2 out of the box, it might be better to remove the barrel handle for an accurate model, even if Tamiya displays it on the cover. The original tank with the same Tamiya markings at the start of this build does not have the barrel handle.

As per Barry's suggestion, I ordered Special Ops resin M2 ammo cases (opened and closed) for turret storage and the mounts. So, these will be installed when I get them. WW2 cases should not be used.

Here's some 1/16 M2 machine gun porn, Vietnam style.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

That little roundel on top right of the rear sight is the adjustment wheel. Its real tiny. There are 2 very small PE strip 1mm long that are supposed to be positioned in the slots under the trigger. One of these tiny part flipped in the air and I never saw it again, lost forever. So I skipped that step, for now. You can notice the fibre optic of the machine gun flash going down inside the turret.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

I purchased a bunch of Tamiya M2s from Axel's and I have a good reserve of Aber detailing sets. The gunner's machine gun is stripped out and ready for its Aber PE. No gun flash on this one.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

The gunner's M2 is installed on its mount.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

continuing on following post.

[lmcq11]

More machine gun porn.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

Regards, Louis

[BarryC]

Nuf Said!

Barry

[HERMAN BIX]

Might be just my eye, but there is soooo much M2 action going on on top of the turret that the poor thing looks like it would fall over on any decent angle !!
Got to hand it to you Mr IMcq11, you sure know how to get the best out of a .50 BMG model

[Soeren]

You can actually aim the things
Awesome paint it and you will have the government have a closer look at you.

[lmcq11]

thanks guys,

Might be just my eye, but there is soooo much M2 action going on on top of the turret that the poor thing looks like it would fall over on any decent angle !!

Yeah, it does right now but with the addition of the large storage rack, it will rebalance the turret. That's Vietnam. With a 152mm gun with beehive rounds, one 7.62mm coax MG and two .50 M2 MG, the Sheridan must have made a hell of a perimeter defence vehicle.

Seen here with the Vietnam unit turret custom configuration that I want to repro, with gunner's M2 and large storage rack, no searchlight. This one does not have a TC Acav gun shield.

Notice the dog rider on top of the mantlet, for added teeth during VC encounters... Looks like he is really enjoying the ride. Who said the Sheridan is not a cool tank ?

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build

A Sheridan seen here going deeper into Cambodia. Notice the state of the crew and infantry riders. The gunner's M2 is visible on the left. The Sheridan is light and was not as good as the M48 or M60 at "Jungle busting". Ref: Squadron Signal, M551 Sheridan in action in color. Highly recommended.

M551 Sheridan Airborne light tank - Vietnam - build