Hi everyone,
The following posts are for the searchlight and the storage box.
There are few available pictures of the searchlight mounted on the Sho't. I want my Sho't Meteor to be fully equipped so i really wanted the searchlight.
Frontal and profile views. I have become more efficient at studying shadows on fuzzy pictures.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 1.PNG (564.13 KiB) Viewed 697 times
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 2.PNG (948.41 KiB) Viewed 697 times
The mount is also critical. The bottom part seems to have been reused as is on the Sho't Kal to mount an M2 machine gun, however, detailed pictures of the top part for the searchlight are nowhere to be found. I had to do some interpretations.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 3.PNG (698.17 KiB) Viewed 697 times
The 1/35 Accurate Armour Sho't conversion kit was useful for some specs on the searchlight and especially the mount.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 4.PNG (922.44 KiB) Viewed 697 times
Early in the build, i ordered a Haya Centurion searchlight (left side) that i had seen on their website without doing any analysis first. When it arrived, it did not take me long to realize it has nothing to do with the searchlight used on IDF Centurions. It is way bigger than anticipated. Maybe one day i will be able to use it on a Australian or Nato Centurion build.
After further research on my own, i realized that the IDF Sho't searchlight is the same as their M50/M51 Isherman searchlight. There is one available on Shapeways that i ordered, its the one on the right. Rounded shapes like this would have been difficult to scratch build, so I was happy to have a base at least.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 5.JPG (1.5 MiB) Viewed 697 times
Much smaller than the British searchlight, it fits the requirement as is.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 7.JPG (888.69 KiB) Viewed 697 times
The Shapeways searchlight compares well to the 1/35 AA kit in terms of external shapes and dimensions. However, it's totally empty and the builder has to ponder his options on how to use it, and mount it.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 8.JPG (942.19 KiB) Viewed 697 times
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 9.JPG (993.48 KiB) Viewed 697 times
The base needs to be extended to the rear.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 10.JPG (730.3 KiB) Viewed 697 times
Scavenging my son's Lego collection for anything that could help me, i quickly realise that these Lego dish antennas could be of use to put inside the searchlight.
- 1/16 RC IDF Late Sho't Meteor Centurion with 105mm - build
- 11.JPG (668.68 KiB) Viewed 697 times
Continuing on following post
As always, lovely details and scratchbuilding.