1/35 M-41 Waffle

[Frank3k]

...or dither, waver, vacilate, seesaw. I can't make up my mind on how to build this.

I have a Tamiya M-41 kit and a hull donated by Jeff. I don't want to build it OOB and I don't like the existing turret. Years ago (in the M41 thread) I posted images of the same kit with a LAV-25 turret and a short Cadillac-Gage turret with a 90mm Cockerill gun from an LAV-150... but no, that's not what I want:







Carlos also posted some drawings in the same thread that got me thinking.

I have a 1/35 paper model of the LAV-25, so I extracted the turret made it bigger and cut it out of styrene. Here's a very rough view (I've since sanded things down a bit):





Still not what I want. I found a picture of an M41 with a Stingray turret and 105mm gun:



I used the image to get an idea of the shape and made one in styrene and 3D printed one on my filament printer. Maybe getting there. This is what it looks like on the computer:



For the other hull, I was thinking of something like the SLA T-54 APC:

[Kerick]

One of these days I’ll build my M41 assault gun version with a 90 or 105mm gun. Someday.

[Buzzbomb]

Or one of each 

[apophenia]

Oh, this is gonna be good!

Have you given any thought to markings yet, Frank? (The Bundeswehr was always looking for new roles for their leKPz M41s.)

I love the idea of an autocannon-armed recce M41 but your Stingray turret turns the Bulldog into a tank killer. It makes me think of the Austrian Jagdpanzer SK 105 Kürassier - another 105mm-armed tank destroyer with relatively thin armour.

Back on the recce concept, your MG-festooned SLA T-54 APC reminds me of turretless Stuarts used in WW2 as light reconnaissance tanks 

[Frank3k]

I think I'll make it as some random South American country.

This is what I've done so far.  I flattened my 3D Stingray-ish turret and printed out the flattened sections. I glued the paper to some sheet styrene and cut and glued away. The turret on the cutting board has mostly straight sides - a build mistake. the one on the tank is closer to the design.

I also printed the turret in PLA. That'll probably go in the trash.

My first pass at this concept of a plan for the M41 was cutting out the top of the original turret. That was a mistake, so it's glued back on and most of the cuts hidden under Mr. Surfacer:



Here's a side view of the turret on the hull. It will sit lower than this; the turret ring isn't touching the hull:



I could have sworn I had another M-41 deck piece (or a couple) but I only have the lower hull and track that Jeff sent me, which should be fine for the second version.

[Ramba]

That's a lot of turrets to choose from. The LAV and Stingray turrets both look good.

[Mig Eater]

Nice the M41 Stingray has been on my to-do list for awhile, I look forward to seeing your progress.

[Frank3k]

It's more a "Stingray inspired" rather than an accurate representation.

[Buzzbomb]

Nice work on all of them.

[Kerick]

This is going to look super cool with all the tank greeblies installed!

[Frank3k]

Almost done with the 3D model version; I just need to fix a few things and make sure the turret ring will fit on the modified (I removed the locking tabs) Tamiya M-41 ring. I've tried to make it printable, but who knows how well it'll work.

The wind direction sensor is based on the M1 design:


The turret bustle rack/basket and rear round loading hatch:


I added some sensors and a fume extractor:


The gun mantle should slide in and catch on a rod:


Still need to add a .50 cal mount support and smoke grenade tubes, although I may use spares. Anything that I should add that I've missed?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I hope your efforts will not be in vain and that turret will print successfully. 

[Kerick]

I hope your efforts will not be in vain and that turret will print successfully.

Ditto on that!
Maybe smoke grenade launcher, tool boxes and or stowage racks? Radio antenna mounts?

[Frank3k]

I added the radio antenna at the rear, smoke grenade launchers and a shield for the mantle. I'll use an aftermarket M2 0.50 cal and mount. The turret bustle can take all sorts of stowage.





This will be a 6-7 hour print!

[Ramba]

The 3D turret looks great. Nice CAD skills.

[LemonJello]

Really digging all the optional turret arrangements on display.

The M41 is a really good base for all sorts of whiffery.

[Dr. YoKai]

I liked it with the Commando turret in the first shot, but the Stingray concept is looking mighty good.

[Kerick]

Looking really cool!
But there is never enough stowage. Especially for all the souvenirs.

[Claymore]

   

[Frank3k]

I printed the turret today and it came out surprisingly well, despite the crappy resin I'm using. No major flaws, although I knocked off the smoke grenade launchers while removing the supports. The mottled appearance is in part from the resin and in part because I cleaned some dust off with isopropyl :



I taped together the kit's original barrel. I'll make a 105mm barrel or use one from a Tamiya Leopard:



Here are the other bits. I somehow screwed up the commander's hatch; I may reprint it or just back it with plastic. I may also redo the grenade launchers or just reattach them. The turret bustle came out, despite the thin railing rods. I broke off the basket rods on the bottom of the basket, but I'll replace them with a mesh. Removing the support from the upper railing won't be fun - I may just replace that with copper wire:

[Mig Eater]

The print looks like it came out well, a bit more cleaning and some primer and you''l be good to go

Seeing the print on the model tho the front of the turret looks to long and unbalanced IMO, If it were me I'd make it shorter and I'd taper the front angle more so it ends at the mantlet.

[Kerick]

Once you attach the bustle rack and fill it with stuff it will balance visually. In a real world turret I have no idea.

[Frank3k]

The print looks like it came out well, a bit more cleaning and some primer and you''l be good to go

Seeing the print on the model tho the front of the turret looks to long and unbalanced IMO, If it were me I'd make it shorter and I'd taper the front angle more so it ends at the mantlet.

I didn't really take good measurements of the original turret and just scaled everything by the model's turret ring, so it is bigger. Here's the Thai version:



I'll add the bustle rack, which should help balance it out... or make it look even bigger.

[Buzzbomb]

Certainly changes the look 

[Frank3k]

I made the turret slightly smaller (mainly in the vertical). I'll start the print tomorrow.