Morris-Martel one (or two) man tankette in service

[Frank3k]

The interwar period saw a rapid growth in tank designs. The small tankette was all the rage in the late 20-30s and even into WWII.
One of the earliest tankette designs was the Morris-Martel one-man tankette (Google link).
There was also a 2 man version, when the workload of driving the tankette and firing a gun was considered excessive. The goofiness is strong in this one:



I found a 1/50 scale paper model on Robototehnikpaper: http://vk.com/robototehnikpaper (download is here, towards the bottom: http://vk.com/photos-53733134?act=comments) and scaled it up to 1/35. My test prints showed that it looked very close to the pictures, so I glued the printouts to a plastic sign and started cutting.

Here's the body cut and mostly glued together. Some of the paper is still stuck on:


When I bought this sign, they were out of the cheaper versions. The ink on this one is very hard to remove (the paint on the cheap ones I was buying could be removed with some alcohol).

I cut around the engine access hatch. The one man fighting compartment is just resting on the tank. I'll make a two man version instead:


The difference between a fun and enjoyable scratchbuilding project and one that makes you despair about life is deciding how much you're going to scratchbuild. I decided I was going to pass on scratchbuilding the drive and guide wheels as well as the tracks. They seemed to change style and shape from picture to picture, anyway. Instead, I hand waved an in-service version of the tankette, with a better gripping drive wheel and better track. So I sacrificed my old Tamiya Semovente M40, which I built in 1992, for the parts. It's in the background:



The tracks looked good. I wrapped them around the drive and guide wheels and cut the vinyl track at the closest link. I then gouged a slot in the track to accommodate the pins:



I also added the radiator vents and the engine access hatches. I still need to make the two man fighting compartment, rear wheels and add rivets. Many, many rivets.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Frank, that little thing would look really nice with a bulldozer blade :)

Pretty good work with the whole scratch build and the For Sale (etc.) signs for your card stock. 

[LemonJello]

That is some mighty fine work on display there, Frank. 

What is your method for replicating the rivets/bolt heads?


***Off topic: Anybody know of any A-12 Avenger II paper models that I could try this with?***

[GTX_Admin]

Looking good

[Camthalion]

interesting.  Looks good so far

[Frank3k]

What is your method for replicating the rivets/bolt heads?
***Off topic: Anybody know of any A-12 Avenger II paper models that I could try this with?***

Here's an A-12 model: http://maquettes.hautetfort.com/archive/2009/12/17/3-a-12-avenger-ii.htmlWhen converting paper models to plastic, you have to take the difference in thickness into consideration (some paper models will list the weight/thickness of the paper).

For the larger bolts I'm using the Meng plastic bolts (https://store.spruebrothers.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=meng+nuts+and+bolts&Submit=Search)

For the smaller rivets, I'm using the Archer Details resin rivets decals. Expensive, but a lot easier than the alternatives.

Jeff, this tankette really looks like a 1920s-30s small tractor.

[LemonJello]

Here's an A-12 model: http://maquettes.hautetfort.com/archive/2009/12/17/3-a-12-avenger-ii.htmlWhen converting paper models to plastic, you have to take the difference in thickness into consideration (some paper models will list the weight/thickness of the paper).

For the larger bolts I'm using the Meng plastic bolts (https://store.spruebrothers.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=meng+nuts+and+bolts&Submit=Search)

For the smaller rivets, I'm using the Archer Details resin rivets decals. Expensive, but a lot easier than the alternatives.

Frank,

Thanks for the links.  I didn't even know Meng had that line of bolt heads.  I may have to pick some up for future projects.

Looking forward to progress photos of this build.

[Steve Blazo]

Great start on the little tankette, looking forward to the finish.

[Claymore]

Great idea and looking really good.  A natural counterbalance to my stupidly big Ratte. 

[Buzzbomb]

Great idea and looking really good.  A natural counterbalance to my stupidly big Ratte. 

 

Frank this is nice work

[uarkram]

Great work, Frank. Awesome.
What kind cammo are you going to do it in?

Mark.

[apophenia]

Excellent modelling subject, Frank! As for camouflage, I guess overall khaki would be accurate ... but it cries out for one of those multi-colour schemes with heavy black outlines 

[Frank3k]

Thanks guys. As usual, I'm drawing a blank as to what to paint this. This version seems to have a two tone pattern, but I have no idea as to what the colrs might be:



I mode some progress on this tankette. Pictures later.

[Frank3k]

Two steps forward and one step back.

 The Semovente drive wheel and track looked good and were easy to modify, but the drive wheel was too big and when I added the rear wheels/tires they lifted most of the track off the ground. I couldn't move the tracks higher, because they would have blocked the engine access doors.
 The solution was to use the drive wheels and track from an old Tamiya M3 Stuart. I made an attempt to hide the origin by adding a ring (cut from one of the many spare Stryker wheels included in the AFV Club M151 Protector kit):



Flashy version:


The Tamiya tracks are not as old as the Semovente tracks, so they have more spring. I ordered an AFV Club Workable M3 Stuart Early T-16 Track. They should fit better. The wheels in the rear are from a 1/35 BA-20 armored car kit.

The two halves of the two man fighting compartment are taped together for the photo op.

And Jeff is right - without it, the tankette looks like a tractor:

[Antonio Sobral]

Great job on a rather curious vehicle!

Let's see how the workable tracks...work out :)

Regarding colors, I would say green over light kaki , with no black lines.

[Buzzbomb]

As to colour.
Dick Taylor in his excellent Warpaint series appears to recommend Deep Bronze Green as the standard between the wars base colour.
Occasionally there were vehicles with a disruptive scheme added over the DBG in Light Green, Light Khaki brown, Dark Earth or Grey.

[Frank3k]

Thanks Antonio and Brian. The workable tracks are OK. Better than the annoying "workable" tracks from Bronco, but still not easy. After I completed two sets (actually four, when you count the times I knocked the track apart by accident) I realized it would have been easier to paint the teeth and the track pads while on the sprues. I have enough links left to make another set, so I may do that.

I added more bits to the tank as well as the Archer rivets. I was being cheap and used an old set that had been recalled because the decal glue wasn't holding. Archer would have replaced it for free, but I was just being lazy.

I primed the lower body and fixed the issues I found. I didn't measure and cut the plastic as well as I should have (since I wasn't expecting the tank to look good in 1/35) so the body is therefore not quite square.

The black hatches are also from Archer and also from a run with bad glue. The front one moved as it dried. The PE hatch in front is from an M3/M5 Stuart set. The interior is from a Tristar Panzer 38(t) interior set. It's a crisp and finely detailed plastic kit. I modified the controls for the 38(t) and the Morris-Martel now has two levers for left and right travel, a crank for a break and another for speed adjustments. There's a small instrument cluster between the levers and a switch box to the right of the driver:


During construction, I've managed to bang up the engine louvers. I added the engine crank hole and two hooks from the Semovente:


I then sprayed everything with Tamiya Surfacer again. The rear wheel is from a WWII trailer of some sort. I think they look closer to the original. They're just pressed on and still need work. The tracks are the original Tamiya, not the AFV tracks:


The muffler is from the Semovente. The exhaust pipe was formed into shape by bending it over a hot soldering iron. The Boys anti-tank rifle is from a Masterbox set. There is room for the gunner to ride behind the gun, aim and fire it. I may add a Bren on a pintle as well:


The old, defective decals lifted slightly after I applied the primer. I pushed down the raised areas as I noticed them. I was tempted to strip the exterior and reapply the rivets (from a good sheet this time) but the primer pulled down most of the raised areas as it dried, so it doesn't look as bad as it used to. There's one spot on the left side of the fighting compartment that looks like it has a million rivets. I'm hoping that the primer will continue to push them down as it cures:


The gun mount is a leftover bit from a TK-3 tankette kit:

[finsrin]

Great build of unusual subject.  Didn't know of Martel until now.  I like it :)
Is in cute zone like Morris Minor and Nash Metropolitan are for car buffs.

[Claymore]

Absolutely great job and such an unusual subject. Terrific!  :)

[LemonJello]

That is awesome! Such fine work and details packed into a small vehicle.  Amazeballs!

[Volkodav]

That is coming together beautifully

[GTX_Admin]

Damn fine work! :)

[Frank3k]

Thanks guys. I'll try the AFV tracks tonight or tomorrow. I have a feeling I'm going to end up gluing the links together.

[Buzzbomb]

First class work

[Frank3k]

I made my own version of bronze green, which may or may not work. I also ended up gluing the track guide teeth to the track, because they kept popping off. Not a workable track anymore!

Top view. I may or may not use these figures:


The ground work is a Mig/Model Scene "stony mountain ground" grass mat.

There isn't much weathering on this tankette. This view shows the instruments. It's not a yoke, but rather push-pull levers:


Beauty shot. Fracking "workable" tracks! I keep telling myself "at least they're not Bronco tracks":





I'm not going to add decals or other markings.

For a back story, I'm thinking of an active service vehicle deployed to Gibraltar during the Spanish Civil War.