Many of the folks here have noticed, I'm not much of a treadhead. 1/72nd scale jets are my usual subject. But when I do build something with tracks, it can get pretty weird. I was rummaging through the stash a week or so ago and came across a bunch of stuff given to me by the good hearted Mr Fontaine. I became possessed by the turretless Trumpeter Brazilian EE-T2 tank plus all the other parts of every description included in this package. Being somewhat inspired by the IDF Puma and Nagmachon APCs I started to brainstorm and assemble something out of all this. This has been mentioned in my blog but I suppose its time to start an actual thread.
Let's start with the obligatory instructions and parts shots.
I added a stiffener down the middle of the upper hull as the engine area had separate side panels and the top deck had become bent. I also closed up the drivers hatch as the periscopes were behind the hatch which didn't seem to make sense.
Since the Nagmachon
And the Puma
Were covered in ERA panels I decided to copy some from the Italeri M60 Blazer kit that was also in the stash. I didn't want to strip the Blazer of the ERA parts in case I ever wanted to build it OOB so I got down off the shelf the Aluminite casting kit I had bought many years ago. The two part casting resin was beyond saving but after what seemed like an hour of stirring the silicone mold material looked usable. I couldn't believe I got a pretty good silicone mold out of it.
After a test cast using UV casting resin I got this nice little part.
No mold release agent required and it came out perfectly so I went to town on ERA production.
I was able to do this outdoors in the shade and place the filled mold out in the sun for a few minutes to cure. In bright sun light curing is almost instant.
I've been working on the upper structure that is placed on the tank hull. The IDF used their Centurion tanks minus the turret but since this is a vehicle made out of every spare part that could be laying around this vehicle will be quite the junkyard dog. I had a base for the stand for a ship model laying around for a long time so it became the basis for the doghouse. Nice and square with a little bit of slope to the sides. I glued whatever armor looking parts I had to the sides for visual interest but then realized it will probably all be covered by the ERA blocks. Oh well, this stuff was just laying around anyway.
Here's what it looks like with an M48 cupola and a rear hatch made from a Bradley back door.
This is another option with Stryker hatches and an M113 engine cover with some other piece I don't recognize. This combo would probably get an M151 remote weapon system.
Here's a hatch from a Bradley driver's compartment that might get transplanted.
I'm also going to add an M9 dozer blade too.
So tell what you folks think of the doghouse arraignments. I might save the M48 cupola for my M41 Walker Bulldog assault gun conversion. Paint scheme is completely up in the air right now.
