M-46 Patton tank 1/48th scale by Atlantis

[centaur567]

I found this kit at Ollie's. It's a remold of the 50's Aurora kits that we cut our teeth and fingers when we were kids. Kits were affordable back then using our allowance money and mowing the neighbor's lawn. I've gotten a pretty good start since this is a basic kit. It does need a little work though. The turret fit is not bad, but the lower hull is. The gun barrel needs to be drill out and the mussel brake needs reshaping. Also the sibe skirt needs to be cut off. The engine deck needs more grill so I made some molds and using epoxy, hopefully they will work. Also I hit the big 75 today. 3/4 of a century. If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. Actually I'm doing pretty good for an old fart. Gary S.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Also I hit the big 75 today. 3/4 of a century. If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. Actually I'm doing pretty good for an old fart. Gary S.

Happy Birthday!

 

[moon puppy]

Also I hit the big 75 today. 3/4 of a century. If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. Actually I'm doing pretty good for an old fart. Gary S.

Well done Gary. Hope you have many more to come.
Great start on this old kit.

 

[Rhino]

Hippy Pappy bethuda-thuday! And many happy returns. I wonder if Atlantis will re-issue the Aurora MBT-70 kit.

 

[Steve Ski]

Wow, that example is pretty slick, Ruck On!

 

[Brokeneagle]

Happy big 75.....well done. I hope there are many more to come.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Happy birthday! That tiger paint job is very cool!

 

[centaur567]

Thanks!! I figure if I can walk a mile, have all my teeth and can see my johnson without a mirror, then I'm doing ok.
Back to the model. For some reason when Atlantis redid the molds the removed some of the rear deck grills. So I made molds and cast some. After trimming and thinning I think they look good enough except to a diehard armor guy. The figures that came with the kit are unusable so it's off to the spares box and doing some chopping of heads. The closes I have to the armor guys helmet is pilot heads and that's what is used.
Gary S.

 

[moon puppy]

Nice fix Gary, press on!

 

[Rhino]

So I made molds and cast some.

Bravo Gary!! Patton ON!

 

[centaur567]

Got the side skirts cut off and finished the gun barrel mod. Still working on the figures from my Bandai stash. Lots of head, arm and leg chopping. The kit figure are totally unusable.
In my opinion, the old Monogram kit figures are the best as far as detail goes. Gary S.

 

[moon puppy]

I like it, not everyone was the same height.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Happy belated birthday, Gary.

You are doing a great job bringing upgrades to that kit. I have the 1/48 scale M109 that Atlantis put out a year or do ago like this kit and your work on this one got me motivated to give the M109 a try.

Cheers,
James

 

[Barney]

I like it, not everyone was the same height.

They weren't all the same height? Another myth of my youth destroyed. How will I ever go on?

I love the old Aurora Armor kits! I wish they'd re-pop th M8 w/ cannon!

Off with their heads!

 

[centaur567]

The upper and lower hulls are glued and putted. The driver is painted and ready to go. The lift rings are installed too. Gary S.

 

[moon puppy]

She buttoned up well.

 

[centaur567]

Yea, after plastic schemes and Bondo. At the rear end there's two big towing rings that are not included in the kit. So using scrap plastic from the cut off side skirts I made them. Gary S.

 

[Rhino]

So, it fit's like the vintage Aurora kit then?

 

[moon puppy]

Nice job Gary, plug that hole up!

 

[centaur567]

Don't know when I'll ever get this thing painted. Keep finding more stuff to do and I' only trying to do the obvious stuff. No Super detail. Made a trailer hitch from a Tony tail wheel, made periscopes for the front hatches, detail stuff on the rear of the turret ( I have no idea what they are for) and front fender braces. Don't look too close. Gary S.