Airfix 1:35 M3 Stuart 'Honey'
First build completed in 2021. Off to a good start.
This is a rebox of the Academy M3 with different markings and camo scheme. The quality is decent but definitely not comparable to current Tamiya, Meng or Takom standards. The instructions also aren't up to par with the new style Airfix instructions. There was a lack of locator pins and coupled with vague instructions, some parts placement required internet searches to estimate precise locations. That being said, everything fit well and there was little need for filling and sanding. Note that you have a choice of one-piece rubber tracks or individual track links. I'm usually pretty patient with track link assembly but the fit of these were extraordinarily fiddly and after assembling just a couple of inches, I decided it was too time consuming and frustrating.
I went for a very dusty North Africa finish with Tamiya paints and AK pigments. Based on research, M3s could be quite dusty so I went heavy on the AK No. Africa pigment applied several different ways with mixed results.
Nice model love the weathering
Dennis, @dmeyers
This is a splendid build.
I have served in real "full sized" tanks in the desert as a US Army "tanker" many years ago in the M-60A1's and for a few months in the M-1A1 Abrams. They get filthy in no time. Before long, everything gets coated in a fine talcum powdered "dust film" that obscures everything.
You have done an extremely realistic job with how your model looks. I like everything about it. Well done my friend ! I pressed the "Liked" button too.
Thanks Louis. Nice to hear that from a real authority.
Hey Dennis, @dmeyers
You're quite welcome ! Seriously you did a fantastic job with her... It's very realistic and true to life. I have two of the older Academy issues. One is a North African British tank and the other is an American Stuart. The just recently, I picked up the new tool Tamiya. You're tempting me to drag them out... π Thanks for sharing this beaut with us.
Louis, that dust is insidious, we got a "sandstorm" out to sea on Connie once, it was like brown talcum powder had been dumped on the boat.
Hey Rob, @robertandy
Boy you got that right ! The dust seemed to get into everything, and I'm also talking about your food. After a while it became the "normal" to eat C rations (and later the MRE's) with sand in it. If your food wasn't crunchy, you thought something was wrong ! π The hardest part was keeping the weapons, ammo, and air cleaners squared away... I have actually seen where a sand storm had stripped the paint down to bare metal in some places... and covered the tank up to the top of the road wheels in sand. Nasty stuff to be in...sometimes you can't see more than a few feet in front of you and it's next to impossible to breathe. I don't miss it one bit. Not that part anyhow.
Snakes, scorpions and big A$$ spiders are some nasty little critters too. You always checked your boots if you ever even took them off. Sleeping bag... forget it. It got cold in the desert too at night. Freezing cold... Then blistering sun during the day. So hot you would burn your hands if you touched a tool that was left out in the sun too long. So we started wearing work gloves all the time.
I can only imagine how it was flying through a storm like that. We could get inside the tank, button up the hatches and put on our gas masks if necessary... We didn't have far to fall like you guys did.
God bless you brother... Thanks for your service.
Looks good to me. I like that little tank, and you have done a nice project here with a good result.
Great Stuart! Fantastic weathering 'till the base color is gone! Well done!
I echo all above Gents comments, Dennis!
Congratulations!
π ... Greetings ... π :
Nicely done Dennis !
The model seems to be calling out for a diorama, it is already weathered.
Nice job.
I love it! I like the Stuart, and your rendition is a pleasure to admire.