M48A3 1:25 scale

**John Griffin** · #1 04-06-2008, 08:14 AM

Finally! I've finished my tank design. I will print it off today and start building. Here are a few screen-shots (reduced size) of some of the pages.

No, I haven't fallen of the face of the earth- I've just been so busy trying to finish the page layouts and get it all print-ready that I had no time to post much. I spent 1-3 hours a night on my nights off for the past few months (my wife is very patient but I have been pushing the envelope).
I have been checking the papermodelers website, lots of NICE designs coming up; but I haven't head anything new to show until now. Some of you designers are so fast that it is scary...

I will cut paper today- I just finished the page layouts last night.

The model consists of 15 pages of parts (A4), not including track (those will come later, after I have a model to hang them on).
This sure took longer than I thought it would.

I will attempt to post build-progress photos once or twice weekly.

*** PS Great thanks to CharlieC for helpful suggestions for improvements to the under-strucure frames. This thing might not fit together with out the help he gave me. ***

John.

**B-Manic** · #2 04-06-2008, 09:08 AM

Ah, so this is what you have been up to. The sample pages look pretty good. Can't wait to see it start coming together.

**birder** · #3 04-06-2008, 09:20 AM

your coloring and weathering look really nice, I may have to build a tank

**Johnny** · #4 04-06-2008, 12:57 PM

Nice John!!
I'm looking forward to follow your build!
I really hope your first build of it will go pretty smooth!

And I think all of us should build a tank

Zathros · #5 04-06-2008, 01:12 PM

Really Sweet!!

**John Bowden** · #6 04-06-2008, 09:12 PM

Not being an armor guy, this is something that would normally not interest me, but with the way you did planes this has got to be good!

Can't wait to see it come together.

john

**John Griffin** · #7 04-06-2008, 11:00 PM

Thanks for looking at my thread!!

Cool! I assembled the turret shell in about 2 1/2 hours. It fit extremely well... I'd have to say the fit is excellent, especially considering the complexity of the shape.
It's about 5" long and very rigid and quite solid.

I didn't colour the seam edges- I'm not that good a modeler. If I had spent more time mating the seams I think I could have aligned the edges very closely all the way along.

The next step is to add on all the junk- steoscopes, aerials, vent, hatches, etc., and (nightmare) the commander's cupola. That has it's smaller turret on it for the .50 cal MG.

I can't wait to add the main gun and mantlet... the accordian bellows boot will be a challenge.

I've posted four more pics of the completed shell.