PTA M3 Light Tank Army Heritage Day Edition

[cardist]

That's the way to do it! Thank you Don for sharing. I have one of these little beauties in my to-do pile (amongst other things!), so will be following with interest.
Happy modelling,
Bernie

[nebeltex]

it is not actually necessary to remove the white circle on that part of the hull. i made the turret ring short on the update and that area is white so as not to waste ink. your build looks better than mine though...lol!

[Don Boose]

This evening I constructed the superstructure of the tank and learned a few lessons along the way.

Image 1 shows the superstructure cut out, along with the cooling grill (13), vision hatches (15L and R) and few other items that Cliff’s instructions recommend attaching after the hull and superstructure are built. I thought they would be easier to attach while the superstructure was flat. I also punched out the gasoline tank caps from another copy of the model. Image 2 shows the laminated pieces in place, although I am not sure you can see them.

I was puzzled by Cliff’s instruction to “Remove the squares marked ‘X’ and glue into place in the openings in the [aft of the] superstructure.” You can see the “X” parts in fuzzy image 3. I interpreted this to mean that I should cut out two white rectangles on each side of the aft superstructure. Then why did the parts marked “X” have tabs? I couldn’t cut out the forward opening: too close to the edge for my clumsy fingers. But I cut the other opening out and glued the X parts behind the openings (Images 4 and 5).

I realized my mistake when I folded up the superstructure and discovered the real “openings in the [aft of the] superstructure.” And I now understood the reason for the tabs (Image 6).

Anyway, I got the superstructure folded up and glued to the hull deck (Image 7). This was the next learning experience. I tried to fit the superstructure and deck to the lower hull. No go. Then I reread the instructions that clearly state, “Fold the upper side tabs [of the lower hull] down and out.” [Emphasis added.] I sheepishly folded the tabs down and out [Image 8] and glued the superstructure to the lower hull. Image 9 shows me pressing the tabs down against the fender (this image reminds me of the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore, which Lil and I saw in New York City two weeks ago).

Images 10 and 11 show the work for today.

And so to bed.

[Don Boose]

Incidentally, I have mentioned elsewhere that I have a particular fondness for the M3 light tank. I was very pleased when the U.S. Army War College Distance Education Class of 2010 decided that their gift to the college would be painting depicting the TORCH landing in North Africa (remember, I'm the guy that wrote the book on U.S. Army amphibious operations). I was even more pleased when my Class of '10 seminar presented me with a framed print of the painting. The print, which features two M3 light tanks of the 2nd Armored Division, now hangs in my office. The photos below show the print, a close up of the tanks, and two shots of my office. In the last one, you might just be able to see, way off to the left, a photo of youngest son, Don3 (a member of this Forum) taken in 1972 at Han River Drop Zone One in Korea just after I made a jump from a ROKAF C-46. Don3 is wearing a green beret belonging to one of the soldiers of the Special Forces detachment, and a miniature pair of Navy aviator wings given to him by a friend of mine to help him recover from having had his tonsils removed. The photo was taken by a buddy and fellow major (at the time): John Shalikashvili.

[Don Boose]

Just saw Cliff's post. Glad to have you visit, Cliff.
You must have gotten a chuckle out of some of my mistakes!

I was wondering about that white circle! However, it was good practice, did not seem to structurally impair the deck, and provided acess for me to poke a flattened dowel in there to push the superstructure sides out to near the edges of the deck. Maybe you should print a "W" in the white areas that are to be cut out to guide mentally slow retired infantrymen familiar with Polish kits.

So far, it is going together well. But I understand I also have to build a suspension!

Don

[Keds_Girl_Lala]

I notice a problem in the design. On the actual tank the angles by the drivers window are more severe and do not come all the way to the panel with the windows. But on the model they ignore some angles and make this piece join directly from the side of the tank to the driver window. This will effect where the machine guns may go. I want to make a Russian vehicle of this type.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1223/...986c5bf1_z.jpg

Above yo can see where the machine gun can fit and that panel it is nearly at a right angle to the side of the tank. And there is small peep holes on the sides by the machine guns also.

[Don Boose]

Thanks for stopping in, Oksana.

I also noticed the slanted plates at the front of the superstructure. It is certainly different from the images of the M3 and M3A1 that I have seen, but I'm not sure it is an error. The early models of the M3 had flat fronts to the sponsons. The machine guns emplaced in those sponsons were later removed in service (and deleted in the M3A1 version). I have not found photographic evidence to support this, ut it seems possible to me that an oblique plate was installed in front of the sponsons in the later models (the final M3A3 had a completely revised front end with slanted front plates to the sponsons). See the images at the bottom of the page here: Light Tank M3 Stuart

I hope that Clif or Charlie C or one of the other armor mavens will weigh in on this.

Don

[Wyvern]

Looking good, Don!

Wyvern

[Wyvern]

And I love your office! One day....

Wyvern

[Thomas Meek]

Beautiful build, Don! It is great to see your skill in the forum again, especially with such an appealing model.

I am always impressed with the quality of Paper Tiger Armaments kits, and if anybody can truly do them justice it is you.