M26 From the second world War to Cold War Korea, NEW CAMERA

[Jeep]

This is a quick build of a M26 I had laying around.  My T62 build(s) are really bogging me down between the research and the conversion kit.  To keep me moving I will be doing several quick builds like this one.  

The M26 Pershing was introduced at the very end of the Second World War, Like the British Centurion it was a tank developed to match the German Panther and King tiger tanks.  When war broke out on the Korean countryside kicking off the cold war.  Tanks were in extremely short supply,  Some M26s were stripped off pedestals and monuments, refurbished and shipped once again to war.  I was inspired to build this model after rereading OUTPOST KELLY by Jack R Siewert, it is the story of a platoon of M26s that spent three weeks on a hill top in July 1952.

 This kit has been assembled (mostly) with in the last 24 hours out of the box,  however I have ordered AFV Club 1:35 M26/M46 T80E1 Tank Track for Model Kit for $16 from ebay, last night as I did not like the looks or fit of rubber band tracks that came with the kit,  there is also some missing screws in my kit that allows spring loading of the suspension. The T80 tracks  will match my Korean war references.   More work will continue when the tracks arrive.

[Scott Girvan]

Looks great Jeep!

[DXM]

So far so good.....Looking good

[Jeep]

What is it with me and adding frustration to my builds lately?  This time it is in the form of individual track links (and connector pins and guide teeth)  the detail is simply awesome, if I don't break every single one of the tracks in half at the extremely fragile pin portion.  









I completed a short run of these tracks, although frustrating until you have a system to put them together, they look FANTASTIC.  The only problem is, they DO NOT FIT the Tamiya M26!  the sprocket is to narrow.    I am trying to decide right now what I am going to do.

Drive on with the individual track links?
This will require spacing of replacing the tanks sprockets,  something not easily done as they kit parts are glued together to stay. 

Take another look at the "rubber band" tracks that came with the kit?
This is the easy way out, but it leaves me with a box of M80E1 tracks for another model.

http://www.ipmslondon.ca/old%20site/ipmslondon.tripod.com/armourreferencearticles/id4.html

[J14]

The problem is that the Tamiya kit out of the box isn't totally accurate for a Korean version.  I can't remember all the details but I think the T80E1 tracks as you have noticed were wider thus they won't fit on the Tamiya kit.  (Although you can use the rubber band ones too as the T81 ones in the Tamiya kit were seen in Korea also.)  

On the back fenders they added some turnbuckle supports which the Tamiya kit doesn't have.  I can't imagine it would be hard to make them though.

The kit by Dragon is the better one for a Korean war version OOB and the Tamiya for WW2.  I have both and planned on using the AFV Club tracks on the Dragon version one day. (ha!)

[13aceofspades13]

i posted a 1/48th scale version of this, the M-26 Pershing was my favorite tank of WWII!

[Jeep]

I laid down a base coat today with Modelflex Medium green that I won in last years big spring contest.  I must say being able to just transfer it into the airbrush and go was a nice change and very convenient.  It liked higher pressures than I normally spray at at needs to be laid in thin coats, but it dries very quickly.  I am impressed, and this is from some on that has the flu and is not up to to much aggravation right now.  I cleaned up the airbrush with some Koh-i-noor technical ben cleaning solution,  this stuff is great for knocking out dried paint out of a airbrush (it does dry quickly).  My choice of medium green is a little "greener" than I would have liked but by the time I get around to shading, filters and weathering it should be fine.  Before I painted I added some damage to the tanks fenders with the help of my zippo,  bending them up to match my references.

[Jeep]

I decided that the hassle of cutting the sprocket and adding a spacer was not only not going to be accurate but also not worth the hassle.  To this end I am going to use the kit rubber band tracks. 

Over the medium green base I tried something a little different. My references here showed a unrestored M26, the paintwork has faded and stained over time.  To replicate this I used some various oil paints to add some color modulation.  To get the chalky, sun damaged paint on the upper surfaces I am using MIG products allied Green Fading.  Right now I am trying do decided decals or not,  kind of the cart before the horse,  I am also trying to decided whether or not to add rust and or dirt weathering.

[Jeep]

[DreamKnight]

Nice worn out look!

[carter_maresh]

looks great cant wait to see it!

[Quaralane]

That looks fabulous

[schweinhund227]

Ohhhh  much better....  the Old Cam needed a break !!!  LOL

Glad you could share Fresh pictures with us !!!

Nice going !!!

Keep up the good work !

[DreamKnight]

Jeep, did you complete this? (I'm not sure which one is the build you entered lol)