Not sure if this is the correct site, but my son and I have decided to build the Achilles M10 tank Buster, available from Plastic Past-Times.
This is we are both into radio control, and thought it would be nice to have this RC. Now I now this is going to be hard, as its only a 1/35th scale model, but have seen this done with others.
Thought servos would work ok for drive motors add, being proportional they could give some speed control as well. but its the little things like, how to attach the drive?
I can think of a few ways, but I'm looking of advice on how this would be done.
Has anyone got any ideas?
Is this the correct site?
If not can you help me fined one?
Many thanks,and apologies if I am posting in the wrong forum.
Personally, I'd start with a kit that is already motorized- such as one of the old Tamiya motorized kits. I bought the old Sherman kit for just this reason, though I haven't done anything with it yet. Look for a model with twin motors- using the old wire-based remote control-- they have two gearboxes, one for eash track. You'l have to replace the motors with a better quality unit-- those old cheap can motors throw off LOTS of RF noise, interfering with the radio. (You might get by with installing some noise-suppressing capacitors.)
Of course, it would be a lot simpler to just buy a kit designed as an RC model-- one of the Tamiya 1/35 scale RC tanks. These units include a 2 channel RC unit.
Very good points, and many thanks for the advice, probably the way to go, after looking into what can be managed with little difficulty.
If I take this fist rout the work of getting the motor, and radio gear into the body without loosing detail too much would be really painful.
Now we get to the real problem I cannot find a model of the Achilles M10 tank fitted with the 17lb British Tank destroyer gun. Did have a good look on the net, and only found a couple of kits, one of these being the Academy version.
Any ideas on where to look, for such a kit of this type of tank?
Do you know this tank?
If so how interchangeable is the undercarriage? As I may then be able to build the upper from stock. Although again a very large amount of work.
Size is not a factor, bigger the better really, especially if RC.
The Tamiya kit is probably a good choice if you want to R/C it, as it is a perfectly dreadful model and tries to combine parts from different scales.
Alas, as the AFV Club (the best!) and Academy (second best) kits are scale kits, you are out of luck on any parts swap unless you really do not care about accuracy and just want to simulate a model of an Achilles.
Not trying to be a wet blanket, but the Tamiya kit is obsolete and a really poor effort on their part.
Ok I have an Academy Model Achilles, 1/35 British Tank Destroyer, and never built one before. I've decided to keep as a true scale static model, so the building job must be as most I've seen here, Really good, as it will get looked at very closely.
The kit as you have pointed out, is very detailed, so not wanting to spoil it I started to look for the paint required to get a really good finish.
This is my problem. The instructions only refer to the paint as:
FLAT WHITE FLAT BLACK BLACK BLUE GUN METAL SILVER GOLD KHAKI LIGHT BROWN OLIVE DRAB DARK GREEN
Now I take it with FLAT they refer to a MATT type finish, if no other designation given then a gloss straight from the tin. But its the shade, 'LIGHT BROWN', what shade? Having never been lucky enough to see one in the flesh, I have no clue as to the true shade.
My local hobby shop stocks both Airfix, and Humberol, I think, been a time now, these have a number colour code on them.
Anyone here able to shed a little light on this and suggest a code, or set of paints I could use, referring to those above?
I'm in the UK, so paint available here would be best.
Things like silver on metal parts, I can use a black ink finish, like my son does on his WarHammer models, but after that I'm pretty lost. I'm ok mixing colours to some extent but I need a colour to match it too.
The box art work is pretty good, but not enough detail. As said this is my first real scale model, and I don't want to spoil it with bad colour matching.
Any help here would be most appreciated, and a THANKS in advance for anyone offering help.
Vaughn wrote: : : This is my problem. The instructions only refer to the paint as: : : LIGHT BROWN : : Now I take it with FLAT they refer to a MATT type finish, if no other : designation given then a gloss straight from the tin. But its the shade, : 'LIGHT BROWN', what shade? Having never been lucky enough to see one in the : flesh, I have no clue as to the true shade. : What parts are the saying to paint light brown? The exhaust would be an obvious choice. Perhaps some of the stowage, as well as the seats and other cushions...
After studying the instructions for a time this is the list I am having trouble with:
The seat cushions, and what look like water bottles are KHAKI, where as what looks like a radio, or instrumentation is OLIVE DRAB. I see them as both a dull green, so which shade?
On one of the hatch covers is a type of periscope, a rectangular piece facing 180 to another inside of the hatch. this I take should be glass, they say BLUE, again what shade?
the LIGHT BROWN is for the handle on an Axe, well spotted ;-)
The GOLD if for the shell casings, I believe these are BRASS, so as close to that coloration as possible?
As for the GUN METAL, the WarHammer paints offer a particular colour named GUN METAL, have you seen this, and is this a good rendition.? My reason for asking is that these Gamers often mix their own colours, so often these finished models are not of a true colouration of the actual tem.
Many thanks for the help, and hope you can offer this again.
PPS, should also have said I was looking for figures to put either in, or around this model, but finding it hard to get British tank crews of this size, and year.
The seat cushions and the canteen covers should be a color like FS30118 Field Brown (which is a brownish khaki color) or faded green, either one, your choice.
OD is OD but remember that it is a lighter shade than current colors.
Brass is the correct color.
Gun metal is basically a black shade with some metallic highlights, which is more accurate than "gun metal" colors which tend to be too light.
There are some resin figures by Hornet and a few other companies, or the rather lifeless crew that comes with the Tamiya Churchill. Check with places like "Red Lancers" as they specialize in figures.
One of the game companies does a gunmetal paint that is actually a bronze, dig deep enough into old alloys and you find a bronze alloy called gunmetal and I think that's where they got it. For WWII era blued weapons I find Model Master MEtallizer non-buffing gunmetal a good base color and rub powdered graphite over it.
Vaughn wrote: : : On one of the hatch covers is a type of periscope, a rectangular piece : facing 180 to another inside of the hatch. this I take should be glass, they : say BLUE, again what shade? : I don't think that any pigmented blue will work very well, since you are trying to get an impression of dark colored glass. You can try clear blue over a dark base color - black probably isn't a good idea, as the clear blue won't have a chance.
If all else fails, you can try india ink or something along those lines. This is one case, I think, where a clear part with paint behind it works better then paint on top of the plastic. : : As for the GUN METAL, the WarHammer paints offer a particular colour named : GUN METAL, have you seen this, and is this a good rendition.? My reason for : asking is that these Gamers often mix their own colours, so often these : finished models are not of a true colouration of the actual tem. : "Gun metal", I think, is a nice dark color, with some oily highlights/hints to it. I do not know what WarHammer calls "gun metal", or whether it will work.
I have seen some of the metalizer paints used to good effect, but I am not sure of the specific combination. I think Testors/Model Master gun metal was a starting point, however.
The best gunmetal made is the Humbrol !!! Buff it slightly after it dries (a matter of minutes) and you have what I think is the most realistic gunmetal.
For those who want a true gun blueing look, Testors gunmetal has the right coloring. Very few military weapons are gun blue tho. (my 1917 DWM Luger has the nicese gun blue ya ever saw except for a good SAA Colt ! :)
Forgot to mention the trick I sent to another chap the other day about using sections of the exposed header that comes with every roll of 35mm film to simulate the viewports.
Cut the black sections into strips the height of the viewport, cut them to length, and cement them in place with Microscale Krystal Kleer.
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