Rye Field M551 Sheridan

[Peterpools]

Carl

Rest up and fill the tank ... when you are up to get, you will enjoy the journey, that much more.

Work does have a nasty way in in the way of good quality bench time.

 

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Okay, finally a post with some build progress. 

The upper hull is in place and il working through adding the various panels to it. 

Everything looks like it can posed open if desired.  This includes engine hatches, storage compartments and it looks like the inflatable wading curtain too. At least with the way it's been designed and moulded.  One big thing though. All the hatches fit in the closed position. 

In the upper photo, it turns out I had the three rear hatches in the wrong spot. They weren't properly aligned with the hull. You can see the gap under the centre panel. It had me scratching my head for a bit l until I realized the panels on either side were angled wrong. Once I fixed those, everything fit like it was supposed to. 

Here it is with everything corrected and the rear floatation skirt cover in place. 

 

 

 

[BlrwestSiR]

The floatation screen covers are now in place. I had to trim one tiny section a bit due to operator error but otherwise they fit nicely. 

I then started folding and fitting the PE screens and hatch covers. The screens have an edge to them that needs to be folded down. That was a bit of a pain. 

Once done though, they are a perfect fit onto the relative panels and grilles. 

[Peterpools]

Carl

Nice progress and so glad you were able to correct the three rear hatches and all went well. The PE looks amazing and adds to much to the Sheridan.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Thanks Peter! I was lucky I caught my mistake in time and able to fix it. 

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Probably hard to tell but I added more PE details to the hull. Lots of small bits. Most have a positive mounting location so that made it a bit easier. 

I then gave it a quick pre-shade and some paint to check things out. 

[Martinnfb]

Precisely done. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Thanks Martin!

One thing I didn't know about the Sheridan is the surfboard (wave deflector panel thingie) had a window in it. Which makes sense as it allows the driver to see where he's going. 

I glued them in place on the front of the hull. 

The turret is a multipart affair. 

Thankfully it's broken up along panel lines. 

[Martinnfb]

Complexity of this kit can be discouraging, but the engineering itself seems to have had the modeler in mind. 

[belugawhaleman]

Looking great Carl!

I have the Tamiya Vietnam era Sheridan in my stash somewhere.

It looks good.

[GusMac]

10 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

One thing I didn't know about the Sheridan is the surfboard (wave deflector panel thingie) had a window in it. Which makes sense as it allows the driver to see where he's going. 

 

Ah, seeing where you're going is such an overrated concept!

There are plenty of drivers round here who seem to be able to drive without clearing their frosty windscreens in winter anyway.....

[HubertB]

1 hour ago, GusMac said:

Ah, seeing where you're going is such an overrated concept!

There are plenty of drivers round here who seem to be able to drive without clearing their frosty windscreens in winter anyway.....

That’s because they are focused on their phone screen …

Hubert

[BlrwestSiR]

3 hours ago, GusMac said:

Ah, seeing where you're going is such an overrated concept!

There are plenty of drivers round here who seem to be able to drive without clearing their frosty windscreens in winter anyway.....

Sad but true. 

A couple years ago a woman was pulled over on the 401 Highway here in Toronto. She was driving with one hand out holding a snow brush trying to clear her windshield of several inches of snow. 

[Peterpools]

Unreal the dangerous things people do when driving. 

 

[CANicoll]

Carl,  Really nice work on the panel shading and just putting this all together in the first place.  The fit looks really tight. 

[BlrwestSiR]

I got one of the big hurdles in a tank build done. Well for me anyways. I have completed painting the road wheels. 

The Sheridan doesn't have that many thankfully, just 10 pairs in total. 

Since I had the rubber black out, I painted some other rubber wheels.

First the rubber black is painted. Then I use a circle template as a mask spray the inner wheel section. 

[belugawhaleman]

Again, looking good Carl! I may get this kit. The ancient tamiya kit (motorized and not the recent release) was among my first kit builds

in the 70's, so a special subject for me. I saw this early Tamiya kit on a website

Selling old kits. It is a really an odd-looking tank. I may do the recent release

soon or the Tamiya Wespe. I must get back to the workbence soon! Circumstances are keeping me away. Maybe this weekend.

[BlrwestSiR]

Paul remember the old Tamiya kit. There was an article in Fine Scale Modeler on how to fix it. Mostly the hull was out of scale due to the motorization.

 

As for the new Tamiya kit is supposed to be quite nice. It's a Vietnam era version and the Rye Field is the later one so you have your choices. There is some AM out there for it to improve details on it including metal barrels. 

The Rye Field kit doesn't seem to have any AM for it but in building it, I can see that very little is needed. Maybe a metal barrel. 

[Peterpools]

Carl

Nice work on painting all the road wheels - must surely feel good having that portion of the build and behind you.

 

[belugawhaleman]

2 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Paul remember the old Tamiya kit. There was an article in Fine Scale Modeler on how to fix it. Mostly the hull was out of scale due to the motorization.

 

As for the new Tamiya kit is supposed to be quite nice. It's a Vietnam era version and the Rye Field is the later one so you have your choices. There is some AM out there for it to improve details on it including metal barrels. 

The Rye Field kit doesn't seem to have any AM for it but in building it, I can see that very little is needed. Maybe a metal barrel. 

I bought the upgrade kit by Tamiya for mine. It has a metal barrel, some screens, and a screen for protection at the front...like a chain link fence

section.

[PanzerWomble]

Airfix did one back in the day as well in 1/76 ...talk about imposing . 

[belugawhaleman]

43 minutes ago, PanzerWomble said:

Airfix did one back in the day as well in 1/76 ...talk about imposing . 

Tamiya makes a radio control  version in 1/16 scale...now Thats 

"Imposing".

[BlrwestSiR]

9 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

Tamiya makes a radio control  version in 1/16 scale...now Thats 

"Imposing".

That certainly would be. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Wheels are on. 

As are more hull details.

[CANicoll]

Carl, Really nice shading... LOTS of work, there. Nice detail stuff and not inside a cockpit...