M10 GMC U.S. ARMY TANK DESTROYER ACADEMY 1/35

Since the Merkava building, I tried to make an Academy’s tank again. It was completed in October 2015.

Now I’m trying to build this M10 tank destroyer from Academy. It was released in commemoration of the Normandy landing 70th anniversary last year. This kit is almost the same as the older M10 resale of released one in 2003. I suppose the accessories and the others may change in various ways.
Recently, a premium is attached to the model magazine frequently in Japan. No, it is not premium value. A magazine sales price becomes around 3 times rising. I think that it is a factor to obstruct purchasing for the unnecessary person. I’m wondering this spending is for kit or information. If its increase the sales amount instantaneously, it is the prohibited strategy, I suppose. Even the kit is high quality.

A vivid decal made of Italian decal maker Cartograf is included. I’m really happy. It’s possible to build a tank of a French free army.

The sprocket wheel can be chosen from 2 types, with and without holes.

Track roller 6-spoke press type and 5-spoke perforated type of wheel had been prepared. The mixture of the wheel seemed to be seen in a real tank during WWII.

Molds like the frame number are molded on the various parts.

I choose all the tracker rollers 6-spoke press type after all.
(04-September-2015)

I thought it was somewhat a lot of parts, I noticed this kit has a quite high degree of inner reproduction. Because it is a gun turret of the open-top, it’s in precise contents. Well, I’m not interested in internal modeling, but parts are prepared so many, I’ll make it.

Fitting of parts is good and it’s very easy to build. The interior making was becoming fun.

Maybe after painting, it’s good looking.

Though it is a quite old kit, I think the suspension is nice. The caterpillar is the T-51 type that the surface is flat. The top of the caterpillar is floating, and I do not feel it’s heavy. This is the problem that I want to do something about.

I think two hatches an open state, before deciding it I confirm the gun turret does not interfere these open hatches.
(23-September-2015)

A mold was carved on the surface of the armor plate to an installation guide of OVM. I am thankful for the feeling, but scrape it off.

All except for shells glued and seems no problem.

Even if the hatch is made open, it doesn’t hit a gun turret.

Though I am not a connection caterpillar fundamentalist, if anything, I dislike belt one. A thin board-formed caterpillar-like T-34 should not be a belt, I suppose. The Sherman series, M48, and M60 are the caterpillar which has no slack so much, so even a belt is nice looking. But I adhere to all the tracks because the caterpillar is floating above the guide wheels, it doesn’t look heavy metal as this photo.

This caterpillar didn’t stick by glue for plastic, so much glue was used. It’s a little expensive.

It could be glued together strongly. I think it became very better than an upper picture.
(28-September-2015)

It is necessary to paint with a primer because paint does not adhere to the caterpillar made of polypropylene. MITCHAKURON of this Somay-Q Technology was used with that purpose. Because this primer is sticky when I spray it, we should complete undercoating early.

The painting in the tank was completed. The detail rises when I did a drybrush lightly to the antislip molds on the internal floor, and an appearance is good.

It’s moderate weathering, maybe just right. At last the next step is overall assembling outside. It’s like a plane modeling process this time.
(30-September-2015)

Because an assembling manual did not have an explanation about the deployment of accessories, I loaded the place that looked good while seeing the photographs of the old tank magazine. (Ground Power magazine No.50 in Japanese publishing.)  I think it’s imagination, it’s a feeling.

There are many accessories in this kit and building them is fun. I placed the spare track roller, jerrycans, spare ammunition boxes and duffle bags in the place that did not interfere with the decal markings. The belt or ropes were attached and fixed them.

I thought that it was not such a fixed way, I made a fixing band with the masking tape. I made the cramps of a shovel and the hammer.

I attached grouser racks to both sides of the chassis. This may lose space of the favorite decals.

I am very thankful for the front and rear light guard being the etched parts.

I have made a mistake in how to attach the etched part of the antenna base….. I’ll paint a basic color soon.
(07-October-2015)

These parts are alphabet and number molds such as the casting number on the gun turret upper part.

It is masking to prevent a mist blowing inside.

To prevent failure of the cut, I transplanted the parts solidified of polyester putty from the simple mold. The right mold may be usable again.

Marking is the Free French army. The Cartograf decal is easy to stick and tough and beautiful.
(10-October-2015)

M10 was completed. I can look into the inside as the vehicle interior is reproduced and leaves the front hatches open, big open-top turret. The degree of reproduction is high and looking very nice. The lower body is similar to the M4A2 tank mostly.

The small round rising of the body surface is intended to attach increase armor. Because M10 armor was thinner than the M4 Sherman for weight saving, it was allowed you to strengthen it later.

The antenna is a metal wire.

I forgot to put out a line of the jerrycan. It’s said to be after a weld? That would be a problem.

Another little failure. Because I minded only the installation form of the caterpillar, I have forgotten that I smoothed off the scarring such as the injection pin mark of the left T-51 caterpillar. As for the T-51 type, rubber was completed on a surface flat part. Therefore, I’ll call this a moving scratch.

Was there too much rust of the caterpillar? When a construction machine isn’t operated and is left for several days, rust comes out, so can’t this expression also be called a fiction?

Because the gun turret rear had space, I put some baggage and touched an accent with the light and shade of the painting.

The main armament is 50 calibers of a 3-inch gun. Inside the gun turret, there are 6 shots and a total of 54 shells are being stocked in the vehicle.

I thought by which timing I shall paint inside. After all, I painted it after winding the caterpillar.

I decided to open a hatch because after turning a gun turret during assembling, the turret does not interfere with the front hatch.

Marking is the Free French 5th panzer division developing it in Germany in April 1945. Marking in the motif of the French national flag, the US military of star mark, the logo of the Strasbourg on the turret.

Five crews are in this tank. Three of the gun operation, a driver and a radioman. There are three folding chairs in the gun turret inside. It seems to be considerably smaller if three crews are in the turret.

A clear part of the light didn’t attach in this kit, I used Tamiya clear epoxy resin. Since this clear is surprisingly clear, This time, the back of the lens is rough finish up, it looks bad. Therefore, I let a lot of mold lines and showed it as a headlight lens. I did the washing of the silver and it didn’t stand out a roughness of the inside. This Tamiya item is going to be a powerful effect if working properly.

Browning M2 machine gun and the M1919 Caliber 30 heavy machine gun will give a strong impression.

The caterpillar of the rubber does not seem to have any problem. After the primer coating, paint is durable.

Without doing a dry brush by too flashy metallic silver, the metal part of a vehicle held at the expression of shining dully.

I had a feeling of not want too much weathering on the gun barrel this time. Is it like a little isolated? At first, the kill mark of the swastika was some joking. I suppose the kill mark is the only band as the German army is better looking.

Shell is a good accent.

When I wind up a caterpillar and building the interior inside the tank, I wonder it is completed. I like it very much after completing. Courage would be necessary for having rallied in a thin armored tank with the powerful enemy Germany forces. Regarding the Free French Army, markings are characteristic and are interesting.
(12-October-2015)