M8 U.S. HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGE TAMIYA 1/35

It is an old kit, but I made my own loading items with Super Sculpey clay. It was built in October 2014.

This time I try U.S. Howitzer M8. It’s very old, released in 1974 and resell with a new figure of loader and gunner.

Assembling wheels.

It’s easier and faster assembling compares to AFV Club’s M3 kit. I think easy making is an important value.

This kit is open top and there are inside parts of shells and extinguisher. Panel floor mold is very nice.

I could make this tank easy, so adding extra sandbags, bedrolls and cloth bags. This is Super Sculpey, baked in 10 to 15 minutes in the oven to harden up.

Considering the right and left balance to attach many bags. Its total weight is a little heavy as attaching many clay parts.

Turret top is open and I can see quite large inside space.

Before painting, first I blew surfacer as it’s multi-colors material.

I just blew olive drab U.S. tanks basic color. This kit includes belt caterpillar. I usually want to use pieces divided truck links, but this M3 and M5 caterpillar is not needed to consider precisely. This model is covered by side armor and caterpillar have tension.

After painting basic colors, I feel it’s close to completion. Firstly, I attached all OVM and bags and boxes, decals are trimmed to adjust the spaces.

It’s strange, as a brand-new car. But remain weathering.

I just made one figure. Inside the turret is too narrow and difficult to set him in. I’ll just him sitting on the sandbag. This kind of U.S.soldier figure wearing tanker jacket was precious in the old time. Now we can get it from Alpine, Miniart or other material makers.
(18-October-2014)

The M8 is self-propelled howitzer based from M5 Stuart light tank body. It was produced approximately 1,800 tanks during World War II. French military used them after World War II in Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese forces used it until the early 1960s after France Army withdrew.

This marking is the European front with the Tamiya’s manual.

I attached a lot of additional baggage, making in clay and putty, concerning American tanks tended to be having a large amount of equipment. Only wooden box seeming not to be fixed…

By the way, the appliance of iron tools side on the gun turret was called additional grousers for going through the muddy or sandy loose area, they are attached with caterpillar treads. It was written on Tamiya’s instruction. When I made Stuart M3 AFV Club kit, I was wondering these tools but became clear. Though it was a trivia, I became smarter.

The headlight was changed to clear parts made by runner by myself.

The vehicle inside is quite small, and the figure is not readily set position. It is quite interesting to glance inside.

I painted weathering to use pastel with acrylic resin here and there for the expression of three-dimensional effect.

I let one figure sit down on a piece of baggage.

Another shot from a different angle. This Tamiya’s kit was an easy assembled nice kit, I suppose.

When I rode a lot of baggage, and some sandbags piled up, this model size is small but the big presence. It was slightly troublesome to bake clay called the Super Sculpey. I’ll use it again soon because I still remain a lot of clay.
(30-October-2014)