M41A3 Walker Bulldog U.S. Army Light Tank AFV Club 1/35

I found a photo of Tamiya’s Walker Bulldog that I made a long time, so I put it on the back of the production note. It’s not so well finished. This kit was built from July 2012 to November 2012.

One of my stocks, I started to assemble the Walker Bulldog Light Tank. The tank model I made for the first time in my life. I made this tank of Tamiya kit a very long time ago, probably 35 years ago.

Road wheels are divided into two parts, and it’s hard to erase the joint line.

I just attached the suspension parts to the chassis. The suspension was divided into so many parts that it’s a long way to attach the road wheel to the body. At the bottom of the body, I can see the mold “2002 TAIWAN”; it was just ten years ago the kit was released. However, the original kit released was older because I heard the AFV club bought this kit mold from Skybow Model.
(11-July-2012)

I suppose the drive wheel bonding part is weak. I filled the gap with the epoxy putty and completely fixed these parts. Very much putty was injected, and I don’t worry that it’s not so visible.

I just attached the wheels to the body and have a fine sense of achievement. Extra epoxy putty I used to support the drive wheel mounting pin from the backside. We can see an escape hatch inside the body, carefully molded.
(14-July-2012)

I am trying to use this workable track link. Friul Model also releases metal workable Caterpillar, but it’s a little bit higher price.

Do you benefit from changing from rubber belts to a workable caterpillar? This photo’s under two belts rubber. The top side is a workable optional one. The mold of both of them is excellent, so not much inferior to the rubber type.     You think workable track assembly is troublesome, but it’s no big deal once you get used to it.

Caterpillar attached around the wheel to try. It’s not so big a difference. But I like the feeling of each caterpillar plate being square and round to the wheel with the appropriate angle gradually, one by one.

Recently, Tamiya’s rubber parts adhered to plastic cement, so I thought it was OK for these parts. It’s OK with considerable strength to use the instant adhesive. But all the parts were peeling… My ascetic monk-like detailed work was in vain.

The Caterpillar was just a little bit slack, feel good. I make sure to fix the positioning of all the workable parts by pouring plastic adhesive.
(16-July-2012)

Chassis assembly completed. I used the Mag-Lite for shorter hardening of light-curing putty. It’s beneficial for this kind of work. I’m unsure how to attach some of the parts at the back of the chassis, even though I read the instruction manual. I only guess the correct position for these.
(22-July-2012)

Turret assembly is completed. The aluminum barrel’s straight line is a good effect on modeling. Once I adhered to the turret and body, it seemed challenging to move apart, so I only put on this turret on the body.
(27-Oct-2012)

I suppose this turret shape is similar to King Tiger…
(27-Oct-2012)

The main hatch is movable, open, and shut. Because the periscope guard on the turret’s left side and the leading hatch base parts plastic did not flow enough in a metal mold, I adjusted them with epoxy putty.
(27-Oct-2012)

I’ll set up this Alpine US AFV figure next to this M41. This figure quality is excellent and about to start moving lively. I’m not sure to paint like a sample painting, it’s almost impossible, but I’ll do my best.

I blew a thin layer of surfacer. After that, it seems heavier weight at this point than the bare plastic before. The surfacer is diluted to double the original bottling.
(30-Oct-2012)

Small tips. Mr.Metal Primer has no nylon brush, so I move it from my spare Mr.Cement S bottle. It’s very convenient to paint a small area.
(30-Oct-2012)

Painted in dark colors, the hard-to-reach points.

Basic paint. All is lacquer paint, Mr. Hobby’s color, up to this point. I tried to airbrush with black on-the-road wheels, but after all, I will have to retouch all the miss painting parts, so the only easy part I airbrushed.

After blowing clear to the space for attaching decals, I used Mark Softer to adhere to some decals. I accented to blow a brighter color on the primary color, with some effect of gradation. I think it prevents silvering the decals.
(09-Nov-2012)

I found the remained parting line forgotten to erase on the mantlet. I checked it with real tank photos; these lines do not exist, and there is no line on the famous Tamiya kit. M24 Chaffee has a similar line. Ummm, it’s trouble…

That’s why I tried to make a mantlet canvas cover from facial tissue, Kleenex, no, to be precise, it’s Kimwipes. The only information is box art as the first photo.

Dried tissue paper is like this photo; It’s wrapped with bandages.
(14-Nov-2012)

Increasing the thickness of the canvas with Tamiya Putty. Surrounded the edge of the canvas with the stretched runner, attached the chopped thin lead and rivets cut out from the extra parts of German tanks, which I assembled past times and kept them.
Well, it’s not so bad after painting. Poor efficiency as that additional work after completing the basic painting. I guess it’s OK, thinking efficiency is unrefined for enjoying the hobby. After completing the canvas cover, I felt a sense of accomplishment, and I will likely hand out the next kit.
(14-Nov-2012)

This is TAMIYA M41 Light Tank Walker Bulldog I made 20 years ago. This kit is very easy to assemble, and I enjoyed it.

And this photo.
(23-Nov-2012)

And I found this photo in my archive. It’s so sorry for going out of focus on targeting the face.
(23-Nov-2012)

My M41A3 Walker Bulldog was completed. M41 has experience that has been operating in more than 20 countries worldwide. Some countries are still deployed.

According to the manual, this marking is the U.S. Army 1st Armored Regiment in West Germany, 1956. M41 had also been granted to West Germany till they developed the domestically manufactured tank named Leopard.

There was no indication in the manual; the muffler cover was finished feeling pretty rusty. In the news last year in Bangkok, I saw the M41 tank crush the demonstrations, that the tank’s muffler was also fairly rusty.

M24 Chaffee was difficult to counter the Soviet-made T-34-85; M41 was developed as M24’s successor model during the Korean War. They are in use worldwide and are produced in a total of about 5,500.

According to the instruction manual, 60 calibers 76.2mm gun and its T-muzzle break were able to conduct gas to both sides to provide a clear view for further firing.

The Canvas Mantelet cover is made from Tissue and putty. The fastener is made of shredded weight plate attached bonding rivets scrape down the excess parts of other kits. Wrinkles on the canvas are room for more research.

The periscope is painted blue and silver mixed. It would be better if there were clarity, gloss, and glass-like expression method.

The tank’s primary color is Olive Drab and changed the brightness by the airbrush. And more with varying to do the washing.

Here’s the Alpine US AFV crew by the side of the turret. I tried to fit this figure into the vehicle; they wore a similar jumper in the Korean War. I have a question about any problem with this uniform in the 1950’s U.S. tank crew, like this photo.

I like this part that went surprisingly well in conclusion. 1st Armored Division mark on the left sleeve. It was hard to draw with a brush, detailed pattern. It’s unknown whether the figure’s marking and vehicle marking are matched.

His rank is corporal.

It is difficult even wanted to imitate the virtuosity of the sample painting of Alpine. But I think the atmosphere is good, anyway.

I made it 20 years ago, posted on the making corner. I was satisfied to some extent compared with the Bulldogs. I feel good attaching to the excellent molding figure.

This is an excellent set of workable replacement tracks released by AFV Club.
(23-Nov-2012)