This model has been in my collection for a long time and compared to some of the Stuart models that have been done in more recent times, it is showing its age, but it is still fairly decently done for a model that was also being handled quite a bit as a photography prop. Thought I would feature it here just to preserve these pictures somewhere.
It received the same treatment that many other 21st Century Stuarts got, the skirts were removed with a dremel tool and the piece of armor on the side of the turret was removed.
This particular Stuart also received a turret interior. Mind you I do not claim any sort of accuracy with this turret as it was completely imagineered, but I did know there was a radio at the back of the turret and I knew that there needed to be some sort of breech mechanism for the main gun. That was about all I knew of the interior at the time.
My Stuart also received my cast periscopes. These are not accurate castings, but simply additional copies of the 21st periscope that is on the commander’s hatch. Panzerwerks later came out with some accurate pieces, but I was not inclined to spend a lot of money at the time to bring my Stuarts up-to-date. I would still have a problem with paying for those (cheap, cheap, cheap).
The original Haunted Tank was an M-3 and I wanted my M-5 to at least have a flavor of that vehicle, thus the graphics on the side of the turret - big stars and white stripe like Jeb Stuart’s Haunted Tank. I also added a little battle damage to the turret because those boys were always getting into tough situations.
Back when I did this model, it was probably seen as being pretty detailed, though probably not by today’s standards. Still, I tried to add a lot of stuff on the tank to give it a “lived-in” appearance. Ration boxes, crates, metal buckets, a coffee pot, a case of vino and Sgt. Savage’s duffle bag with contents falling out. There are lots of little things to look at.
Lately, I have been thinking about going back and reworking all of my tanks so that they are a little more accurate. Don’t know when I will get around to that project, but I would like to do it about the same time I get around to updating my White Scout Car. Well, okay...maybe that is one for retirement.
Well, that's all for tonight. Hope that at least these old pictures contained an idea or two for someone. Until next time, have a good one!
Well, that's all for tonight. Hope that at least these old pictures contained an idea or two for someone. Until next time, have a good one!
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