JPK 120 in 1:35

[Jim R]

I would never have thought of painting decals but it's worked fine. Masking around a template for the black rectangles is another good idea. I really must try to better think outside the box

 

[adt70hk]

That's coming on very nicely Jakko and again something very different. I'm wondering how it would have behaved if it ever saw combat.....

ATB

Andrew

 

[Jakko]

I would never have thought of painting decals but it's worked fine.

It looks a bit rough in the photos but that’s because it’s much larger than IRL — the decals are maybe 5 mm long, so it’s hard to see on the actual decals that it’s not been done all that neatly.

I'm wondering how it would have behaved if it ever saw combat.....

I suspect not well enough that it would really have been worth the trouble. Two of the main reasons for using a hull-mounted gun are because it’s cheaper and it makes the vehicle lower. That last thing was achieved here, but I’m not sure this would have been much cheaper than a Leopard 2. Two guns would rather up the cost compared to having only one, and autoloaders also aren’t overly cheap, I think — certainly not in the added maintenance and spares compared to not having one. But it would be able to put rounds on target at more than twice the rate of any MBT … at least until the autoloaders are empty Tactically, it has a fairly major drawback in not having any traverse for its guns without moving the entire vehicle, but then again, this was also seen as a detractor for the Strv 103, yet the Swedes never seem to have found it an important problem.

 

[Richard48]

Hi Jakko.
I saw this kit previewed on Andys hobby headquarters and thought it was a strange old beast.Looks like you are weaving your magic on her.
Happy modelling chum.
Richard

 

[Jakko]

It is a strange beast, but then, in the real world it was never intended as an actual combat vehicle prototype. All it ever was, was a test bed for the idea of using two guns to achieve a higher hit probability. In real life, it turned out that the advances in fire control systems made for the Leopard 2 removed the need for this kind of salvo firing.

 

[Richard48]

It is a strange beast, but then, in the real world it was never intended as an actual combat vehicle prototype. All it ever was, was a test bed for the idea of using two guns to achieve a higher hit probability. In real life, it turned out that the advances in fire control systems made for the Leopard 2 removed the need for this kind of salvo firing.

Going back to Shermans i managed to track down a Resicast m4a4 DV hull from Ultracast in Canada.A mere snip with VAT etc to U.K for nearly 64 pounds.Glad i got one but ouch it stings at that price!!!.Did manage to get some Tasca m3 bogies cheap off e.bay tho.If i had ordered from Asuka it was 30 pounds more than what i paid.
Richard

 

[Jakko]

TBH, for 64 pounds I think I would instead have cut the fronts off the drivers’ hoods on a plastic late M4A4 hull and built the DV visors myself … (He said after ordering a DV M4A1 upper hull from Asuka recently ) But what Sherman are you intending to build? Just a generic early M4A4 or a specific tank from a photo?

 

[Richard48]

Hopefully this one mate.43 RTR attached to 79th Armoured prior to D.Day.Practising on the River Deben which is about an hour from where we are.
Rich

 

[Jakko]

Nice one, that should be doable from those photos, I’d say. Looking forward to seeing you build it

 

[Richard48]

Nice one, that should be doable from those photos, I’d say. Looking forward to seeing you build it

Yes i think i can piece the markings together from various sheets.I know Star decals do.79th Armoured stuff.The turret numbers are plain white i hope.The 40 on the glacis i shall try and track down.The only problem might be the side numbers.I did ask Johan at Star if he would consider doing a set as an add on to his 79th set.He seemed quite keen and i supplied some references.Peddinghaus has the well known Sherman V " Spiteful".Sadly only available in 1.16th scale.
Richard

 

[Jakko]

Half the markings are now on:



The registration plate is from an Italeri M108, but cut up so I could turn 59597 into 97559. I’m not quite sure how Belgian vehicle registration numbers work, but I think the first two digits are the vehicle type — all Leopard 1s had 54, for example, and CVR(T)s had 65. I hope 97 had not been used yet in the mid-80s, but I don’t actually know

The 16 Armoured Division badge are also from the M108, modified as described earlier, while the bridge classification 44 comes from an Italeri Leopard 1A2. Takom gives you a 48 for this, but after looking up the VT 1-2’s weight (not quite sure what that was, but in the low-40s tonnes), I figured a little lower would be more realistic.

After taking these photos, I put a coat of matt varnish over all of them, because some didn’t seem to want to stick very well despite using Micro Set and Sol on them. The cut lines visible on the registration plates will be hidden later with some dirt and stuff

 

[Allen Dewire]

Jakko, I'm so sorry I haven't commented on this build for a long time. It seems you have a lot of things going on at the bench and I'm so confused. This is looking really great and your work is excellent as always. The more I look at this vehicle, the more it looks like an M113 on steroids with the 2 guns. They just had to move the driver's compartment and the motor to fit the 120's.....

Prost
Allen.

 

[Jakko]

It seems you have a lot of things going on at the bench and I'm so confused.

I get bored fairly easily, especially when there’s things to do on a model that I don’t enjoy — such as messing about with epoxy putty or having to redo stupid paints that lift off a model when you put masking tape over them. Plus, this one keeps getting in the way (literally) for working on the AVRE, so there’s more need for it to be finished

This is looking really great and your work is excellent as always. The more I look at this vehicle, the more it looks like an M113 on steroids with the 2 guns. They just had to move the driver's compartment and the motor to fit the 120's.....

It does look like that a bit, now you mention it. Next up for building, its little cousin, the M113 FSCV:

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Soon to be a thing of beauty, well done Jakko.

 

[Jakko]

Now to get myself to finish it …

 

[Richard48]

Looks darn good to me Jakko.I start stuff and lose focus mid build.Still got too many kits to paint,Weather.
Rich

 

[Jakko]

I have much the same problem, and when I get a new idea in my head, I end up not working as much on the things I’m currently building, even though I also don’t start on the new thing yet because I feel I shouldn’t start another model before the others are finished.

 

[JR]

I have much the same problem, and when I get a new idea in my head, I end up not working as much on the things I’m currently building, even though I also don’t start on the new thing yet because I feel I shouldn’t start another model before the others are finished.

You are not alone !

 

[Neil Merryweather]

You are not alone !

Definitely not!

 

[Jakko]

Finally, I’ve finished the markings:



I made four sets of 024 from numbers cut from a very old sheet from an Italeri Willys jeep, applying first the 0 and letting it dry thoroughly, then the 2, and once that had dried too, the 4. This so I wouldn’t run the risk of numbers re-floating in the water from the next one, but it meant it took a while to do. There is a bit of silvering, but it looks worse in the photo than in real life, so I can probably hide the rest with some dirt once I get round to the weathering.

I also started painting the figure:



Unfortunately, it’s hard to photograph with an iPad, and my figure-painting skills are also not up to having them enlarged to the size you see in the photos