Back dated a M113A2 to a Vietnam era M113A1 with 106mm

[rschaap]

**UPDATE #18** I added some accessories and did some final touches to my M113A1 with recoilless rifle, I'm somewhat happy with the outcome. I started reading up on how to weather armor, since I have only done airplanes before. You armor guys let me know what you think.











I really want to thank everyone who contributed some of their knowledge and offered up opinions to make this model a reality for me. Thumbs up guys.....

[pickelhaube]

It turned out great !!!!!

[rschaap]

Thanks Matt. Your conversion parts where the icing on the cake, this would not have happened without them. Thanks again for helping me out.

[rschaap]

I was not happy with the flotation attachments at the front of my M113 since they were too small, so I made a decision to change them out with a new set of scratchbuilt ones before I weather up and dirty the tank. After reviewing the pictures from the Tamiya 1/35 scale M113, I modeled my tank after and compared the photos to the real thing. it appears the bolts holding the device on in the model are wrong. They show three bolts when the real thing Vietnam era M113's have four bolts (two on the forward flat surface and two on the lower angled piece). I made a command decision and decided to model mine after the real ones.

1/35 Tamiya flotation device.


Actual Vietnam M113's with flotation devices attached.

[AV-8B Driver]

**UPDATE #1** First I stripped all the gear off.





And then I removed the hull to work on the interior first.



Now the fun starts......

Nice.. I remember the M-50 and the 6 x 106mm rifles + 2 spotting .50s. My brother drove one. You had to get out of the M-50 to breach load the 106mm, and the thing was so loud every enemy in 10 miles could hear it and knew where you were, not to mention the .50 for targeting. You had to keep telling the infantry to stop seeking cover behind the M-50 unless they want to die from the back blast. The driver sat on top of the gasoline fuel tanks...The 106mm rifles could be dist ached and mounted wherever and fired. Good old.. USMC..and the M40. The Corps loves the hand ' me ' downs...

No one ever really made a good Ontos model so I made one back in the day at 1/20th out of coil stock and flashing. I know how to torch cut and MIG, TIG and stick weld + foundry work, so you could make one in a few days

[grunt1]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread, awesome work!

[rschaap]

Thanks for the comments. It is a labor of love. I have updated the floats and filled in two of the holes on the trim vain / flotation cover. I am still working on perfecting my weathering techniques before I put the brush to my M113a2.