RoR Step-by-Step Review 20130603* M47 Patton Tank 1:35 Scale Italeri Kit #6447 Review The M47 started production in 1951 but wasn t fielded until 1952 due to technical issues. This was the first new tank design for the U.S. Army after WW II. But it was an experimental concept and called an interim vehicle as the Army designed what would eventually be the M48 and M60 tanks. The M47 Patton never served in a U.S. Forces armed conflict (Korea, Viet Nam) but has served in numerous Allied countries armed forces during armed conflict. Almost 8,700 M47 were built between 1952 and 1954 but upon the arrival of the M48 series in U.S. Forces inventory, the M47 s were quickly replaced and given to our NATO partners For the Modeler: This is the 1:35 scale skill level 2 M47 Patton Italeri Kit #6447 with approximately 275 pieces molded in olive drab. This kit features a detailed one piece engine compartment, vinyl T84 style tracks, highly detailed M3A1 90mm gun and a realistic M2HB machine gun. Included is a detailed infantry figure and waterslide decals with marking for four different Army versions. The finished model s dimensions are Length: 10", Width: 4", Height: 4". Covered in this Review: If you want to perfect your build; basic construction painting, and detailing; preparing parts for better finishing; adhesive selections and applications; altered assembly sequence suggestions; repairing flash and seams; decal application; version considerations; the correct placement of the road wheel arms; hatch position considerations; fender extension orientation; identification of nongluing areas for function; muzzle brake selection; engine detailing; interior detailing; detailing, welding and installing the tracks; drive sprocket orientation marks; road wheel construction; directional orientation of the tracks; display mode considerations; scratch built hatch hinge construction; weathering products techniques; decal selection, preparation and application, are all fully examined in this 23 page, full-color Step-by-Step review.
Photo 1 This is the kit s box art and contents. The box art has a very nice rendering of the tank in full profile. After opening the box I washed all the pieces in warm soapy water to remove the production oils from the plastic, I then let them air-dry. Photo 3 shows pieces laid out, the upper and lower hulls are formed in single pieces which will help in the final appearance of the kit. Some great detail was molded into the hull on this kit. Photos 10 & 11 shows more of the kit, notice the small pieces versus the thick sprues. A very sharp blade should be used to remove parts from the sprues. I found all parts to be well marked on the sprues with part numbers.
Assembly I build the major assemblies before I paint anything if you prefer to paint first the guide will still take you through the build. I also tend to bounce around from one assembly to another while glue or paint dries or when there is two or more pieces that I want to paint together as a unit. I was very disappointed in the quality of assembly instructions. The instructions consist of pictures showing 15 20 parts to be installed per step but is lacking in definition and clarity. It took a lot of trial and error to decipher which piece went where. The part numbers listed are not clearly pointed to their assembled location which caused a lot of test fitting to ensure the pieces were properly installed. After locating all the hull and suspension pieces I started by installing the smallest pieces first so that I didn t have to contort my fingers to get others in place. Photo 12 & 13 shows installing the lifting eye {14B} X 6 to the hull as shown, 3 per side. Right photo shows installed lifting eyes; I used a piece of thread just to show them Photo 14 shows the bump stops {#2B} X10 installed, 5 per side
Photo 15 shows the CORRECT placement of the road wheel arms on the right side the (2) underlined {#17B} s are omitted or poorly identified on the instruction sheet. The arms are also fragile, causing a tight fit into the hull. Use care Photo 16 shows the CORRECT placement of the left side road wheel arms the (2) {#6B} are omitted from the instruction sheet.
While waiting for the lower hull assembly to dry I started on some of the upper hull details. Photo 17 install the hatches for driver {#43b} and gunner {42b} positions, these can be either open or closed, but without an interior to display closed is the best choice. Install the stowage boxes {38b} & {39b} on right fender and {40b} and {41b} onto the left fenders. Then add the lifting handles {40b} and latches {41b} to the boxes. Photo 21 shows the fender extensions installed ensure you place them correctly for left {49c} and right {50c} or you will have issues with them hitting the final drives later on. Note the crooked edge faces inward. Photo 23 installing the headlight mounting brackets,{76b} right and {77b} left. It is the little pieces like this that I wait to paint until after they are installed.
Photo 24 shows installing the front fender braces {78b} & {79b}. Photo 26 after assembling the gun tube; parts {93c}& {94c} with guards {95c} and {96c}I have installed the gun to the lower turret section using parts {98c}, avoid getting glue on the hinges or your gun won t elevate Photo 30 the kit includes (3) different muzzle brakes to choose from, I choose the T shaped brake just for the appearance factor. It is the builder s preference, from historical photos I found most had the straight round version, the instruction sheet shows the T shape that I used, and some of the Israeli and German versions used the knuckle shaped version. You could also just not glue the muzzle brake in and be able to change it as you want. Depending upon your version, choose the appropriate one.
Photo 31 add details to the turret, (3) big lifting eyes {#115c} (3) little lifting eyes {#116c} to the gun cover, the left side bustle racks {#127 &128} and optic sight {#126c} Photo #32 I have added right side bustle racks {#132c &133c) cupola extension {#129c}, and optic sight {131c} to the turret. Photo 33 adding the fresh air vent cover {124c} to back of turret Photo 34 adding the debris guard {125c} to the loaders periscope, you can also see the small lifting eyes installed on front of the turret
Painting On this build I used Model Master FS 37087 Olive Drab: flat, Testors Gloss White for the interior and engine, Testors Flat Black for the road wheel and track, and Testors Rust for detailing. After adding most of the small details, I then primed the kit with flat black primer and let it set for a day or so Photo 39 although the kit is molded in Olive Drab green, it will need paint to improve the appearance and hide any glue stains. This is the turret after priming in flat black. Photo 41 (right) this is the hull top after priming in flat black paint Photo 42 gun tube and lower turret primed; ensure paint doesn t interfere with movement of the gun. Photo 43 (right) lower hull in primer Photo 44 included in this kit is a complete power pack assembly for those who like details this is a nice surprise although to show it you will need to leave the engine grills either glued open or leave them loose to be removable to see that detail.
Photo 45 adding the stowage box latches {#41b} and handles {#40b} I wish I had skipped this step because by the time I finished the kit I had knocked off and lost 2 of these pieces. Photo 46 added tow hooks {64b} on front of hull Photo 50 adding lifting eyes {54c} and taillights {53c} to rear panel
Photo 52 added phone box door and handle {56c &57c}, this could be put on in the open position and detailed on the inside for realism. The figure included in this kit can be assembled to look as he is talking to the crew on this phone. Photo 54 rear panel to hull, adding rear towing shackles {67c} and towing pintle {68c} and mount {66c} Photo 57 shows the engine after some detailing; painted engine gloss white and batteries flat black. I intend to leave the engine grills {29c thru 34c} loose so that the engine can be viewed.
Photo 58 (upper) Repair the seams on the gun tube with green putty for a smooth solid finish. Photo 60 (lower) after initial sanding the gun tube is looking smoother Photo 62 this is the lower hull after the first coat of Olive Drab paint. Light coats insure the details remain visible. Photo 63 (right) shows the contrast between the flat Olive Drab exterior and the Gloss white interior.
Photo 64 shows the upper hull in Olive Drab, the thin coat will aid in weathering later on. Photo 68 right side of upper hull Photo 65 shows the engine grills in place and painted.
Photo 70 the business end of the gun tube after putty, sanding and repainting Photo 73 tracks after painting flat black and rust on end connectors and center guides Photo 75 these are the pieces to build the final drive/sprocket assemblies, Part numbers 12b (2), 11b (2), 9b (2), 8b (4) 11b (2) and 13b (2) I suggest using CA glue to put this together and to mount it to the hull because it has to withstand stretching the track over them later.
Photo 76 & 78 ensure that {8b} is pressed all the way into place so that the alignment notches are visible and accessible otherwise you sprockets will not be positioned properly to grasp the track links when installed. Photo 78 (right) I used a black marker to give a better visual for alignment of the front and rear sprockets Photo 79 & 80 shows how the sprockets engage the tracks. Photo 80 (right) shows the assembled final drive. NOTE: avoid getting glue in this because you will need to spin it when putting on the track
Photo 81 left side final drive assembled to the hull Photo 84 shows the left side support rollers added.
Photo 86 shows the mufflers {#36a &37a right side} and {58a &59a left side) Photo 87 shows road wheel assemblies; Assemble 25b inner to 24b outer road wheel, insure that these mount flat and flush or they will look bent. Photo 88 shows engine installed and all but the front road wheel installed. Photo 91 welding the track together with a paperclip warmed over a candle. Photos 92 (right) melt the pins flat so the tracks stay together. The instruction sheet details the process of welding the track together; I have tried stapling but prefer welding to hold the tracks together.
Photo 93 after welding, always try to hide this when mounting your track I usually place the joint on top or under a road wheel so it is not noticeable. Photo 94 after many tries, I found that removing the outer road wheel made it much easier to stretch the track over the suspension Photo 95 shows properly installed track *note the direction the shoes are facing and make sure both tracks are facing this direction.
Photo 96 I have joined the hull top to the bottom and everything lined up perfect. ** notice the missing engine grills, I left mine loose to display this model in a maintenance setting. Photo 97 the front halves formed a perfectly nearly invisible seam, a little weathering will hide this nicely, I textured the hull by adjusting my airbrush to the point it was spitting paint instead of spraying it. Photo 98 is a nice rear view of the assembled hull Photo 100 I used thin copper wires to make my own hinges for the driver and gunners hatches. Super glue the wires in the hull and then onto the hatch. I plan to add additional crewmembers later on.
Photo 101 the completed hull from the rear with the muffler guards {73c &74c} installed and the beginning of weathering to the tank Photo 103 installed the travel lock for the gun tube (white) and weathered the mufflers (blue). For weathering, for the mufflers I used Testors Rust bottle paint. I brushed it on and then before it dries completely I used a brush dipped in thinner to spread the paint into streaks and spots in areas where a real piece would rust. On the tank hull I used a black wash to simulate dirt, grime and oil streaks. Photo 104 Looking over the rear deck view of the tank after replacing the muffler guards.
Photo 106 Turret Assembly a. Assemble the gun tube using parts 93c & 94c attach guards 95c&96c. b. I then painted the inside of the turret and the breach end of the gun gloss white. c. Glue 1 gun tube hinge 98c to the lower turret 97c. d. After glue dries insert one side of gun tube into the hinge, slide second hinge over the other side of gun tube and glue it in place in the lower turret. e. Now glue the top of the turret to the bottom. f. Finish the turret by adding the exterior components: i. Attach the loaders hatch 121c, with 2x springs 123c, bustle racks 127c, 128c, 132c and 133c ii. Using 2 hinges 119c capture the commanders hatch and glue hinges to top of the turret iii. Assemble the rear storage box with parts 107c & 108c, attach 2 jerry cans using parts 11c, 112c, 113c, and 114c to the outside of the stowage box. iv. Attach the stowage box to the back of the turret Photo 107 is a top view of the completed turret Photo 109 is a close-up of the loaders side of the turret
Decals The kit comes with decals for 4 different versions of the M47 Patton tank. You can model it as US Army, German Army, Italian Army, and the French Army. Photo 110 & 114 decal placement for turret left and right sides Photo 113 & 115 decal placement turret front and rear views Photo 116 side decal placement
Photo 117 After placing the decals I coated them with Micro-sol to seal them to the tank. Photo 118 Frontal view of the completed model. Pros The kit has very good detailing. The parts fit together very neatly, only a little putty was needed for the gun tube and turret to improve their appearance. The addition of the engine/transmission assembly gives this kit many options if you want to include in a diorama. You could have cut off the back deck to expose the engine as if it were in service for repair. You could also leave the engine out completely and use it in a separate display. The final appearance is great.
Cons The instruction sheet is very vague as to part placement on the kit Photo 999 Overall this kit produced a great depiction of the M47 Patton tank, but it s not an easy build due to the poor quality of the instruction sheet. An experienced armor modeler would have few difficulties with this kit, but a beginner may get totally frustrated with this build trying to decipher the instruction sheet. I hope this review can help there.