M47 Patton Tank

The M47 was an outgrowth of the M46, itself a modified version of the M26 of WWII. A builder can see the progression of design with this model if the M24 Chaffee and the M-26 is built first. Italeri did a great job in making this kit complex, but not to the point of frustration and enough interesting features to make the build fun and engaging. Assembly was straightforward--- the running gear has enough detail to make the torsion bar people happy and the engine deck/grille area is a wealth of detail. There are plenty of options to have various engine deck areas open for the diorama enthusiasts, or just a straight up closed build. I opted for closed at this point, but sealed the hatches with some hidden white glue in case I change my mind. The turret is the fun part of the build. There's a lot of handrails on both sides of the turret that take some time to fit right and get to stick. I gave up on the model cement and went with crazy glue, watching Youtube videos while holding it in place. I was happy with the results at the end. The main reason why I downgraded it to four rather than five stars were the rubber band tracks--- I just couldn't get them to fit with my usual methods. I didn't want to spring for aftermarket tracks so I glued themacross the top of the running boards and then fastened the sand skirts in place to cover that up. The great thing about this model is the ability to weather it well. There are a lot of places where the paint can wear off exposing the metal underneath and places for some interesting rust too. I used a dark chocolate brown to indicate these wear points and then some strategically placed bright rust here and there to make things pop. As a recommendation--- yes, absolutely. I have a decent collection of American armor and this one fills a void in between the M4's of WWII and Korea to the MBT philosophy beginning with the M48. It's also just a cool looking vehicle with the oddly shaped turret.