For Inspection Armortek 1/6 scale M3 Lee/Grant tank

[Halftrack]

Just notice that Armortek have released their M3 in both Lee and Grant configurations. All metal construction and make into superb large R.C. tanks. No doubt there will be lots of add-ons available too.
The Grant is my all time favourite WW2 tank. A sort of a hybrid in its day, and although a large target aquitted itself reasonably well in North Africa.

 

[Halftrack]

 

[Tricky1982]

Without wanting to derail the thread too much, is there anyone out there who builds and paints these Armortek tanks (for a fee of course)? My dad was halfway through building a 1/6 Armortek King Tiger when he was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 years ago, he died 9 months later and there is now this huge partially built model sat in my mums garage. I could sell it and probably get £6000 or more for it but to be honest I'm not bothered about the money and would rather see it finished seen as it was something he was passionate about, but I'm no model builder or painter and at this point in my life I don't have the time to learn either so would rather pay someone who can do a good job of it to finish it. He also built an extremely impressive 1/6th Tiger 1 which he did complete and I've posted photos of it on here before years ago.

 

[Halftrack]

Derail away Tricky. I lost my dad to cancer, so understand that your model has a connection to you. Do you have all the option packs or do you want a static model? I built the Armortek Sherman, so know a bit about whats required.

 

[Tricky1982]

Thanks Halftrack, as far as I'm aware he bought all the option packs for it and they are all in plastic tubs labelled up so it wouldn't be too difficult to pick up where he left off. I know he wanted to paint it in Ardennes ambush pattern camouflage and he was a very skilled modeller so I'd like it to turn out to the standard I know he intended it to be. As I'll have two 1/6 models to play with they will probably become something of a hobby for me in time and I may even take them to shows as my dad intended to do, but at the moment with my full time job, the reserves and a busy social life I just don't have the time or skills to plough into this King Tiger. It took him a year to get his Tiger 1 how he wanted it and he was at it for 4 or 5 hours a night!

 

[Halftrack]

Hi Tricky,

There are some superb modellers on the UK tank club forum. I would post there if I was you. If you don't have any luck contact me. As it was your dad's I wouldn't charge you for a basic build and paint, you would need to pay for things like motor control unit, sound generator etc. which can be expensive. They are impressive models with an impressive weight!

 

[Tricky1982]

Thanks and much appreciated! I'm pretty sure he had the motors, R/C system, barrel recoil mechanism, smoke generators and sound module as he kept buying extra bits each month after he got the base kit with the intention of having it all ready for him to spend the winter months building it (he was a farmer so that was his quiet time). Unfortunately cancer had other ideas and he got as far as getting the turret, hull and torsion bar suspension built up, the wheels put together and painted and the hull painted in primer.

 

[Halftrack]

I'm sure the guys on the UKTC will sort you out. But if you get stuck let me know.

Really tempted by the M3. Lots of flat plate held together with hundreds of dome head rivets. Lovely!!

 

[Tricky1982]

It does look like a nice kit, all those rivets give plenty of scope for super detailing it with rust, grime and weathering! When my dad got his Tiger 1 he was trying to encourage me to get the Sdkfz 222 kit that Armortek were doing a run of at the time, I couldn't afford it then but wish I had now as he'd have built it for me.

 

[Halftrack]

Wish I had bought their Stug III but maybe they will re-issue their kits at some stage. Would like to see a pic of the Tiger 1.

 

[Tricky1982]

This is the Tiger 1, it's a Mark 1 model rather than Armortek so some of it is molded resin rather than metal, but he made a brilliant job of it.

 

[Halftrack]

Wow! That really is a beauty! The zimmerit alone must have taken him ages, and that is a terrific paint job. Well done your dad!!!

 

[Tricky1982]

Wow! That really is a beauty! The zimmerit alone must have taken him ages, and that is a terrific paint job. Well done your dad!!!

The zimmerit took him months! The kit came with a relatively smooth finish so he covered the hull and turret in car body filler and then used a Dremel cutter to painstakingly cut the zimmerit into it. He was happy with how it turned out but said he'd found an easier way of doing it after he'd finished which he was going to apply to the King Tiger had he got the chance to finish it.

 

[Halftrack]

That sure was a labour of love! I would have probably applied filler to an area and worked it with tools. You can get zimmerit combs for smaller scales, so enlarge to 1/6 and away you go! Eventually!

One of the more famous actions involving the M3 was the Battle of Kohima. Sappers winched a M3 up the hill and dug it in so that its 75mm cannon could be used to destroy enemy bunkers.

 

[Halftrack]

I believe this is the Kohima M3, which is still near the site of the battle.

 

[Halftrack]

If anyone is curious about my user name this is my baby.

 

[Tricky1982]

That's the king tiger as it stands, the last progress picture of it I took before he found out he was ill.

 

[Halftrack]

Its fantastic!!! That's one tank you wouldn't want to come across in a Sherman!

 

[Halftrack]

Thought my 'track was large until I parked next to this!

 

[Halftrack]

Taken at W&P show 2006. Think I won't go this extreme!