Tamiya 1/35 M48A3 Patton

[cbaltrin]

Very nice looking M48 Stuart!

Come on Stik, you know your tanks better than that!

ehhhhh hem, Stuart, your M48 looks great. Nice work!

[BlackSheep214]

And all.these years I thought it was to get the enemy to have that "deer in headlights" look when those big lamps blinds them in the face.

[Stikpusher]

Thanks for the detail. I do recall seeing a Panther kit with night vision recently. So the M48 would just be more modern version of that? Both under category 1. Night vision goggles would be type 2? And all those nasty Apache videos are type 3.

Yes, the IR sights used by the Germans at the end of WWII were Type 1. Those used by the M48 here are Active IR. That spotlight though also has a white light capability in addition to IR.
Most NVGs are image intensification, although some also have a limited active IR capability for map reading and such in complete darkness.
And yes, the Apache FLIR is the third type. In the same family as the Thermal sights on Abrams, Bradley’s, etc.

[Stuart]

I will post some info on the various types of night vision sights after I get off work. But the basic white light or active IR sight tanks often worked in pairs. One would be the illuminator while another would be the shooter.
I’ll post more later.

Very nice looking M48 Stuart!

Thanks Carlos - and thanks for the lowdown on the types of night sights/vision etc. That was an interesting read.

Not only does he build sero(u)planes (threw the ‘u’ just for you), he knocks tanks out of the park! Great looking work.

LOL! I don't know about that - Thanks Lyle! you can never have too many 'u's.

Looking great, Stuart!

Thanks Tom!

Oh, that is lovely, Stuart! Really a great looking M48, well done, sir!

Thanks Gary! It was a fun build actually.

Very nice looking M48 Stuart!

Come on Stik, you know your tanks better than that!

ehhhhh hem, Stuart, your M48 looks great. Nice work!

Thanks Chris - much appreciated!

[Stuart]

Thanks for the detail. I do recall seeing a Panther kit with night vision recently. So the M48 would just be more modern version of that? Both under category 1. Night vision goggles would be type 2? And all those nasty Apache videos are type 3.

Yes, the IR sights used by the Germans at the end of WWII were Type 1. Those used by the M48 here are Active IR. That spotlight though also has a white light capability in addition to IR.
Most NVGs are image intensification, although some also have a limited active IR capability for map reading and such in complete darkness.
And yes, the Apache FLIR is the third type. In the same family as the Thermal sights on Abrams, Bradley’s, etc.

Really interesting discussion guys - thanks for the info Carlos. Interesting that the Thermal Sights can't see through glass. Are you telling me ALL of those movies were wrong? That Arnold didn't need to cover himself with mud but just hide in a Greenhouse? My Childhoods been shattered lol!

[Stuart]

Here’s a good short article about crewing on M48s in Vietnam

https://cherrieswriter.com/2020/02/23/w ... been-like/

Interesting little article that Carlos - thanks for sharing. I really fancy some pound cake now!

[Duke Maddog]

Well you're 1 finished kit ahead of me for the year . Looks good - always liked that massive spotlight on the barrel. Curious how that was used tactically. Yes you can see whats out there but it's also a beacon saying 'shoot here'.

I had also read that when Patton tanks were guarding base camps and snipers were in the area; they would have one tank turn on the white light. That would make the sniper shoot at the light while the other tank(s) would look for the muzzle flash and the shoot back; usually shredding the sniper in the process. The troops in the base camp loved it because sniping went way down when the enemy saw tanks in the compound.

[Medicman71]

Awesome looking build Stuart!!

[Stuart]

Awesome looking build Stuart!!

Thanks Mike! Much appreciated!

Well you're 1 finished kit ahead of me for the year . Looks good - always liked that massive spotlight on the barrel. Curious how that was used tactically. Yes you can see whats out there but it's also a beacon saying 'shoot here'.

I had also read that when Patton tanks were guarding base camps and snipers were in the area; they would have one tank turn on the white light. That would make the sniper shoot at the light while the other tank(s) would look for the muzzle flash and the shoot back; usually shredding the sniper in the process. The troops in the base camp loved it because sniping went way down when the enemy saw tanks in the compound.

Cool story!

[Ceaser_Sa1ad]

Looks great, that kit is a fun one.