SPA Modeler

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 1:01 pm Very nice looking M48 Stuart!

keavdog wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 9:22 pm 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.

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 1:01 pm 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!

LyleW wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 1:06 pm Not only does he build sero(u)planes (threw the ‘u’ just for you), he knocks tanks out of the park! Great looking work.

BlackSheep214 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 2:10 pm Looking great, Stuart!

Gary Brantley wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 3:47 pm Oh, that is lovely, Stuart! Really a great looking M48, well done, sir!

cbaltrin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 6:16 am

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 1:01 pm Very nice looking M48 Stuart!

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

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

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:46 am

keavdog wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 9:22 pm 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.

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 8:44 pm Here’s a good short article about crewing on M48s in Vietnam

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

keavdog wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:30 am 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'.

Medicman71 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 20, 2025 2:51 pm Awesome looking build Stuart!!

Duke Maddog wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:54 pm

keavdog wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:30 am 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.