M46, 6th Tank Battalion, 1951. The Patton Project Pt.I

[Stikpusher]

A new week and a new project begins! So Cal AMPS has been doing a Patton family GB of all AFVs in the Patton family, and this is my first build for the project, DML’s (now known as Dragon) 1/35 M46.



I will be building mine in the markings of the US Army 6th Tank Battalion with their famous “tiger faces” worn during the counteroffensive of Winter/Spring 1951 to push the Chicom forces back across the 38th parallel after their devastating entry into the Korean War. This period saw what are without a doubt some of the most colorful looking tanks ever fielded by the US Army, and especially in combat.



Anyways, this afternoon I was able to complete steps 1 & 2, building all of the wheels and the transmission housing. I have built two previous related kits, DML’s T26E3 and M26A1 Pershing’s, which share many common parts, as all three tanks are very similar to one another. Each type is an evolutionary development from the previous model. So there are no real surprises for me to watch out for now.



So far, so good, and I should have more progress tomorrow...

[Floki]

Nice a Patton! I'm guessing this is a lot nicer kit compared to the old Tamiya.

[Stikpusher]

This is one of Dragon’s early releases. It’s pretty nice, but no shake and bake build. Lots of little parts like latch handles on the stowage boxes and such. The tracks are a drawn out portion because the center guide teeth are separate from each link... But in the end, these really do build up nice.

[keavdog]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing those markings.

[Stuart]

Nice to see a Korean war build for a change - looking forward to seeing how it progresses Carlos.

[Stikpusher]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing those markings.

Me too! I can’t wait to reach that point of the build...

Nice to see a Korean war build for a change - looking forward to seeing how it progresses Carlos.

Stuart, I love Korean War subjects. There is so much choice and variety of sophistication in subject matter.

[speedgraflex]

Subscribed! I checked a few sites before making my first post here because I know so little about this subject. One thing I saw when I checked out an online review were the decals which come with the kit itself. Are you planning to use them? In some photos, the mantelet is painted with the eyes and whiskers of a cat as well.

[Stikpusher]

Good to see that you’re gonna follow along Bruce. The M46 is something of an unsung subject. It was just entering service when the Korean War started, was not widely exported, and was quickly replaced by the M47, then M48 Pattons. Most arrived into Korea after the tank vs tank fighting had passed, and their only real encounter with North Korean Armor occurred during the pursuit of the communists north of the 38th Parallel in the fall of 1950. Which ended up being the last tank vs tank engagement of the war. The rest of the war, tanks operated pretty much as mobile artillery/infantry fire support. Especially once the front lines stabilized in the spring of 1951.

Yes I will be using the kit decals. Although the sheet is minimal with mostly the eyes, hull mouth & claws, and the bumper codes & turret numbers.

[Stikpusher]

Today’s progress report:
Step 3, adding the road wheel arms, shock absorbers, and the transmission housing to the hull... there was a LOT of mold line clean up on all those parts, then making sure that the alignment is good getting all of them level and straight... note to self for the next Patton build, do the corner arms, then work inwards...



Step 4, adding all of the wheels and the plate under the engine.... again making sure alignment is proper. I left the sprocket wheels loose to aid in getting the tracks on. That’s one thing that I’ve learned for doing indy link non workable tracks....





Next steps are to get this area all pre painted in black and start on the tracks... tracks are gonna take a few days I’m sure...

[speedgraflex]

Beautiful work, Carlos. You make this look easy, and I know it is anything but that! Great photos, too. Absolutely badass!