1:35 Revell M4A3 Sherman Calliope - The Laughing Tanker

I hope you don't mind as an occasional poster and mostly lurker if I show you my latest build.

It started off with a bargain from ModelZone earlier in teh year, the Revell Sherman Calliope kit for a tenner! Can't pass that one by! So finally I got round to building it the end of last month. Now I don't like building tanks all buttoned up, putting a figure, even if its just a driver gives it some life, so I started looking around for a fire to fit into the tank. In the stash is the Tamiya US Maintenance Yard kit that I've raided in the past for bits and bobs for other builds. This time I noticed the figures and one of the stood out as perfect.

While painting him up I realised he is laughing...

So then I thought... what on earth is he laughing at? Then inspiration struck me and so I sourced this old Tamiya kit...

which has a 1976 date in teh moulding and its certainly showing its age, however for £4 I wasn't compaining much!

So with the tank built and the figures sourced, I just eneded to build a base and voila - the Laughing Tanker Diorama!

I really enjoyed this build - the Sherman went together well and it was my first time trying out the hairspray technique to weather the paint. I almost left the rockets off as they just didn't go together or look as good as the tank itself, but I'd already cut the holes in the side of the turret to fit them.

I'm pleased with the tree as well - this is my third attempt at scratch building trees and the first time its been anything like convincing, even though it is still too small!

Hope this brings a smile to your faces

Hehe. Nice dio idea Andrew. I like it.

Andrew

Superb build and dio, sir, really very good indeed.

Cheers

Tim

Great work, and yes great diorama idea. I caught a laugh, as well...

Cheers !

Ian

Thank one MP will be most annoyed and will have to do some talking to high command about parking a motorcycle in front of a tank

Nice work there!!!

Great work, look for my Sherman M4A3(76mm) to come here soon, I combined the Tamiya M4A3 with a 76mm turret from Italeri and the crew will be from the latest MiniArt set "U S Tank Crew -Close Combat" which is really a winning set.

All the best,

John in New Mexico

Dio looks really good...well done

cheers

steve

Very nice Andrew