Eightish is good both days.

JG

I never knew the place was built to take bomb hits:

http://detnews.com/article/20081212/METRO07/812120310/Detroit-Arsenal-Tank-Plant-was-once-the-largest-in-the-world

JG

I think this guy has too much time on his hands.....

I found this pic on a forum in a foreign language which I think was from Indonesia, but I'm not sure. I could not get it to translate, but I know it was about the M103A2. It sure looks like Vietnam to me due to the red clay earth and the uniforms of the Marines. I also found this .pdf that looks like someone's notes from either writing a book or paper. It says that all USMC tank battalions had a heavy tank company attached during the Vietnam years. However, Oscar Gilbert, whom I met once at AMPS and is a super nice and smart guy claims in all his books that the M103A2 was not deployed to Vietnam with the USMC tank battalions. So I'm  trying to find out if that is right or wrong. Why would they leave a company out of a battalion behind before going to combat? Does anyone know if there is like USMC tankers forum somewhere where the question could be asked of veterans? Or have any other ideas on reference resources fro this question?

Thanks.

JG

Trumpeter has just released a new range of workable track links:

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_list.asp?classid=14&Nclassid=40&page=1

They have both types for the Abrams and the Chaffee! They're only available in the Pacific Rim right now, but I'm told they'll make it to North America soon.

I can't wait! No excuses for not building anymore! Getting my Abrams kits out now!

JG

I found a small picture of this vehicle in an old encyclopedia of tanks published in 1970 that I found in the subbasement at the UCONN library. Since then I've been trying to find more information on it. I found some pics on the web. This was an engineer vehicle used in Vietnam to clear the jungle. Sort of a mechanical version of Agent Orange. Two prototypes were built by Leterneau and shipped in country for testing in 1969. I guess they weren't too successful, because they didn't build any more, and this was the 60 ton version, and their was plans for a 100 ton version. If anyone knows or sees any more info on this beast please let me know.

JG

Thanks Doc. That's just what I needed to know.

JG

My apologies to Jim Z. Jim you were right and I was wrong. At the COMVEC show today, we saw a Gamma Goat. I was wondering if it was ever used in any combat operations. Jim suggested maybe Grenada, and I said no way, but I was wrong. Here are the photographs to prove it:

http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m561.php3

I didn't think the 82nd would have used this vehicle, but there it is.

I also found a really good walkaround for which Matt wanted to do but couldn't because we got rained out:

http://www.primeportal.net/trucks/hans-hermann_buhling/m561_gamma_goat/

Also found this website which has just about everything else for this vehicle:

http://www.gamagoat.com/

Although I couldn't find any combat history.

JG

On 6.24.10, Turner Classic Movies will be having a 24 hour film festival about the Korean War. Hopefully, they will figure out that it is the 60th anniversary and update their web page, but you can see the list here:

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=309491

I've never seen most of these movies, and there is a documentary as well. I know it's a Thursday, so set your DVRs. Ties in well with our show theme.

JG

It depends. At a show like ours, with the open system, models are not broken down by scale, only by category, so it doesn't make any difference. Models of all scales are judged against a standard, and the standard is supposed to work for any scale. At shows using the "competitive" system, or IPMS system, models are judged against each other, and the models are broken down by scale and category. I have been at shows where 1/48 scale armor has been put in with the larger scale (1/35 and larger) models and I have been at shows where it's put in with the smaller scales like 1/72. It all depends on the show and who is running it. Its just my opinion that having an armor category that says 1/34 and smaller is good idea. Your going to find that it varies from show to show.  

JG

I have seen quite a few, but IMHO the numbers don't warrent them having their own category....yet. I think if you have something like: Armor 1/34 and Smaller, that's fine. Again, IMHO, I don't think it will ever catch on as well as 1/35 has in North America. I think it's obviously targeted to those areas (Europe, Pacific Rim) where smaller kits have always been popular and, of course, the aircraft modelers that like working in that scale. That being said, I have seen some incredible new kits in 1/48. The detail is really amazing, especially some of the Tamiya offerings. I have not seen many of the Hobby Boss.

JG

Anyone go to NOREASTCON? How about an After Action Report?

JG

Like I said, the injection molded ones just don't do it for me. Do you know what the Brita filter ones are made of? Are they plastic?

JG

I think I have found something that could be used to make rivets. We had a new Michael's store open in town, and I went in there to check it out. I found the smallest bead they have, which I would say is just under one millimeter in diameter. I then asked the manager if he had anything that small without the hole in it (which they use to string the beads). He said "sorry no," so I just kept walking around the store, and I found these in the four millimeter size:

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=gc0696

The Wiggle Eye has an eyeball inside it that is just under a millimeter in diameter, so I cut open the wiggle eye, and popped the eyeball out and it looks perfectly round although I haven't put it under any magnification yet. I need to dig out my toolboxes. Anyway, it looks like it would work perfectly for the rivets on something like an M3 Lee. All I have to do it slice off part of it and then sand it down to the center.

JG