M41 Walker Bulldog 1:35 Tamiya Construction

The Model

If I were to build the M41 Walker Bulldog model in 1:35 scale again, I would definitely choose the AFV Club kit. However, it was the Tamiya kit that I won in my first modelling competition, so I simply had to build it.

The history of this Tamiya model dates back to the early 1970s, when its first editions were closer to toys than faithful replicas. Even in contemporary copies, the hull bears traces of the battery-powered drive that was once installed there. And although Tamiya's design has undergone several improvements over the past few decades, it is still a model full of simplifications (many of the elements visible on the box art are not found in the box).

Therefore, having no other choice, I decided to try to bring this model up to modern standards.

During production, the M41 tank underwent design changes. I decided to build a version featuring, among other things, cut-off mudguard ends, an M2 Browning gun mount moved to the left of the commander's cupola, an additional muffler on the front mudguard, a rack for sapper tools on the front mudguard, and an idler wheel with a rubber bandage.

In addition, I wanted to add one unusual detail that I saw in several photographs from the Vietnam War: a searchlight from an M48 Patton tank installed above the gun barrel.

The Accessories

I have collected the following accessories for this project:

Excellent resin parts from Legend. 

FC Modeltrend prints have fairly distinct layers and not very sharp details, even for a 1:35 scale, but they are still a better choice than the original parts from the kit.

Boxes of ammunition, including excellent Echelon decals, and ration cardboard boxes, which were usually scattered around vehicles.

I bought this set just for the wooden boxes. It was worth it!

The PART kit is designed for AFV Club models, most parts are universal and also fit Tamiya models.

Metal tracks made of individual links – complete realism.

And finally, the best M2 machine gun you can find on the market: a 3D print with a metal barrel from Master Models. 

The Construction

The Suspension

Most of the model's simplifications are concentrated around the running gear. The torsion bar arms, shock absorbers, bumpers, track tensioning system – all these elements were cast together with the hull, without retaining the shape of the original elements. The hull itself is not entirely consistent with the original shape and some details are missing. In addition, there is a gap at the rear of the hull through which the battery drive axle was mounted in the original model.

The first step was to cut off all the parts that needed replacing. Then, the shape of the hull tub had to be corrected, starting with rounding the edges of the side panels. 

The transmission covers on the real vehicle were cast parts. After correcting the shape of these parts with a knife and sandpaper, I softened the surface of the plastic with Tamiya Extra Thin glue and stamped it with an old hard-bristled brush.

After gluing the transmission covers, I had to fill in the gaps in the hull. I made the necessary elements from polystyrene sheets and rods.

The mountings of the return rollers required a change in shape from cylinders to cones. Additionally, I added the missing loops from appropriately bent and flattened copper wire.

Using cylinders cut from polystyrene rods of decreasing diameters, I made springs that bounced the suspension arms of the wheels. In addition, I adjusted the shape of the spring mountings (cut edges).

Another missing element was the plugs under the drive transmissions. I made them from polystyrene plates and resin rivets from Master Club.

The bottom of the transmission housing also required correction. I made the missing parts from polystyrene plates.

The missing detail on the entire lower hull (and not only) are the welds. In the places where they should be, I cut out slits with a chisel and a knife, then glued polystyrene rods into them, softened them with Tamiya Extra Thin glue and cut them with a blunt knife blade.

The obvious places for welds are the joints between the side plates and the bottom plate, but the sides of the hull consisted of three larger elements, which were also welded. 

The distinctive asymmetrical design of the front part of the hull also required some adjustments, including adding a cover for the emergency hatch under the driver's seat.

The M41 drive wheels had three longitudinal slots each. This detail is not present in the Tamiya model, so it had to be recreated.

 

The steel idler wheels had 20 longitudinal slots each. This detail is also missing from the Tamiya model.

Unfortunately, my attempt to recreate the holes using hand tools ended up damaging the parts, which had to be thrown away. Fortunately, M41 tanks starting from number 2612 had tension wheels with rubber bandages – identical to the road wheels.

I created the new pair of idler wheels from two halves: the inner ones made of polystyrene sheets and the outer ones cast in Milliput. One of the road wheels from the kit, moulded in Blue Stuff, served as a master model for the cast.
The level of detail of the mould was far from perfect, but weathering in the form of dried mud was supposed to cover all the imperfections.

I used a similar method to make the road wheel swing arms. The master model was made from polystyrene sheets and rods, as well as fragments of original parts from the kit. I moulded the swing arm in Blue Stuff, and then made further copies from Milliput.

 

The tracks supplied in the kit are rubber strips. Although the level of detail on the outside is quite satisfactory, the inside is completely smooth. I used a replacement in the form of metal tracks from Master Club.

 

After assembling the four sections, I dipped them in blackening agent from VMS and then polished them with a wire brush. Finally, I glued a rubber insert into each link.

 

I made the track tensioning mechanism from scratch using polystyrene sheets and rods.

The final step in constructing the running gear/lower hull was the construction and installation of shock absorbers. I made them from polystyrene rods.

 

The completed running gear: before and after.

 

The Hull 

The driver's cupola in the M41 was a cast component. The driver had four periscopes at his disposal, and there were hatch supports on the side of the front armour. These details were missing from the model. In addition, the shape of the periscope covers needed to be corrected.

Driver's hatch details - a piece of wire, polystyrene sheets and photo-etched parts from the Part kit.

I made the driver's periscopes from polystyrene sheets with a piece of transparent plastic glued to them. 

Then I improved the headlights details, added horn and a missing blackout light.

 

Another element missing from the Tamiya model – hooks on the front armour. I made them from brass wire. Then I added welds from polystyrene sheets softened with Tamiya Extra Thin glue and cut with a blunt knife.

Starting with tank No. 2593, the front and rear mudguards were cut at an angle. The Tamiya model shows an early version of the mudguards with a rectangular shape. I had to correct this element and also add the missing mudguard supports and the spare track link holder.

The side embossments of the containers mounted on the sides of the hull are not present in the Tamiya model. I made them from appropriately cut polystyrene half-shafts. There is also no tow rope or handles for it – these elements come from a set of Part photo-etched parts and an FC Model Trend 3D-print. 

I replaced the container hatches and their hinges with Part metal parts. The handles come from the FC Model Trend set.

 

The exhaust tips also required refinement.

 

The silencer housings in Tamiya's model were cast as a single piece with the hull and mudguards. To create the illusion of two separate elements, I cut a dividing line between the mudguard and the housing of each silencer using a chisel.

 

 

The rear of the hull required the following modifications: adding a dataplate to the rear hull plate, adding hinges to the interphone housing, adding engine compartment cover opening stops, and adding a missing position light.

Another element that needed improvement was the gun barrel transport handle, its mounting on the rear mudguard and the lock (the latter not included in the kit).

I replaced the details of the rear lights with Part elements and transparent film. The red light has been painted with Vallejo Transparent Red paint.

 

The sapper tool rack included in the Tamiya kit was moulded from plastic as a single piece with all the tools and lacked all the necessary details. I replaced it with a 3D print from FC Model Trend.

Later variants of the M41 had an auxiliary engine silencer mounted on the front fender next to the sapper tools. I had to build this element from scratch, also from rods and polystyrene sheets. 

The outlet to the additional silencer needed to be opened. The original component of the kit was moulded as a solid block of plastic.

 

The details of the engine cover were cast by Tamiya as a relief on the upper surface of the hull. I cut them off with a knife and replaced them with Part metal elements, pieces of copper wire and FC Model Trend 3D prints. 

Another flaw in the kit that needs improvement is the bottom of the storage bins and mudguards. The Tamiya hull is empty in these areas.

Finally, the hull was ready for painting.

The Turret 

The turret from the Tamiya kit is also full of simplifications and, compared to the original, looks rather bare.

The first element of the turret to undergo modifications was the gun mantlet. In the M41 tank, it was a cast element with a distinct texture. I recreated it by moistening the plastic surface with Tamiya Extra Thin glue and pressing a sheet of sandpaper onto it, then stamping it with an old stiff-bristled brush. In addition, I opened the gun sight cover and made an imitation of the target sight glass. Above the barrel, I mounted searchlight brackets from the Legend kit.

 

Around the gun mantle cover, I added imitation screw sockets used to attach the protective tarpaulin.

The front part of the turret was cast and also had a distinctive texture. Again, it was recreated by moistening the surface with glue and stamping it with a sheet of sandpaper and a stiff brush. I created the casting mould number from the digits cut out from the model sprues and the interior of the hull. 

The model's turret has imitation welds, but they are only present in selected places, have a simplified structure and, unlike the M41 tank, are concave. Here, too, I made welds from polystyrene rods glued into gaps scratched with a scriber.

The cast texture was also added to the commander's cupola. Its shape was also improved.

The periscopes were made of polystyrene sheets, into which pieces of transparent plastic were inserted after painting.

A transport handle for the barrel of an M2 Browning machine gun was made from scratch. 

The distinctive muzzle brake of the gun required a minor adjustment.

The base of the M2 Browning machine gun has been enhanced with the necessary details.

 

Water canisters and their racks have been replaced with Legend resin and Part metal elements. 

Finally, I added the remaining details of the turret.

The Painting

In Vietnam, M41 tanks were used extensively by units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ARVN tanks were painted in the standard American Olive Drab colour. The markings on most M41s were limited to registration numbers on the front and rear of the hull – a 5-digit number painted in black on a yellow rectangle. Sapper tools were also painted Olive Drab.

I used Vallejo and AK Interactive acrylic paints to paint the model. Then, I did weathering with 502 Abteilung oil paints, Vallejo acrylics, Modellers World oil washes, Modellers World modelling sand and Vallejo Thick Mud paste.

 

 

 

Final assembly.

Painted ammunition boxes with decals applied - one of the last steps.

The Finished Model