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Review
Takom: M47/G Patton
CMOT
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ARMORAMA
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
Armorama: 8,571 posts
Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 10:09 PM UTC


Paul Truhe reviews and builds the M47/G Patton from Takom in 1/35th scale.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
vettejack
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Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
KitMaker: 1,277 posts
Armorama: 1,254 posts
Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 10:33 PM UTC
My compliments to you in the ability of holding back the disappointment(s) that this kit possesses during your build process.
ptruhe
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 05, 2003
KitMaker: 2,092 posts
Armorama: 1,607 posts
Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 11:05 PM UTC
I didn’t really have any expectations when starting the build. I’ve always wanted to do a Bundeswehr M47 but never picked up a Testors/Italeri kit. First Takom kit as well. Maybe my disappointment is tempered by my experience with the Heller AMX-13/75.
m75
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California, United States
Joined: July 20, 2002
KitMaker: 666 posts
Armorama: 661 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 09:45 AM UTC
It's been an interesting kit. I am building a representation of an M47 which is on outside display at the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos, CA.

A metal plaque on the rear plate identifies this tank as a former vehicle from the Spanish Army. This vehicle does not have the small idler wheels and arms mounted next to the drive sprocket, and now that I write this, I remember there is no cover in the kit for the hole where the idler arm is on the hull. I'll have to take a closer look.
mkp
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Hessen, Germany
Joined: November 10, 2005
KitMaker: 35 posts
Armorama: 35 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 06:44 PM UTC
Thanks for your review. I just want to add/correct some historical details:
- the West German Army (Bundeswehr) was formed in 1955, not in 1946
- the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guard) never used the M47
- the M47 was mainly replaced by LEOPARD 1 tanks in the 1960's,the last ones were phased out in 1969

With moving the driver to the right side, there was space for additional ammo rack on the old driver position. The ammo storage increased to more than 100 rounds!
ptruhe
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 05, 2003
KitMaker: 2,092 posts
Armorama: 1,607 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 08:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

the West German Army (Bundeswehr) was formed in 1955, not in 1946


Oops. Typo on my part but I thought it was 1956.


Quoted Text

the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guard) never used the M47


My BGS reference comes from this:
http://www.beim-alten-bgs.de/Zu_den_Kameradenseiten/35_Vom_BGS_1954-56_zum_PzBtl_2/BGS_II_GSG6/bgs_ii_gsg6.html
I’ve been told this became PzBtl 1.

And at bottom of this page:
http://www.beim-alten-bgs.de/Zu_den_Kameradenseiten/35_Vom_BGS_1954-56_zum_PzBtl_2/5__GSG6/5__gsg6.html


Quoted Text

the M47 was mainly replaced by LEOPARD 1 tanks in the 1960's,the last ones were phased out in 1969


So units with M47 were given priority on Leopard 1 delivery over those who had M48?
bilbobee
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: February 28, 2015
KitMaker: 414 posts
Armorama: 406 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 11:20 PM UTC
Job well done..on your build.
barkingdigger
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
ARMORAMA
#013
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: June 20, 2008
KitMaker: 3,981 posts
Armorama: 3,403 posts
Posted: Friday, December 15, 2017 - 04:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

the West German Army (Bundeswehr) was formed in 1955, not in 1946


Oops. Typo on my part but I thought it was 1956.



I thought the BW was formed on paper in '55, but the tanks arrived in '56, so a little confusion is understandable.
Taeuss
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Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Posted: Friday, December 15, 2017 - 04:19 AM UTC
Looks like another enjoyable, well-detailed kit. Let the critics begin!
avenue
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Philippines
Joined: May 25, 2013
KitMaker: 544 posts
Armorama: 542 posts
Posted: Friday, December 15, 2017 - 07:56 PM UTC
Is there any decal for Jordanian and pakistan army?
ptruhe
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 05, 2003
KitMaker: 2,092 posts
Armorama: 1,607 posts
Posted: Friday, December 15, 2017 - 08:36 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Is there any decal for Jordanian and pakistan army?



Yes but it’s not much.
acebatau
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Colorado, United States
Joined: February 10, 2008
KitMaker: 730 posts
Armorama: 616 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 16, 2017 - 04:39 AM UTC
Nice review, thanks
mkp
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Hessen, Germany
Joined: November 10, 2005
KitMaker: 35 posts
Armorama: 35 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 17, 2017 - 02:29 PM UTC

Quoted Text

the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guard) never used the M47


My BGS reference comes from this:
http://www.beim-alten-bgs.de/Zu_den_Kameradenseiten/35_Vom_BGS_1954-56_zum_PzBtl_2/BGS_II_GSG6/bgs_ii_gsg6.html
I’ve been told this became PzBtl 1.

And at bottom of this page:
http://www.beim-alten-bgs.de/Zu_den_Kameradenseiten/35_Vom_BGS_1954-56_zum_PzBtl_2/5__GSG6/5__gsg6.html


Quoted Text

the M47 was mainly replaced by LEOPARD 1 tanks in the 1960's,the last ones were phased out in 1969


So units with M47 were given priority on Leopard 1 delivery over those who had M48?[/quote]

OK, some BGS units were transfered to Bundeswehr units and formed the base for the new Bundeswehr. As it is written on that page, it seems to be in the transitional phase with tanks from the Bundeswehr and personal still from the BGS. Never seen or heard before!

Regarding the delivery of the Leopard 1:
the M47 was replaced with the Leopard while the M48 was still in service until around 1990. Some of the M48 have been upgrated to M48A2GA2. The M48 in tank battalions of tank brigades were repalced with Leopard 2 and the M48 were then in use with the German pendant to the US-National Guard (German: Haimatschutzbrigaden)
ptruhe
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 05, 2003
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Posted: Sunday, December 17, 2017 - 09:02 PM UTC
Thanks for all the information about the tank replacement method!
GeraldOwens
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Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
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Posted: Friday, November 16, 2018 - 06:25 AM UTC

Quoted Text



Paul Truhe reviews and builds the M47/G Patton from Takom in 1/35th scale.

Read the Review

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!


Got the kit, and the contour of the glacis plate is drastically wrong. The raised area around the machine gun mount should blend smoothly into the rest of the glacis, but Takom depicts it like a plateau, with a very sudden transition. It will require a great deal of scraping, filling and sanding to make it right.

The Italeri kit is less sophisticated in its tooling due to its age, but it is accurate in shape.
 _GOTOTOP