Need some help! I'm planning on building a Vietnam-era M48A3 and would like to add some interior detail...so that the turret hatches can be open. NOT planning on showing an open engine compartment.

Does anyone know of either an M48 or M60 (turret) INTERIOR detail set available? The only detail sets I can find on-line are external.

Thanks!

Steve

Nope - but I've been working on a turret interior for 3D printing. Trouble is, I'm still a ways off completing it, and it won't be cheap thanks to price-hikes at Shapeways.

Tom,

Thanks for the quick reply!

Please keep me info'd on your progress on the turret details. When / if you finish and decide to market your work (and, if I don't have to take out a 2nd mortgage on the house) I may be interested!

Steve

I can understand wanting to model the interior. Really, I can. But I'm here to tell you that usually the juice is not worth the squeeze when it comes to getting everything perfect, or using aftermarket. Shep Paine taught us the art of "imagineering" and having done scores of highly accurate scratched interiors, and also just suggesting an interior, I tend these days to go for the suggested look.

Aftermarket interiors have been done for some of the ones I scratched below. I would put mine against Black Dog any day in terms of accuracy, but it just wasn't worth it once the vehicle was buttoned up. The same with the three Paladins I did.
The M110 is passable. I don't think I've ever seen anyone pull out a TM at a contest and say, "Nope, that isn't right." Plus mine has lighted gauges. (wires in bottom of photo)
So... You can spend a lot of time and money for stuff you'll never see, or get rid of some unused parts from your collection and have fun with it.






Since you specifically ask about the M48, here's what I would do:
Take the not too badly done breech from the Italeri M47 and throw it into your M48. Add a turret basket, with thin rings for ammo holders on the floor. Add some 1/25 car engine parts (starter units always look good) and some other doodads. Spend a little time scratchbuilding some convincing intercom units, and call it good.

I did sort of a mix on this Merkava. All of the computers are highly accurate. I don't even remember what the breech came off of but it certainly wasn't any 105mm gun. You can barely see the rear of the breech, and they're incredibly easy to do a reasonable scratch of. When you look through the top you don't see any of the unpainted portions. I even used spare Merkava return rollers (which I hardly ever even install, because - who sees them?) for the ends of horizontal 105 round storage. Also quite convincing in the bowels of the hull.




Final note. If you're one of the dudes shining a Surefire down into a hatch, I don't have much time for you. In no case I have ever observed was the sun shining down into a hatch from directly overhead. If I model it to be seen in natural light, which renders most interiors relatively dark no matter the time of day. then that's how I expect it be be viewed. If I want you to see a lighted interior, I'll supply the light myself. You don't need to be breaking off antennas and guns just so you can get a better look.

Thanks! As you saw,thought I'd check on aftermarket detail sets first.

My next option is to do some digging through the parts boxes and old kits for enough "stuff" to do a reasonable representation of the turret interior (at least what could be seen through open TC and loader's hatches). Done this in the past as well.

Thanks again.

Steve
(Former 18A and 11B)

The old Tamiya M60 kits had a bare bones driver's compartment, or you find someone not using the interior bits from an Afv-club M60A1.

That would provide the sights and a gun breech. An M47 interior would provide much of the basic pieces found in an M48, they're just in different places due to the shape of the turret.

Looking down into a turret ( there's an M48A3 turret nearby but it's no longer open) you'll see the gun breech, seats and floor. The gunners position will be lost in shadow unless he left his dome light on. A good idea to hide it would be to put his back and head on there.

I once hid a near total lack of interior just by having a face looking out. No one ever notices what's not there because all they look at is the face looking back at them.

Thank you sir! Appreciate the suggestions. May very well have to "assign" a loader to the turret interior.

Another method I've used a time or two is to add the sparse turret detail (seat, breech, sight, maybe an intercom box, and then a flat black disk underneath the whole turret. Surprising nice effect. Stymies the spotlight wielders as well.

Which Group? 10th, 19th, and SOCKOR here.

I was in 5th (78-81) & 7th Groups (84-89) and SWC.

In fairness from the TC cupola you won't see much other than his seat. The loader's hatch will reveal his seat, the breech, and some ammo stowed upright, as well as the radio face in the bustle. While the M47 breech is not correct it will be ok-enough if got from a dirt-cheap used Italeri kit. Plunder a radio from a Tamiya Sherman (again not correct but "good enough" in the gloom) and scratch-build the rest.

Bear in mind that ALL the available M48s have tiny turret rings, and the DML one has no detail on the inside of the hatches when they are open.

Try the old Tamiya M151. That has the correct radio. Any kit with the Dragon halftrack sprue in it for the machine guns gives you a radio too.