Ex_Pat_Tanker

As our older viewers may remember, I picked up a couple of toy 1/18 scale 155mm howitzers while doing my 'tour of duty' in Detroit. They are ok, but the carriage is in travel configuration, while the gun is in firing position - looks a bit odd. I considered cutting one up to make it more suitable to be towed behind my M4 HST, but they are glued together and wouldn't be easy to work with.

Fast forward to late last year, I found an updated version being sold on Amazon in the UK - no lights or sound, but the barrel is now screwed together, much easier to chop up...

Original and 'victim':


The real deal (from Wikipedia):



So, separate gun from carriage first (6 Screws):


Cut gun away from cradle with a razor saw and knife:



You need to grind out the gun mounting hoop with a dremel, to fit the rest of the barrel thru it:


And extend the barrel at the back to compensate for the bit you cut out under the hoop:


Its all a bit of a bodge as the rotating platform the gun sits on is way bigger than the original, but the end result is still better than anything I could scratch build...



And behind its tractor:


I quickly cut up one of the originals to make it in the proper firing position. I basically cut the trails off and repositioned, and then cut the bogies off - the size of the gun platform is such that if the gun is sitting on the ground, the bogies foul the platform, but with a little strategic positioning it doesn't look to shabby:


Next step might be to make the gun RC - I know Blitz had one build and working back in the day, but I never got to see how he did it

Airbrushler

i'm thinking of scratch building another one i sold the first one i made to one of the guys in the Can-Am club which will be delivered soon i will be making other Artillery guns as well from scratch and i might even take on some orders for other people

Ex_Pat_Tanker

I'd love a 105mm, or a 57mm to tow behind one of my M3 halftracks...

Rex Ross

Got any more photos of the M4 18T ??

Ex_Pat_Tanker

I'll take a few next weekend for you - I'm hoping to give it a run out.
Its not my handiwork, I picked it up off of Ebay about a year ago. All I've done is add motors and lights.

heavyaslead

Ex_Pat, what model company makes the 18th scale Long Tom you found?

I had been looking for one lately.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

In the UK they are sold under the world peacekeepers brand, the ones I picked up in the US were supplied without retail packaging, but have the same manufacturers markings.
I had a quick look on Ebay and Amazon, seems the only US stocklist charges more than ordering it from the UK tho!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/World-Peac...-/291685982258

Panther F

These are really cool and always wanted to mount one in a RC chassis to become the M40 Big Shot...



... or even the M12 King Kong too.






Jeff

heavyaslead

Thanks! Just ordered one.

Will save me a few months scratch building one LOL

RichJohnson

If you build an m40, make it shoot paintballs with a co2 cartdrige, that would be awesome!