M5A1/t8 interior & crew

[Ballardian]

 Having just picked up an M5A1/Recce kit, and planning on the latter, I think that an interior kit, along with a couple of standing crew seems to be a reasonable candidate for a resin add-on. I took a look at Pinky's old thread regarding his kit-bash & agree that it's quite hard to find images of the M5 version's interior (does the Hunicutt Stuart book have any useful images?)  - though I realise that the conversions were on  fairly ad-hoc basis.

[ripley]

Tankograd has a  reprint of the M5/A1 tech manual with interior pictures and diagrams . David Doyle Books has a couple of great volumes  on the Stuarts , vol 2 is the M5/A1 ,( no idea if there are interior shots ) both go for about $20 US .  All I have is a diagram of M8 drivers compartment , should be the same as M5 minus the bow mg and a cross section diagram . 



 I would think all the37mm ammo racks would be removed , extra radios mounted in the sides , plus ammo cans for the 50cal . Probably  a sheet metal / wood cover for the drive shaft or maybe metal plate  floor . The M5 had a turret basket so stuff underneath it would be  exposed and hazardous to ankles 

[Ballardian]

 Thanks for the book tips Ripley, I'll have a look for them.

[Ballardian]

 I've just noticed that Rubicon make some crew figres suitable for a recce Stuart, so that's half the problem sorted  - though I still think a resin interior piece would be a nice, simple project.