Stuart Recce

[Pinky]

I discovered I had enough M5A1 bits to build a Recce version.  So, having checked out the threads here on the subject, I thought I’d have a go at a partial interior.  There’s very little information on what these turretless Stuarts looked like inside.  Presumably the ammo bins were removed along with anything else related to the main gun.  And the radio must have been relocated into the hull.  So I filled the sponsons with a spare radio, ammo boxes and a couple of spare stowage boxes.  The kit-supplied floor isn’t accurate, so I converted it into an approximation of the actual floor layout.  And there’s a kind of bench (greenstuff), which seems to have been a feature.  Of course, most of it disappears when the hull roof goes on...

[ultravanillasmurf]

Nice job

Interesting to see how it goes.

[ripley]

Neat . Found a couple of 1/35 Recce builds showing interiors that might give you a few ideas . 



Don't know how accurate these are , but IMO they look the part  . From pictures of the real vehicle , there seems to be no two alike in armament , 50s , 30s , BRENs even MG 42s .  And the same goes with stowage . I would think it would have ammo and  radios ( 2 or more for command track ) inside but there seems to be no hard and fast rule of where . Just go for it

[Pinky]

Thanks, Ripley.  Those were 2 of the photos I relied on (the second photo is a modified and painted version of the resin kit shown in the first photo).  The M3A3's interior was different to the M5A1's, but I decided the approach would be the same.  There are very few photos of M5A1 Recces, as the M5A1 was only issued to a few British units, but I've found 3.   

I realised that Rubicon's Recce 'turret' is not completely circular.  I don't know if this was deliberate.  It's won't be very obvious once the machine guns are in place.   

[ripley]

From the various pictures out there , all seem to be different , I guess depending on the skill and access to materials that the REME shop had  handy . Some seem to be just the turret ring with a couple of welded  posts to mount a machine gun on front and rear  , some look to have the mg  ring mount from a M8 armored car  or 2 1/2 ton truck for  their mg mount . You could pull the skate ring from a M3 armored car or early M2 or 3 halftrack but cutting it and bending it to a perfect circle seems like a job for a factory not a front line type repair shop IMO ' I think angled ring around the turret base  would be welded plate used as a shield to stop shrapnel , again  the shape of which would depend on the skill of the  builder . Some look to have the hull roof plate removed  by cutting torch leaving a ragged square ending just behind the driver's hatch . I would say your free to build as you please with so many variations

[Ballardian]

 Very cool project, looking good so far, I look forward to seeing how it turns out

[Pinky]

I finished the interior.  It’s very approximate, and when I ran out of bits I just used Rubicon ammo boxes, so it’s now got enough ammo onboard for the whole war...

[ultravanillasmurf]

Very.good.

You can never have enough ammo.

[ripley]

Looks good