Your favourite movie tank

[Pinky]

I just re-watched 'Kelly's Heroes' - it's a bit dated now, but it's still a lot of fun.  In an era when Panzers were usually represented by M-47s with crosses, the effort they made to replicate the Tigers is impressive.  But it's Oddball's M4A3E6 that (for me) is the tracked star of the film.  So what's your favourite movie tank?  It doesn't have to be the hero of the movie - maybe just a vehicle that you particularly noticed.  Some of mine:

The Tigers in 'Saving Private Ryan'
Wardaddy's M4A2(76mm) HVSS in 'Fury'
The T-34/85s in 'Cross of Iron'
The replica Jagdpanther in 'Band of Brothers'

[ripley]

Funny you should mention this topic . I just kit bashed a T-34/ Tiger using the BA T-34 and Tiger . I was going to go all out and replicate the Kelly's Tiger but realized I would have to chop the hull and shorten it in front of the driver's hatch, and I can never seem to get those long cuts through a vehicle body straight .  As well , the BA Tiger I had on hand was a late with steel wheels and zim , and not wanting to chop up a more expensive but visually correct ( early wheels , turret , etc ) Rubicon Tiger, so I made a fictional movie Tiger instead .  If someone ever comes out with 1/56 modern stuff in plastic , I would love to make a BoB Stug III on the modern British APC  ( the name escapes me ) .

[Pinky]

UVS got me thinking about it, with the discussion a little while ago about building a 'Kelly's Heroes' M4A3E6.  I started a conversion today, using a Rubicon M4A3 I'd pillaged for bits, then discovered I'd lost the transmission housing.  So that one's not going anywhere soon.  I was also wondering how hard it would be to turn a T-34 into a movie Tiger.

Oh - and apologies to Rubicon for putting this in the wrong forum...

[ultravanillasmurf]

Funny you should mention this topic . I just kit bashed a T-34/ Tiger using the BA T-34 and Tiger . I was going to go all out and replicate the Kelly's Tiger but realized I would have to chop the hull and shorten it in front of the driver's hatch, and I can never seem to get those long cuts through a vehicle body straight .  As well , the BA Tiger I had on hand was a late with steel wheels and zim , and not wanting to chop up a more expensive but visually correct ( early wheels , turret , etc ) Rubicon Tiger, so I made a fictional movie Tiger instead .  If someone ever comes out with 1/56 modern stuff in plastic , I would love to make a BoB Stug III on the modern British APC  ( the name escapes me ) .

Apparently there were a lot of FV432s for sale, they turn up in a lot of films (Hydra fighting vehicles in First Avenger).

There is a company that will sell you a converted FV432, five or six (stretched) road wheels as a Stug or a Panzer III.

There is a mention in the Tankograd FV432 variants book.

I did wonder about using the spare T34 wheelsets and the spare Tiger turret top to build a Kelly's Heroes Tiger.

http://the.shadock.free.fr/repros

[Pinky]

Yes, they used FV432s as a basis for the Panzer IIIs in 'Enemy at the Gates' (and which, apart from the river crossing scene, were probably the best thing in it).

Apparently a lot of WW2 vehicles were built for a film version of 'Sgt Rock' in the 1980s that never got started.  One of them was the Panzer IV that appears in 'Valkyrie' (during the desert sequence).  It was built on a Sherman, but they hid the suspension.

[ultravanillasmurf]

@Pinky - is the transmission cover compatible with the M10/M36?

[Pinky]

@Pinky - is the transmission cover compatible with the M10/M36?

No - I just checked (hadn't thought of that - good suggestion).  It doesn't fit at all.  It's a shame - the 76mm gun from the kit looks good in the 75mm turret.

[ultravanillasmurf]

@Pinky - is the transmission cover compatible with the M10/M36?

No - I just checked (hadn't thought of that - good suggestion).  It doesn't fit at all.  It's s shame - the 76mm gun from the kit looks good in the 75mm turret.

That is both unfortunate and surprising. Hopefully it will turn up.

Company B do a range of decals for the tanks plus others:
http://company-b-models-and-miniatures.myshopify.com/collections/pop-culture-decals

[ultravanillasmurf]

These may also be of interest:
http://www.artizandesigns.com/prod.php?prod=1607

And this is new:
http://www.studiominiatures.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1128:donald&Itemid=383

I have the former, I am slowly painting them, and will get the latter at Salute.

[Pinky]

I like the Studio Miniatures "Donald".  The others are a bit too distorted looking. 

Transmission covers aside, the hardest thing to source is the loudspeaker.  I recall you mentioned having the same problem..

[Patrick R]

"Mais ou est donc passé la 7eme compagnie ?" Is a French comedy set in 1940.  A transmissions unit is cut off during the rapid advance of the German army and a trio of solders escape by sheer blind luck.  As they try to get back to their own lines they meet a dashing young pilot fully prepared to fight to the last.  They manage to steal a German recovery vehicle and use it to cause confusion behind enemy lines (again more through luck than actual design.)

The German recovery vehicle is based on an American M3 Half Track, modified to look German.  In the clip below the Frenchmen have tried to get some food from a local grocer who chases them away, but is more than happy to collaborate with the Germans.  They return, disguised as Germans and teach him a lesson about collaborating with the "enemy".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tLYlf3Y50E

And here is my little kitbash, based on a Rubicon HT.

[ultravanillasmurf]

Interesting programme.

Not films, but Tramp In Armour by Colin Forbes (Matilda 2 trapped behind the the Blitzkrieg) and Uncle Target by Gavin Lyall (next gen British Tank trapped after coup in the Middle East).

[ripley]

I've always wanted to build , Lt Gruber's " little tank " Hubert , from Allo Allo . Supposed to be a SdKfz 222 , but in reality -??  I thought I had it figured out , but then realized a couple of different vehicles were used over the years of the series . I have read somewhere , one version was based on a Land Rover . It has to be a front engine machine as the cast entered through rear doors .

[Pinky]

I'd forgotten about that.  Was it based on a Ferret?

Kudos to Patrick for actually building a movie tank!

[H0ffmn]

The Tiger 1 in' Fury' was great to see on film. The battle with the Sherman tanks was the best part of the movie.