US tank crew Vietnam War

[vince wai]

Hi all,

This is a project that I'd started recently, it's a US tank crew of Vietnam War. Haven't decide what sort of pose yet but I am thinking making the dude firing a Browning M2 in a M48 commander capola.

Still working on the details of the CVC helmet now, will post more pics soon

vince

 

[Rob]

Unusual subject, there are a few options in 1/35th so I presume you are aiming for a larger scale?

 

[vince wai]

It's 1/16 scale. Yeah, it all started when I am doing some research for an illustration project of a M48 Patton tank which leads to the idea of making a Vietnam tank crew.

 

[Ned Ricks]

Hi, Vince
Good job on this. The detail is spot on. Rarely seen anything this good in scale.

Your accompanying photo of the soldier wearing the CVC helmet shows how most of us looked - with the thing askew The helmets seemed to be "One size fits almost no one" in nature. Also, as one thumbed to push-to-talk by the left ear, it tended to push the helmet out of line even more.

The machine gun intended to operate from inside the little Tank Commander (TC) cupola had been replace by an externally mounted M2 .50 cal by the time I was in Vietnam.
All the best
NR

 

[vince wai]

Thanks Nick, that's what I'd been thinking with the pose, pretty much like the attached initial sketch.

 

[Scotty]

Great work so far, I think the brim of the helmet looks straighter, less rounded in the original photo?
Scotty.

 

[Ned Ricks]

Sketch idea is how it was set up.
Flak jacket was standard, as well.
Ned

 

[Rob]

Was there any regulation about "personalising" those helmets? I have seen pictures of CVC helmets with names on (front and side) and a few in field applied camo pattern but none with the expected Vietnam slogans or symbols

 

[vince wai]

Great work so far, I think the brim of the helmet looks straighter, less rounded in the original photo?
Scotty.

Thanks Scotty, still working on the details of the helmet ( with the straps inside ), will check the proportion of the brim.

 

[Horacio Alcantara]

good job, where will you get the dome and turret of the M48?

 

[vince wai]

good job, where will you get the dome and turret of the M48?

Thanks. I think I will build the the commander capola and the turret. It might be a massive undertaking ( for my limited experience ) but that would be a good learning process

vince

 

[Horacio Alcantara]

If you are going to build it in scratch, I recommend using a CAD design program.
I use Solidworks for this. I find it very intuitive and on You Tibe you have many tutorials.
Then you can detail the textures in Zbrush
Keep showing progress
Greetings Horacio

 

[Nap]

Hi Vince

Great to see what your working on , and what will be a popular subject

You've a good idea the way this is going

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy sculpting

Nap

 

[vince wai]

If you are going to build it in scratch, I recommend using a CAD design program.
I use Solidworks for this. I find it very intuitive and on You Tibe you have many tutorials.
Then you can detail the textures in Zbrush
Keep showing progress
Greetings Horacio

Thanks Horacio, I think I will try building the capola using Blender first. It will take ages for an old dog like me to learn new tricks ( or 3D software ) Heard that nerf is much better than box modelling programme, will definitely look into it later.

 

[vince wai]

Had added more details to the helmet and reshaped some of the parts. Attached are the images of the reworked CVC helmet.

 

[Rob]

That is an impressive piece of design, lots of angles and curves to manipulate.

 

[vince wai]

That is an impressive piece of design, lots of angles and curves to manipulate.

Thanks, it also serve as useful reference for my 2D illustration works.

vince

 

[vince wai]

Hi Vince

Great to see what your working on , and what will be a popular subject

You've a good idea the way this is going

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy sculpting

Nap

Thanks Nap. Hope it will work out as the idea sketch. Since the capola and the M2 Browning will pretty much dictate the pose of the figure, I think I'll start with the capola first. Attach is the initial "rough" block out of the commander capola.

 

[Ned Ricks]

Regarding the helmet: Excellent detail, even the inside suspension straps! Well done, that.

NOT advocating purchase, just lookee. Some useful photos accompany this eBay listing (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3642448547...MIneOayJG1ggMVqTfUAR0QzASyEAQYAiABEgInSvD_BwE )

You may note the tab (or toggle) switch that protrudes down from the comms box on the left side of the helmet. That was switched either forward or rearward depending on whether the wearer wanted to use the radio in the tank or the intercomm set. I regret I do not recall which way was which, if it matters.

Should I have been too picky in this observation, disregard and press on with your excellent project!

NR

 

[vince wai]

Regarding the helmet: Excellent detail, even the inside suspension straps! Well done, that.

NOT advocating purchase, just lookee. Some useful photos accompany this eBay listing (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3642448547...MIneOayJG1ggMVqTfUAR0QzASyEAQYAiABEgInSvD_BwE )

You may note the tab (or toggle) switch that protrudes down from the comms box on the left side of the helmet. That was switched either forward or rearward depending on whether the wearer wanted to use the radio in the tank or the intercomm set. I regret I do not recall which way was which, if it matters.

Should I have been too picky in this observation, disregard and press on with your excellent project!

NR

Ned, No worries, absolutely not picky at all. Frankly, I actually missed and overlooked that part, should have been more careful. There are still bits here and there I need to added too. Thanks.