Reviews : Tamiya US M48A3 Patton Tank

The Tamiya US M48A3 Patton Tank in 1/35 scale, #35120 gets an excellent rating from me due to its very reasonable price point. Parts were of high quality, and the parts fit was precise. The kit includes a pair of detailed vinyl tracks. Although the instructions call out for using a heated screwdriver to melt down the connection pins, I used Gorilla cyanoacrylate glue to connect the track ends together. The kit includes two tank crew figures and decals for two USMC vehicles and two US Army vehicles. When painting the tank commander figure, note that he is wearing a vest over a shirt. Instructions only indicate he is wearing a jacket, so care must be taken when painting this figure properly. One of the major cons of this model was that the instructions direct the builder to paint the vehicle olive drab for both the USMC and US Army M-48A3 tanks. According to research, olive drab is correct for the US Army M-48A3, but not for the USMC version. For the USMC version, I used Vallejo Model Air Yellow Olive, 71.013 (FS34052). Historical research on the M-48A3 also indicated that shark mouth graphic markings were not painted on M-48A3 tanks used by US Military forces. However, in this case, I could not resist using this decal that was provided in the kit. Use of Micro Sol was helpful for placement of this decal on the front of the vehicle. I also put on the optional Bunny decals. Research also indicated that the interior sides of the infrared spotlight should be painted flat black and only the rear reflector shield inside the light should be painted chrome silver. Also it should be mentioned that if any of the hatches are posed in the open position, the interior surfaces of the tank should be painted flat white. Interior surfaces of the hatches are painted the exterior hull color. For my build of this model, I made some panels from sheet styrene to plug up the motorization holes in the hull part of this kit. As the kit does not include clear periscope parts, I filled the periscope openings with Micro Krystal Clear to simulate the glass parts. I also put a drop of this material in the head lamps on the front of the tank. I applied the paint to the model using an Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush equipped with a 0.3 mm needle and 20 PSI air pressure. After painting this model and sealing the paint with a matte acrylic coat, I used Tamiya Dark Brown Panel Liner to highlight the panel lines and bolts on this tank. I also used Tamiya Weather master powder to weather up this model. This model is an essential addition to any Vietnam War Era Military Model builder's collection. As the paint schemes for this tank are monotone and the decal count is low, this kit could be recommended for entry level model builders. Application of basic modeling skills and some weathering techniques can yield excellent results.

Like almost any other Tamiya model, it takes little trouble or time to assemble. Only thing to be careful around is the clear plastic parts, which can be easily screwed up if too much glue is used, so use the glue as sparingly as possible in the steps said parts are included in. Other than that it is real easy to build. As with other kits, I would recommend assembling the wheels separate from the rest of the model so both the lower hull and the wheels are easier to paint and weather. For weathering, I combined some Tamiya weathering master mud and bright orange rust to create the orange-y color of the dirt in Vietnam, and ran some oil washes over the model to break up the uniform color (use the washes first so they do not lift the powders). I added highlights in a few areas afterwards. The crew provided is good, with relaxed poses. With a little fiddling around, however, they can be made to assume action poses. Definitely a must have for any Vietnam armor modeller.

This kit has been around forever, but with about 260 parts, it comes out very intricate and detailed. The rubber band tracks are very detailed and other than the very fine flash on the track joiners, they look great. The road wheels and suspension look neat and detailed. The biggest problems I had were the openings on the bottom from when it was motorized and the bow joint. The holes need to be filled, and once you have glued top to bottom, you are going to have a HUGE seam that has to be dealt with – filed, sanded, whatever – you are going to have to deal with it. The half-figure driver and the commander are typical Tamiya, but look good if carefully painted out. The extra gear provided make the tank very realistic, since inside space was at a premium, so it was typical for crews to store their stuff on the exterior. It was very enjoyable to build and it looks gorgeous once built. For the money, it is well worth it!

Tamiya Did awesome with this tank , I had a blast putting this M48A3 Patton Tank together,a lot of small pieces keep in mind, you can't rush this tank, it does require some level of skill and definitely bring some patience with you, there are features on the tank that have been added too make the tank look unique two mounted .50 cals, some color change was different than the guide suggested, The rubber track went together fairly easy, I super glue them , then heat a flat tip screw driver, press down on where they are connected and melt them just enough until the rubber mixes together. Don't get glue on clear plastic it will ruin it for the I.R. Light, I broke most of the eye hooks that mount on top of the turret and side of turret, so I used a pair of cut off pliars and cut the back ends of small paper clips to fix the problem other that that this tank has been GREAT, Have FUN!!!!! Scott M.

This is the tank that saw yeoman service in Viet-Nam and it can be built to that version. There's a lot of extra equipment to add on and a plethora of decals for both the Army and Marines. The parts, as usual, fit well together and the directions are detailed enough for someone with minimal skills to do a good job. However, this is a kit that requires some patience. Assembling the bogies and suspension takes some time-- let the glue dry before rushing on the tracks or it will be pulled out of position. The spare Ma Deuce is a nice addition. I'd love to see an after market company come up with an accessory kit to match that photo of an 11th Cav M48 with a cooler, poncho top, folding lawn chairs and a host of other gear strung all up on the turret basket.

I you didn't have one of these tanks in your collection during the Cold War you most likely missed that era! I know because I built one during the largely un- heard of push by the Soviet Union to invade Western Europe via East Germany. These tanks which were equipped with the huge Infra red light on the turret were made famous by being able to at least slow that advance and thank goodness it never came. The night vision version of this U.S. Army heavy was far advanced past that of the USSR forces and could counter an attack. As always with Tamiya the ease of the build was the appealing part and I had no problems with it at all. For a historical and easy to build model, this is one war hear that never went into combat.

This tank comes with some nice details. It comes with one full figure and half of a driver that can pop up out of his driver spot and go back down to close the hatch. The copula can swivel on top of the turret. String is supplied to simulated tow cable and vinyl tubing is supplied to simulate the cable that runs from the turret to the lamp on the barrel. Extra bags, wheels and water cans are supplied to add stowage to the tank. An optional snorkel is present. Decals allow for US Army markings as well as markings for USMC with playboy bunny marking and sharkmouth. Tracks are rubber band type or single piece vinyl. Chassis has large holes on the bottom reminiscent of its past of being a motorized kit.

I put this together in a few evenings of work. I spent little bursts of time on this tank it came out wonderfully. I do recommend using a thicker glue like Gorilla gel glue for the far front road wheel suspension as the tracks may pull on it and pull it off the hull. Take your time, don't furiously rush through it, and pay attention to the fine details and this kit will turn out fantastic. If you choose to weather this tank and have no experience what ever in weathering, use the AFV Green Vehicles Weathering Set. That kit really makes your build pop and look great. I'm pairing my M48A3 with a Master Box Limited Jungle Patrol figure kit.

This was a great model to build. Pieces fit well with very little need for trimming or sanding. There are prominent curved surfaces on this model and I found that lightly adding some shading with an airbrush really made those features stand out. Dry brushing some highlights on some of the smaller features also really brought out its character and realism. Even without taking those additional steps it still looked great.

This is a rather dated kit by today's standards. I found the tank commander figure a bit disappointing. What I did really like was the commander's copula however. It is well detailed with a cool hatch and weapons. The 'IR lamp' mounted atop the main gun is a cool feature too and the details overall are nice. If you're looking to model a M48, this kit is a nice one for your collection.

This is one of those kits that you should hand paint. The original tank didn't have a smooth paint job. It was one of those WWII-Cold War tanks that looked bumpy. If you're weathering the tank at all, then know that the weathering job will cover the coat of paint, which means that your perfect airbrushed coat will not show up.

I highly recommend this kit to all those who want to build a good VietNam tank with a low budget. It is well engineered, well detailed that makes into an accurate Vietnam era M48A3 tank (as close as a 40 year old kit can get). Excellent base kit for those who like to build up.

Simple construction and good Engineering. Recommended as a good build for beginners. With the available PE set(s) much more realism can be added for the more advanced modeler. Decals I am unsure about as I could not find any references for them so aftermarket may be in order.

The kit itself is well made and goes together well, but after putting everything together it looks cutesy. The dome-like turret makes the tank look like a small animal and the stubby-ish body doesn't help. Maybe I should paint this in cutesy colors, too....

Very nice details on this Tamiya kit. No surprises here and the parts fit very well. Plans were clear and I was pleased with the outcome. An led light would be a great feature for the spotlight.

I'm not the greatest at building models, however this kit was pretty easy to follow and it came out pretty good. Its one of the best looking models I have right now

You would expect an average model for 20 bucks but no this model of m48 is really good and detailed highly recommended, do not put the snorkel thingy it looks ugly

This tank is very well detailed with really cool features and really fun to build and overall a great product. Definitely recommend this tank.

A classic Tamiya kit. Easy and fun to build. I used it as the basis for a 1980's Spanish Army M48A5.

A nice tank to build and can let anyone use the imagination to build different ways if one wanted.

This kit is an easy build. It's goes together great. Also would recommend for a beginner.

Easy build, parts fit perfectly, looks great and excellent price.

PERFECT MODEL OF THHE TANKS I SERVED ON IN KOREA AND VIETNAM