OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2

by OTB Sat May 30, 2020 1:09 am

And so it begins....

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode10

The S-Model box says "Quick-build" but there's just no way this kit is going to be fast to assemble. It has etched parts for God's sake.

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode11

It says M151A2 on the box too but each kit has 2 front grills so you can build either the A1 or the A2 version. Nice! On top of which you get a choice of a pintle-mounted M60 or 0.50 calibre machine gun, and you get a radio to mount in the back too - this little kit is classy or "sang trọng!" as they say in Vietnamese.

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode12

And the box comes with two kits, so you can even make both versions. I'm going to build two A1s with M60s as the A1 version was more common in Vietnam and I can see those two 0.50 cals coming in handy for some future gun truck conversions. I've rounded up some figures to ride in them, a couple of machine gun belts, and some odds and ends to clutter the vehicles up with.

by OTB Sat May 30, 2020 1:24 am

So here's a close-up of the two vehicles posted earlier on the forum for reference:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsv10

And here's a photo showing a clean interior, taken of a vehicle owned by a guy who served in the US Army and who drove them when serving in West Germany in the early 1970s:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttcl10

Photo source: https://sites.google.com/site/scr625/Home/m151a1-jeep

And a close-up of the radio....

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Vietna11

by Garryowen Sat May 30, 2020 1:18 pm

Oh no! That close up radio better be taken as a warning by all who plan on entering this circus. Do you guys remember OTB's bad guy radio set up?

He will have every dial, and switch on his model. I would not be surprised if he also has all the lettering and numbers.

By the way, I was in signal school and probably saw one of these radios. I wouldn't have any idea how to operate it. I don't think I did then either. Luckily I avoided a real signal job the whole time in the Army and even got a personnel clerk in 'Nam to change my primary MOS with an eraser and a pencil,or whatever.

Tom

by OTB Sat May 30, 2020 3:48 pm

Garryowen wrote:Oh no! That close up radio better be taken as a warning by all who plan on entering this circus. Do you guys remember OTB's bad guy radio set up?

He will have every dial, and switch on his model. I would not be surprised if he also has all the lettering and numbers.

By the way, I was in signal school and probably saw one of these radios. I wouldn't have any idea how to operate it. I don't think I did then either. Luckily I avoided a real signal job the whole time in the Army and even got a personnel clerk in 'Nam to change my primary MOS with an eraser and a pencil,or whatever.

Tom

That photo was just so I could work out which way is up with the little model radio provided... OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 3667010091

by OTB Sat May 30, 2020 11:53 pm

Here’s the radio - no painting involved - just some highlighting with a pencil:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode13

This is a cool little kit... Cool

by OTB Sun May 31, 2020 12:02 am

So here’s how far I got with the first session of the build...

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode14

This is a nicely designed little kit. It goes together well. The chassis and wheels were a dream to assemble - no wobbly bits, which is usually my problem with wheeled vehicle kitsets.

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode16

The chassis instructions are a bit counter-logical. The bonnet clips into the chassis, so that’s the first thing you should assemble, so you can get the front grill and the dashboard in place. Then come the side and rear bits, and the seats with the fiddly etched metal parts, which I forgot to spray paint, so this is as far as I got - A mock-up of one of the vehicles with some figures. Getting the steering wheel in place is going to be tricky, but it’s doable:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode15

by OTB Sun May 31, 2020 12:04 am

And I’ve decided to do the second vehicle with a 50 cal MG, having dug this nice little figure out of the storeroom:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Img_6210

by Garryowen Sun May 31, 2020 5:24 am

Looks good!!

I have no idea how you found that figure among all of those boxes in your warehouse photo supplied by B6.

Tom

by **BravoSix** Sun May 31, 2020 10:04 am

GarryOwen wrote:I have no idea how you found that figure among all of those boxes in your warehouse photo supplied by B6.

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 2474585349

Seriously, looking good OTB!

by OTB Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:19 am

BravoSix wrote:
GarryOwen wrote:I have no idea how you found that figure among all of those boxes in your warehouse photo supplied by B6.

Seriously, looking good OTB!

by OTB Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:26 am

Here are some photos from the archives. I spotted this little beauty last August parked near the Frog Pond (District 1, Saigon) when I was wandering home from my favourite gin bar in the early hours of the morning. As I recall, it belongs to a local expat who does tours with it:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsa11

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsa10

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsa12

by Garryowen Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:47 am

Neat!! That would be fun to take a tour in.

Just hope to avoid some shell shocked old VC who has flashbacks.

Tom

by **BravoSix** Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:18 am

A buddy of mine toured the DMZ in a side car on a motorcyle. I'm sure he would have rather done it in one of those. Wink

by OTB Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:27 pm

Work is progressing on the two models.

Here is a shot showing dashboard detailing and the fancy etched metal trim on the seats:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode17

And here's a mock-up of the second vehicle. There were two 50 cal MGs in the box but I managed to break the barrels of both of them trying to cut them off the spue, so I went to the storeroom and fished out an old Hasegawa MG (from the Sherman kit) and glued it onto the pintle mount:

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 S-mode18

by OTB Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:43 pm

Some detailing ideas: 1/35th scale stuff from Verlinden.

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Verlin10

Link: https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAxWDY0MA==/z/dI8AAOSwDNdVgaC9/$_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F

by Tomrommel1 Mon Jun 15, 2020 11:17 pm

Nice project

by Garryowen Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:04 am

That jeep looks like it’s loaded up to go all the way to Hanoi.

I just happened to think, when I was over there I never heard the term “MUTT”. It was always jeep.

Tom

by OTB Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:57 am

Garryowen wrote:That jeep looks like it’s loaded up to go all the way to Hanoi.

I just happened to think, when I was over there I never heard the term “MUTT”. It was always jeep.

Tom

I always wondered about that too - the memoirs I have read tend to refer to them as jeeps.

by **BravoSix** Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:30 am

This is looking pretty amazing OTB. Love where this is going. OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 2978865434

That pic of the 1/35 jeep is a good one for stowage idea.

by OTB Sun Sep 13, 2020 12:16 am

Finished!

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsf10

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsf11

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsf12

OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 Muttsf13

The S-Models kits are a nice build, although you have to be careful cutting various bits off the sprue as they are very thin. The figures are Hät American tank riders, apart from the standing M60 guy, who comes from the ESCI Special Forces box, and the 50-caliber MG guy, who I think is from an old Matchbox kitset. And the guy with binoculars is a Pegasus US Marine.

by Persel69 Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:30 am

Great stuff and nices photos of your patrol

by BadMoon Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:21 am

Nicely done, great models!

-BadMoon

by FlyinSquirrel Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:21 am

Well done OTB. Great job!!

by Garryowen Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:47 am

Very cool, OTB.

Tom

by **BravoSix** Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:29 am

Somehow I missed this. Those turned out amazing!! OTB's 20 mm S-Model M151A1 Sang Trọng x 2 2978865434

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