A few 1/35 IFV's and AFV's

[Ramba]

Is your Leo C2 MEXAS going to be RW or Whif?

It will be RW in the overall NATO green. Not sure how much weathering I will be doing though. They got really dirty over in Afghanistan but my weathering skills aren't that good.

[apophenia]

Yep. That 'moon dust' got everywhere!

[Ramba]

Yep. That 'moon dust' got everywhere!

Some are lightly weathered. The one in the foreground of the first image is lightly weathered compared to the one behind it. I will try to weather mine similarly.


The sides of this one isn't that bad either but the rear is heavily weathered. Maybe I can do that as well but as I said, my weathering skills are lacking.

[Ramba]

With the extreme heat and humidity last week, I didn't do any painting. I worked on the AFV M1128 MGS instead. It was already started back in 2019 but only the turret. I worked on the hull back in 2020 and again in 2022. I had set it aside as I was looking for the Eduard PE which I did manage to get in Feb. 2023. I was looking for the PE before AFV announced their 2010 upgraded version was announced and I also got the PE before the 2010 upgraded kit was released. The 2010 upgraded kit is way more expensive than I expected. I was waiting for the parts to be released separately but so far it looks like AFV has no plans to do that so I stuck with the Eduard PE and just started it yesterday.

Here is the Eduard PE. It consists of two decent sized frets with tons of parts.



I used the kit supplied and Eduard PE parts on the turret and hull yesterday. It took roughly 5 hours total just for what you see here.




The Eduard PE gun shield I did this morning and that alone took 2 hours total and still not complete. The gun shield doesn't fit on the turret properly because the smoke grenade launchers interfere with it. The reference photo shows the second row of smoke grenades not fitted so I will have to remove mine. Eduard gives you PE mounts for the smoke grenade launchers so will use those. I already glued the kit plastic smoke grenade launchers on back in 2020 way before I got the Eduard PE so I will have to break them off to fit the PE parts.

[Ramba]

Did the APU’s on both the USMC FEP and the Ukrainian M1A1SA. USMC FEP APU on the right.


Also worked on the Pearson dozer blade for the USMC FEP. It is only dry fitted.



Sometime ago I got the Meng M1A1 AIM parts tree for the USMC version that includes the DUKE antennas and mounts. I added the Meng mounts on the RFM USMC FEP kit. The DUKE antennas will be fitted later.



The RFM USMC FEP kit will eventually look similar to this one.

[Old Wombat]

 

[Frank3k]

Nice PE work! The Stryker turret looks great.

[Ramba]

Nice PE work! The Stryker turret looks great.

Thanks! The Eduard PE is very comprehensive but also very tedious. It isn't as bad as putting together all the balls and chains for the Merkava though but close enough.

[apophenia]

Thanks! The Eduard PE is very comprehensive but also very tedious. It isn't as bad as putting together all the balls and chains for the Merkava though but close enough.

Certainly serves to realistically 'busy up' the appearance of that M1128's turret, though 

[Ramba]

Certainly serves to realistically 'busy up' the appearance of that M1128's turret, though 

It will be a shame to cover up all that PE work.

[Ramba]

Started working on the Trumpeter BMP-3F IFV.


I am also using the Eduard PE set. This specific set is for the UAE kit though but will work on any Trumpeter BMP-3. As you can see, it is very comprehensive.




Some of the PE attached. The engine grill was included in the Trumpeter kit, all the rest is from the Eduard set.

[Claymore]

OMG, the horror, the horror!  Spare me from the nightmare that is photo-etched brass! So much blood, rage and various parts of my body super glued to things they shouldn’t be…     

[Old Wombat]

OMG, the horror, the horror!  Spare me from the nightmare that is photo-etched brass! So much blood, rage and various parts of my body super glued to things they shouldn’t be…     

Hmmm, methinks thee might be doing it wrong, Brother Claymore.

I get the rage part (Oh, man, do I get that ) but rarely have I shed blood or become overly attached to the pieces via wayward CA glue.

[Ramba]

OMG, the horror, the horror!  Spare me from the nightmare that is photo-etched brass! So much blood, rage and various parts of my body super glued to things they shouldn’t be…     

OMG, the horror, the horror!  Spare me from the nightmare that is photo-etched brass! So much blood, rage and various parts of my body super glued to things they shouldn’t be…     

Hmmm, methinks thee might be doing it wrong, Brother Claymore.

I get the rage part (Oh, man, do I get that ) but rarely have I shed blood or become overly attached to the pieces via wayward CA glue.

I used to hate PE and resin but have gotten used to them. They have become so commonplace now that I had to succumb to them. Not that I feel they are a necessity but that you can't get most kits without them being included in the kit. I mostly got this PE set because it includes the straps for the rear of the turret which Trumpeter, Zvezda and Skif all forgot. All the rest of the PE I used because I didn't want to waste it all.

This image shows the straps on the rear of the turret I am talking about that is missing from all available BMP-3 kits. You can see the straps to the left of the smoke dischargers.

[Claymore]

OK, so maybe I got a little carried away! 

But honestly, you are a brave man taking on that much PEB. 

[Ramba]

OK, so maybe I got a little carried away! 

But honestly, you are a brave man taking on that much PEB. 

Nooooo! Your reaction was just the right amount. As I said, I hated PE as well but it is so commonplace now that I had to adjust if I wanted to keep building modern kits.

[Ramba]

Trumpeter BMP-3 interior partially painted. Got most of the primary colors but still need to paint the details. The ammo tray/loader is to be in red but haven't gotten to that yet either. You won't see most of the interior anyway so not going to paint every single detail.

[Story]

Started working on the Trumpeter BMP-3F IFV. 

The Krasnovians had them before they were cool.  Any idea which flavor yours will be when finished?

Current operators
 Azerbaijan – 88 BMP-3M.[99]
 Cyprus – 43 delivered in 1995–1996. [100]
 Indonesia – 54 BMP-3F & 1 BREM-L currently in service along with 21 BT-3Fs.[101] (17 BMP-3F arrived in 2010[102] and another 37 BMP-3F & 1 BREM-L were received in 2014.)[103][104]
 Iraq – 300 BMP-3M IFVs ordered in 2015 delivered in 2018-2019.[105]
 Kuwait – Currently 122 BMP-3 and 103 BMP-3M in service.[106] 118 delivered in 1995–1996.[107][108] A new contract was signed in 2013.[109] Contract was executed on September 30, 2015.[110]
 Russia – 760.[111] 513 lost during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [112] Additional vehicles were reportedly delivered in 2022,[113] in 2023 and 2024.[114][115][116][117][118][119]
 South Korea – Currently 40 in service.[120] 33 delivered in 1996–1997[107] to pay off Russian debt, and another 37 in 2005.[121] Moscow was seeking the possibility of their return.[122]
 Turkmenistan – 4[123]
 Ukraine – 4 inherited from the USSR[124] in service; plus at least 60 vehicles captured during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[125]
 United Arab Emirates – 390 BMP-3[126] delivered in 1992–1997.[107]
 Venezuela – 123 BMP-3M[127] and BREM-L,[128] first deliveries in 2011,[121] completed in 2012.[129][130]

Failed bids
 Saudi Arabia – Application for 950.[131]
 Greece – The Hellenic Army ordered 450 BMP-3 from Russia as part of a €1.7 billion deal but cancelled the order in 2011.[132]
 India – In 2012 Russia offered a transfer of the BMP-3 technology to the Indian Army if it would cancel its homegrown $10 billion Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program, but in November 2013 India rejected the offer.[133][134]

Also, I seem to remember Iran jockeying around for an order of T90s and BMP3s a decade or more back.

[Ramba]

Started working on the Trumpeter BMP-3F IFV. 

The Krasnovians had them before they were cool.  Any idea which flavor yours will be when finished?

Current operators
 Azerbaijan – 88 BMP-3M.[99]
 Cyprus – 43 delivered in 1995–1996. [100]
 Indonesia – 54 BMP-3F & 1 BREM-L currently in service along with 21 BT-3Fs.[101] (17 BMP-3F arrived in 2010[102] and another 37 BMP-3F & 1 BREM-L were received in 2014.)[103][104]
 Iraq – 300 BMP-3M IFVs ordered in 2015 delivered in 2018-2019.[105]
 Kuwait – Currently 122 BMP-3 and 103 BMP-3M in service.[106] 118 delivered in 1995–1996.[107][108] A new contract was signed in 2013.[109] Contract was executed on September 30, 2015.[110]
 Russia – 760.[111] 513 lost during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [112] Additional vehicles were reportedly delivered in 2022,[113] in 2023 and 2024.[114][115][116][117][118][119]
 South Korea – Currently 40 in service.[120] 33 delivered in 1996–1997[107] to pay off Russian debt, and another 37 in 2005.[121] Moscow was seeking the possibility of their return.[122]
 Turkmenistan – 4[123]
 Ukraine – 4 inherited from the USSR[124] in service; plus at least 60 vehicles captured during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[125]
 United Arab Emirates – 390 BMP-3[126] delivered in 1992–1997.[107]
 Venezuela – 123 BMP-3M[127] and BREM-L,[128] first deliveries in 2011,[121] completed in 2012.[129][130]

Failed bids
 Saudi Arabia – Application for 950.[131]
 Greece – The Hellenic Army ordered 450 BMP-3 from Russia as part of a €1.7 billion deal but cancelled the order in 2011.[132]
 India – In 2012 Russia offered a transfer of the BMP-3 technology to the Indian Army if it would cancel its homegrown $10 billion Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program, but in November 2013 India rejected the offer.[133][134]

Also, I seem to remember Iran jockeying around for an order of T90s and BMP3s a decade or more back.

I am doing mine as Russian used in Ukraine that was abandoned/captured. There are many differences between all the different Trumpeter kits and ones actually being used in Ukraine.

If you want to build one of the original Ukrainian versions, you will need the Trumpeter BMP-3 MICV Early Version 00364 kit.


If you want to build a more current up to date Russian version, you will need the Zvezda 3649 kit.


If you want to build one of the more current up to date versions, you will need to use the Miniarm conversion set 35268 on the Zvezda kit. The Miniarm set is made to fit the Zvezda kit but it will fit the Trumpeter kits as will with minor adjustments. The Trumpeter kits aren't fully up to date for an actual current version though so you will still need the Zvezda kit for that with the Miniarm set.


You can build a Russian one used in Ukraine as they used many different versions so some of the Trumpeter kits can be used but you will need to mix and match parts from one kit to another. As I said, there are many differences between the different versions and it is not really that complicated to figure out but it is very involved. You will need to do a lot of researching for the specific version you want to build. For the most part, most of the images I have seen of Russian BMP-3's being used in Ukraine, the Zvezda kit is the best option for even early on in 2022. For a more current version, the Zvezda kit with the Miniarm set is the way to go. For the most current versions, you will need the Zvezda kit, Miniarm set, cope cage, side spaced armor plates and slat armor. No kits and or aftermarket company makes the cope cage, side spaced armor plates and slat armor so that is something you will need to scratch build yourself. Another thing to watch for is the thermal sight. There are a few different ones used and it gets confusing so again, you need to find a specific version you want to build and check which thermal sight it has.

I have the Trumpeter BMP-3 MICV Early Version 00364, BMP-3 Upgrade Armor 00365, BMP-3F IFV 01529 and Zvezda BMP-3 3649 kits. I have had the three Trumpeter kits since 2018 and 2019. I don't even remember getting the Zvezda kit but I do have one along with the Miniarm conversion set. I started the BMP-3F IFV 01529 which is the one shown in-progress. I also started the Zvezda kit and the BMP-3 Upgrade Armor 00365 kits. The BMP-3 Upgrade Armor 00365 kit I am doing as what if though. Russia is now using the BMP-3 with the Kaktus ERA but the Trumpeter kit is not the same. The Trumpeter ERA is different so not correct for the current ones used in Ukraine.

[Ramba]

Started another Trumpeter BMP-3, this time with the Kaktus upgrade armor package.


Russia is now using the upgrade armor package on their BMP-3's in Ukraiune but the Trumpeter kit is of the early version. The ERA is different from the ones used in Ukraine. Here you can see the newer ERA. Also notice that the rubber flap armor on the turret was replaced with metal armor plates.


I will be making mine as a what if, something similar to this one with the extra turret and upper hull armored plates. The ERA will be left off and I will only be using the slat armor on the turret and the spaced armor plates on the side of the hull where the ERA would be attached. I pointed out the extra bolt heads I would need to add on the Trumpeter parts. I won't be adding the side slat armor though as I am not scratch building all that. Also notice, no armored plates on the front of the upper hull.



The Trumpeter spaced armored plates with the added bolt heads. I used the Meng bolts.


Trumpeter kit with the armored plates on the upper hull. These came molded on.



Trumpeter kit with the added armored plates on the front upper hull.


This particular Trumpeter kit didn't have the armored turret. I got it from Trumpeter from the UAE kit.


The side spaced armored plates are only dry fitted for now. I still need to add the slat armor on the turret. The two boxes on the rear of the hull are also from the UAE kit.




I got the idea to do one with the slat armor on the turret and side spaced armored plates from this image somewhere in Ukraine. Notice the RP-377V jammer on the upper hull. As I said above, mine is what if though and not the same as the one in the image below.

[taiidantomcat]

took me a second to figure out what was "off" with the 120MM cannon. it looks like the last piece, the final section of the muzzle end hasn't been attached yet-- Interesting look to it! and by "interesting" I mean, its giving me ideas. looks like a much larger caliber 

[Ramba]

took me a second to figure out what was "off" with the 120MM cannon. it looks like the last piece, the final section of the muzzle end hasn't been attached yet-- Interesting look to it! and by "interesting" I mean, its giving me ideas. looks like a much larger caliber 

Yes, the muzzle isn't on yet. I think I attached it a couple weeks ago but no photos yet as not much else really done since the last time I posted it. I had stopped working on it trying to decide which fenders to use as the USMC used two different kinds for the time frame I am building mine as. I was looking through references to see which specific tank I was going to build and which fenders it had but then lost interest in it and started to work on other kits.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with your kit. The larger caliber would be a good idea. The latest release of the Tiger Models 1/35 Leopard 2 Revolution kit #4613 has three different barrels in it, a 120mm, 130mm and 140mm so if you have that kit you could use one of the larger calibers if not using it on the Leopard 2 Revolution kit.
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10968165/30/1

[Ramba]

After starting on the two Trumpeter BMP-3 kits, I also decided to start on the Zvezda BMP-3 as well.


I am adding the Miniarm update resin and Eduard PE sets.





The Zvezda kit has the usual parts breakdown for the hull in multiple parts.


Got some of the PE in place.



Some of the Miniarm parts required a template to get the parts in place on the hull.

[Ramba]

The latest Ryefield Model 1/35 M1A1 Ukraine version with "WORKABEL" tracks. That's right, it says "WORKABEL".



This kit includes parts to make an actual M1A1 SA version that Ukraine received and are currently operating. It includes the ARAT ERA, loader's blast panels and gun shield. It also includes the belly armor which I am not sure if Ukraine received or not but most images I have seen so far of Ukrainian M1A1 SA's, I do not see the belly armor attached.

[apophenia]

So, you're planning to scratch-build that Ukrainian cage, right? 

... That's right, it says "WORKABEL"...

Those of us trained back when paste-up meant scalpels and rubber cement knew that we were toast when computers came along.

Now, apparently, our replacement Apple expertern are themselves being eclipsed by a 24-year-old named Alfie (who promised that he could do the whole job on his smartphone while riding the No. 62 bus).