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

[Buzzbomb]

Great project having a production line.

[Ramba]

Great project having a production line.

Thanks!

The German/Ukrainian MARS MLRS and the M270A1 MLRS will both be in the NATO camo scheme so figured I would do them at the same time. Seeing I was working on one, might as well work on them together.

[Ramba]

The Dragon MLRS tracks have a lot of ejector pin marks. Removing them was a chore. Instead of spending an inordinate amount of time cleaning hem up, I got the Hobby Boss indy track set instead. I got them real cheap so was definitely worth it. These tracks will be going on the Desert Storm M270.

Dragon MLRS tracks. You can see the ejector pin marks on them. Second photo shows the one on the right after cleaning up.



The Hobby Boss tracks. The track pads are separate but I would rather glue in the separate pads than cleaning up hundreds of ejector pin marks.

[Old Wombat]

You may feel strong emanations of "anti-envy" wafting up from the Southern Hemisphere about now.

[Ramba]

You may feel strong emanations of "anti-envy" wafting up from the Southern Hemisphere about now.

  I don't really look forward to doing the Hobby Boss tracks either but they are better than the Dragon tracks.

[Ramba]

As stated earlier, the Dragon M270A1 kit included the wrong tracks. The box top image which was used from the second image shows the correct tracks but were not included in the kit.



AFV makes the correct ones as shown below. The pads are separate inserts.





Dragon included the older style original tracks which are also wrong for the NATO MLRS. The German MARS MLRS uses different tracks which Trumpeter included in their kit. I ordered the Trumpeter tracks from their customer service. The center guides are separate.

[Buzzbomb]

Well that is a track link overload... lotsa, lotsa bits.

Now where are my AFV Club rubber bands for my next Centurion build

[Ramba]

Well that is a track link overload... lotsa, lotsa bits.

Now where are my AFV Club rubber bands for my next Centurion build

Yes, lots of track parts. Way more than I would like to deal with. AFV does have a set of rubber band tracks that fit the MLRS but I read somewhere they are too short. You would need two sets and that is too expensive so I opted for the cheaper option which were the indy tracks. From what I read, there are enough indy tracks to fit.

[ChalkLine]

I think this is why I've come to enjoy armoured cars so much.

[Old Wombat]

I think this is why I've come to enjoy armoured cars so much.

 

[Kerick]

My next big build might be the Alabama Slammer and it’s on wheels!

[Ramba]

My next big build might be the Alabama Slammer and it’s on wheels!

What's an Alabama Slammer?

[Ramba]

Tracks, tracks and more tracks. A never ending stream of tracks. Seeing I can't paint over the winter months, looks like I will be spending this winter putting tracks together.

The Skif Strela kit rubber band tracks were too short and even stretching them didn't work so I had to end up getting a set of Trumpeter 2S1 tracks. The Strela and 2S1 use the same tracks. There are nine trees for the track guides with 59 parts on each tree giving a total of 531 track guides. There are two guides per track.





This is the Skif Strela kit that I converted to a what if UB-32 rocket launcher vehicle. The UB-32 rocket pods are from Res Kit.

[Frank3k]

Great job on the Skif kit.  The rocket launcher probably isn't too far from reality.

[Ramba]

Great job on the Skif kit.  The rocket launcher probably isn't too far from reality.

Thanks! It isn't Tamiya quality but it still built up nicely.

Both Ukraine and Iraq converted some of their Strelas to the rocket launchers. Here is a Ukrainian one but with B8M rocket pods.

[Kerick]

My next big build might be the Alabama Slammer and it’s on wheels!

What's an Alabama Slammer?

When the invasion of Iraq happened in 2003 troops were adding all kinds of slap on armor to trucks of every description. The civilian folks from Aniston Army Depot that were deployed to Kuwait used their own time to put together a junk M113 box onto an M818 dump truck chassis. Since the army depot is in Alabama and there is a drink called the Alabama Slammer the combo vehicle got the nickname. I’ll probably do it as an in service vehicle running the route from Kuwait to Baghdad and back.

[Buzzbomb]

The Skif Strela kit rubber band tracks were too short and even stretching them didn't work so I had to end up getting a set of Trumpeter 2S1 tracks.

Skif kits are exempt from using their rubber band tracks  yes they are totally too short. I used the Fruil set on my build.

My next big build might be the Alabama Slammer and it’s on wheels!

What's an Alabama Slammer?

When the invasion of Iraq happened in 2003 troops were adding all kinds of slap on armor to trucks of every description. The civilian folks from Aniston Army Depot that were deployed to Kuwait used their own time to put together a junk M113 box onto an M818 dump truck chassis. Since the army depot is in Alabama and there is a drink called the Alabama Slammer the combo vehicle got the nickname. I’ll probably do it as an in service vehicle running the route from Kuwait to Baghdad and back.

That is a ripper Local Mod... thanks for the pic

[Ramba]

When the invasion of Iraq happened in 2003 troops were adding all kinds of slap on armor to trucks of every description. The civilian folks from Aniston Army Depot that were deployed to Kuwait used their own time to put together a junk M113 box onto an M818 dump truck chassis. Since the army depot is in Alabama and there is a drink called the Alabama Slammer the combo vehicle got the nickname. I’ll probably do it as an in service vehicle running the route from Kuwait to Baghdad and back.

I have heard of the Alabama Slammer drink but never had one. I think I heard of a low rider car being called Alabama Slammer also but can't remember where I heard it or what it was about.

That is a cool looking truck! Can't wait to see your build.

Skif kits are exempt from using their rubber band tracks  yes they are totally too short. I used the Fruil set on my build.

I also have the Skif 2S1 and those rubber band tracks are also too short. I am combining the two sets of tracks from both Skif kits to fit the 2S1 so I needed a set for the Strela. The Fruil tracks are nice but was above my pay grade. The cheapest option was the Trumpeter set. How did you like the Fruil tracks? How was the cleanup and assembly?

[Buzzbomb]

The cheapest option was the Trumpeter set. How did you like the Fruil tracks? How was the cleanup and assembly?

Fruils are terrific, as you say, pricey, but very easy to work with.Generally as simple as lining up the two links then inserting the wire pin. The occasional link may need a drill out or a swipe with a stiff brush to remove a bit of metal flash. Got a recent kit with indi Sherman T46 links.. not looking forward to that, each link is 5 parts.. Last lot of "challenge" individual links was the AFV Club LVT set.
I am at the stage of my building career where I am moving back to quick,easy and looks ok is better than complicated and looks fantastic.

[Ramba]

The cheapest option was the Trumpeter set. How did you like the Fruil tracks? How was the cleanup and assembly?

Fruils are terrific, as you say, pricey, but very easy to work with.Generally as simple as lining up the two links then inserting the wire pin. The occasional link may need a drill out or a swipe with a stiff brush to remove a bit of metal flash. Got a recent kit with indi Sherman T46 links.. not looking forward to that, each link is 5 parts.. Last lot of "challenge" individual links was the AFV Club LVT set.
I am at the stage of my building career where I am moving back to quick,easy and looks ok is better than complicated and looks fantastic.

Thanks for the info. Not that I could afford Fruil tracks but nice to hear from someone firsthand who actually put them together.

I am also at the stage of my building career where simpler is better but all those tracks I posted earlier were necessary. Some were because the kit tracks were the wrong ones or some of the kit tracks were too short. If I had a choice of rubber band tracks or indy tracks, rubber band tracks win.

[Ramba]

I got the Amusing Hobby Abrams X and seeing it is only a company demonstrator, I am planning to do it as a what if. I am changing up the top of the turret a bit by moving the thermal imagers and RWS around and also adding a 130mm main gun barrel.


Here is the 130mm barrel. It is metal and includes a 3D printed muzzle brake and brass shells. The metal 130mm barrel is actually a replacement one for the Tiger Model Leopard II Revolution II 4613. I am hoping to fit it to the Abrams X.

[Buzzbomb]

Jingos I like that barrel, the added ammo is a nice touch as well.

[Ramba]

Jingos I like that barrel, the added ammo is a nice touch as well.

It is a nice barrel. Not heavy at all as it is aluminum. The ammo is heavier as they are brass. No where to fit the ammo on the Abrams X though so will have to find something else to use them on.

[Ramba]

So, trying to fit the new metal barrel into the mantlet and I already knew that the barrel was wider than the hole in the mantlet. I unfortunately don't have a drill bit that big so looks like I will be filing the hole which will probably take me a month or more at the the speed which I build :) :) :) :) :)

[Ramba]

I finally worked on the mantlet from the Abrams X to fit the 130mm barrel.

I filed and filed and filed and finally got the rear part of the barrel to fit snugly into the mantlet, only thing is, the fat end still needs to fit into it.


After filing some more, I got the fat end to fit but I filed a bit too much and it now sits loosely in the mantlet. I will need to fill it back in a bit to get the barrel to fit snugly. I might use some very thin plastic strips or two part epoxy.