1
Canadian GB / Re: CAF Beluga - An Almost-Was
« Last post by Kerick on Today at 11:59:11 AM »We’ll need a Beluga to refuel the Canadian Tornado F.4 I’m trying to finish.
... where imagination trumps reality
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2
Land / Re: Unmanned Recovery, Disaster Response and Hazard Mitigation vehicle.
« Last post by Frank3k on Today at 10:18:01 AM »Getting there. Just some weathering and minor touchups. I added a white strip, some fluorescent orange markings and black and white orientation markings on the side - in part to break up the monotonous color but also to indicate the vehicle's orientation remotely, if it can't communicate or breaks down. The square order is reversed for the other side. I also replaced the solder used in the main arm with wire-wrap wire. The solder was breaking with the repeated motion:
The drone launching pad has a decal from the 1/350 Moonlander to act as a locator marking:
I painted the radars and LiDAR sensors in tan or off white, both for color and to indicate that they shouldn't be painted for best performance:
Steve is slightly more impressed now; he likes the racing stripe. Cell phone guy thinks his Waymo just arrived:
The tank at the rear is from a Tamiya Gama Goat and a Stryker wheel part from the AFV M151 kit, which comes with an extra sprue of random kit parts:
The drone launching pad has a decal from the 1/350 Moonlander to act as a locator marking:
I painted the radars and LiDAR sensors in tan or off white, both for color and to indicate that they shouldn't be painted for best performance:
Steve is slightly more impressed now; he likes the racing stripe. Cell phone guy thinks his Waymo just arrived:
The tank at the rear is from a Tamiya Gama Goat and a Stryker wheel part from the AFV M151 kit, which comes with an extra sprue of random kit parts:
3
Canadian GB / Re: Canadian Group Build - Inspiration
« Last post by apophenia on Today at 07:54:19 AM »Another RW Canadian Vehicle - The Benighted Bobcat
During the Cold War era, Canada became somewhat infamous for cancelled projects. Some had great promise but were chopped for economic or purely political reasons. Others were just dragged-out efforts to turn sow's ears into silk purses. And there is no better example of the latter than the Canadian Army's Bobcat APC.
The corporate development history of the Bobcat sounds like the run-up to a typical barroom joke. Begun by Leyland (Canada); it was taken over by CCF; which, in turn, was gobbled up by Avro Canada; which tanked leaving the Bobcat in the horrified hands of parent firm, Hawker Siddeley Canada; only for DND to junk the entire, decade-long development process.
The conceptual and mechanical downsides of the Bobcat are well-covered on the web. Any upsides? Well, the Bobcat was more compact than the US M113 then just entering service. [1] It had wider tracks than contemporary APCs. [2] And it was a good swimmer in contrast with the FV432 which entered British service the year that Bobcat was scrapped. [1]
Polishing a Turd? - The Whif Bobcat II
So, could anything have been salvaged from the original Bobcat programme. Probably not ... but are we not whiffers?
The worst part of the Bobcat was its drivetrain arrangement - engine in the front; driveshaft passing through the rear compartment; driving a bulky transaxle at the back. From the dismounts' PoV, the worst bit was a very cramped rear compartment. But, as soon as the larger-capacity Hercules transport enters the equation, the Bobcat could be made both wider and taller.
In the attached image, my what-if Bobcat II (left) is contrasted with the RW Bobcat (right). The biggest change is mechanical - I've switched to front sprockets driven by a pancake engine beneath the crew (à la Pbv 302). Both crew and dismounts now sit much higher (and the turret gunner - who now has 360° traverse - has been shifted up and slightly aft).
Online specs guesstimate that the Bobcat carried 13 dismounts ... which I find ludicrous. I'm going to drop that to standard 1960 Canadian infantry squad size - 8 x other ranks plus 1 x NCO or officer. Even with a taller compartment, that'll be a squeeze with winter gear - hence the 'toboggan rack' at the rear for skis, snow shoes, and other excess gear.
Anyone have details on other obscure Canadian military vehicles? Or notions of how to improve better-known types?
_______________________________________
[1] The reason for that small size was that the Bobcat had to be carried in the RCAF's tactical transport - the Fairchild C-119. In the end, the GoC became fed up with DND's ditherings. The C-119 midlife plan was cancelled and Ottawa forced the replacement CC-130B Hercules on the RCAF. Meanwhile, the entire Bobcat programmed was junked and petrol-powered M113s bought for the Canadian Army.
Some APC comparisons (we'll see how this displays) ...
Meas. Bobcat M113 FV432
Mass 8 tons 13.6 tons 15 tons
Length 4.80 m 4.86 m 5.25 m
Width 1.88 m 2.67 m 2.55 m
Height 1.93 m 2.50 m 2.28 m
Crew 2 + 13 2 + 11-15 2 + 10
[2] These were 'rubber-band' tracks derived from 1950s snowmobiles. Good for saving weight. Not so good for durability over non-snowy surfaces!
_______________________________________
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat_(armoured_personnel_carrier)
-- https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/canadian-xa-20-apc.1929/
During the Cold War era, Canada became somewhat infamous for cancelled projects. Some had great promise but were chopped for economic or purely political reasons. Others were just dragged-out efforts to turn sow's ears into silk purses. And there is no better example of the latter than the Canadian Army's Bobcat APC.
The corporate development history of the Bobcat sounds like the run-up to a typical barroom joke. Begun by Leyland (Canada); it was taken over by CCF; which, in turn, was gobbled up by Avro Canada; which tanked leaving the Bobcat in the horrified hands of parent firm, Hawker Siddeley Canada; only for DND to junk the entire, decade-long development process.
The conceptual and mechanical downsides of the Bobcat are well-covered on the web. Any upsides? Well, the Bobcat was more compact than the US M113 then just entering service. [1] It had wider tracks than contemporary APCs. [2] And it was a good swimmer in contrast with the FV432 which entered British service the year that Bobcat was scrapped. [1]
Polishing a Turd? - The Whif Bobcat II
So, could anything have been salvaged from the original Bobcat programme. Probably not ... but are we not whiffers?
The worst part of the Bobcat was its drivetrain arrangement - engine in the front; driveshaft passing through the rear compartment; driving a bulky transaxle at the back. From the dismounts' PoV, the worst bit was a very cramped rear compartment. But, as soon as the larger-capacity Hercules transport enters the equation, the Bobcat could be made both wider and taller.
In the attached image, my what-if Bobcat II (left) is contrasted with the RW Bobcat (right). The biggest change is mechanical - I've switched to front sprockets driven by a pancake engine beneath the crew (à la Pbv 302). Both crew and dismounts now sit much higher (and the turret gunner - who now has 360° traverse - has been shifted up and slightly aft).
Online specs guesstimate that the Bobcat carried 13 dismounts ... which I find ludicrous. I'm going to drop that to standard 1960 Canadian infantry squad size - 8 x other ranks plus 1 x NCO or officer. Even with a taller compartment, that'll be a squeeze with winter gear - hence the 'toboggan rack' at the rear for skis, snow shoes, and other excess gear.
Anyone have details on other obscure Canadian military vehicles? Or notions of how to improve better-known types?
_______________________________________
[1] The reason for that small size was that the Bobcat had to be carried in the RCAF's tactical transport - the Fairchild C-119. In the end, the GoC became fed up with DND's ditherings. The C-119 midlife plan was cancelled and Ottawa forced the replacement CC-130B Hercules on the RCAF. Meanwhile, the entire Bobcat programmed was junked and petrol-powered M113s bought for the Canadian Army.
Some APC comparisons (we'll see how this displays) ...
Meas. Bobcat M113 FV432
Mass 8 tons 13.6 tons 15 tons
Length 4.80 m 4.86 m 5.25 m
Width 1.88 m 2.67 m 2.55 m
Height 1.93 m 2.50 m 2.28 m
Crew 2 + 13 2 + 11-15 2 + 10
[2] These were 'rubber-band' tracks derived from 1950s snowmobiles. Good for saving weight. Not so good for durability over non-snowy surfaces!
_______________________________________
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat_(armoured_personnel_carrier)
-- https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/canadian-xa-20-apc.1929/
4
Land / Re: M41 Assault Gun
« Last post by Kerick on Yesterday at 12:19:04 PM »Thank you my friends!
5
Land / Re: M41 Assault Gun
« Last post by raafif on Yesterday at 04:58:12 AM »
No surprise, really good conversions, well deserved. 6
Land / Re: Unmanned Recovery, Disaster Response and Hazard Mitigation vehicle.
« Last post by Old Wombat on October 11, 2026, 04:46:03 PM » 
9
Events / Re: SA Scale Model Expo 2026
« Last post by Old Wombat on October 11, 2026, 04:38:00 PM »Thank you, gentlemen! 
Now for some more shots from today;
Some of the prize winners:
(one of Buzzbomb's)
(another one of Buzzbomb's - 2nd Prize)
A couple of builds that should be familiar to you all:
One of Buzzbomb's that didn't win anything, but which made me grin:
Perpetrators of Whiffery:
[Buzzbomb (Brian) on the left, me on the right]
Link to the album (again) ... it's 50% more pages, now! https://guyplachy.smugmug.com/SAPMA-Expo-2026/i-XdgkVzz
Now for some more shots from today;
Some of the prize winners:
(one of Buzzbomb's)
(another one of Buzzbomb's - 2nd Prize)
A couple of builds that should be familiar to you all:
One of Buzzbomb's that didn't win anything, but which made me grin:
Perpetrators of Whiffery:
[Buzzbomb (Brian) on the left, me on the right]
Link to the album (again) ... it's 50% more pages, now! https://guyplachy.smugmug.com/SAPMA-Expo-2026/i-XdgkVzz
10
Land / Re: The Addams Family goes to the beach
« Last post by Kerick on October 11, 2026, 10:56:18 AM »No awards for the Addams Family but it made lots of people laugh. And that’s what I intended!
As part of my club’s Schwimwagon GB we will have all the participants bring their finished, or unfinished, takes on it to our first meeting in November. Winner will receive a firm handshake and a hardy pat on the back.
I’ll try to get some finished pics together soon but I’m going to bed now. It’s been a long day.
As part of my club’s Schwimwagon GB we will have all the participants bring their finished, or unfinished, takes on it to our first meeting in November. Winner will receive a firm handshake and a hardy pat on the back.
I’ll try to get some finished pics together soon but I’m going to bed now. It’s been a long day.