1/35 M76 "Otter"

[LemonJello]

Looks like a winning course correction, Frank!  WhIf it up!

[Claymore]

Good man - if in doubt, cut it out! 

Hoorah!  Onwards and upwards… 

[raafif]

Cargo version ??    If you have a flat bed why not mount AA guns or a small howitzer ?

[Kerick]

Or it’s running another load out to the nuclear waste storage facility in the mountains of Antarctica!

[Frank3k]

This is a pretty small vehicle - maybe a recoilless rifle... but with the fuel tanks right behind it, maybe not.

[Buzzbomb]

Score... as in score and snap.

Great move by the looks of it Frank

[Frank3k]

I feel better about it. It's still a shit kit, just not as bad. I'm working on fixed rails or droppable sides for the cargo area.I printed two each of these:



Although the droppable sides may look better.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

The side rail in the forefront of the above image looks more kinder and gentler than the one behind it.  If you have to go that route.  Looking forwards to seeing your drop sides solution too. 

[Kerick]

Drop sides sound interesting. Will they have working hinges?

[Frank3k]

I don't think I'm feeling motivated enough by this build to add hinges.

Here are the curved railings, tacked in place:



The rails are pretty low. With a 55 Gal. drum and a figure:



with the scratchbullt drop sides:



I thought that cleaning up the scratchbuild was taking a lot of time, so while the filler was drying, I designed and printed similar drop sides:



I was going to smooth out the printer artifacts on the sides, but I like the pattern. Maybe it's a steel frame with a plastic cover on the cargo side...

[Old Wombat]

Looking good, Frank! 

I like the solid-side idea, it's not really a big enough cargo bed to need drop sides to get the load on/off.

Although I prefer the look of the styrene sides, personally. 

[Kerick]

Nice use of the printing artifact. I think it looks good that way.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

The higher side walls are definitely better in appearance than the rails.  Nice win for you on the artifacts detail as it does look like it belongs within the framework. 

[Kerick]

Don’t let those railings go to waste! Glue them to the top of the drop sides as tie down railings.

[LemonJello]

Both sets of side walls look really good.  I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Here's a second vote for adding the 3D rails to the tops of the side walls.

[Frank3k]

The kit from Hell progresses slowly.

The fprmer drop sides were too thin, so I printed four of the frames and sandwitched a sheet of styrene between them, to make the drop sides the correct thickness. After that it was masking, adding the fuel tanks and fuel lines (under the masks below) and some primer. I used some Badget Stynylrez red primer color, which may be good enough to be the final shade:





 I'll add the curved ended 3D printed railings on top of the drop downs, but they're in a metallic shade and will be painted and installed last.

I'm also masking the wheels so I can paint the tires. I still have a ways to go fixing issues with the body, but at some point I'll have to tackle the tracks. They're link and length, but like everything else in this kit, they're a pain.

The

[Kerick]

The orange looks pretty good. For a second I thought the masking tape over the bed was going to be a tarp.
Then there is this oldie but goodie option.


Or this one.

[Buzzbomb]

Very good case here that all options looked good and had individual merits. Where you are now.. is looking the goods

[Frank3k]

Moving along on this miserable kit. I got the tires on. I also got the tracks on. They're link and length, which would have been a breeze on any other kit, but this being Gecko, the attachment points are less than 1/2mm deep. They are as annoying to build as the rest of the model. I still have to touch up the tracks - this is just the base color. I've also added a slight amount of weathering/dirt:



The prop looks more bronze in real life. The two blue tubes going from the roof to the fuel tanks are silicone coated wire (with the wires removed):


The railings are off for now. Here's what they'll look like on the vehicle:



Still have decals and a ton of small details to add.

[Buzzbomb]

Except you have turned me off this kit completely, it would make a great planet rover for future space builds.

[finsrin]

Super like all you have done for this build. 
Masterful work on such a challenging kit. 

[Frank3k]

Thanks, guys. I don't know if it's this kit or me, but I have to remind myself that this is a hobby. I've wanted to launch this kit off the roof many times.

[Old Wombat]

I have several Gecko kits in the Wombat Stash.

Frank's hatred is driving a desire to build one when I've finished the PBRs.

Seems I like a challenge from time-to-time. 

[Kerick]

Funny how one manufacturer can have a terrible kit of one vehicle then a good kit of a different vehicle. Aircraft too. Different people working on different projects I suppose.

[LemonJello]

For all the issues you've had with this kit, it's looking amazing.  You'd never know the frustrations its created.

Love the color.