Mega Mule (Glencoe 1/15th scale M274) Scale-O-Rama to 1/35th scale

[Frank3k]

IIRC, the axle pins were just begging to wear or break off after a few tries.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

IIRC, the axle pins were just begging to wear or break off after a few tries.

A politicians promise has more going for it than the axles and joints on the Glencoe Mule.  The things are held in place with a lot of hopium. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Assembled the kit wheels and sanded down seams after assembly.  I did consider using the kit wheels modified with the AFV Club Stryker IFV rims but I only had four modified and was not in the mood to carve out the rims on four more wheels.  So stock kit wheels win this time around. 

I did do a fit check using the Trumpeter LAV-25 wheels but the things looked to small on the Mega Mule so I went with the kit parts. 

[Alvis 3.1]

Mega Mule!

[GTX_Admin]

 

[Frank3k]

I did do a fit check using the Trumpeter LAV-25 wheels but the things looked to small on the Mega Mule so I went with the kit parts.

Did you try the chunky HEMMTT tires I sent you?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I did do a fit check using the Trumpeter LAV-25 wheels but the things looked to small on the Mega Mule so I went with the kit parts.

Did you try the chunky HEMMTT tires I sent you?

Hi Frank.  Yes, I did do a fit check of those tires and the things were too large to fit on the axles and under the cargo platform.  I had hoped that maybe they would fit so I could use the things but alas, not to be. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

More WIP on the Mega Mule suspension.  Applying more CA glue to all four axles to bulk up appearance and provide a strengthed component connection.  It looks a bit janky at the moment and hopefully when paint is eventually applied the sins will be concealed. 

As far as the CA glue goes, with paint it will represent a fabric dust/debris cover over the drive axle joint connection to the wheels.  Not watertight but a preventative maintenance accessory to minimize FOD issues to the mechanical components.  So in the spirit of Brian da Basher I suppose it would be correct to call these things Spats. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Had to take another image and reduce the size so it would upload. 

Both models positioned to show front and rear features.  The light tan/beige parts are from a Tamiya Sdkfz 4X4 armored reconnaissance vehicle that had been in the spare parts stash, never had the complete kit.  The small blue plastic rectangle just below the Sdkfz 222 part is a landing gear door from an ancient Monogram Avenger, Hellcat, or Corsair kit that was scrapped mant years ago. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Forgot to include a b4 and after images of the work done on the kit fuel tanks.  Original parts were quite simple looking with an open area on the top that would not be seen when attached to the underside of the cargo platform.  Attachment was via two plug/pins on the fuel tank to the located holes on the platform.  I removed these features from the platform and fuel tank so that I could add the two straps of plastic as reinforcement features. 

Attached images showing the unmodified and modified fuel tanks.

[Buzzbomb]

Yep, bits coming together 

[Frank3k]

Looking good! What are you going to do about a radiator for that now massive engine? I don't think you can air cool an engine that big.

[Ramba]

Coming along nicely. Looking good!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Looking good! What are you going to do about a radiator for that now massive engine? I don't think you can air cool an engine that big.

Going to stay with the whole air-cooled engine theme so no radiator required.  As far as engine displacement goes, this engine would be in the same category as many other general aviation power plants so not that unusual. 

[Old Wombat]

I'm not sure how big this is going to be (nothing to scale it against, yet) but aircraft radials are big air-cooled engines & the US used them quite effectively to power tanks during WW2.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I'm not sure how big this is going to be (nothing to scale it against, yet) but aircraft radials are big air-cooled engines & the US used them quite effectively to power tanks during WW2.

I posted an image that is now on page three showing the Mega Mules with a 1/35th scale Italeri HMMWV sandwiched in between the two platforms for a size reference.  The platforms are just a little bit larger in width than the Italeri HMMWV and about equal in overall length.  Attached is the same image again for you to see. 






***Edit to upload image from mobile phone where it resides at the moment. -- jjf

[Old Wombat]

OK, missed that, somehow.

Engines are definitely small enough to be air-cooled, then!

[Kerick]

This looks better all the time! If I see one of these kits around I might just have to try this.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

OK, missed that, somehow.

Engines are definitely small enough to be air-cooled, then!

The size is about right for most 1/35th scale vehicles for use as a power plant.  While working on my M5 Stuart I inserted just the engine portion minus the transaxle into the engine compartment of the Stuart and it fit easily within the space provided.  That gave me some additional ideas for other projects if you don't mind the crude details of the engine and transaxle being ignored. 

This looks better all the time! If I see one of these kits around I might just have to try this.

As long as you are not looking at it up close it seems to fall into that category.  Once you get nose-length though it takes on a whole new image that defies logic and common sense. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Some more WIP images from this evening. Struggling with how to make the driver's station fit to the front of the platform. Of course the plans changed while in progress as it  became obvious that the original plan was flawed. It appears to have sorted itself out and the end results are much better than anticipated.

I added some small boxes at front and rear to provide more distractions and clutter.  The small tan colored boxes are from the AFV Club SiG.33 ammunition set and were one of the cartridge boxes provided in the set.

The driver's position was built up using part of a pontoon deck from one of those DML/Dragon German WasserSchlepper kits that includes a pontoon. One of my pontoon sections was damaged so Spruebrothers replaced it and that left me with some spare bits of deck material that finally found a purpose as a new floor for the driver's position. 

You may notice a fine patina of CA glue residue on the models that was the result of my applying CA glue to the wheel/axle connections to bulk them up and create a stronger connection and also make that connection look like it has some kind of weather cover over the mechanical connection now covered in CA glue.  The CA glue fumes are quite noticeable when holding the work in your hand and I think with a bit of paint it will also give the vehicle a more weathered appearance when finished. 

Still working out the driver's position and how best to add in the control features such as a steering wheel or perhaps two tillers, the brake and accelerator pedals, and the gear shift, parking brake, and transfer case controls.  The concept is that the controls are all linked electrically and not by mechanical linkage so the driver's position can be removed if required and stowed on the right side of the platform.  Some kind of remote control device still needs to be perfected so that the vehicle can be controlled from off the vehicle and that is still a feature that has yet to be sorted out. 





***Edit to include additional text for the WIP so far. -- jjf

[Frank3k]

The driver will be the first at the scene of any accident! Looks good, though.

The weather boot/joint cover looks good. You can mix talcum powder with CA to make a nice putty. It's easy to mold and sand.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

The driver will be the first at the scene of any accident! Looks good, though.

The weather boot/joint cover looks good. You can mix talcum powder with CA to make a nice putty. It's easy to mold and sand.

Thanks Frank. 

The axles were an afterthought after being attached to the chassis and before I decided to not go through with the whole all-wheel steering feature.  I will keep that option in mind for the next iteration of Mega Mule: Son of Mega Mule, The Struggle Continues...

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Purchased some acrylic marker pens from the local craft and hobby stores.  Decided to add some colour to the front and rear axles where I had applied the CA glue to build up the ill-fitting wheel hubs/spindles.  Still looks lanky AF but now with color to make more visible. 

Also had to remove small box that was located at the left forward cross frame due to it conflicting for the same space taken up by the left front wheel.  Lesson learned and not going to bother with putting another box in that location. 

I did try to get close up images of the axles but they were too blurry to share. 

[Claymore]

You can mix talcum powder with CA to make a nice putty. It's easy to mold and sand.

Well, well - every day’s a school day!  Will have to give that a go. 

[Frank3k]

@Jeff - the CV boots - or whatever you want to call them - look good.

You can mix talcum powder with CA to make a nice putty. It's easy to mold and sand.

Well, well - every day’s a school day!  Will have to give that a go. 

The common suggestion is to mix sodium bicarbonate baking soda with CA, but this is a chemical reaction and can generate heat and cure quickly. The talcum powder (gypsum based) doesn't produce a chemical reaction - it just adds bulk. You have to mix the CA in well, since the surface tension will keep it from mixing at first. The thickness of the putty can be adjusted by changing the amount of talc or CA. When it hardens, the putty has a similar hardness to styrene.

Tested has a great video on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2XJ7PTT3M