Idf Bradley

[AeroplaneDriver]

Welcome aboard!!

Nice to see more armor whiffs around too.  Nice job    

[Chap]

Beautiful work Ben! Welcome to the forum.

~Steve

[bdt13]

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. Yes, this is indeed the A0 model; Tamiya released it with the markings of two protoype vehicles, neither of which inspired me back ~20 years ago when I got it. It sat partially built for that time, then I brought it out of an old box with a bunch of other half-done stuff (Academy MUTT, anyone?) once the club build was announced.

As far as the plausibility of the M2 guns, yes, they are a bit much for a vehicle this size, especially one with a Bushmaster. However, I felt that they were an easy recognition factor for an IDF vehicle of this time, and I had them in my spares box. See which one is from a Tamiya M113, and which from a Italeri Sherman (shouldn't be hard...).

The weathering is based on the techniques in "Painting Panzers" by James Blackwell. I think this was on Missing Lynx or Hyperscale. The photo shows this half-done, I still need a final flat coat and a litle more dried mud. Since this is my first time, some of the post-shading lines are a bit overdone. I also think I need to move up from my Paasche H starter airbrush with the #3 tip.

Here is a link to the contest meeting gallery (May 2006):
Three Rivers IPMS - May 2006 Meeting
Unfortunately my entry wasn't ready in time, had a major product launching at work the day of the meeting, and was lucky to even attend. Darn real life, keeps getting in the way of modeling! Brought it anyway, half-done. I finished it over the Summer and had it done for the September meeting.

BTW, the final paint coat you see in my post is completely diferent than the one on the TRIPMS web site. I didn't care for the darkness of the color, since it was only going to get darker with weathering and top coats. Most everything (Khaki on the body, the metallic black on the tracks and the scale black on the rubber parts) is a custom mix of Tamiya acrylics.

Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome to What If! I hope to post again soon.

 :ar: Arrgh - Build or Die!

Ben

PS (start shameless plug) - TRIPMS is hosting the US IPMS Region 4 Scale Model Expo & Contest this March 30 & 31. Region 4 Regional If you can, consider coming to PIttsburgh to see us!

[anthonyp]

OK, cool, wasn't sure which model it was.

BTW, I'm not really nitpicking the model as I think it's a really nice build, I just work at the local BAE Systems GSD office, and this office is the one that the Bradley program is run out of.  We've had Bradleys in the bay with various mods, and I know that extra external machine guns can't really be added.  Though, if anyone could find a way (or would), they would be the IDF.

It's a really nice model.  I need to prepare the guys in the office for a What-if, though.  Actually, since it's me showing it to them, they'd expect something that doesn't exist in reality  

BTW, I forgot to add my "Welcome aboard!"  Any more armour?

[anthonyp]

Heh, I took the pic in today, showed it to some of the Bradley guys.  One's reaction was "That's a model?  Neat!'  The others started thinking aloud on how to get a .50 in place of the 7.62.

[John Howling Mouse]

There's only one problem, Ben:  you didn't show enough pictures!!!

Beautiful work.  Stunning entrance.

Now, how DO you get frickin' tracks on a tank model without busting half the add-on plastic wheel axles?  I was going to put on all but one wheel but, if the treads are already hot-knifed together, it seems like I'll bust something.

Keep in mind, I have railway boxcar couplings for hands and my wife won't build it for me, either!!!

[bdt13]

John-

I left the idlers off until after the tracks are wrapped around the rest of the wheels. Of course, I had to put them over the drive sprockets first. Since these are rubber band tracks, I still managed to lose some of the paint at the bends in the track, but after weathering it isn't too noticeable.

I'll try to get more pics up when it is completely done (finished waeathering).

Thanks, everyone for the hospitality.

Ben