Tinkering with...15mm BTR-D SPAAG Armies Army (Kickstarter)

Sometimes I buy on aesthetic impulse, these BTR-D SPAAGs from Armies Army were just that! The ubiquitous ZU-23-2 has some many options, so I ordered a few. First up are two BTR-Ds with the 23mm mounted, one centrally, one at the rear. 

I added some details around the AA piece, primarily crew seats (a crewman is supplied) and mudguards, I'm not going for 100% accuracy, these are 15mm gaming items after all.

The second was mounted more traditionally, at the rear, again only minor mods just for flavour really.

Crew figures are Peter Pig and battlefront, with some additional tarps added on the rear deck.

Not entirely sure on the future for these, they don't fit in my Middle East extravaganzas, so they will probably be paint opportunities for me and then open to new homes.

I sneaked in another quick mod, this time the skytrex BT152, with mod'd Peter Pig crew ( two missed the photo-op). This will probaby embelish an Egptian HQ's element, but can slip in anywhre really.

neil

October War - IDF - WIP - M113 command and TRV

Back to some work for my own collection, again more "back office" vehicles for the IDF in the Sinai. I have been working on the M32 TRV and the command versions of the M113.

The TRV is a basic Battlefront M51 hull with the addition of a Spare skytrex M32 superstructure/ turret. ( the remainder Skytrex M32 is destined to modified with the disc mineroller assembly, at some point.....)

As you can see there's a lot of plasticard additions, I haven't religiously copied any one reference, hopefully just enough to capture the vehicle in miniature.

Quite a bit of work required at the back end, again not up to Rivet counting standard but a good representation. I will add more detail in time, particularly the tarp covers and recognition panels, and it needs to be messier!

Not sure at the moment how to base this one, either as a standard base for game play or more of a vignette for table aesthics, either way I will need to convert some crew.

Here we have the start of two M113 command vehicles to serve as battalion and brigade commanders vehicles. The idf modified these quite heavily so there's still lots of work to do but my reference library is growing. I am finding it difficult in general to establish vehicle timelines with IDF modifications, the inevitable result of a adapting to continual war footing, so hopefully there's no '82 mods here.

I am building these with the top decks free as these will be a two part paint, interior and exterior so they are just placed on for the time being.

An interesting little detail is the commanders cupola rotated so that the hatch opens to the side. Opening to the rear will cause it to clash with the map board assembly. 

This does mean cutting the 50cal mount off, repositioning and adding a missing visor, detail that will inevitably lost!  also note the removed aerial guards another IDF mod.

I've started on the rear stowage boxes and as you can see some rudimentary benches and interior. These have been fabricated using the unused track guards! I'm not going too heavy on the interior detail, mainly what's visible through the hatches. 

These will be modelled, one as battalion command moving ( ramp up) with the top map board in use and the brigade one will be modelled stationary with two map board boxes deployed at the side, ramp down, again a dilemma on basing:

• the Battalion command will be a standard base, in keeping with rest of the battalion;
• the Brigade command will be a slightly larger ensemble, probably alongside a jeep, and at some stage a Revel Bell Huey will be painted up to represent a command "runner".  My current read ( On the Banks of the Suez :Adan) highlights the significant employment of helicopters to move officers between the various command groups.

As with all this work I will need to modify some figures but am keen to add a Peter Pig dog sculpt on brigade base !

As always, comments welcome especially to correct any build errors.

Neil

Arab Israeli - Egyptian ISU 152

More plastic from BF, suitably up detailed. Plastic set of five ISU 152's ( I have plans for the other two!) converted into Egyptian modified 152's plus the command version. 

I filled the hulls with polyfilla to add some weight, small touch, but then it's all about the little details!

As usual hatches drilled and opened out, together with plastic card hatches which are more in scale. 

Next up was to remove the handle mouldings ( see far hull above) and replace with brass rod. This was a bit of a tedious process and at the cost of several micro drills, but I think worth it in the end. (Yes I know I stopped at the handles on the engine deck, well for now anyway)

I added the front stowage boxes and fuel/water tank and also the rear fuel tanks with revised carrying brackets.

The command version is fairly simple, all I had to do was add some welding beads around the gun mantles blank.

The cages around the lights were complicated but I think I pulled it off! 

Based as per the SU 100s, although the command version may well get a bigger diorama style base to reflect its purpose. 

All three together, ready for priming and crewing. 

White primer, just a light unifying coat at this stage, as I expect I will be adding more detail before the paint stage, alongside the SU 100's . Need to work out what to regards crew, the BF plastic set is great but gives in five I can use directly, so I guess there's going to be some Peter pig head swaps......

Gaming?

Not sure if these ever crossed the suez in'73, but useful to have as options, maybe they'll provide a surprise for some SAM hunting IDF recce on the West Bank. 

I am considering developing this little October War expedition into another display game. Whilst I have been extremely successful in the past, time and real life has prevented me creating anything over the last year or so. Plans are afoot for possibly 26 foot of Sinai ! We'll see.....

And...

Am working on some QRF Mi-8 "Hips", lot of work needed,  but I think they'll come out fine. 

Arab Israeli - Egyptian SU 100

I

Small addition to my Egyptians for the October war, up detailed Battlefront plastic SU100's.

I'm really liking the emergence of plastic, in both 1/100 but more significantly 1/56, as the possibilities of conversions and detailing, not to mention level of detail and stability of materials is simply impressive. 

The BF SU100 has the additional stowage box on the front right side of the superstructure on the sprue so all I had to add was the track tensioners on the left hand side and some moderate up-detailing.

 I decided to open up one, so chiselled off and cut out the drivers hatch on one, and using a hatch cut and thinned from the spare hull one and cut out, opened up the drivers position. 

(Note I didn't glue the hull at this stage as I would need to add a driver at a later stage)

I also thinned out the track guards but only the eagle eyes would notice!

The forward hatch was also opened up and I decided to add fuel tank supports on the rear. I also modified the mantlet casting to reflect the troughs for the securing bolts seen on the few reference examples.

I then added a simple base ( warbases again) and primed up ready for painting. 

Next up will probably be the plastic BF 152's, with some usual conversions but I'll save that for later! 

A sneak preview of the Israeli howitzer M50 SPG now available from S and S models, this one built as-is but I have three detailed ones in the works. 

Arab Israeli - M577

As with just about everything I'm building for the 1973 war, I've had to do some detailing to make it suitable for the IDF. Information on '73 M577 is scarce so this mod is probably a mixture of fittings from '73 examples to '83 and possibly later. The M577 will be my HQ stand primarily for my M107s but can stand in for the M109 battery as well ( both will use the M548 ammunition vehicles) I think the M50 battery will have a M3 command track to go with its lorry supply train.

So...what I could pick up in the forums is the lack of antenna guards on the roof and removal of the rear stowed tent assemblage. Obviously the vehicle sides have the usual paraphernalia but I really like a reference with tubes holding artillery ranging poles so I took so artistic license.

I started with the Battlefront/ flames of War Vietnam version.

 As it comes before modifying

View of rear tent assembly

Start of adding mods, revised roof hatch and side stowage

The tent coming off was a right pain, should have used the dremel

Most of detail added and installed in base. Have decided all the AIW vehicles will be based, bases bought from warbases, excellent service!

I've added the ubiquitous rolled cover sheet, used to disguise and cover the vehicles when stationary. 

The initial primer coat shows up any surface problems (below) , so this is now ready for its foundation colours.

I think it needs a commander figure either talking to driver, or possibly with binos on the roof ( although I suppose the hatch his shut!) or maybe going in the rear. I have some spare dogs from Peter pig so this may be the opportunity to use one!

Progress is slowly coming on, notable updates

- Urdan copulas moulded by S and S models and work really well on the BF M48

- Khurasan M60s assembled and in the process of up detailing

- M50 left hand side track section complete so that will be off to Shaun soon. Looks like my first complete vehicle  will be on S&S model product list pretty soon!

- IDF artillery loads competed, and moulded, both tubes and shells, should have loads of Cold War applications, again they will be in the S&S catalogue.

T55 Bridgelayer - MT55 - Part 4 - Update - almost there!

Thanks to Shaun at S and S Models, this is progressing really fast.  We have some "first pull" masters of most of the components; and as you can see are re-engineering some to make the master "less of a kit".

The pictures posted here are not the final production components, they show the bridge in deployed mode, you will of course be able to model both stowed and deployed.

The donor vehicle is still the Khurasan T55 , but this also fits the Battlefront T54/55

The picture below shows the full length of the bridge and vehicle deploying, we anticipate having both a deployed and stowed bridge available.

This shows the front hydraulic arm with the foot pad on the deck, also the single deck plate addition to the Khurasan hull.

As you can see some of the masters are being refined and the hydraulic pistons here are plastic rods. We are hoping the main front arm will be one casting including the single piston.

Pic below shows the connection to the bridge section. The "H" section is not fixed to  the bridge so the vehicle and bridge can be separated.

I have also  revised the piston locating lugs based on new pictures being available.

And finally these last two pictures show the T55 after having deployed the bridge, as you can see the "H" frame just slides out and "voila" one laid bridge.

I am expecting to have production copies in a week or so, so I will make up this and a stowed variant.  I aim to have three or four for my AIW Syrians.

If you are interested in getting your hands on one or more of these, then contact Shaun at S&S Models. This is a little diversion for both him and Stewart, but hopefully and given enough interest, will be the start of a 15mm range, mind you only if they make their investment back!

As always comments and ideas welcome, KMT mine roller anyone?......