Below are photos of my completed M270 firing during Desert Storm. The kit itself was good with a couple of exceptions. The fit of the top body to the lower hull was difficult. Even after much work I was still left sealing two large seams. The M26 missle pods were a problem. The tubes were fine but the rack around them was a nightmare to line up without a fair amount of putty work. Lastly it was clear that the kit was not originally designed to have the missle pods with their racks and lifting boom installed in the loaded position. Since I was going to have the laucher raised, I needed the pods loaded so a gap was not visable from below. This required the removal of the lifting boom and some butcher work (internally so it is not visable) to the top of the pod and extension rack. Otherwise this was quite an enjoyable kit.
Some of the added items were the missle and flame trail made from 5/16 dowel. Smoke was a raid on the box of cotton in the bathroom since time began. Also added the mud flaps and full antennas.
Before anyone says anything, I know the sand is not exactly the right color for Iraq sand. I decided to go with a fine sand which was colored and looked better next to the model rather than using play sand which was larger in size and looked like stones. This was the best color available. Besides, as it has been said many times in these forums, we do this for fun not perfection. I get driven nuts at work, modeling is supposed to be my release.
The hardest part in making this model was I am old school. Heavy artillery during my career was a BIG tube. During my career the BIG tube was phased out and the MLRS came in. I love technology, and it was a step in the right direction but I sure miss the smell of “muzzle blast”. Enough complaining, here is my M270 for review. Thanks for your comments and don’t take any high angle primers!
kul looking dio. i personally prefer the light weathering. the only two comments i can give for now is that on the starboard side the decal that says 41, where u seem to be able to see the left edge of the decal carrier film cuz it’s darker than the paint color. i dont know how one can fix that really. also the rubber on the roadwheels are way too clean for those dirty tracks. otherwise yup it’s kul.
what did u use for the missile? sharpened crayon??
Loosk great. I really like the in-action shot. The only thing I see is that some parts, like the roadwheels and elevation drive motor look glossy. Maybe hit them with a shot of dullcote.
The missle is 5/16 dowel. The nose is made in a sharpener. Then the wood was sealed with numerous coats of urethane.
Yep, I know about the decal, I used dark grey pastel dust for weathering. It would not take well to the “dullcoat future” on the decal. Also the pastel did not show up well on the roadwheels. Thanks for your comments. we all do this forum thing to look for tip and hopefully get better on the next one.
Remember, I don’t want to be perfect, the only explosives experts are dead. The last thing they had to learn got them. I can’t imagine what would happen to a perfect modeler!!
Heavy, you took too long on this fire mission! Almost an hour after my posting! ([:)]
I knew once you saw M270 you would be all over it.
Roadwheels are my problem (not as bad as the photo makes them look but still glossy). The elevator drive area and front of the launcher was a test. It has an heavy overspray of dullcoat to try to cause some minor bubbles and pits and look like paint exposed to high temp. It worked fine on the launcher front but the drive area dried a bit glossy.
It’s always a buisness doing pleasure with a fellow Redleg. Keep out of the high angle primers and have some muzzle blast for me.
either gone blind from rivet counting or murdered by the wift units for not helping out with any housework what so ever while claiming that models are more important than the marriage. =P
Looks really good! I’m sure that people will start linking to this model when the inevitable twice a year post ‘how to make fire’ shows up again. You got around the problem pretty effectively!
Now when is a treadhead gonna make a shot of an M1 firing? We can’t let all the gunbunnies get to the action first!
hey I have the exact same kit and am going to do the loading portion though I’ll need to scrounge up some wire and a small piece of plastic to make a remote and the cable for the loading cranes.
well at least the kit doesn’t include rubber band tracks[yuck]
As I stated I’m a “tube man” but “Heavy” is on these and can confirm what I am about to tell you. The remote comes off one of the rear panels of the launcher and is stored inside until use. The kit does include the remote control but it is part of the rear panel as I remember. If you check you either have it or with a little work have it in the kit now. Then you just need wire. Good Luck!
well actually I do have wire a power cord for a lamp which doesn’t have a lamp attached to it and used some of it in my Arizona model kits loading crane hinges. the copper wires should look good enough painted black and coiled up. My little brother is a M1 Panther driver over at Ft Riley with the 1st EB 1st ID.(ugggh I forgot that he was switched from the 1st EB to a new Engineering battalion within the 1st that hasn’t even got a designation or equipment or the rest of the troops coming in from Germany yet since there is only 10 guys right now in the battalion)8P
Sorry for the crappy pic, taken a few years ago with a crappy digicam.
The boom and LLM controller is located in the left rear panel on the LLM. It is molded on the back side of the kit part. All you have to do is carefully cut it off and add a small wire. All the boom parts are there too, again, you just need to add the cable.
It’s hard to have a howitzer firing. As far as the MLRS, I love what Gino did and that is what the kit is somewhat set up to do. I wanted to do something different and invoke the smell of muzzle blast!
it looks realy great redleg. i also am in the process of making a TOW being fired out of a bradley. your model gives it more of an “action” build. good job. [tup]
