Hi gang!
Well, here it is fresh from my desk to your computer screens, half a world away. I have built this for our headquarters here as I will never be able to take it home. Bringing Iraqi sand back to the USA is verboten, besides, USPS would have this thing in about a zillion pieces by the time it got from the war zone to my house. So I hope that you enjoy it, please feel free to comment on it as I am a big boy and can take your comments with grace and use your criticisms for my next build. By the way, I should mention that this is my first real stab at armor, I used to be a 1/48 WWII airplane guy. That has all changed now that I am here. Oh ya, by the way, my first name is Ron.
Not to many people have AUTHENTIC ground work… Great job… Its a shame you can’t bring it home but it place is there. Good luck to you and keep up the good work…
Wow! great job especially for your first try at armor. Only thing I might add is that the vehicles look real clean, so maybe som sand on the vehicles. But I am not in Iraq sooo, I wouldn’ t really know how dirty the vehicles there are.
Aside from that everything looks good to me. All the little things that add up, like the radio, ration boxes and the ice chest, and tarps etc. All that stuff adds a lot of detail.
What kits did you use for this?
Great job, and stay safe over there!
Great job! nice painting of the figures faces. the details on the tanks are amazing.
The kits are all Tamiya, with Verlinden stowage sets. Paints are all testors model master. It is just amaizing what you can mail order!! Ive gotten the tanks pretty dirty on the backsides with pastel chalk. With the eye, it looks awesome but for some reason I just cant get it to show up with the digital camera. Perhaps I will go back in and darken it a little.
I have had the same problem with cameras. Looks better with the naked eye. Good job.
Ron, looks really good. Just a couple of accuracy issues. First, the M2 Bradley you used is the wrong version, it should be aither an M2A2 or an M2A2 ODS. The straight A2 version was replaced during Desert Storm. Second, the rear mounted APU on the M1A1 is no longer used either. Current APU for M1A1 is mounted in the turret bussle rack. Also, most current vehicles have interior of hatches painted sand now as well, or if not, they should be a dark green or more olive green. On interior of Bradley, the bottles to the right rear of the turret enclosure are Halon Fire Extinguisher bottles and should be red, not silver. Lastly, you may want to try some drybrushing of the hull color where you have applied a wash around details, this will tone it down and blend it in some so it is not as stark a contrast. Looks great for a first effort at armor.
On another note. Do you have any contact with the Baghdad Hobby Club? It is out of one of the Military Rec Centers in Baghdad. I am trying to get an address to them so I can send some kits that I no longer want. Here is a site with info on them. The NCO at the contact address is not responding, think he rotated out.
I am not an expert, but I think this is fine work. You surely need a break from the everyday grind and perhaps modeling is the way to go.
It may seem safer to walk through Najaf than post pics here lately? I think it’s a great job and thanks for leaving all you know to help us all out.
Ted
LOL, ya Arty, I know, armor is “outside of my lane” but I do know the insides of the 113’s are a pale green, hatches and all. Being a 91 series I’ve gotten to ride in a few of them. Also, one thing to take into mind is that there are a LOT of guard and reserve units here, just like me. We don’t all have the newest latest greatest stuff. I know for a fact there are M1’s rolling around here with the APU’s on the rear deck. Also, this war was fought with a lot of foward deployed stocks, from places like Camp AsSayliyah in Qatar and camp Arifjon in Kuwait. After Desert storm, some of the equipment that was used in the war was sent to those camps. It stayed there until it was deployed for OIF.
My MOS takes me all over the AOR, so I will keep my eyes open for you with the club. Which camp are they at? Good suff on the dry brushing, I was kinda wondering how to tone down the transisition. My next project is an 88 pulling down the Sadam statue at the big traffic circle. I will use all of your guys suggestions on that one!
First stab at armor and a diorama to boot! Very nice detail on the stowage, figures, and of course the real sand! Welcome to the darkside of armor and your next project sounds equally appropriate. Don’t worry about building for the camera, build for the human eye. Think of TV makeup and harsh lighting and how garish people have to look under those conditions in order to appear “normal”. I say if you got the effect you wanted under normal conditions, stick with it. Gino has some good suggestions on drybrushing and toning down the wash effect to round out your overall effect for display.
Thanks for posting your work and also for your service! [tup]
They look great!
Why can’t the sand come here?
Nice job. It will be well excepted by your HQ.
Ron, I agree on the NG equipment and Abrams, some probably do have the old APU. Still stick to my guns on the M2 though. I know they were all changed to M2A2 or now are M2A2 ODS. Yours looks great, just not accurate for OIF. As far as the PrePo stocks, they were latest versions and actually in better shape than most of the stuff we brought from home station. I was in 3ID at the time, our PrePo stuff was almost pristine when we drew it, trash when we turned it back in after the initial invasion.
Don’t know the camp for the Hobby Club is at. Keep up the great work and kep your head down.
I like it! First attempt or otherwise, it looks like you had a good time building it and you had plenty of references on hand. Course, there’s always room to grow and improve in all we do, but this is most definitely a good start. Take care over there and keep on building.
I know what you mean about the local soil. We had a bear of a time getting our gear cleared through the Ag inspection when we left Afghanistan. Lots of working parties at the wash racks!
That looks great armydog I love OIF M113’s lately Ive been bitten by the OIF bug and am building pretty much nothing but OIF stuff just finished a hummer will be posting pics soon, since your in the area any feedback you could provide on my models would be very apriciated, heres a pic of an M113 I did recently you probably already saw it but heavyarty has already pointed out the flaws which I took care of ,thanks to him I am bieng more anal about details.
Mjohnson,
It has to do with customs and agriculture protection in regards to bringing soil/dirt back from foreign locations. That’s why every Customs form for re-entering the US from a foreign destination asks if you’ve been around livestock or are bringing back soil or plant samples. The dirt can contain microbes, plant seeds, insects, etc. that are non-native to the US and if let loose can cause havoc on crops and other plants and eco-systems.
Great job, the detail work is astounding!!
Outstanding dio Ron. Under the circumstances, and overall conditions of your current location we are going to waive any inaccuracy’s that may have been noted, and just give you a warning this time. Keep up the great builds, and like the rest of the guys say! keep safe, and come home soon. semper fi, mike
Very nice work for a first timer. Hope to see some more.
awsome job, i have a friend whos dad would fit right into this diorama =D