Some may remember about a month ago I was looking for some Italeri HMMWVs to build into OC HMMWs from the National Training Center, FT Irwin, CA. These are the HMMWVs that are used by the permanant party trainers here, Observer Controllers.
Here is a pic of the actual vehicle.
I am building 5 on commission. I have completed 2 and the 3rd is about 90%, 2 more to go.
In progress shot:
Completed model:
The box on back is a sleeping box that opens up like a lean-to with the front open. We put our sleeping bags in them and that is home for 14 days a month while training units to go to Iraq.
No kitbash, the white and resin parts are all custom-made by me. Rear side door panels are cut from sheet plastic panels from the kits rear roof area. All gear and stowage is also custom-made by me, along with decals.
??? Don’t get this question???
Here is another shot showing the SICGARS radios, speaker boxes on the B pillar, home-made PLGR, OC radio next to it, and comfy OC seat .
Are the radios scratch or kit? I’d like to find some of those for a couple of models I have on the shelf. Those are nice looking builds, too, HeavyArty, thanks for posting.
Are you going to put a couple of soda cases in there as well?
The SINCGARS radios inside the box in the middle of the HMMWV are the Pro Art set. Very nice. The OC radio is the small black rectangle next to the PLGR, it is just that, scratched block with some knobs added. PLGR was made by me.
I need to finish the one HMMWV I’ve got here. Was gonna build it as our company HMMWV that we rode around in at Ft. Knox, just to do something different.
Ok very good then. To me a kitbash is when you start with a kit. ie the Italeri HMMWVs. All the extra work may be entirely scratchbuilt but you add it to the original kit. Thats all I meant. [tup]
O.K. To me, a kitbash is when you combine different kits to get another version that is different from the first two, or a version that is better detailed or more accurate than the original kits. You are bashing the two kits together to get something new.
When you scratch build parts and major assemblies, it is a heavily scratch-built conversion. If that makes sense.
We use BFT if the player unit has it. Some of the OC vehicles (S3s, Supply Trainers, etc) are just getting it. We have another tracking system out here related to the MILES gear that each player vehicle is fitted with. The first pic of the actual OC HMMWV, has BFT on top of the front windshield (sand colored box). OC vehicles are usually not instrumented for tracking.
Excellent looking build, Gino – always happy to see your work. Love the attention to detail on the radios. I also love the Gatorade cooler on the back!
Now that you pointed it out, I do see that familiar antenna on the photo of the 1:1 scale. I was just wondering because I’d never heard of BFT until we went to Bagram and the units there were using it. I just wondered what was used to track everybody out there at NTC. Thanks for the answers, sir.
