LAV 25 (in progress)

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hello everyone. I’m working on a Desert Storm-era Marine Corps LAV 25, and I need some feedback and ideas on what to add or do with it. I’m building Trumpeter’s “USMC LAV-25 ‘Piranha.’” I was originally going to paint it desert tan, but after doing more research I decided to go with the regular NATO spray job, this photo is the inspiration:

This is also the inspiration, I’m going off the reality that the Marines went into desert combat with green/brown/black NATO spray-jobbed LAVs:

That last photo is an LAV 25 in modern times, so the practice is still around. As far as I know, these LA 25s could even be at 29 palms, I don’t know what the SOP is on paint jobs when deploying the to sandbox, but you get the idea.

And here’s the progress so far. Building is done, but now I’m adding on extra details, then painting will commence.

Here it is overall. I painted the bottom half and had a midlife crisis and decided to change it to the NATO spray pattern.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00007.jpg)

I’m a firm believer in out of the box modeling, and making your own extra details instead of buying AM parts, so this thing is loaded with individual details like the Tamiya 3mm tape used as straps and milliput equipment strapped on the turret.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00008.jpg)

I know I got some fingerprints on the model, the spray cans just aren’t working out for me, and when I use pastels to weather the model it’s like playing CSI on my models. My Iwata HP-CS is coming in tomorrow, I’ll give it a go with the NATO pattern.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00009.jpg)

A close-up of the tied-down antennae. Just a personal touch to it, I don’t like to make models that look strictly cookie-cutter in my opinion.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00010.jpg)

You can see early weathering going on before I decided to pull the plug on the desert camo.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00012.jpg)

The kit is great and all, but be prepared to do some serious suspension work.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00011.jpg)

The kit even comes with four guys, even though their gear loadout is intended for Desert Storm purposes, I adapted it to work for today’s Corps. The only thing I’m missing are his shades and possibly some knee pads, in the Army we have to wear them and we absolutely hate them, I don’t know what the Marine Corps says to their joes about the pads, but it wouldn’t hurt. I rigged the Tamiya tape as a sling and mag pouch straps. If the kit didn’t force me to put goggles on him, I wouldn’t have done it, we always leave those in supply, shades are standard.

!(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/ArmorMaster/LAV 25/DSC00005.jpg)

Thanks for the look, more photos will keep coming, please leave suggestions and ideas! I know fingerprints are kind of embarrassing, but I’ve sanded them down and I’ll get it squared away for next time. Thanks!

2

Looking good so far.

There are a couple of obvious omissions in the kit which you may care to address.

The kit lacks the co-axial M240 MG and the Commander’s MG, and also lacks the prominent wire cutters which should be on the front slope of the turret and in front of the driver’s position. However, those are issues with Trumpeter’s rendering of the kit and it’s your option as to whether you want to add them or leave it as is, OOB.

3

First, there is nothing wrong with scratch details…in many respects it’s good for the soul or at your point…it’s good training!!

Many vehicles in ODS did not have the time to get the Sand paint…especially on the Marine side of the house.

Humm…don’t like the knee pads…in about 30 years you will be glad you had the[^o)]…wish I had the and sneakers for PT and…

Yep…this is the my generation charged up hill both ways speech [;)]

Ok…enough of that…carry on!

Rounds Complete!!

4

Phil, I did notice the 240 was missing but I’m going to have to leave that and the wire cutters out because I don’t have the stuff to do that (milliput maybe?), but I’d love to put them in. I also noticed in most photos that the guys rig huge ammo cans on the sides of the basket, which the kit didn’t come with, so that may be a styrene or milliput project.

Redleg, we’re not big fans of the knee pads, when we can we just wear one and use that as our dominant knee when we have to take a knee or do other stuff. Glad to hear they didn’t have time to spray the vehicles, that’s what I’m going for. Thanks guys!

5

If my understanding is correct, your plan is to make this into a Desert Storm LAV and crew? If so, you’re figure has a few of problems. The flak jacket is wrong and so is the M16. We wore the PASGT body armor: http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_body_armor_pasgt.php . We also either wore them in their standard woodland camo or we used a desert camo vest cover-of-sorts over it. We also didn’t have the forward pistol grip on the M16 or the extra magazine attachment on the butt-stock. The googles were standard.

Also, the pintal mount on the LAV is designed for the M60e3, I believe. Originally, the LAV used the M60 and even the M249 was the commanders guns. If you have an M60e3, you can use that on the LAV. If you want to use the 240, you need a different mount.

-Jesse