Hi all,

A break from WW2, a break from Shermans (listening, Alex P.?!)

This is the Tamiya M113 ACAV, which has been on my shelf SINCE THE KIT WAS RELEASED! Yep, since 1987. Twenty-one years later, it's done! I realize the A1 variant was more common, but I think everyone here can appreciate that I really wanted to get this done.

Anyway, it's done mostly OOTB with some extra stowage. The figs, other than the commander, are DML, most from the marine recon set (the ERDL had the same cut as basic jungle fatigues) with different heads, helmets, and some gear. The M60 gunner is a mishmash of DML parts.

The base is a Michaels wood plaque with pink polystyrene foam glued to that, with wood edging around, all painted black. The groundwork is spackle with fine dirt on top, the grass a mix of static grass (4 different shades) and jute twine. The underbrush is all fake plastic aquarium plants, and the palm tree and log are homemade from two stick from my yard, jute twine, spackle, and silk leaves.

My usual photo account doesn't seem to be accepting new pics (even though there seems to be plenty of space available), so I have a new host. So hopefully these pics will work. The last pic I took outside for some different lighting.

By the way....I'm lacking a title. I was thinking "The Iron Triangle, 1969", but I don't know how much of a hotspot that was in 1969. I'm open to other ideas.

Comments welcome. This is my 5th dio ever and already my 2nd of the year.

Rob

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/2289722134_4932d3ba33_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2289722824_b787f484db_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/2288933913_2c0e1d4716_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2102/2289724190_356940ece3_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2289725758_0cc7e7ee9a_b.jpg

Great looking dio Rob, the APC lock fantastic and nicely weathered. Layout looks great but my only suggestion is to color the tree trucks some more, they look to light. Even a wash would give them some life. Again great job…

Happy Modeling,
Joe

Thanks Al, for making my links active. Don't know what happened there.

Joe, as for the tree trunks, they got a dark wash and a highlight dry brush. My camera (skills) tends to wash things out. Every time I post a photo of one of my AFVs, people always say that everything looks to clean, but that is mostly a result of the photography.

Thanks for the comments/help.

Rob

I'll aslo comment on the good weathering on the vehicle and carried onto the boots of the figs. The orange color mud looks accurate. What paint/colors did you use to get this effect?

I can't say about the inside photos, but the one taken outside with natural sunlight really did a great job of showing off the fantastic weathering on the M113. The mud and dust, combined with the very natural appearance of the tracks (fruil?) combine to make a great model! Congrats.

Nice job on the apc but your jungle plants look like they came from a tropical fish pet store. They should be painted as the unrealistic plastic detracts from the scene.

Hi again,

The earth color is a cheap acrylic color from the Ceramcote (I think I used the correct spelling) line from Michaels. The color is Terra Cotta. Just sprayed it over the base before all the foliage was on, then did some washes and drybrushing to it.

The plants look like they came from a pet store b/c they did. I painted some of them, but not all. Perhaps I should have.....actually, they are just pinned in place right now, so it would be easy to remove them, paint them, then stick them back down I think.

The tracks are AFV club rubber band type. I chose these b/c they have detail on the insides, as opposed to the ancient Tamiya ones that actually LOOK like a rubber band. They afv club ones were a bit too wide for the sprocket wheels, so I had to add a spacer to the sprockets.

Rob

Looking good Rob - like your weathering and how the figures are placed, great mix. Nice job with a kit that old, wow! Thanks for sharing your photos!

Cheers!

Tim

Thanks Tim.

With the underbrush (not the grass, but the other stuff) just pinned in place, last night I pulled them and spray painted them medium and dark green. They look even better now (I didn't bother to take new pics). I'm satisfied enough now to call it done. Thanks again everyone.

Rob

Robert,

Looking good. I will take your word on the lightness of the trunks being due to lighting. The palm fronds are looking good but can be improved by painting a yellow stem down the centre, and possible adding some more vertically positioned fronds. Also with the rings around the tree, they are not often that large, try going for thinner string (I assume string is what you used) next time.

I would steer away from plastic plants in the future, however, the two bushes closest to the vehicle look satisfactory. Try using natural material such as grasses, leaves and preserve/paint them. You will find they give better results.

I must say the vehicle is fantastically weathered and the figure painting is excellent.

Chas

Hi budys!

very good job in the diorama!

can you post some other picks?
maybe some closser ones ?
of the figs mostly!


very impressed with the weathering and possitioning of the figures!

hoppe to hear from yopu soon!