Well now that I'm on a roll, here's the second of my posts today.

Canadas UNPROFOR M113 ARVL ( Armoured Vehicle Recovery Light) based in Bosnia in the middle 90's

The base kit is Academy M113 with Maple Leaf Models ARVL conversion kit, unfortunately no longer available. The conversion kit includes the rear spade, rear hull extensions, internal winch and other various bits. A very well thought out and easy conversion, thanks JP.

The interior was super detailed adding most of the major hydraulic piping and electrical cable. Additional brackets, radios etc were also added.

I researched and re-drew out the interior signage and graphics in Adobe Illustrator ( in both French and English , just in case your wondering...mental I tell ya!) and had them printed at Daly Design (wonderful people and very patient!)

Exterior bits include Eduard PE, Maple Leaf Models grouser racks, wire cutters, lights , antenna mounts and front sprockets. AFV Club provide the Diehl track.

Paint from Tamiya & Vallejo with MIG pigments.

That should do it...

As always my thanks go out to Mark ( for the kit), Jim, ( awesome reference pics) and JB, and everyone else I can't remember.

Comments and Critiques welcome.

Cheers

Pete

Wow, I wish you had done a WIP on that interior! That looks awesome! I would have loved to see the process you took.

Nice!
Cuhail

Aside from that astounding interior... your weathering & wear is out of this world!

Look Super nice model
The light is too yellow since the UN white look like desert yellow
BTW you say that AFV is providing the diehl track in which kit ???
More pics will be a good addition
Cheers
Seb

I think it is AF 35066

Thanks You Eddie
Didnot know that one
Cheers
seb

Thanks for the kind words.
The AFV Club track I use is the rubber band style. HTH
Seb, you're right the light is way too yellow, still need to get my photography dialed in.
Cheers
Pete

Nice kit but, did they really have white UN-vehicles in Kosovo?
The Kosovo mission is called KFOR ( Kosovo force) and not UNPROFOR (United Nations protection force)
UNPROFOR was the mission in Croatia and Bosnia up until 1995 when it was replaced by the NATO mission IFOR (Implementation force) and later SFOR (Stabilization force)

/Thord

Thord,

You're right, my mistake, many apologies.

Thanks for the correction, the original post has been edited.

Beautiful job Pete, absolutely beautiful....first rate. I'd love to see this one in person. Please come to some model shows in Calgary next year....?

cheers

Bob

Very nice Pete! Could be the camera/lighting but the periscopes look a little too light greenish. Maybe a dark blue might look better? (being nit-picky I know but would make a great model even better IMO!) Excellent work on the interior.

Cheers,
Jim

Unfortunately the camera is making the green a little too hot. In person its actually some iridescent green film, which does create the periscope effect quite well. I have tried the clear blue/green over silver before and have never been satisfied with the look. I don't mind this one. That is until I find something better....
Thanks for the encouragement, as I said those were great reference photos, thanks.
P

Very well done......you done good.

Awesome details added Pete......it looks very much like the ones in Bosnia when I was there in '94.

Super job on the chipping....just the right amount.

I wish that conversion was available again. Your ARVL (M806) looks great. Is the safety meshing shown all that comes with the Kit or is that a local mod? I served on ARVL's for a while and ours had an almost full mesh. I never felt comfortable winching inside one.
Al
Arte et marte

Just love it!! The interieur is realy great and you did a great job on the tracks.Happen to see one of those in real back in '93 in cracac, croatia.
Great job!!

Patrick

Any closer to your model?

Bill

Thanks for the kind words.
Bill, thats great, did you drop it into Photoshop and play with the colour balance?Looks way better than mine.
For my next posts ( Leo C1 and M579 Fitter) I'll do the same.
Thanks Pete

Pete
First I checked the levels and they were off a bit, then adjusted the Hue Saturation.
Beautiful build, would have made a great build blog as was said before.
Regards
Bill

Bill, Thanks I will fool around with new shots.
One day I will do a WIP, I've got a Firefly that I'm building that I may do...or a Taurus....C2.......
Thanks again
P

Pete,

Great build mate. Interior detail is great, radios, hydraulics, stowage. I like the metal bar left over from the track shrouds too, nice touch. Have been thinking about doing something similar such as adding only the front metal bit form the track shroud (the bit with the foot loop in it) to my next M113.

I managed to get one of the last Maple Leaf ARVL interior kits when JP announced he was discontinuing the line. It’s a great kit I can't understand why he decided to stop selling it. It’s next on my build list. I also picked up the mouse house ARVL exterior set as well as it has the floatation pods. There is a ton of ARVL reference photos out there so I am confident I can go to town on the super-detailing just like you have. Any tips for building the kit mate?

If you have any in-progress build photos it would be great to see them.

Any chance of you posting your interior signage graphic?

W