Thanks for the comments guys, I know the feet are a little big But they looked sooo small when I was making the stamp.I was wearing a 3x optivisor,maybe a 2x would have been better.You know what they say,size matters Jeff T.

Jeff: are you dug out yet?

small progress for me. I've figured out the armature for the horses and added the Italeri troop seats and side panels to the Tamiya body. Also in the background you can see the start of the chicken coop.





Happy Modelling, -zon

Zon...Man,that looks nice.I really like the old merging with the new....ish.The're both old,just one is older than the other And if you must know,Saturday morning when I was cleaning up,the input shaft on my snowblower desided it wanted to snap That gave me some extra time at the bench though.J.T.

Looks good Zon...Good luck...

Jeff: Snow Blower!!??!! Get a shovel! On a more realistic note, during my grad school years, I visited Boston during the "storm of the century" in early 93. The storm ended up not being too much, but still dumped a bunch of snow. I helped my friend shovel their driveway and fully support the use of snowblowers!!! And from your reports, I'm sure your depth is way more than that was.

Also, thanks for the comments. The build is going to end up being 40% scratch, 25% Tamiya, 20% Italeri, and 15% Miniart (horses).

Hakan: thanks for the kind words and the luck! I think I will need it as my desires are outpacing my abilities.

Happy Modelling, -zon

Jeff: Don't worry too much about the feet, maybe a light dusting will help blend them in a little.

Zon: It's great to see your project back on the workbench

Okay here's my background story for my submission. I'll try to get my WIP photos up later today or tomorrow.

The Anglo-American Joint Weaponry Program (AAJWP) was a follow-up to the failed German-American MBT-70 Project. The goal was to establish a line of weaponry utilizing design elements from both countries. The AAJWP faced the stigma of the MBT-70 Program as well as the success of the Abrams and Challenger designs. They focused on utilizing existing design components as well as options. Their focus was on developing weapons systems for export.

The AAJWP's first weapon was influenced by the Assault Gun. It was intended to be an infantry support weapon, but with anti-tank capabilities. The AAJWP drew upon stockpiled M60s, first series M1s, and Chieftains. The British would later offer the Challenger 1s as well. Each came with a variety of engine options.

Initially, the designs were to utilize the British L7 105mm Rfle Gun. The gun could fire a variety of ammunition types and there were abundant numbers of the gun stockpiled away. Customer response to the L7 was lukewarm. Most wanted to go with a larger gun, such as the German 120mm gun. In response, the AAJWP offered the larger British L11 120mm Rifled Gun as an option.

Depicted is the AGM-1D Rhino. It is based on the first series M1 Abrams hull. It uses a Continental V12 Twin-turbo diesel engine, similar to the ones used with the M60 Patton. The main gun is the British L11. This one has the Advanced Optics Package (AOP), including the Laser Designator and Commander's Spotter Scope.

This Rhino utilizes the Eagle Eye Battlefield Communications Network System. It allows integrated fire control and information sharing between platoon vehicles as well as feeds from Command.

The Rhino's commander's cupola was taken from the M60 Pattons, while the loaders hatch is similar to the one foudn on the Abrams. The placement of the Commander's cupola and loader's hatch are not typical. The change was influenced by ammunition storage demands.

This vehicle also utilizes German style grenade launchers, per customer's specifications. Additional launchers have been placed at the rear of the upper hull to provide wider smoke coverage. And it has been outfitted with wading gear.

Alex: Just read through your backstory real quick on lunch break, Nice!!

VonH...I'm not worried about the feet,I can give you a backstory if you would like as to why they are so big J.T.

The original premise of this one is to make a JagAbrams. I used the old Tamiya M1 kit. I had a hull and turret in my spares and decided to use it. Everything else came from the spares. For the gun I used a Soviet 120mm gun I had in my spares. It looks like the British L11. I used the tip from a Hobbyboss Leopard 2.



Assembly on the hull was pretty straightforward. Work began on the fixed upper hull. I used card stock to make my templates. I tried to keep to the original Abrams' armor angles and general look.





The commander's cupola was donated from the spares. I switched the positions on awhim. I did plan onadding ablister so the cupola has an overhangoff the hull side. The piece came from the DML ISU-122/152 kit. The gun mount and mantlet came from there as well.

I painted the lower hull, running gear, and inside skirts flat black. I fitted the skirt temporarily to see the side profile. It was temping to leave the skirts off.

The next stage is workign on the upper hull and give it that Abrams look. I borrowed the side storage boxes. Being the shorter early version, they fit on the shortened fixed upper hull. The original M1 turret storage fit great. However, I would need to add a bustle rack.

I added a sight for a TOW launcher to the command cupola as a laser designator. It's for astetics, but I could see it pass for a laser designator to remotely guide fired in laser guided weaponry. The loader's hatch, wind sensor, etc. all came from the M1 kit.



Here's the build of the bustle rack. It was pretty straight-forward, made from strip styrene. I modified the kit stowage to mate with it. I added mesh. I also decided to do something with the rear engine deck. I found some venting in the spares and added them as cooling fans.



Not shown, I added an armor piece on top of the gun barrel and mantlet to break up that Soviet look. I also decided to use German style smoke grenade launchers. I added the ones on the rear of the upper hull for full coverage.





Painted with base coat. This is when I decided to add the wading gear. It came from the old DML Abrams kit.

At this point I'm putting the model build on hold until I decide on a possible camo scheme, stowage, crew, etc. I may even add some add-on armor to the skirts and hulls. There's still lots of finish work needing to be done.

Comments? Suggestions?

Now that's cool. It looks plausible as a interim type of tank destroyer.

Might I suggest a three color NATO scheme, using sand, brown and black?

G

Bluestab, I agree with G-- that's cool! I like a good spares-bin-cleaning project, and you're making it very believable-- and QUICKLY too!!

G, you live in the desert-- sand, brown, and black NATO scheme is your answer to everything.

Zon, I like the crazy direction you're going in, and it looks like it's coming together well!

Jeremy, will I need to write a nifty backstory too to get my ribbon? (They really are good, guys!) I never really did yet, thinking that an off-road UPS truck is self-explanatory. I can try it though, since all of my peers are doing it.

Cheers, everyone!
-Sean H.

Thanks for the comments.

Sean H, Those photos were taken months ago. I took a break while I think about how I'm going to finish it up. I was going to wait until I was done with it to post them.

Back in January I lost the pictures I had taken for the Tiger Campaign and had to withdraw from that one. I had a little scare with these, so I went ahead and put up what I have. No sense in tempting fate twice. I started the model back in early October and got to this point around in early January. Lots of test fitting panel templates.

G, I was thinking about a variant of the 3-color scheme. I finished an IJA Type 97 a few weeks ago and I think that scheme would look good. I'll play around with some ideas.

Well all I see out my windows are sand and rock!

How about sand/green/black like Australian colors?

G

Alex: Super cool!! Have you considered an articulated TOW launcher like on the Bradley as additional tank killing power?

Sean H: Thanks for the comments. It's a fun build.

Happy Modelling, -zon

zon, I thought about implementing a TOW launcher. I went with the laser designator because the crew wouldn't have to worry about reloading the launcher or stowing missiles.

I figured laser guided munitions could be fired or launched by other vehicles or aircraft and guided in by this one. Plus, I plan on building a laser guided missile launcher vehicle later on.

Sean: It is part of the campaign requirements, so yes you will need to write up a backstory. It doesn't need to be as in depth as say Alex's, just enough to provide a little information about the purpose of your vehicle's existence. If I remember correctly I think you already roughed one out before the campaign started. You can just expand on that, and the amount of creative writing is up to you

Alex: That is very interesting, and I will have to take some time to look over it more before I offer any suggestions. I like G's idea about the NATO paint scheme though. Keep up the great work!

Submitted for your pleasure, one backstory:

With the fall of the Union of States, highway safety became less of a priority to what government remained. People quickly learned not to venture far into the wild, away from the police districts.
Eventually, the highways themselves became less of a priority, and fell into ruin.
Eisenhower would have wept at what had become of his beautiful Interstate System.
The good people still wanted their commerce and ordered their packages, but the parcel delivery business would have to change their game.
With roads in ill-repair and highway robbery once again a very real possibility, the ubiquitous UPS truck, so beloved everywhere, was strengthened and armored. Using a common A.M. General HMMWV military-spec chassis, bullet-resistant glass, and thick sandwich armor, the new brown truck was equipped to go where no one else would dare. Today they still bring a smile to your face when they appear at your door, no matter how hazardous the journey.


Cheers!
-Sean H.

Looks great Sean....

Awesome Sean! good to see ol' brown again.

Happy Modelling, -zon

Sean H., Looks nice. I'm wondering about the delivery driver though. For some reason I'm picturing the driver wearing body armor, armed to the teeth, but still wearing the brown shorts.

Sean H .. mate a very cool back story annoying thing is ,,UPS have never delivered anything to me
The truck looks brilliant mate,very nicely done.

Alex thinking the same thing now you mentioned it .

Phill

Hakan and Zon, thanks!

Alex and Phill,
Yes, everyone does! I had considered a driver and of course those brown shorts, but I don't have a lot of figure sculpting prowess, although there are two whole months left in this build, right?...

Here's a pic of the front again:

Cheers!
-Sean H.

Sean;

COOL!

Looks just like the sort of thing the UPS guy needs just to get up my drive from the county road! OK - he doesn't need (not, yet, anyway ) the armor, but the hummer-drive sure would help the poor guy!

Yeah, a nice buff young thing with body armor and shorts would be the Bomb! Oh, and a winch kit, methinks!

Swell job, there, pard!