Looks very good Tomek.

Thanks for the kind words Jacob.

Hi Tomek,

Your Bradly came out really well. I own an automotive transmission shop Near Atlantic City NJ USA, and I have a saying at work.......The only silly question is the one you dont ask! Again, nice job!

I hate to do this now that your Bradley is done, but I was in the sister battalion of the Bradley your markings represent,(B Company 1st Battalion 7th Infantry, I was in A Company 4th BN 7th INF) and we were stationed in the same town in Germany ( Aschaffenburg) and I can tell you from experience that we never removed any of the wading gear from those vehicles. Both of our battalions switched from old plain jane M2s to M2A2s at the same time (summer of '89). When we transitioned we did not swim test the new M2A2s because at the time the Army was worried that the new Bradleys weighed too much and didn't want to risk a crew and a brand spankin vehicle, just for a swim test. Anyway my point is that the swim barrier poles never came off the vehicle and were painted tan in place along with the rest of the track, when we got to Saudi Arabia in December of '90.

Tomek, your Bradley looks great! Would you mind sharing your painting/weathering techniques? I'm currently doing Academy's M2A2 OIF and am kind of lost on how to do weathering on vehicles from this conflict.

I'm very glad that you like my Bradley.



Oops. And what I should do now.

Can you tell me Joe how all equipment was fasten to vehicle sides, please? And maybe you have some pictures of Bradleys from Desert Storm?



I don't know too much English Cary, but I try to make description.
I painted all with brush. (I dont't have airbrush) As a base color I used Pactra Acrylic Enamel A118 US Gulf Armor Sand wich is similar to Model Master Acryl 4812 US Army/Marines Gulf Armor Sand. Next I painted hull with 2 coats of Sidolux (water based floor polish, something like Future) as a base for decals. Of course one can use any gloss lacquer. I set down markings and cover it with Sidolux. And now I've started to weather hull. I've painted all with very heavily diluted black Model Master (No. 1749). I wait a while and I wipe off paint with soft cloth. Black paint stays around prominent points and in holes and panel lines. I left model for next day to dry. Then I give a very thin layer of light grey color (I have Humbrol 129). This time I don't wipe off paint. One more time I left work for next day. On a gloss surfaces paint wont stay well then I gave 2 coats of Revell's matt lacquer (which appears closer to semigloss, however). Finally I take Model Master Sand (No. 1706), thin down well and I've painted all hull. The last thing was to put black paint into all panel lines and little holes in side skirts.
Afterwards I've repeat these steps on turret. (Minus painting it gloss, because there was no decals for turret)

I hope you understand what I'm written and it will be useful.




And how you enjoy this kit Cary?

Thank you Tomek for your weathering description. After finding out that you did all of your painting with a brush, I am even more impressed with how it came out.

As for the Academy M2A2, it's going together great. My only complaint so far is that I wished they had clear plastic for the periscopes instead of molding them in place. It would have made painting easier.

And your English is fine. Better than some of the people I work with who were born here!