This probably will be a 3/2 Stryker at one of their NTC rotations. I have a diorama in mind using Blast figures that I also put MILES on, but the painting will take forever with all that camo to do. So, for now I am just working on this Stryker.









I will need to remove the right rear antenna since I just realized that it has a spacer for the MILES set-up. Also a couple of metal plates will go on the front corners, but not until after I mount the upper hull to the lower hull.

I thought about using the PE from the Trumpeter set for the wire cutters and jerrycan racks but I realized they were easily thinned with sandpaper so that is what I did.

My next Stryker will have the wheels turned - at least that's the plan.

Bob

Bob,
Nice looking build, what are you using for Non-Skid?

Tanks
Andy

Andy,

Cast-A-Coat. I think there is too much masking for the Stryker with all the bolts, etc. to use the spray on method of Rustoleum. This method is a brush on then sprinkle the fine powder/grain.

Bob

HI

Looking good so far. Going to do er up nice and dusty and overloaded with kit??

As well, good to show that the STRYKER doesn't always wear bar armour and that you can indeed build it out of the box

Keep up the good work.

Tom

She's looking real good there Bob. What did you use to make the MILES system. I just finished up my OOB Trumpeter kit and waiting to do the AFV one. Waiting on the next progress post.

Joe

Gary, the PE I am referring to is the stuff that comes with their Stryker kit - jerrycan racks and wirecutters. I too have seen the set you are referring to and asked my LHS to get it ASAP but it is not available yet. I am on the same page as you - I WANT THOSE STRUT GUARDS! But, I am not confident they will fit since both kits seem to be quite different in their respective dimensions. Matching up the kit provided strut guards show they are not the same size.

Anyway, I think I may have found something at my local RR hobby shop, but I need to first make a paper strut guard and take it to the shop and see if it will work out since it is some type of walkway for RR stuff and so therefore kind of narrow. I am not sure there is enough to get all these bends and whatnot. No way will it glue together, although I suppose I could mount it to card and shadow the holes so it does not seem obvious. This will be my last resort... or I use the incorrect strut guard.

Bob

Looks good Bob . By the way the MGS test vehicle with slat armor is still here being tested

Bob, this is going great. I couldn't tell where the MILES gear was in photos, but seeing that makes it much easier. Keep up the good work.

Don, do you happen to have a chance to get any pictures of an MGS with slat armor?

Jeff

Jeff,

To clarify - many photos show there are two MILES belts along the side hulls, and there is a separation between the two with wires connecting them. However, I have a number of my NTC photos that show one continuously along the sides. This is what I went with.

Right now I am working on the right rear antenna mount, which has a spacer, and the CVKI light mount, which is fairly complicated. And then an oddly shaped plate for the light mount to go on as well, which sort of ties into the roof bolts. I am on my third try at the moment and getting a little peaved. It was 104 today in Portland and my hobby room is just cooling off at 10:00PM tonight. If I can get past this roadblock I will be feeling good about this project. I had fun wiring the front and rear lights and the DVE. I can't wait to see all the MILES wiring bring it all together too.

Then later I have to deal with the MILES set up of the .50 cal. No way I am using the MK19 since MILES for that is a lot of work, including a solar powered speaker system on an RWS ammo box.

Bob

If you need any parts for the the M2, I know Italeri's M1A2 Abrams has a MILES set up for the TC's .50.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I will be using what comes in the Academy M113.

Bob

Joe, sorry, I just saw this. The MILES belts are US made masking tape. It has just that little bit of texture. I think it will look good when painted. Also, I turned the sticky side up and put string along the length of the tape, The idea is that when I paint this and do a wash and highlight the ever so slight bulge of the string underneath will show - this represents the wire that is evident underneath the MILES belt. The nodules are Tichy Train Group .060" rivets. For the metal plates (I forget the real name) at the halfway points I merely took some appropriate thickness scrap plastic and carved and sanded the ends to represent the tapered ends.

Still lots of work as described above w/ the light and its mount. The EPLRS antenna w/ its spacer was not problem and that is done. When I finish this light and mount I i will post some pics. I took the day off and thought I would work alot on this model but I am still not happy w/ the light mount I have been working on for days. UGHHH.

Bob

Bob

I like the Stryker,reat work. The miles strips look good. I am working on a Humvee at NTC. Do you have any pictures on how the miles strips are wired into the system?

Again great work and cant wait to see it done.

Thanks
Grant

Bob

I like the Stryker,reatly nice work. The miles strips look good. I am working on a Humvee at NTC. Do you have any pictures on how the miles strips are wired into the system?

Again great work and cant wait to see it done.

Thanks
Grant

Okay, I'm gonna ask a really dump question. What in heavens name is NTC???

NTC=National Training Center, Ft Irwin, California.. Gino (Heavyarty) used to work there and are the expert around here, but here is a link

Charles, it is the National Training Center. This is one of the premier training grounds in the US, if not the world. This is where they do the laser tag thing in the Southern California desert. They have enough room for brigade vs brigade exercises. Now it is no longer a mech war training environment, but instead more of an all empompassing multi-level training involving Iraqi-American roleplayers, villages, TV network roleplaying, insurgents ...

Years ago there was a nice book about the NTC during its mech war days and how they trained to fight the Soviet hordes using visually modified vehicles (VISMODS) to look like Soviet T-72s and BMPS and such. They still use VISMODS to represent the Iraqi Army and such.

Grant, I will PM you. I can't show my photos for quite awhile now since I have a project I am working on.

Bob

Much appreciated Bob. One learns something new everyday

Of course MILES is used everywhere, not just the NTC, but my vehicle is based on Strykers I saw at the NTC and I am going to do a diorama which will obviously be depicting the NTC when finished.

More progress. Added the periscopes w/ their anti-lasing lenses. Working on MILES stuff on the rear roof.







Gary, I am heading to the RR shop this Saturday. I'll let you know.

Bob

I like your kill light. What are you using for the light?

Jeff

Gary, I used the party confetti that comes with that color coating on it. Note the periscopes are a very tight fit once primed and then having the confetti put on. I had to trim the back sides of each periscope opening to get them in. The confetti kept coming off as I slid it in and smeared it too so I had to cut all over again, twice!

Jeff, the light comes from the HEMTT kits. I plan on painting over the whole thing though and not really using the clear light. Needs to be orange of course. The rest of the mount is just plastic scrap or Evergreen parts. Still need to figure out the top plate though (see the small square lying on the cutting board). This plate is kind of complicated and I have been putting it off and doing other things, like the periscopes and such.

Now I want to wire the rest of the MILES, but first I better get the kill light done so I can wire everything at once. Then onto the RWS.

Bob