Progress is goin really well, no big issues. Just the usual triming of parts like hatch openings and such. You have to trim the rear bulkhead 'cause of the different angles between the LAV3 and the striker.





more updates tomorrow!

cheers

I agree with everyone here about AEF. Tony has improved his casting over the years. I had bought so many of his stuff and none of them were unuseable. But lately his casting has impressed me. I wrote him to order the LAV III and he reply immediately. I recived my LAV III 2 weeks later. I am residing in Singapore your info. I have just ordered the TUA also. I am more than happy with the quality of casting that Tony is turning out. Maybe some work is required but thats what modelling is all about. My LAV III is as good as you see from the pics attached previoulsy but I do agree that the barrel would need to be changed or else it would not do justice to the rest of the kit. Anyway, I had only wanted to share my comments and also to take this opportunity to wish everyone here a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cheers.

That's funny

Kit looks like a bit of work but that's an awesome looking vehicle

Thanks for sharing your build with us. It helps to show us what there is out there for new kits.

I will also be building a LAV III one day but I am still unsure about which kit. I think that I will wait until both Real Model and Track Jam have released thiers.

For those of you who have bought the LAV TUA, please share some pictures with us so we can see what those kits are like.

Thanks,
Cam

This is a very exciting WIP to follow. I (and no doubt so many others) have been waiting so long for a conversion kit of this vehicle and others like it. I don't know about any one else but I couldn't build anything near as well as Charles King did from scratch.

-Matt

Today's progress!

These AFV Club kits in my opinion are right up there with Dragon as far as detail and small parts (that for some reason like to feed my carpet monster!).







cheers

looking good.

Just a quick question. In the newest pics, there are three distinct colors on the LAV; light grey, dark grey and green. I know where the light grey and green are from, but what kit are the dark grey pieces from (ie: side hatches, driver's hatch, towcable compartment cover)?
Are they part of the resin kit, just a differnt color?

I'm watching this build closely as this is probably my next project.

Keep up the good work!

It looks great. So how well have the resin parts fit with the AFV Club parts? Any problems so far?

-Matt

It is good. Did you use the trumpeter kit?

Thanks Charles, by the way, what colour did you use for yours?

Hey John, the light grey are resin pieces, the rest is from the AFV kit. This one was molded from different colours of green plastic.

Hey Matthew, the fit between the resin and the kit parts overall is really good. Of course there is some casting flash around the hatch openings and such, but generally its pretty good. Some locating holes have to be bored out some no big deal. The hull was not warped or bent in any way, just some triming where the kit lower hull joins up. I've been just following the AFV kit intructions along the way ommiting non LAV3 parts and double checking with reference pics for any resin parts locations.

Hey Erik, you have to use the AFV Club Striker kit, as the Trumpeter one's hull is too wide.





cheers

Thank you Rick. What a difference in size. So the AFV one is the right one?

Yes, in the picture above, the AFV Club Stryker is on the right, the Trumpeter one on the left.

You have to use the AFV Club Stryker for the AEF Designs LAV 3 conversion.

cheers

Surprised to see such a difference in size between the two. I am very glad to hear how well the parts fit. It looks so cool already.

-Matt

Tonights installment.

Cleaning the turret bustle racks are a real pain, but required.

Checked my references and had to remove some of the winch fairleads and rollers





The tires are only blue-tacked on.





cheers

Finally somethings that appeals to me to build. I reckon thanks to the pics and posts here I can build it!

Very Good looking Build.

Where did you get the C9 from? Did it come with the kit?

Cam

Wow Rick fast build! Looks like everything goes together nicely.

Thanks for the positive feedback, I'm having a little trouble with the turret bustle racks right now, may have them done this evening.

Cam, the C-9 came from the trumpeter LAV-25 kit.

cheers

It's actually an M249 but it could be used for the early original C9.....the first C9s did not have the Elcan C79 sight....and they also had the vertical grip attached to the stock.

The C9A1 had the Elcan C79 attached.

For a modern C9A2 as used in Afghanistan more changes need to be made....C8 butt stock, C79 Elcan, cloth ammo bag, folding vertical grip on the hand guards, and the shorter barrel.

I am working on a master for the C9A2 right now.

Keep up the work on your LAV III.

Coming along very nice Rick. Looks like that AEF kit can be made into a decent LAV-III.

I wouldn't use the duffel bag though - Cdn ones zip open along the length, not the end caps.

Todays update!

Performing some mods to the C-9 to update it , just have to finish the L79 sight and mount.

Waiting for the PE set to arrive for the side bins and wheel covers, also the metal barrel from Australia. Just a few little odds and sods left before paint.

Again any comments or points for impovement are surely welcome, especially before paint!





cheers

Rick,

Good work on the rear hatch armoured shield but it looks it is missing the two armoured glass vision ports on the side facing the rear of the hull.

There should be an "L" shaped bracket running up the rear side of the laser warning receiver with the small end of the "L" over the top of the receiver.

Two questions: 1) Did your kit come with a GPS antenna for the back of the LAV?
2) Where did you get the 25mm ammo cans for the turret baskets?

Looks good

I had noticed that the GPS antenna wasn't mounted....but I didn't know what "odds and sods" Rick had not added yet.

Other things still to be added at first glance.....left headlight guard, turret wire cutter, mirrors, rear spotlight, antenna mounting units, C6 AA mount, side hull storage racks,

There should be another square panel above and a bit to the left of the oval shaped hatch on the left hull side....it has a foldable rubberized cover and I think under it is almost like a solar panel.....check page 13 of the Dan Hay's LAV III walkaround on Prime Portal.