First time I´ve won something in a model show with this DML Scud & Maz 543 t.e.l. I used the Eduard P.E interior & exterior detail set because frankly the decal "clocks" inside as well as other things left a lot to be desired. A pig of a kit to build , but for what it costs what more can one expect ? This is the first time I´ve posted any photos on a forum even though there´s a few in my gallery so here goes. Please excuse the crap photography.

Congratulations on the gold.
I agree with you on this being a PIA to build. Some of the worst fitting parts ever. The lake of detail inthe control rooms was quite diappointing. Looks like yuo did some neat scratchbuildong in there.

Congrats for the medal with this model which requires a lot of extra work to get an accurate rendition.
Personally, I think it looks a bit too worn out. I guess this is the kind of stuff the Iraqis maintained as much as possible unlike their common armor.

Olivier

Congrats on the Gold.
Nice model.

Hope you post more of your work because this is fantastic.

-Matt

Thanks for the comments fellas, & Matt after seeing your work your comment just makes my head swell out of my hat size.

Great job just finishing the kit. I won a brown medal with mine when I threw it in a paper bag and hauled it to the curb.

Congrats on a great build.
Shaun

A very deserving winner too MIke, if I may say so.

The more modern stuff isn't usually my thing - but this I like!

outstanding job. well deserved win.

Congratulations on the gold medal. You did earn it.

I can't help but think of that old cartoon that was spread around during the first Gulf war, which showed a very nervous camel holding a SCUD missle in its mouth and an Iraqi soldier about to squish its private parts with a hammer, and the caption, "Iraqi SCUD missle launcher."

Wow, congrats on the gold medal. Definitely a very bad fitting kit, one of the worst I've ever built.

is the kit really as bad as people are saying ?! If so congrats on even building it ^^

Congratulations on the medal. Well deserved. I like your subtle weathering and the added details.
Well, you get some interesting builds based on the Christmas presents. Anyway, it is the thought that counts.

Thanks for sharing

A timely bump.....
Congratulations Mike on the Gold. It really is a dogie kit, and you did an excellent job on it and certainly proved it's buildable.

You should make Henk or Bill happy and send in lots of photos for a nice build feature or on display.

Fantastic job. I love the interiors. Congrats on the win.

It is not the worst kit out there by a long shot BUT it is definately back from the dark ages of early DML molding. Mostly it has a lot of parts and takes time to build properly...it reminds me of building one of those 1/350 scale aircraft carriers.

But, as shown, it can be built into a very nice show-stopper.

Mike I think the fact that one can take such a lousy model and make a gem out of it speaks to the volumes or your work. Congrats on the gold you deserve it. Well done.

Bit late to this, but congratulations on the build and the medal!

I've recently ordered this kit as something a little different, but I'm wondering what the build issues with the kit are. Also, aside from the Eduard PE sets, are there any major corrective steps needed for the model, or is it pretty accurate?

Cheers,
Ian

Congrats on your win Mike. Well deserved, considering the fit issues throughout. Getting it all together is an achievment in itself!


Agreed 100%. Was one of the early kits I built and thought Id never get it finished. Needed so much putty and plastic to fill gaps and misses. Bad fit on each of the units, and then trying to get them all placed properly on the chasis was another nightmare. Mines probably wouldn´t stand up to close inspection, but its definately a great display piece, because of subject and size. It was built OOB, except for the hozes at the back.

Flippin¨heck mate I don´t know where to start. Well let´s start with a Google search for the Czech one they have at Duxford ,you may find that the interior blue that I used isn´t spot on. You could also check Prime portal but I didn´t even know about that sight until somebody posted a link here on Armorama. I made some axles from plastic cotton buds because mounting the wheels & suspension is tricky indeed. I modified the hydraulic missile boom to be move-able & coated the sliding parts with adhesive aluminium foil, also did it with the jacks at the rear. The hinges for the control compartments were made from 1mm telephone wire with its PVC sleeving but remember to stroke the PVC with abrasive before working with it or it won´t stick to anything. The same wire was used for the cable conduit in the driver cabin. With a SHARP knife roll the wire under the blade at 1mm sections, slide off the excess PVC then bend & space the sections to requirements before sticking in place with superglue(cyanoacrylate to be posh). For cables I used strands of elastic extracted from the waist-band that you get from a haberdashery; this was used on the steering column. The sub-sections , cabins, launch platform & engine module were modified with bits of plasticard to click into place on the chassis & the cotton bud axles. I used up quite a bit of Tamiya masking tape to dry-build it all & see how all the sub-sections fitted together, the tape holds well & leaves no marks. Do a photo-copy of the instruction sheet to cut out the windows. The hinge mechanisms for the forward door compartments were very difficult & I´m not really happy with the result so I only did the driver side but it really is a must if you want to show off all the detail so take extreme care and do a bit of thinking before setting about that task. I would have liked to have done the pneumatic pipes on the missile & at the back of the truck but when I saw photos of the real thing it scared the hell out of me.( another example to scare you is another post of how to wire up a radio on a hummer ) As 18Bravo said " be careful what you ask for". It´s not really beyond possibility to fit the control cabins with a red LED for a nice effect. The Eduard P.E. sets in my opinion were essential even though I didn´t use all the parts. Do plenty of dry-fits, be patient & GOOD LUCK!

Frank, Mike, thanks for the info. It won't be my next build so I'll have some time to investigate the kit and get my reference material together, but it sounds as if it will take time to do a good job... better get a new tube of Squadron Green!

Cheers,
Ian