I got my camera back so I could make pics of the finished tank.









Lars

Not too bad. The paint and weathering are great.

A few pointers to improve it:

The tracks are too loose though, and way too rusty, esp. for a desert tank. In deset environs, the track is polished to a dark steel color with very little rust. Even in a wet environment, rarely will they be that rusty. As soon as the tank starts moving, the rust gets polished off all the contact points, leaving shiny metal areas.

To me, the strap/net holding the gea doesn't look right either. They are too wide and have no way of attaching, they just disappear underneath the turret.

It needs some bumper numbers and unit markings too.

Lastly, the spare track blocks on teh turret need some work. It should be w/the center guide at the top, the way you have it, the track would fall fiorward since it is attached at the bottom. Also, there should be pins on the open end and in the opening for the end connector. They are part of the track and don't come off.

The rest looks good, just make some corrections to the above areas and it will look awesome. Good job.

looks really good i love all the equipment you've put on board

Thanks for the tips and comments.

I'm gonna make a new net. The spare track is hard to be replaced because it's glued with quick cement and removing it could damage the tank. The tracks are too rusty and loose like you said. Next time building Trumpeter tanks I'm gonna replace them because there allways too loose.

Lars

Made the last changes.



















Lars

nice , im not a big fan of the sandy rims tho:)

Do you mean the wheels=

Lars

I've picked it up back again, and now I MUST FINISH IT!

I'm gonna chanmge the entire diorama. I'll turn it a couple of degrees so it isn't straight anymore. More building will be added and more changes.

The kits I'm gonna use (And yes, this time I'm definatley gonna use them).

Vehicle:

Tamiya 1:35 M2A2 Bradley

Upgrade sets:

Verlinden Reactive Armor
Fruilmodel White Metal Tracks + Sprocket wheel
Armorscale barrel

Figures:

Verlinden Surge US Iraq (2 figures)
Verlinden kicking In Doors Iraq (2 figures)
Verlinden Seals In Iraq (2 figures)

Resin accessoiries:

MIG Productions Burnt Out Modern Car
MIG Productions Striped Metal Drums

I've started a Tamiya M2A2 Bradley. It'll be upgraded with Fruilmodel Bigfoot (late type) tracks, Armorscale Barrel with Mantlet and Verlinden ERA (Explosive Reaction Armor) It'll be painted in standard Tamiya Nato Green, Black and Brown. The ERA will get a coat of Vallejo Model Air 075 Sand (Desert Camo it is).

The sideskirts aren't glued on, so I can first paint the running gear etc. When that is painted in Nato Green I will put the sideskirts on. All the tools (a lot of tools) will also be put on later, for easier painting. When the entire vehicle is painted, I will glue the ERA blocks on it. Or else it would be a bit hard to paint everything.











I've also started my first figures for it. They'll all be painted in Grey ACU camo. Now I've finished my first two I can have better results on the next 4.











It was my first try at ACU, more photo's here: https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=forums/130892&page=1

Lars

great idea your photos have disappeared so i couldnt see your earlier progress

your abrams looks good it could do with more suit around the engine deck and the exhausts you should add a few oil stains on some of the wheels

it looks great though!

Really nice work Lars! The Abrams is sweet!

Martyn

Thanks for the reactions guys. I forgot to say that the Abrams will be replaced by the Bradley. So there won't be any Abrams in this one. It's gonna be a bit of a Urban fight, so bradleys would be a bit logical.

I've placed the Sideskirts on the tank. Now it look way better . The tracks are airbrushed with a mixture of Pale Sand and Iraqui Sand. Now I've put a pigment wash with MIG Beach Sand and Gulf War Sand.

Tommorrow I'll place a new update,

Lars

The ACU pattern on the figures looks great. The vests are off though. The US Army uses either woodland camo, desert camo, or ACU vests. The USMC uses the overall Cayote Brown vest. Other than that, it looks good.

On the BRadley.... If you are using soldiers in ACUs, you need to update your M2A2 to an M2A3. By the time ACUs started being worn, late '06, there were no more straight M2A2s left in Iraq. They had been upgraded to M2A3s or were late M2A2s with most of the ODS upgrades. Yours is currently a mid '90s M2A2 w/out ODS upgrades. Check Vodnik's M2A2 Accurizing and Detailing Article to see what can be fixed, detailed, or upgraded to make it an M2A2 ODS. Legends makes a great M2A3 upgrade set that is only about $30 as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing the diorama!

Martyn

Thanks for the reactions guys.

Gino:
I can't afford to buy another upgarde set for this kit. Í've ordered many things lately so I'm out of my budget. The changes I need to give the kit, are those major? I have no scratschbuilding experience and supplies. That's why? If they aren't so big, I think it's better for me to keep it like this. I'm 14 and still need to live from my paper round.

Lars

I forgot to ask you Gino.

Which camo is best too paint the vests.

Lars

The upgrades to make it into an M2A3 are pretty extensive, thay can be done though. There have been 2 or 3 done here before the Legend set came out. Do a search for them and you will see what needs to be done. To make it a late M2A2 w/ODS upgrades, wheck out the article link. It shows all that needs to be done. It should be managable for most of them. Many are not needed, like rebuilding the rear plate and side skirts.

For the vests, either DCU or ACU is best. Most Woodland vests were swapped out by the time ACUs started being worn.

Can't see the photos!

Lars:

Have you decided on what branch of service your figures are going to represent?

I don't know that. As long as it's US infantry it's OK.

I wasn't capable of posting a update. On the 31st of December it's norma;l here to use fireworks. As I'm 14 I'm hanging outside with my fireworks and friends whole day. I've primed the Bradley, so I'll place a new update this week.

Lars

By default he has. He has painted them wearing US Army ACUs (Army Combat Uniform, new digital pattern). Only the US Army, and a few Navy and USAF EOD types, wear them. The USMC have a totally diffferent pattern with different colors.

The reason I was asking is because instead of trying to upgrade the Bradley he could just make the dio pre-2006 and make the figures Marines with MARPAT..... which actually, if you look at em, they are not so totally different from ACU's, and much of the same gear. All he would have to change is the uniform and to me that's easier than upgrading the vehicle.

Sort of. Marines don't usually work with Bradleys though. The USMC doesn't have Bradleys. Also, the Brads still had more upgrades pre-'06 than the way his is built. His Bradley represents an early '90s Bradley with none of the ODS upgrades that were added after lessons learned from Desert Storm.

Hi everybody,

After having a "dip" for two months, I've picked this project up again. I thought it was time to get back modelling. Remember: "THE BRADLEY ISN'T FINISHED YET".

Photo's:





















Detail of the barrel.







The colour of the photo's isn't very accurate. The last few photo's, after the detail shot of the barrel do go in the right direction. The weather today is very bad, so making good pictures was hard to do.

The antenna's need to be added.

Does any of you have any tips to improve this model? I was thinking of adding some smoke at the end of the exhaust. Would this fit on a Bradley? After glueing on the antenna (and improving the given tips) I will post the final photo's.

lars

Awsome!! The weathering is perfect!
On the tracks though, I would definitely add some rust, it looks to neat in my opinion. Just a thought But, if you did it that way for a reason, cool.
Thats it man, great job!

Later,
John

Lars ncie build, is it the legend conversion?.
what happened to the rest of the diorama?