Animal - I was thinking about you this weekend while working on my M706 Armored Car. I'm building a miniature of one of the MP Escorts - "The Road Runner". I even got the little Road Runner cartoon logo done for it. "Sopwith Camel" was sitting in the painting booth drying, so I pulled out this model. The best thing to do with Verlinden's big old chunk of resin is to make it into a convoy escort!







Gunnie

This will be a great new addition to the other paper wait that you built, The V-100. I have been tempted to build one of them. This M-706 looks like it has the potential to be a neat looking subject. Do you have a lot of photos of different angles to help with the detail that you do so well? You said that this is a solid chunk of resin like the V-100? Mabe you could use them as beek ends to support some of the reference materials in you library. All kidding aside Gunnie this is a nice addition to your collection. Cheers

Sir Gunnie,

Not all that bad of a kit for a solid chunk of resin. You're looks really nice there Gunnie! It'll look great in your collection!

I built this a number of years ago and, well, I enjoyed it. Stuck a couple of Verlinden half-figures in the hatch ways.

Too bad that the mortar carrier version of this is solid resin as well. I've wanted to do that up in Saudi service for some time now, but just couldn't break down to buy the kit.

Thanks Kevin - yeah, it is too bad that it's a brick! Hobby Fan's version (complete with interior) is the V-150, sadly. To add more interest, I deleted the big 5-ton axles and differential housings VP gives you and retrofitted a more appropriate set (for the M706) of AFV Club Deuce axles. Bonus that the AFV Club front axles are steerable. I then modified the chunky wheels accordingly.

Animal - I only have two 3/4 photos of "The Road Runner" - 3/4 front and 3/4 rear - both on the left side. So, when doing my cartoon logo - I'm putting it on both sides of the nose - best guess. One is in color though - and "The Road Runner" was painted overall in very dark OD. I used to think these armored cars were black overall - but I'm beginning to notice only the M706 (V100) that were incorporated into the Trans BN's for convoy escort duties appear to be painted black. I think I'll have to model one more "brick" to show that - perhaps "War Wagon"...

Gunnie

Okay!

Gunnie

The kit looks great! - Is the kit still produced by Verlinden, and if it is, where is it possible to get one on-line?

Bjoern Clausen

I bought one recently (about a month ago) from Great Models Webstore for less than $60 USD.

Gunnie

Holy Mackeral..............after a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy long, self imposed hiatus, what do I come back too???

ANOTHER great model by the 'Gunniemiester'!!

And the 'ROAD RUNNER' no less.....excellent choice Gunnie. As usual I will observe your talented progress with only [i]slightly[i] disguised envy.

Good work.

Regards,

Tread.

Gunnie,

Very very nice. Clean assembly, can't wait to see it wearing some paint.

Scott

HEY WOW - Tread is BACK!

Man - I missed you! Hope you stay around awhile!

Animal finding Armorama.com has been pretty helpful for me, as his desire to build gun truck models like he does rekindled my efforts too. I actually got four going in one month's time! It's almost like the old days...

"Road Runner" will likely beat "Sopwith Camel" (in a different thread) to the finishing line - as it's much easier to paint and finish. I actually had fun with it, and busted out another Verlinden "brick" to model one of the M706's lent to the Transportation Group. More interesting paint schemes and weapons fit when the truckers got a hold of 'em. Last night I was painting the underside of "Road Runner" and pasteling the wheels. I even made decals of the "COMMANDO Special" legend on some of the tires used back then - might as well dress up the "Duck" as much as I can...

Gunnie

I'm thinking I'll post some photos of "Road Runner" wearing some clothes this weekend. I've been playing dueling airbrushes with "'Runner" and "Camel" this week, but "'Runner" is easier to wrap up at this point so I'm gonna let "Camel" dry a little longer and knock this model out first.

Gunnie

Animal want trucks!!!!

I busted up my ankle pretty good at work last week and have been out of action since. Yesterday, I laid off the Motrin and worked on "Road Runner" some more. I shared these pics with James Lyles (for the new book) and Animal yesterday already - because - Animal wants trucks!





Hope you like - this one has been fun! Next is final weathering topside and a modicum of stowage - M706's didn't carry a whole bunch while on convoy escort duty. Animal, did the MP's also RON overnight with the rest of the convoy?

Gunnie

Nice do on the Commando! I renovated mine last year for a local IMPS meet, and used the Squadron book for US Armored Cars in ACtion as a good reference. For a little variety, I swapped one of the .30 barrels for an M2 .50 cal, as this was one of the different mount combinations used. The small wire seen behind the models turret should be a larger arc, as this was a guard to keep "friendly fire" from the turret from scratching the paint or worse on the rear of the vehicle when buttoned up and visibility would have been poor.

Agree with the HF statement, good to have an interior, but how about the V-100 version instead of the V-150???

And yes, it's QUITE a paperweight!

Now you got the book ends you wanted. The V100 on one side and the Road Runner on the other. It looks great Gunnie. Three cheers

.............Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez Louise Gunnie!


.........................I can't decide if I love you..........or I hate you #:-)

Just when I'm beginning to feel like I'm catching up.......what does the Gunniemeister go and do??? Pump out another masterpiece in record time!

................O.K., I'm going to have to make a 'deal with the Devil' or something.....


Tread.

Heh heh - makes me feel better today! I'm gonna try and wrap up "Sopwith Camel" inside of the next 10 days! If it wasn't so dang hot today, I would have painted the color coats for my gun truck before dinner time. I want to crank out at least one gun jeep in September. Animal will probably do two before the 15th...

Gunnie

Great kit as usual Gunnie.
Bravo!!!

I am amazed...being you are such an expert ( I hear a suck up) and talented pro ( heard it).
Im about to begin my first resin conversion and was wondering if a few tips from the "man" could be given? Sorry if I posted wrong!

Thanks!

The best advice I can give you in working with resin conversion parts is to remember one good rule. It goes for any and all extra modeling work you do on a basic kit:

Keep the level of detail consistent throughout the project.

You don't always get the best or most accurate of detail parts when it comes to resin conversions. If you opt to use one, make sure the level of details matches in the rest of the kit. Detail-up either the conversion part or the base kit to match each other.

The media (resin) is easy to work with. Just be careful not to sand too much of the casting plugs away and always test-fit the part(s) into their intended location - frequently - until you make the bond. I have NEVER had to bathe my resin conversion parts in a soapy solution to clean off mold release residue - must have oily hands . But, the practice isn't a bad one to remember. I keep my models throughout the construction and detailing process as clean as possible. You can always blow resin dust away, but glue balls and fingerprints are Gremlins - avoid them. The finer the base model you create - the finer your finish will be when you apply paint.

When sanding, do protect your lungs, always. Even little parts call for care. I wear eye-protection in case I "launch" a resin bit into the air, or a thick casting plug when trimming it away from the part.

Go slow when working and cleaning up resin parts. They are brittle when thin and easy to break.

I bond resin to plastic or brass with superglue most of the time, and 5-minute epoxy when strength is required - like in the case of 'Road Runner' above. The body is solid resin and heavy. The AFV Club axles are plastic and strong, but, within a day the weight of the body and the small attachment joint to the wheels got weak. Epoxy was called for. Drawback in using epoxy is the setup time. This is also a plus, because it allows you to tweak the parts into place.

Sometimes, it is good to prime your resin conversion parts to check for air bubbles and pits. Some of the newer aftermarket outfits really cast some spectacular parts - but older resin items should be looked at a bit closer. You don't have to pre-prime the resin parts before adding them to the kit plastic, however. Use the primer to aid you in creating seamless (where there shouldn't be a seam) bond between the media.

But, the advanced trick of making the conversion work is to create a blended final assembly that the viewer can't tell where the plastic ends and the resin or whatever medium begins. This comes with blending in seams and gaps, putty, and stuff, but subtle effects comes with matching level of detail(s) equally with care in construction.

Gunnie

Quite smashing there Sir Gunnie! Congrats for a job well done with that 'brick'!

sorry doesnt know a lot about modern afv but i wanted to know when this afv appeared first and in which country
to the model: damn this thing looks cool!

They first appeared in US Army service during the Vietnam War. The US Air Force picked up an open-topped version. It was initially designed to be a 12-man armored car, and went through some fine changes as suggested by troops in the field. They are fully amphibious without preparation - and can make almost four knots propelled by their wheels in the water. Some nicknamed the truck "Duck" because of the ease in which it could be driven into and out of the water. It kinda looks like a duck with the exhaust stinger at the rear mimicing a tail. The original version was the V-100 Commando, and went through several detail and equipment changes through XM706, and finally M706 early and late in this version. Mostly, V-100 or Commando stuck with the troops who used them throughout deployment.

R.P. Hunnicutt's ARMORED CAR is a great reference that shows you the similiarities and differences through development of this particular armored car.

I think they're cool too - the best-looking of US Armored Cars in my modeling eyes. I love the size and angular lines of the truck. The new Stryker just looks plain mean and will be an interesting one to model if a kit comes around this decade...

Gunnie

Gunnie,
I agree with the "best looking" comment, and the comparison to the Stryker comes around only because it has wheels!

The XM-1117 Guardian would have been the first cousin to the Commando, in that the lineage from Textron goes right back to Caillac-Gage; the overall design, layout, openings, etc all pay homage to the "Duck".

I say "would have", as after the recently completed field tests in Europe and Ft Hood with a test platoon of these armored cars (or ASV- Armored Security Vehicle, as the Army is so fond of acronyms!) this program has been placed on hiatus, with little hope for further development. The on-going costs of OIF and the global war on terrorism means that this and other programs, no matter how promising, are to be sacrificed for their development dollars.