I will be starting my semester break project on Tuesday and I will be building a LAV-A2 and I had a few questions regarding the paint scheme and the stowage.

I've been doing my research and I have seen pictures of deployed LAV-A2s mainly in a solid green paint scheme ad very few in the 3 tone NATO. However, I know that LAV-25 SLEP wore the 3 tone camp and was hoping to find more images of an A2 in this scheme.

Also, I have gathered a few images from google, and the DoD but I feel like there are a lot more out there. Can someone point me in the direction of any more photos?

Lastly, this is my first Marine vehicle and I was hoping to add some stowage as every vehicle I have seen has tons of stowage tied down to it. So could someone identify some of the stowage and where I may be able to purchase some of them if they are available as an aftermarket item.

And are there any good figure recommendations? I believe the uniforms are different, but like I said this is the first marine related vehicle I have ever built, so any other additional information would be helpful. I also have the Blast Models Wheels and LAV-A2 update set, and the kit will be here tuesday. I can't wait to start

Thanks everyone!

Hey Sean,
you might wanna try marines.mil, they've got a nice selection of HD pics showing both SLEP and A2 as well as up-armored A1 variants...
AFAIK most of the LAV's have been repainted to date so a lot of 'em should have the three color camo, you'll find a painting manual on panzerbear.com (or .de). BTW. the base color on those LAV's looks more like it's CARC 343 (or the like) so it should be the same color as seen on strykers as opposed to nato green which looks a little less greyish though I'm not completely shure on that, just my mk1 eyeball measurement...
I assume you're 'bout to use the trumpy "A2" so you should know that the trumpeter kit actually doesn't build into an A2 but an upgraded A1 with the square wind sensor...
Hence I'd suggest you try building it as an A1 vehicle with the additional armor plates. If you'll do it like that just use the old optics for the loader's side (parts C20 & 21) and the later version in front of the commader's hatch, leave away the wind sensor and use the old style main gun shield (part C4 instead of G5)

Anyway if you're going for an A2 version you'll have to close the fighting-compartment-side vision ports, replace the loader's optic (by scratch building the latest version )
attatch the wind sensor's bracket (which I yet haven't seen a single picture of) and propably have to add a new BFT antennae... in other words it's easier to backdate the trumpy kit than to update it...

As for the stowage, the MOLLE system has been widely replaced with the new ILBE system. So far Black Dog are the only ones who have that. they do have two sets, one as a general LAV update thingy with gun shields and the DUKE antenna as well as a set containing just the backpacks. either one looks good to me...

IMO forget about resin wheels, as most of which are just plain resin copies of their respective styrene/vinyl counterparts which have been sanded down to represent them being weighted. you can gain a better effect by putting the model into a pan filled with water (so just the lower wheel parts are under water) and then heating it so the tyres will melt and thus sink in... know what I mean?
last but not least get yourself some alpine or blast figures they're the best ones out there...

Hope this could help a little

Cheers, Max

Hi Max

Do you mean this ?


HTH

Frenchy

Yes that is the bracket Max is talking about. It used for securing the windsensor when it folded for stowage. Also anything trumpy has mis from the kit is a third mounting bracket for extra radio antenna and what on the back of the turret. You can see it in the picture Frenchy posted, it in the center right below the turret lifting lug.

Here is an A1 upgraded with the new BPUP armor package, still has the side view ports and no windsensor.



Here is a true A2 upgrade, has no side view ports, has the windsensor, and painted in the nato tri-color. Also you may notice it still uses the old style exhaust instead of what come in trumpy's kit. I'm not sure the reason behind this, I've seen some with and without the new style exhaust.

Chris

Some info about LAV mufflers and exhaust shrouds :
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/164000

Frenchy

Ah ok. This makes a lot more sense. I had no idea that trumpy got a bunch of things wrong but I feel like the things listed shouldnt be that hard to fix.

I already have the A2 upgrades from blast which include the exhaust, and I read that thread frenchy posted a few days ago before i went ahead and bought the LAV items.

I am still not clear on the vision ports. Are they completely covered up as in covered by additional armor plating on the sides and in the rear? An up close picture would be better to explain with because I really can't tell what chris has pointed out.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Here's a LAV-A2 : no vision ports on the hull side :


(The wind sensor is folded and strapped BTW)

and here's an uparmored A1 (with the vision ports as replicated by Trumpeter) :



HTH

Frenchy

Thanks Frenchy. That shouldn't be hard to fix.

The bigger question is where did you find that first photo? I def want to see more images detailing their use in combat operatons

It comes from Flickr, like many pics I've found :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangojetta/4969641726/sizes/l/in/photostream/

But this picture hasn't been taken in Iraq or Afghanistan. Here's another one from the same source :


Anyway watch your mailbox, I should manage to send you some deployed A2 pics

Frenchy

Sweet. My email is still the same so send away!

Hey Sean, here is another great site that has plenty of detail shot of an early A2 in overall green http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/onelimey/LAV%20A2/

Chris

Thanks Chris, I actually downloaded all of these before I even decided to buy the kit and AM products

Cool, I wasn't sure if you has seen any of the pictures or not. I'm currently working on the same kit myself. I'm build it as an early A2 with miles gear installed for state side training, now I just need to find the stinking barrel and mantle since some grubby finger move it some where.