Didn't make any great break throughs today.
I started some filling, I put a few blobs of liquid filler on both sides of the rear door hatch in the attempt to fill the large air bubble marks.
I'll be sanding down this over the weekend, I can see a few attempts at this will be needed

I also added the sixteen tie down hooks along each side of the rear pick up bed.


I used some thin plastic card and filler to make the new shape at the front wings where the cab doors would usually be. I used filler early in the day and so I was able to get some sanding completed here just a while ago.

And finally I added more "F-350" badges to both sides of the front wings too.

Irish Special Forces? Is this a what if diorama?

I'll choose not respond to your ignorant comment my friend, I'll only open a can of worms! ..Na on seconds thoughts I will

Looking at your contribution to the armorama website via your profile & your other less than pleasant comments that you post on threads quite frequently, I have no doubt you are somewhat of an armchair bully, I'm sure like most civilised societies your home has a front door? Try going out through it sometime!
Meet people, even mingle, it will do wonders for your insecurity and whatever self confidence issues you no doubtably have. Sitting in your own filth behind your PC for hours on end getting off abusing people may make you feel alive but I'm sure if you got a half decent hobby you were good at I'm sure you could turn that little life of yours around

Take care

Subscribed!

great progress on this Ford truck platform. The front push bar set looked gnarly but you handled it well

Looking great Roy, outstanding work! You had me confused when you were talking about the "rear door" but I finally figured it out. In our horrible American English we call it a "tailgate", and it can be used as a noun or a verb! Keep up the great work, I'll be following closely.

Ok... and good point about doing the airbubbles later. It was just that it is the kind of thing that would happen to me - I once made a really good and smooth presentation (comments by the listeners) and had completely missed the major spelling error in the title on the first slide. Or go shopping for all needed for a macaroni dinner and find out when unpacking at home I have forgotte the macaroni...

I have circled the area in the pictures (I took the liberty of using yours):





Your end here is 'flat' and smooth, in the image this is not. This could of course be simple rough workmanship on this vehicle, and not the norm.

Second, between the arrow and the edge of the circle there is the 'hollow' arch of where normally the rounded edge of the bumper would have fit in, It could be that it is distortion of the photograph of your work, or that it is something you will correct lates for the reasons you'll go after the air bubbles later.

I hope it is clear enough.


And overall she is coming together very nicely.

Cheers,

Harm

KoSprueOne; thanks for the kudos bud hope I can keep you interested over the next few weeks!

Fab; cheers for your comments too man, it's reassuring to get nice comments!
Don't worry about the mix up, I try use both words like fender & bumper when I can, but even with all my trips to the US over the years I couldnt for the life of me remember your term for the door inquestion

Harm; thanks for taking the time out to explain what you meant earlier in the week! It's perfectly clear to me now, infact I actually guessed correctly one of the sections you just clarified here. Well spotted, I'll have to return to this during the week!
In regard to the rounded bit you are talking about, just over the White plastic card, I hadn't even noticed this until you mentioned it now, indeed it is more rounded in the photo. The kit is more squared off so I'll correct this when I'm filling those huge sink holes at the back early next week! ..thanks again mate, I owe ya one!

Looking good Roy!
I thought the Ford and F-350 badges would be included in the Vajra kit? It would have been good to include them as an etch piece at least. Still, you managed to get round the problem, thats the main thing! Keep it up bud.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!

Roy, you rock dude! What an A** ! At least now he knows what an A** he is!

Anyway, back to what we should be talking about, this looks great buddy. It's been a while so I must get up for a visit again soon. Might throw the pack on again next week and take a jog out your way. Love to see this in the flesh!

Sorry I'm so late commenting on this one mate, but it's great to see so much progress all in one go having missed it since you started. Some great feedback there too to help you along the way. This will all make it easier when I get around to doing mine.

By the way, this leaves you with all those cool goodies Vajra include for the cargo area of the base kit! There's a very generous amount of resin bits and bobs in there, other manufacturers could take a leaf out of that book

Trying to organize getting a bunch of guys up from the Unit to check out the new LTAV in March, are you up for tagging along?
Hope to see you soon buddy!
Glen

Please, don't hurt my feelings.

Hahahahaha.

Very very nice Roy keep up the good work.

It is the least I can do, and my pleasure...

Just wondering: how is the machine gun fitted to the vehicle? Attached via the roll bars or somehow on a pedestal bolted to the floor of the cargo bed...

I am seriously looking forward to how you are going 'attach' the rollbar etc. to the bed of the truck.

BTW - did they just go to a car dealership, bought a bunch of these pick-ups and modified them theirselves? Sure looks like it (and probably this was the cheapest and most efficient way to do it as well).

Good luck and looking forward to the next installment...

Harm

Karl; Thanks again bud!
Although this kit offers some lovely additional accessories unfortunitly there is no PE, including the fore mentioned F-350 badges
its still I nice kit that I'd recommend though

Glen; Welcome aboard my good friend, thanks for your kind words too. I've been pretty humbled by all the support & kind words from everyone in regard to this project & I have to admit it's encouraging me to keep at it!
I'll certainly take you up on that offer of the RG-32M oh wise one!
I saw your close brethern training on these beasts last summer down in the Curragh, very impressive and a very interesting project might I add
Buzz me during the week pal

Mr. Mesudarim; Glad to see you back and in better spirits this time, why dont you pop in on the blog the odd day and cure your curiosity, you never know, you might find something somewhere here even interesting

Scott; as ever man, thanks for the support!!

Harm I thought I'd start another section just for your question

The Ford F-350 SRV was purchased as a specialised replacement for the ARW's fleet of Landrover Defender Wolf (WMIK) vehicles in 2004. I'll give you a quick brief..


(Irish Defender WMIK pictured in Liberia 2003)

The ARW along with the Landrovers were dispatched to war torn Liberia in 2003 to support the UN mission in advance of the larger Irish Battalion being dispatched there.
Sadly A fatal accident occured there early in the mission involving one of the Landrovers.
The Landrover WMIKs ordered by the Irish Defence Forces for the ARW were later found unsuitable to the ARW's needs which lead to the entire fleet needing replacement by a newer more robust vehicle.

The Purpose built & Riccardo Designed Ford F-350 SRV was produced for the Special Forces Market, primarily aimed at British Army SF and the US Rangers as a suggested replacement for the venerable Landrover WMIK's in service with both nations.

Soon after its development the Irish Army ordered a number of these for the Army Ranger Wing to replace the Landys. The Ford F-350 is not available to the Irish commercial market anyway and I am aware that these purpose built vehicles were flown from the US producer direct to an Irish Air Corp Base after production and purchase.

Only the chassis & the the main body are primarilly the Ford F-350 but I can assure you everything else about the vehicle is specifically designed for military purposes and bare no resemblance to the commercial vehicle's working parts

I've attached some photos of the mount your enquiring about. The roll cage is Ricardo (same as Landrover Defender WMIK's).
The attachment is placed on a ring mount (see photos)
The ARW use both the Browning 12.7mm (50 cal) and the 40mm H&K Grenade Machine Gun. (i'll likely go with the latter for this model)

Roy,

thank you for the info!

I got some bits done over the last few days but just didn't get time to upload the photos so here we go now guys sorry.

I started back by doing some work on the internal cab.
The dashboard is a little short on either side, this is probably to componsate for the resin doors that should be there so I had to widen the dash.

I simply started by attaching a square of thick plastic card on either side as spacers


after the glue had set i simply cut around the plastic card with a sharp craft knife in line with the general shape of the Dashboard and sanded it to a smooth finish


Next I dry fitted the Dash and began bulding up the skeletal frame that can be seen on the irish F-350. (due to the extraction of the cab doors).
As can be seen to the right of the photo below there are some akward shapes
to this inner frame, lots of raises and dips.



To simulate this I tried a number of different methods but I settled with using the magic scult method. I shaped out what I needed and attached it to the Ford.
Later when everything is completely dry and set I will go back to sand and square off everything.
I still have alot of work to do here..





I decided while I had the magic sulpt out that I'd crack on with making the fitted canvas dashboard dust cover and also the front canvas cover that hides the winch mechanism.





These pictures are not great but a day later the soft shiney look has gone and I'm happy with the result. I'll attach photos on the next update.

Looking good. It is giving me the inspiration to finish that what if SF unimog of mine.

You seem to be moving right along. The dust covers look great. I would have probably just used doped tissue. Too bad there aren't any modern IRA figures available.

Hi Roy

Loving this build. It looks a real beafy kind of of motor though I still like the Wolf WMIK. Your additions look great to the Ford.

Nige

The canvas covers are looking good Roy. Are you making the little tie downs at the bottom out of magic sculpt or just tape/lead foil?

By the way, are you going for any figures on the truck?

Very interesting subject, great work so far.

Regards,
Rod

wow that putty work looks the part

Scott: Cheers man, your always there with the support!

Matt: Ouch dude! Wrong organisation there, I'll give you A quick history -
The IRA (Continuity, Real, PIRA, Republican etc) were and are in some cases still, Terrorist Organisations.

The IRA should not be mixed up with the Irish Defence Forces
(Not known as IDF BTW).
The armed forces of Ireland, known as the Defence Forces (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) encompass the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force and are a professional highly trained National army like any other country.

Both the British Army and the Irish Defence Forces operated against these organsiations during "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland from they're respected sides of the Border, with fatalities to both Nations Military personnel as a result.

However I think I know were you were coming from though buddy so don't worry! Sadly it can be a very common mistake and you wouldn't be the first person that has said this to me before

In regard to your comment on the figures in general, Yes I totally agree with you Matt! I wish there were some Irish figures out there! A small scotish resin producer was dabbling with the idea, some one gave them figures two years ago and sice they have heard nothing(!).
There may not be a strong international demand compared to other figures of course but here in Ireland there is a huge demand! Enough for a good profit to a producer!! ..stay tuned bro and let me know your thoughts on the figures I throw out later in the build log

Nige: Thanks man, I still love the Landys too, have been building them long before this kit and will likely build just as many long after I'm finished this kit too!! Infact a friend is looking for me to do another irish WMIK after this, just in time for the HobbyBoss release I guess

Karl: Your thinking ahead of me there bud, I was toying with some small foil or very thin curved plastic card, I'll be tending to this on Friday!
Yeah I'm gonna add two figures at least. One in the rear ring mount weapon Station and another likely standing beside the cab. I have a picture I'll post tomorow which is a bit inspiring so might go with trying to replicate that!
I'll likely scratch convert the figures, I've done this a few times and it can be fun, especially since the gear is SF in this case!

Rod: thanks for the kudos, welcome aboard!

KoSprueOne: Thanks again my friend. The Magic Sculpt is really brilliant and very easy to work with, I've tried alot of modelling clays over the years but I have to say this stuff is clearly the leading product and I highly recommend it!

I just dropped by to check out the progress here and wasn't expecting to find what I did going on here... Anyways, looking real good Roy! I'm surprised that the badges weren't included in the kit, but your solutions look pretty close

Mate! still looking great!

Do you know why they found the landrover unsuitable? Not knocking the F-350's, they are a great truck, heaps of power and can carry a huge payload, but pretty heavy off road. The landies are one of the most off road capable vehicles. was it payload and/or stability?