Hello all. I just finished an M6 Linebacker that I built off of Tamiya's M2 Bradley. This is my 2nd AFV attempt, but my first trying out a lot of techniques that I've read about, but never tried before. First use of an airbrush, first time scratchbuilding anything, first attempt at weathering and pigments.

I'm pretty displeased with my attempt at the stinger missile pod and will likely tear it off and start over, though I don't think the rest of it turned out too bad. The missile pod came from a RealModel Avenger kit that I will just use for parts since I'm probably only going to use the bustle box out of it. Learned a lot on this project.

This is the first part of a diorama showing the history of Air Defense Artillery. I also have an M16 halftrack to depict WW2 and Korea, an M42 Duster for Vietnam, an M163 Vulcan for Desert Shield/Storm, and an Avenger and MANPADS team to finish it off. I will save the Avenger and MANPADS for last as those are what I did in the Army and I want to use my experience with the others to build on those.

I plan on making a terrain diorama merging from grassy European terrain for the M16 to Jungle terrain for the M42, to sandy Desert for the Vulcan and maybe a desert road area for the M6 and Avenger. Not sure how I will do those yet.

[http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php?cat=26727]

(not sure if I posted those photos correctly or not, this strange thing called the internet).

Fixed pics.




You have to actually link to each photo to make them appear. Right click on the photo and copy the address: http:... jpg. Place the copied address between image tags [i m g][/ im g] (without the spaces) and they will show.

It looks pretty good, esp. for only your second AFV. A couple of things though. You probably already know all this since you served on them, but... First, you used the wrong version of Bradley. The M6 is built on the M2A2 Bradley with added armor panels. Also, as you noted, the box isn't right. It should be a square box without the steps at the edges. Also, there is a prominent box on the front right turret face that houses IFF gear. The interior is a different layout as well with racks for the Stinger reloads on the right side and a battery/power conditioner box on the left side.

Here are a few pics of one to see what I mean. As I said, you probably already know these.





Hope that helps.

Thanks for the pointers Gino. I'm still working on my scratchbuilding skills. I was on the avenger so I have intimate knowledge of that system, but I only saw the linebacker in passing. I will likely revisit this and at a minimum change the iff and stinger boxes. Thanks.

I like it Bas. It may not be accurrate, but it stills looks mean.

Thanks. In the past I always just stuck a model together, maybe painted a little and that was that. I'm still learning all this detail stuff. I'm finding it a lot of fun. My next build will be an M163 Vulcan. Luckily, unlike the linebacker, I've seen lots of build walkthroughs for that so hopefully I'll be able to make it a little more accurate. I'm hoping to find time to start work on that in the next few weeks.

[quote]Thanks. My next build will be an M163 Vulcan.quote]
I'm currently building Academy's 1/35 M163. Lacking some detail, but a great kit. Make sure you sacrifice one inconsequential part to the carpet monster at the outset of the build.