Not for the Campaign........But at some point in the future I will.......

Me too - which is unusual. I'm not particularly interested in Dioramas, but I think with these subjects they help tell the story. I'll get some Dio-Practice...

Gunnie

The T-55


The LAV

Oh, Matt, looks like Sumbo Bait. Love the luggage rack. As far as the diorama thing goes I was actually thinking about getting some scale measurements of the garage at the foundry and putting a diorama together at some point. I may try to get it done in time for the camp entry but I will do it sometime.

Thanks again Gunnie,
I am having too much fun.

Just ask Mrs. Keenan.

Now I have to clean up the work bench.

Shaun

Looking forward to the T-55, Matt.

Finally started with the Chorniy Oryol (Black Eagle) by scratchbuilding the turret. So far, so good - and so messy hehehe and I'm running out of sheet styrene (uh oh). Pics of the Chorniy Oryol's turret will come later.

Worked on the T-34/105 again yesterday by removing the bow machine gun and started adding support for the epoxy putty counterweight. One of external fuel drums deformed because of the thinner when I bathed it in it months ago. I'll use the T-62's fuel drums instead - if I can salvage them - or find other fuel drums to use.

Also did the wheels of the Thunderbolt, Chorniy Oryol and the T-2001. I'm thinking of reducing the size of the T-2001's turret after comparing it with the Black Eagle's - the T-2001 should be smaller. So, yes, I think I f*cked up on that one hehehehe

Leo3 has the roof raised, bustle added, and wheels built and installed. I had to re-do the left add-on armor. It looks very very mean and will stomp the Thunderbolt in the "Good Looks" department hehehehe :-) .

So, with the Chorniy Oryol, I now have five TW2K models in I&SW's assembly line which is working for more than 12 hours a day - yeah, I desperately need a life after this campaign hehehehehehe. I'm hoping to finish at least 2 or 3 of them (Thunderbolt, DBM and T34/105 comes to mind) for this campaign.

With regard to the dio question, I guess not - no time, no materials. But maybe in the future for the DBM and the Thunderbolt - especially the DBM which I'm thinking it'll be in a defilade position somewhere in Poland.

Grizzly Bear is such a tease!

I vowed to clean up my workshop this weekend - but - after wrecking it doing more T2K modeling!!!

Gunnie

For you considering adding a diorama or scenic base for your T2K entries - consider this. I was going to do a review on this item from Custom Dioramics. I contacted the designer of the molding - but haven't gotten a response to my inquiry about materials and recommended paints. Sad. Anyway, I obtained another and began working with it. Here's some results you can acheive quickly with just three airbrushed colors and a little oils used with drybrushing technique to pick out details. It fits Tamiya's T-55A nicely as shown here, but I've also parked my M45 Pershing Close Support Tank and M41A3 Walker BullDog in the scenic base just as easily. It might be acceptable to hold something as large as Grizzly Bear's Abrams Thunderbolt - length perhaps, width not too sure - might have to build an Abrams to try it out. It costs $19.95 through VLS Corp, but with my discount I get them at $13.97 - not too shabby in my view...

Sorry Gunnie my friend, but I didn't realize until almost the last sentence of your post that you were talking about the 'hull-down' hide..........was too busy admiring with affection(envy ), your superb T-55!!

Tread.

Yup.....great hide.

O.K., apparently (?), this is the thread to post info on our T2K entries.
I have posted an update (actually, the initial ditty) of my entry in my T2K Campaign envelope if anyone's interested. Assuming noone's that interested, I'll post the semi-official version here as well. Here it goes:

I am building what I have dubbed.....the WAR WAGON!! It is (as I have stated in my Campaign bio) an 'homage' to our honoured 'Gunnie' , as well as a legitimite entry in the T2K Campaign proceedings. The 'War Wagon' (named after a favourite John Wayne film of mine) is based on the Italeri M-977 OshKosh HEMTT Heavy 10-Ton Cargo truck. As I stated in my bio, I have been wrapping my mind around a 'build' like this for quite some time. The original thought for this project started when I began thinking on whether a GunTruck could survive in today's RPG/Attack Helo-rich wartime environment. My mind started putting together the ingredient's of a GT configuration that might actually survive such a seemingly one-sided engagement.
From the 'brewings' of this mental masturbation (oops, sorry censor's!), came the basis for the 'War Wagon'.
Now, that said. To elaborate a little on my build. As I said, the basis of the GT will be the HEMTT Cargo truck chassis. Added to this I am kit-bashing ANOTHER Italeri HEMTT cargo truck kit and building it into a [i]trailed[i/] unit that will essentially tow behind the main vehicle! I know, sound's like madness right? But, hey, you guys are mad as well! I will be completely reconfiguring the 'rear' HEMTT's frame rails, suspension system, cargo box, etc, and utilizing the supplied front tyre/suspension unit to build a 'dolly' interface between the front and rear HEMTT's.
The entire thing will be a heckuva long vehicle, being made up of both HEMTT kit's plus additional 'add-ons'. All-in-all the entire length of kit will exceed 2 and 1/2 feet long!!! Counting up the kits being used on this build, we're also exceeding over half a dozen model kits! The list so far goes like this: Three from Italeri, one from Trumpeter, two from Skybow, two from Tamiya, and possibly one form Corgi.
Now, in case anyone's thinking I'm blowing up skirt's. I've just spent most of my wekend off building the first HEMTT, and part of the second. I also have half-built, one of the main armament system's, as well as (at least opened the box) of the other. I do have a digital camera (work camera, bad resolution), so I will try to post pics of the 'beginnings' of this 'War Wagon' as soon as I can.
Hope this entry qualifies?

Tread.

Oh. And as far as the extensive armament systems????// You'll just have to tune in to my future ramblings........all I can say to the Red Team entries is this: Take the time to write out your final Will & Testamant's, and name your families as your benficiaries because the Blue Team is here to send you all back to STALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #:-) #:-) #:-)

WOW Tread - thanks! No one has ever built a model remembering me before. I'm jazzed and can't wait to see WAR WAGON. What an appropriate choice of subject and nickname!

My fellow T2K Campaign brothers - I ask for forgiveness. I began the weekend wanting to paint my BMD-1P+, but got waylaid by some events.

1) I let myself (happily) get distracted by General Failure's mini-event to clean up our workshops this weekend. Ain't gonna happen today!

2) My wife purchased the latest issue of FHM Magazine - the British Edition! Since we have a young audience here - can't get into descriptions - but suffice to say that it is quite good and distracting!

3) I got into my second T2K Campaign entry - the M948 LARS - and painted it some more while working out the Rocket Launcher and the two nuclear rockets it'll be carrying. Was having a lot of fun there...

4) I spent some time yesterday typing up an article to upload to the site here. Alas, no joy. Seems there's problems with my iMac and some of the fields used to upload here. I couldn't find a workaround. Notice I haven't uploaded any articles? That's why. Gets frustrating sometimes...

5) My football team ('da BROWNS) managed to once again keep an opponent from scoring a single touchdown - but still lose the game with two Quarterbacks on the field. That kind of defensive performance sure deserves a better offensive effort...

Anyway, to drown my sorrows, I returned to the workshop and began finishing all the nit-noid details for my gun truck "Sopwith Camel". The weathering process and blending all the subassemblies and small parts back together is time-consuming, but fun!

I hope all you guys had fun this weekend too!

Gunnie

That Sopwith Camel is just sooo cool... especially with the twin .50s Can you please take close-up pics of that twin .50? I want to do one. Thanks!

Well, I made several booobooos last weekend. 'Twas a disaster to put it mildly hehehehe! I compared the "original" T-2001 turret with the Black Eagle's and there's just NO WAY to make the former smaller. So, scrap that and instead do something similar to that allegedly used for the T-95 (unmanned turret with 152mm gun - but since the T-2001 is based on the BMP-1 chassis, it'll retain the 125mm gun instead of 152 - just have to do a smaller turret)... which made me wish I didn't have to do the major surgery before I did so... oh well... Back to the drawing board!

Then there's the Black Eagle's turret which resulted to too many wasted styrene sheets used. Whilst building it, I noticed an error - big error - so much so that I just had to essentially cut the turret in half (ouch). What a waste. Then I just realized it's a bit "undersized." Sigh... oh well, might as well continue with it. Do I have serious turret size issues!

Attached the Chiorny Oriol's 152mm gun already (which looks like a tad too long - but what the heck!) and sawed off Dragon's T-80UD hull readying it for a 7-centimeter insert for the additional road wheel (I just realized all of my TW2K entries have had to go under the coping saw). Since Dragon's T-80UD uses link-to-length tracks, I might have a shortage because of the stretched hull, so... I'll leave the gap (if there's any) hidden away by the skirts hehehehehe! Also decided to give it the Arena active-defense suite (good luck to me ) rather than Drozd-2. T-2001 will also get Arena considering the turret design.

Pictures soon I hope. Having trouble with the camera plus I'm a bit lazzzzzzzzzzzzzzyyyyyyyy when it comes to uploading pix hehehehe

Tread: Just remember, Red Team has the following gun tubes: 105mm L7 rifled gun, 125mm smoothbore gun capable of launching ATGMs, and also a 152mm smoothbore gun hehehehe!

Geeee GIB, sound's like you've got your hands full with some kit-bashing as well! Sorry to hear about the wasted time and materials, but, as they say, "think of all you learned from the experience"
As to your final comment about the Red Team's armament, a couple of things need to be said. Since one of Gunnie's entries already sport's nuclear weapons, I think one-on-one exchange's take on a whole new meaning! My entry, the ' War Wagon', is being built in more of an infantry/supply route support role. I will be leaving the 'cuttin edge' or extreme frontline engagement's to my brother Blue Team members. Once my Blue Team brethren have wiped any trace of Red Team communist scum from the landscape, the advancing legions of Red, White & Blue patriot's will require a close-in support vehicle that can stick around for the 'long haul', and still survive despite any empty threat of 'air supremacy' from the Red Team!! (so much for 'Hind-bait' )
In fact, not only will 'War Wagon' be a central support vehicle to our advancing wave of 'Son's of the Democracy', but it will also be capable of launching ' first strike' style attacks on positions that are temporarily occupied by Red Team squatter's. All this while maintaining close in support of our brave soldat's!!!

(God, I'm just loving this banter!! )

Tread.

Tread,




It's A BLUE team vehicle.............

Well, I will certainly hate to miss the nuclear exchange but the Indiana Sumbo crew is having it's hand's full protecting the local distillery from evil hoards of Wildcats from south of the Ohio river...

Shaun

Which reminds me, anyone know of a source for Indiana State Police dry transfers or decals in 1/35th scale?

Hmmmmmm...........May need to build a portable Still................need gas...................ideas....

Thx matt, I understood that. I just meant that that 'ups the ante', that's all.

Tread.

Besides, it doesn't really matter. The Red Team doesn't stand a chance anyway!!

my bad........I'll create some launch rails on my T-55..........all i need are some Nuke tipped Missiles.........

Phew...105mm, 120mm, 152mm, Nukes! Good thing my modest little F-150 Guntruck is being used Stateside to repel roving gangs, desperate to strip away anything of value from the tattered but proud and upstanding remnants of civilized society.

The .50 cal in her bed combined with small arms support usually is enough to turn back the undisciplined trash. That and the support from what is left in Michigan of the National Guard units and some armor. The 25mm Chain Gun on my M2A2 is a wicked monster if you are in anything less than an armored vehicle.

Rumors circulating up north from the urban regions tell of some armored vehicles in the ranks of the gangs...how they got there, what they are, crews, none of this is known.

Jaster,

Maybe they were looted from HERE

Shaun

No problem matt, sounds like a great idea to add to your T-55!.......heyyyyyyyyyyyy, wait a minute!! You aren't on the Red Team are you!?! I thought only the Blue Team had ALL the great idea's!

Jaster: Glad to hear we've got well-equipped & proud-to-serve soldiers like yourself holding together law and order back on the homefront! Your 'technical' will be a superb enforcer back on ' Main St.' U.S.A.

keenan: You may be on to something. I heard rumours to that affect as well on one of the 'pirate' radio stations operating under the net out there. Jaster better watch his six!!

Tread.

Oh!!! And whatever else you do keenan, don't let that distillery fall into enemy hands!!!!!!!1

I'm doing one of each........ #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-)

Okay gang been out of the loop for a while here, had some medical issues and hospital time , but hopefully thats all out of the way now.

Anywho...

I am going to have to get back into the mix here!

Treadhead: wow your "War Wagon" sounds super-cool! We'll have to convoy up all of our trucks, maybe some Photo Shop magic once they are all completed.

I just hope once mine is completed it will be on the par with all of yours, I've never attempted this kind of conversion/scratchbuild before. I'm kind of disappointed with the Legends XM-134 Mini-Gun kit, one of them has some pretty warped barrels, oh well.

Also, does anyone have both the New Tamiya HMMWV and the older Dragon Modern Infantry Fire Support Weapons, I am curious about the Mk 19 Grenade Launcher. How close are they in terms of size and detail? I would like to use the one on the HMWWV and a couple on my HEMTT, but only if they look fairly similar.

Thanks and I should have some new photos soon, once I get some more work done.

-CT

Howdy chris,

Glad to hear from you! Sorry to hear about your 'medical issues', hope everything is well!!! (huh, first oppportunity I've ever had to use the little ' flower' dude).

As I have already said in other posts, I apologize about 'wearing the same dress' to the Ball as you, but what can I say? Great minds think alike!!! Maybe we can share ideas and individual theories about what to load on our HEMTT's. In my description of it's (the ' War Wagon's) deployment, I envisioned 'Nam style GunTruck Transportation Batt's anyway. So, multiple units that differ slightly in their construction has obviously been done succesfully before, and is an [b]excellent[/i] way to go!
Actually, I was originally planning on building a single HEMTT GT until I found out from GIB that you we're building one as well. I decided to raise the stakes on my build to reduce any repetition, so, it worked out well.
Speaking of the 'Nam tie-in. Originally, when I was planning a single HEMTT, I had intended to call it 'the Untouchable', named after a Vietnam era GunTruck that I am building as well on the side (one of my long-term builds, and I mean long ). But after increasing the size of my build I didn't think the moniker worked as well, hence the change to 'War Wagon'........just seemed to fit better on something so overscale.

Tread.

BTW ctmi911, watch out for matt...............word is, he's a double-agent! #:-) #:-)

Dang! And to think it didn't even occur to me to model a modern gun truck for the T2K Campaign! If I had thought about it I would have selected the HEMTT too!

Gunnie

This needs to be a Annual Campaign...... #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) i've got WAY too many idea's floating around in my head #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-)

I agree wholeheartedly! I can see T2K: 2004 already!

Gunnie