The Twilight 2000 campaign is off and running. There are only 14 participants signed on so far? Remember, you can build just about whatever you want for this campaign. Everything from airships and ultralights to nuclear submarines. Helicopters to T-80s and BMPs. From kitbashed to OOB. I thought a lot of you modern tread-heads would have been all over this. Warsaw Pact vs. Nato and all of that.
Hop in guys, the water is fine. A bit radioactive along the Gulf Coast, but fine.

Shaun

It is fun thus far - and actually some conversation happening in the Campaign Folder. This is a good thing to keep everyone up on who's doing what.

Jump in!

Gunnie

Haven't had much time lately........We're looking into buying our first house.......... But I'll try to Get some photos posted finally...................................

Well... been tinkering with some perfectly good kids and "destroying" them for this campaign. #:-)

I now have my 152mm gun for the Black Eagle - which I have yet to start. So far, what's in the Campaign Folder is what I still have here lying around.

LOL.... Sometimes the misspellings are a bit ironic.

Jim

You can get life sentence for that !

MIsspelling? Who siad anthying abuot mssipleling?!? #:-)

Ok ok ok, lest Interpol comes in and arrest me for, uh, "perverted behavior"...

... it's KITS not kids, okay?

I shall let my error stay as it is instead of editing it - for the entertainment benefit of everyone in this community.

Too funny. I have come way to close to doing some "kid bashing" myself. That said, I think that all of you lurkers out there need to head to the Campaign thingy and sign up for this one. It promises to be very "innovative" to say the least. Like this...



Told ya,

Shaun "Sumbo" Keenan

The ad-hoc Indiana National Defense Force is ready for all takers. "You want a piece a' me?"

Awww - now you've gone an done it! I have to post progress pics before the weekend is over!

Gunnie

I got a couple of projects cooking for this one. I let you in on them next week. I should have some pics of the progress by then.

Working hard on my project, but I won't post any pictures until it's done- hope it comes out ok


Peter

Pete, what are you afraid of? The Hoosier Sumbo doesn't scare you, does it? Get some...

Hee hee

Shaun

Howdy all,

I'm still not sure exactly what idea this campaign revolves around, but I must also say it looks intriguing!
Now I just need to consider whether I can afford to 'burn' multiple kits................

Tread.

Keenan: Mean Sumbo you got there! Looking forward to it completed. What'll be the paint job? My T-34/105 will sport a winter camo. BTW, that 105mm L7 gun - from what kit? It looks quite large for a 105mm (just like Tamiya's and Academy's 120mm M256 gun look larger than those offered by Dragon's in their Abrams).

Grizz, the gun tube is from some ancient plastic after market set. I will check the brand when I get home from work. Yeah, I know, working another Saturday...

Shaun

Looks like the Lo Models M48/60 update set. I had that one and it was a great set for the time. You could turn the old Tamiya M60A1 and M48A3 into an M60A1 RISE/Passive or M60A3 (not TTS) and M48A5 or M48A2GA2 respectively. I've still got the old German fittings for the M48A2GA2 that I plan on building some day.

UPDATE: BMD-1P+ Airborne Infantry Combat Vehicle.

This weekend, I fitted my BMD's flank armor - hard rubber skirts - that offered some additional protection to the running gear. Since they were rubber, they allowed the BMD to maintain it's "squatting" capability for air transport/dropping and hiding on the battlefield. The rubber skirts' lightweight (relative to steel) didn't impact the vehicle's ability for amphibious operations. I have some small rubber blocks to add to the flanks of the Turret too. My entry vehicle crew added them when Soviet Division Cuba invaded Texas. Nearer to the end, I'll add the rubber mud flaps to the corners of the BMD.

There's some minor bolt and fastener detail I've set aside to add later on this evening. The anti-tank launcher was made out of two lengths of brass tubing because my kit parts were unrecoverable. I hid the huge sinkholes in the Launcher itself with paper - templates cut from the instruction sheet itself. The straps securing the Launcher Tube to the Rail are strips cut from the instruction sheet too. My advanced anti-tank missile is in a brass container that slips into the Launcher Tube - measuring some 6' 9" in length. In my RPG game world - this weapon was an Abrams-killer. I had a designation for it at one time - but no "nickname" for it - I could use suggestions

All the basic details on the model are accurate per the BMD-1P. On the mid-right quarter of my BMD-1P+ there is an added NBC Detector in deployed position (Grandt Line Bolt sufficed nicely) in the place of the crew hatch vision block that was missing in my kit. On the right side of the crew hatch is an improved armored NBC filter for the crew to remain buttoned up for longer periods safely. This was an addition to this series of vehicles before the Soviets launched tactical nuclear weapons in Poland, circa 1997. There is one last piece of equipment to add to my BMD - but that'll come in the next update...

Gunnie

superb work as usual Gunnie! Just LOVE the skirts.

Now, everyone seems to be 'referring' to something when they talk about their builds......I feel like the one 'dude' who's not 'in' on the joke.
Is there a thread that explains this whole 'Twilight 2000' thingie???

Thx,

Tread.

Yep - several long threads! Best place to go for the skinny is head into the Campaign Folder on the left-hand side of the computer screen in the Main Menu. Click on the Twilight: 2000 Campaign hyperlink - and it'll take you to the synopsis.

In the Campaign Central Command Forum there are several long threads of guys discussing ideas for their entries, and I posted a set of links to good sites around the Internet featuring the game system and equipment used in it.

Gunnie

(I couldn't resist. It appears the Soviets packed an incredible amount of firepower in even the smallest of packages. I put the BMD-1 next to the US HMMWV to show how comparable in size the two vehicles are...)

This Campaign is great...it let's the imagination run!

Gunnie, your BMD is VERY nice!


If I remember correctly the Soviet Navy employed the same apporach- MAXIMUM firepower for any given package. Some of their ships just bristled with weaponry! VERY COOL looking.

The SUMBO...built by the ad-hoc Tank Plant in farm Country USA , the tweaked BMD, the Super Abrams, all these are exactly what makes this Campaign so unique!

I'd love to see everyone spend a little time on "setting the scene" for their entry! Ya just got to know that behind every entry is a story!

I encourage EVERYONE to take a shot at this Campaign!

Oh... My... God...

GunTruck, THAT is one FINE BMD!

On your ATGM, you can call it a Kornet ATGM. AFAIK, the Kornet - particularly the new ones - are real Abrams-Killers (as in front-armor penetration!), and are such because they are specifically designed to kill penetrate Chobham/DU armor and kill anything from Leo2s to M1A2 SEP Abrams. Hence, there was much consternation on Russia during Op. Telic when the US accused Russia of supplying Kornet ATGMs to the Iraqis - apparently most Abrams kills were RPGs or rear ATGM shots (and of course there's the sniper shot on the TC that resulted in the M1 to fall off a bridge drowning the crew ) The very latest Kornets have thermobaric warheads - not much against armor AFAIK, but it'll do hell on "soft structures" such as caves, buildings, pillboxes... Check out www.army-technology.com for more info on Kornet ATGM.

But of course, Thunderbolt's add-on armor can withstand your ATGM. NOT EVEN A DENT! #:-)

[enter Soviet Zampolit] Splendid work, Tov. GunTruck. Surely, with the airborne capability of your BMD, your 5th Guards Motor Rifle Parachute Regiment will spread much consternation and terror among NATO's rear lines! Onwards brave comrade! Onwards to a Red Future![/exit Soviet Zampolit] #:-)

Im Still Thinking of Entering. Gonna Build a m151A2 with Tow and added armor maybe a ram on the front and some smoke launchers (Parts from my old Warhammer Rhino) Well Maybe.

Dave, and everyone else needs to remember that OOB is fine. Some of us have gone decidedly overboard (because we played the game way too much). You don't need to destroy kids, err kits, to come on board. I am building the Sumbo but when I get that finished I think I will work on one of the 10 M1A1 Abrams kits I have OOB.

Shaun

I Actually Am Gonna do alot of modding Gonna Switch the Tow with a Old Recoiless Rifle and add a MG Mount into the front right window may even remove the whole window and replace with armor. So many ideas

Thanks GIB - that will be what I designate my BMD-1P+ anti-tank missile weapon!

I couldn't resist posting one more subject - this one from the Blue Team. I had a good weekend - even if I did have to work one day. Below are some in-progress pics of my US M948 LARS (Light Artillery Rocket System - the MLRS 'Junior'). It's based on the M730 Guided Missile Equipment Carrier (GMEC), which is a part of the Chaparral System. I modified the AFV Club kit to get to this stage. The M948 LARS is configured the same as the bigger MLRS - just uses smaller rockets. Here, I based the "guts" of the Launcher Box on the DML MLRS assembly - just smaller - to fit into the Pallet. I plan to make the model positionable in az and el - and perhaps even capable of being displayed loading rounds like the DML kit was able to do.

I haven't decided to close up the Cab as if in firing position - or to detail it out. I was also considering making the Pallet removable as was in the Chaparral system to set up independent of the GMEC. Might not have enough time to do that and get my other ideas done.

My two entries represent the Hunter (BMD-1P+) and the Hunted (M948 LARS) so far in the Campaign...

Gunnie