Not a big change from last time , got the base started . I felt that it was missing something that said "FT. IRWIN" so i got the old tamiya M-551 and now I'm trying to give it the T-72 VISMOD look . Has any one tried to do a VISMOD on the M-551? It has been trial and error here , going by a few books and a lot of pics . I'ts still early on this one but ok so far. Still have to add a fence around the edge of the compound and a few other things . As allways comments and gripes are welcome .

M-88 left hand view

over head view of M-551

over view of the dio

An old issue of Military Modeler did a VIZMOD Sheridan. IIRC (been a long while now) they had a pattern included to cut out the sheet styrene. Don't recall if the conversion was to look like a BMP or T-72 though.

turrettoad13,
One of our new members is an Old Friend who happens to be an OPFOR veteran from the mid Eighties... give muzzle_flash a PM and see if he can be of help.

HTH
Chuck

Looks very nice, I love the big dios...
Can you explane me the story of your dio? I don't understand why a t72 can go near a m1abrams without problem #:-)
So I'm waiting to see the finished dio photos....
regards

Looks very good so far.

I meself am doing an NTC M1A1 aka KVT (posted a pic of that many moons before). Actually had mine painted already in 2-tone desert camo (dark brown and sandy brown). Will rework the camo net on the gun barrel, as well as add the MILES equipment. But I digress...

Hunnicutt's Sheridan book has several pics of the Sheridan T-72 vismod. Also, in case you don't know yet, Scott Cunningham's www.armorinaction.com has lots of pics on the NTC - might also have some Sheridan VISMODS there.

Wow! Nice build! Keep us updated with pics!

Howdy Armor Fans and fellow members! I see Carface (Chuck) has already introduced me. Looking forward to the forum posts and will be of any help possible, and will likely NEED some help myself along the way.
Thanks all!

Here is the best of the pics (all are posted in My Gallery if you wanna view them) of the VISMOD Sheridans. I hope the link is correct.

Cool concept Toadster---again your actual experience and modeling skills allow you to share these types of scenes with the rest of us.

Please keep us posted as this one moves along.

Steve

Toadman,

This is an awesome dio. I always respect people can do dio like this. Keep us posted.

Thank to every one for responding .
Sabot : do you have the article by any chance ? or any one else for that matter ? if you do p.m. me and let's make a deal
Carface : Thanks for telling me about muzzle_flash great pics from him
Venom : NTC is in the Mohavae ( sp ? ) desert just south of Death Valley . This is where the Army does it's large scale combat manuver training . The OPFOR uses old M-551 Sherdins modified to look like T-72s and BMP s , there are a few actual soviet tanks in use there . When the visiting team is getting ready in garisson to go into the manuver box the OPFOR is buzzing around getting ready as well . So that is what I'm trying show in this dio. It's still early - so be patient with me . :-)
Grizzly bear : I think my old m1a1 became one of the OPFOR tanks , we left it at ft. irwin as part of a payment plan or some thing like that . Thanks for the link - it helped a lot
Red : thanks
Muzzle_flash : welcome to the site good to have you here . I was at NTC in july of 1999 for 3 weeks . Thanks for sharing the pics . Is that you in the pic with all the 105 mm rounds ?
WWH and SS : thanks buds - i'll do my best with this one (++)

Your'e very welcome, and I hope my pics give you some fabulous ideas for your dio. I posted the pics of the actual desert scenes as I did not know for sure if you had ever been to Ft Irwin or not, and thought you might need an idea of what it actually looks like. Yes, that is me standing in front of the 105mm ammo pile. We were on our annual "Blue Force" training rotation. That is also me in the jeep holding the radio mic.
I do have one tidbit of info you might find useful, possibly not to the better interest of the dio though, in that the fact that OPFOR forces actually engage in very little buzzing around prior to a "rotation". The reason is that there are several rotations in a row. In your case, when you were there in July 1999, we (OPFOR of the past anyway) would have just came in from the prior rotation and had about three days to a week of no exercises. This went on for weeks at a time, then we would have a short break, and it would start all over again. Since we became acclimated to the desert environment, and the fact that we only spent a night or two in the desert without coming back to the barracks during the rotation, we were required to carry very minimal equipment and supplies with us. We were only required to take one canteen water on our bodies. Our required gear only consisted of a pistol belt with mounted canteen, shaving kit, and a flashlight. So, our tanks stayed pretty well ready to go, or at least required very minimal work to get it ready for the next rotational exercise. We pretty much hopped in them and took off. So, my point here is, in your dio, I personally think that mixing US Armor with the vismods in such close proximity would be inaccurate (that is if I am seeing what I think I am seeing in your pics), depending upon what you are exactly wanting to portray. "Blue Forces", the rotational visiting unit, stayed in the desert many miles away from our motorpool and our paths only crossed in the actual battle exercise. This, however, may be different now, but that was certainly the case in my days there. Good luck on your dio!

Found these M551 T-72 vismod pictures in the pile from spring of 1988.

http://flashpages.prodigy.net/ptruhe/temp/m551vismod.jpg

http://flashpages.prodigy.net/ptruhe/temp/m551vismod2.jpg

Paul

Muzzle_flash : when we were in the "dust bowl " at the south east corner of main post we were in a large fenced in aera that we never left untill we went out into the box . The only times we left was to mount the plow , test fire the main gun and bore sight the miles . we saw a few OPFOR tanks out side the wire , so i guess saying buzzing about was the wrong word to use . My bad . When we were geting the plow mounted i recall there being a few OPFOR using the road close to the motor pool . So I'm "lying" just a bit to give the dio a location , I hope it's not a major crime #:-) thanks for the input - no fault no foul
Paul : thanks for the pics they help out a lot !

Turrettoad, I absolutely understand the reasons for doing your dio as you are. I think it looks fantastic, and as I stated, my "criticism" of your dio was probably NOT in the best interest of it at all. I was simply giving information that was correct at the time period I was there to inform anyone else that has not been a part of the OPFOR experience.
As far as you being inside a large fenced in area in the Dust Bowl area of Ft Irwin, I dont understand. It must be a new area as the rotational forces that were there while I was at Ft Iriwn, never stayed that close to post, unless there was a small support unit there that I never saw. Heck, we didnt even have motorpool logs when I was there. Many times I just hopped in my jeep and took off and crawled it to the top of Tiefort Mountain and looked out over the desert.
It has been a long time since I was there, and even I thought (trying to remember) that the dust bowl was a lot farther away from the motorpool than you are describing. Since I dont remember what direction was which at Ft Irwin, I will take your word for it. I do however remember the locations of "Furlong Ridge", "Valley of Death", "The Whale", "Bicycle Lake", "Painted Rock", "Hill 936 (or something to that effect)", and I believe a place called "Four Points".
Anyway, I have enjoyed this much, you have brought me many memories from that time. Please continue and keep up the good work!