Hi, I started my Meng M3A3 by removing the side skirts busk support bars and applying the baggage ties. Now I'm looking for the correct dimensions of the black covers, used for water cans, can't find the right wording. If somebody could help me, would be great. Thanks in advance.

Andreas,
I do not have any dimensions but the rubber flaps are used to protect the 5 gallon water cans from being knocked off of the vehicles when moving through undergrowth, then I would suggest that making the replacement flap slightly larger than a 1-35th scale water can be your starting point.

Send me an e-mail at j_charvatATcoxDOTnet and I can send you a couple of pictures that will allow you come up with an accurate sized flap.

John

Hi John, thank you very much. I'll send you an email. Do you know that there are also baggage ties behind the rubber flaps?

Andreas,
A bit of background on the vehicles in pics that I sent. They were fresh from the Bradley reset (rebuilding) program, so all of the skide skirt tie downs were in place. I believe that those type of tiedowns are available from Eduard, if you need to equip your model with them.

John

John, Thank's for your help! I have got the eduard tie down set, they called baggage ties. I use the eduard set and boltheads from a voyeger side skirts set. Most exhausting work was to remove the support bars and installation of the tie downs with the little bolts.
The pics are from the 3rd ID?

Yup, those shots are of HQ 66 & HQ 63, 1st BCT, 3ID back in 2006. I took them right before I retired in October. It was a hot, humid day in Ft Stewart Georgia. Also, I don't know if the baggage ties are present behind the rubber flap. It would make sense that there were one or two installed in order to strap the water can itself to the vehicle.

John

John, I found two pics that show tie downs behind the rubber flaps.

I will try to post some pics of my work.




The new applied tie downs are not exactly in line.

Andreas,
The side armor looks nice after the rails for the BRAT have been removed. The baggage ties look good and add interest to the armor. Is your M3A3 going to be in NATO Camo? I have the Meng M2A3 as well as a M3A3 and I am debating on backdating one of them into an A2 one of these days... Keep posting your progress and let me know if you need any other assistance.

John

Thanks John. I'm not so satisfied with my rebuilt skirts.
My M3 goes in Nato Camo from 2nd ID, 7th Cav South Korea with the big foot track. In the future I'll build the M2A3 like my M3 but with the new track. It's not easy to backdate the Meng A3 to A2,there is a similar theme started by Gino about the M7 BFIST. You will need the academy M2A2 ODS.

Some in progress pics with scratch built rubber flaps and reworked armored plates(not cleaned and glued). I used for the plates the basic kit parts, but I think they are to thin.

Looks like it is coming along nicely. The side plates came out nicely with the removal of the attachment bars. Good work.

Thank you Gino. The build is a compromise, the baggage ties just a bit oversized as the originals and I haven't reached the desired accuracy, maybe with my second A3 Bradley.