Well, it's time to start the work on this beauty.
As I already said it's a great model if you want to build a modern Vodnik. I want to backdate this one to a vehicle used in Chechnya, so I'll have to do some tweaking. I have discovered more discrepancies but more about this later.
Here are few progress shots.

I'm following...Good luck...


http://www.facebook.com/povHG
http://battletankpower.blogspot.com/

Watching with interest. Keep up the build!

Thank you, guys!
I hope to hove more free time to finish it in the coming weeks.

Very interesting build Dimitar- looking forward to seeing what you get up to with this.

Interesting, but...but it looks like a soccer mom van. lol

Well LOL, it does!
And this is the mom driving it!
russian-woman

Little step forward - the dashboard is ready. I think the clutches are overscaled. This made me compare the size of the model with the dimensions of the real one. Bugger! There is a drastic mismatch according to different sources. If we follow the dimensions given by armyrecognition and some russian websites the kit is in scale +/- a mm or 2. If we follow Wikipedia the kit lands in 1/32 or 1/30 scale. So I left this to the concerned and will resume with the build.

Wikipedia's dimensions are incorrect. I already looked into it. I think we are using the same Russian sources for alternate dimensions, and if you are within a few mm, then we are. The Russian dimensions are a LOT more accurate.

Yes, you're absolutely right, Jacques. It is better to use russian sites for russian vehicles' references.
It is also very pleasing to see that Trumpeter put more and more efforts in the RD stage.

Would not want to cutoff that lady in traffic...lol.

Ok, here we go again.
As you ca see following the instructions can mislead you. This is where the antennae should be according to Trump (amd Primeportal):

And where it is in May, 2000.

Trumpeter is correct. It represents a "late" Vodnik. The photo you have is for a "early" one.

Absolutely!
But they offer decals for an early one also. And that's what I intend to build.
Btw, the one on the photo is a late early one - 39371 with the three person front cabin. Trump has omitted the seat behind the driver. Which is not visible with a fully closed interior.

More progess. I'm slowly backdating this one to a 2000 - 2001 vehicle. I think that it's easy to understand with a photo than to explain. I hope it is useful.

Very useful instructions Dimitar- thanks for sharing them with us!

Glad you enjoyed it!

"Vodnik" in Ossetia

Thank you for this picture!
That was my initial idea, but the one photograph that I found later (a side view of the same vehicle) made me change my mind - it has some additonal tools and instruments on the left side plus a couple of police warning lights on top of it and I didn't have (and still don't) any idea where to source any of these.
I will upload the other photo tonight as well as some progress pictures.

What do the markings signify on that particular Vodnik?

Here is the photo I promised.


As for the markings I think it's Military traffic police or Military vehicle inspection.

I think you are right Dimitar- the police lights and the markings definitely make it look like some form of military police. Its a marking scheme I've never seen before. Thanks to you and Geoff for posting these pictures.

My pleasure.
And here is a little update. I removed the holes for the antenae masts, unfortunately I removed and the welding seams, so I'll have to redo them. The air inlet blank-off plastic plate (it's an ommission in the kit) was removed and a etched grill added instead.






Thanks for stopping by!

Karl and Dimitar,
Bison decals did released a sheet a few years back with those markings that describe them as for a soviet MP unit but a quick goolge image search showed nothing similar http://www.bison-decals.com/35195.html

Sean

The decals look great bur I don't know if they will be useful on this one.
I continue my work. I tried to replace the original weld seams with some putty but the result doesn't look as refined as the one of the prototype. Any comments and suggestions? I think I'll try with stretched sprue. Any help is welcomed!

Sean- thanks for the info on the decals!

Dimitar- I can see what you mean about the weld seam and you could perhaps get a better result with stretched sprue. But you also might consider that under some primer and paint the seam may not then be so prominent as it is now. I can see it is in an awkward place too but perhaps some careful sanding would bring it more in line with the actual seam. Just my two cents.