Having built the tractor version of the D7 I decided to start inmediately with the bulldozer version equipped with the LeTourneau WCK-7 blade, the newest kit of Mirror Models.
The kits builds without serious complications, and I would just advice to test the coincidence of the parts and unions before gluing.
The instructions book suggest us to beggin with the engine, nicely detailed, in which we will add the first photoetched parts that are included in the kit.
Following with the transmission and the radiator we reach the tractor chassis to which we glue the engine, at this stage I decided to start painting before having any problems to reach hidden parts.
The next phase was to build the boogies that include the big metal springs, if we use the covering plates they won't be seen.
When fixing the idler, sprocket and boogies to the chassis, the tractor beggin taking shape.
We add the driving station with the photoetched platform. Meanwhile the glue cures we can start building the blade.
We add the side platforms and fix the photoetched anti-slip surfaces with some white glue.
Before covering the engine we can start the weathering process, for that I used the Vallejo rust set mixing the rust colours "al fresco"
Once glued the seat and the blade structure I airbrushed an overall layer of Olive drab primer.
Then with a lighter green colour I applied a filter diluted 50% at the most visible zones.
ėmg]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xjrNomDXwlI/VUB8QFdIN3I/AAAAAAAATbQ/DHlZjPHxqow/s1600/_MG_7944.JPG[/img]
And inmediately after another filter using white acrylic wash creating a zenithal ilumination.
For the blade extreme rusted surface I used again the rust tones of the Vallejo set using the sponge technique.
After some earth tone washes and adding some pigment and mud at the lower parts of the vehicle I called it finished and put it on one of the new FCmodeltips grunge bases
The flag at the pole is another new FCmodeltips item, is a paper decal that is easily adaptable to un uneven surface or can be modeled with the hands, you can see them here.
http://www.fcmodeltrend.com/calcas-lp-1-50-familia-3/
I enjoyed this kit very much and I´m willing to start with the angled dozer and the armoured versions.
