Figures of US Army from around 2003 in tee shirts seem rare. I know of the Trumpeter Modern US Soldiers (Logistics Supply Team)figures, and I am using the upper torsos of the Master Box WWII US Artillery Crew Figures on Trumpeter legs. This CS figure is a torso from the MiniArt German Tank Crew "Afrika Korps" set with Trumpeter legs. I used tissue with Liqutex Gesso to drape a tee shirt on the bare upper body. With a little liquid surfacer and spray primer it came out okay. Still needs a chin strap and some touch up.

Please let me know if you have ideas for modern figures in helmets and tee shirts.




Thanks for looking in!- Stuart

Nice work on that figure, Stuart!

Thank you for the kind words and following Gary. The scratch building of figures by others on Armorama inspired me to create the poses I wanted instead of settling for out of the box. All the best to you! Stuart

I am still working figures. Got in another of the Trumpeter Logistics and Supply figure kits for more tee shirts. Adding Hornet Heads "turning" and "looking down reading" to get the flinch expressions at the pulling of the lanyard.



Slowly painting the figure faces. In the past I have used oils, but now trying the Vallejo acrylics with a wet pallet. No idea of what color as I am just mixing to suit and trying to blend. Please note that helmets will cover a lot of these sins. It is all fun.

Awesome figure work, Stuart!

Thank you Gary! I appreciate you hanging in there. I am just pinning the figures into the styrofoam base for placement as it develops. There is an advantage of a foam base. Working up the gunner to go beside the chief. The #3 near them perhaps waiting with a couple of green bags? All the best- Stuart

Lookin really nice!

Thank you Dustin!

Small update. Five of 10 crew figures in planning stages here. Still cutting up more people parts to make others soon!

Stuart,
Nice to see the crew in place. If you were doing Marines I'd have to tell you they were out of uniform. But since they're Army, they might not worry about things like that.

Best wishes,

Gaz

I think that is a fair comment Gary. My friend was very clear that this National Guard unit was in a training mode in a hot and rainey climate. He especially used the term hot! The vests were around them nearby but the idea was helmets and tee shirts due to the heat. These figures still need the Live Resin PASGT helmets. Progress for me is slow due to recent travel with work. Thank you for continuing to follow! Please keep the comments coming. Much appreciated!

Small update for figures. I have a better appreciation for our talented friends sharing on this website that can put out so many highly modified figure. I find this part of the hobby challenging.

The number 1 on the crew with a helmet...still needs a chinstrap

Nice looking figure! I always hated the chin strap. Most of us kept it up on the helmet's peak unless somebody in the chain of command was feeling the need to assert his authority.

Gaz

Also starting on a #3 with a ready M3A1 155mm green bag.

Thanks for looking in. Comments always welcome!

Wow, you've really progressed on this! Your figure posing and sculpting looks really good!

Gaz

Thank you Gary. Learn by doing. Question please. Can you tell me what happens to the tie strips on the Green propellent bag? Are those just packed into the tube and burned? Thanks Stuart

Slow progress this month. Not much found so far for photos of the actual gun "PREDATOR", so proceeding with the generic NATO scheme. Base coat of the NATO green added.

Much work to do on the crew. These are 9 of the ten.

Figures are mostly the Trumpeter "Supply and Logistics" set parts that are cut up and modified. All heads are from Hornet and helmets from Live Resin. Other experts on this website can give more details for figure modifications. After Frankenstein cutup and glue the fun begins. Filling is with Milliput epoxy putty (-fine) and Tamiya Liquid Surface primer. Spray with the rattle can white Tamiya primer helps highlight areas needing more work. This is a really slow process for me as I fill/cure/sand/fill/cure/fill...





This will be a ten member crew. The last crew member created will be kneeling with a clipboard tracking the projectiles and fuzes as the an aid to the Number 2 during the "Gun Bunny Hop." Thanks for looking! - Stuart

Stuart,
It's been a while. Great looking figures!

Gaz

Hi Gary! Thanks for hanging in there. Yes long time as travel for work is kicking my rear. Hope you are well. All the best! Stuart

It is coming along really nicely. Keep up the great work.

Yup, that's exactly what happens. The increments which are used (from the base with the red igniter pad on the bottom and numbers 1 through whatever charge is called for) are placed in the breech, and everything is consumed when fired.

I don't know if it's still done this way, but in my 155mm SP unit in the 70's, the powder man when inserting the propellant charge always said, "I see red, breech closed" to indicate that he had placed the charges in correctly with the igniter pad to the rear. When the primer fires through the hole in the breech block it sets off the igniter pad first which then sets off the powder, sending the projo on its way.

As an aside, the breech block on the SP tube would lock into a cam type plate with a handle to stay in the open position as part of the recoil process and remain open after firing.

The breech block was spring loaded and when the handle on the plate was lifted up, it would slam shut. To prevent serious injury, when the powder man placed the charges into the breech, he would stand facing the breech block with his left arm extended and left hand right in the middle of the open block and then with the powder charge in his right hand, place it into the breech with his right arm crossed over the TOP of his left arm. The idea was that if some how the breech block arm was lifted and the breech block accidentally closed the motion of the push back on his left arm UNDER his right arm would pull the right arm out of the way. After placing the charges in, he would say "I see red" and then lift the handle and close the breech.

The left over increments not fired were taken to the rear of the piece and held over the head of the cannoneer until the piece was fired so that a visual check could be made (by subtraction) that the correct powder charge was being fired. Once the rounds left the tube, the excess charges were dropped into the pit. At the end of a firing session, ALL the excess powder bags from all the pieces in the battery were lined up single file in a row on the ground and burned up. Don't think you're allowed to do that anymore, but it sure was fun!!

Yup, still the way it is. Fire commands haven't really changed.