Hello All,

Recently I was involved in helping create a 1/35th scale concept model of what the new Air Defense Artillery Learning Center and Artifact Storage Facility will look like at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It turned out fairly nice and the Corps of Engineers and other agency representatives were impressed with it when we had our first planning meeting. So, the director of the Field Artillery Museum asked the ADA Museum Director and me if we would build some models for him so he could plan out the spacing of macro artifacts in an add-on facility that is currently being built for that museum. One of the models that I build for the FA Museum is this M577 that I built straight out of the box and painted in the Summer MERDC camo pattern. Since the actual M577 that will be in the museum is currently undergoing restoration, I did not have any bumper numbers to place onto the model and since it is going to be displayed inside, no weathering was done either. I built and painted it in less that 24 hours of total time. I think it came out pretty decent. The only thing I don't like is that the tent is not attached well.

There are many modelers on this site that do a way better job at modeling armor than I can achieve as I am mainly a figure and diorama guy. I posted this mainly because I thought the MERDC camo pattern turned out well.





























Cheers,
James

Great job James. It looks really good.

Awesome. Really love It

I agree! Great camo job!

Thanks, Gino, Blazey, and Nick.

I painted the camo pattern with a brush since it seemed like all of the MERDC painted vehicles our museum has were all painted with brushes instead of spray guns. After I primed it with black, I used Krylon Woodland Light Green, then used acrylics for the dark green, tan, and black.

This project actually has me motivated to do a few more vehicles in MERDC, but for the others I will take my time, give them markings, and weather them.

Cheers,
James

Hi James,

Good to see a well done model, based on a production which many of us can remember from ages ago!
It recalls memories of all those days I spend in that box as an arti off.
Thanks for sharing and recalling good memories (yes, I forgot all the moments in frost, rain, mud and alike and only remember the days in sunshine at the shooting range, enjoying the activities of 6 M109s)

very nice work. love that cammo.

Great job my friend. Camo looks really good.
keep safe
Engin

Nice job, especially with the background of building it in less than 24h! The only thing I found is that the tow cable on the rear ramp was mounted upside down, if possible turn it 180 degrees.

Very good job on a difficult camouflage scheme !

Im a huge fan of the MERDC cammo and my goal someday is to have one of every color verdiant on my shelf!... I think you did a fantastic job on this one! You are spot on with the complete painted on look! I recently am in the process of completing a little dio with a gama goat in the summer temperate...... I used the airbrush for the two 85% colors and then hand painted in the crows feet and the other 5%......

Very nice, love the paint job, you have completely inspired me to finish mine. I literally just ordered antenna matching units and an Eduard PE set from Sprue Brothers for mine.

Thanks for the additional positive comments. They definitely provide motivation to attempt other models in the MERDC pattern.

Brian, your Gamma Goat looks pretty impressive. You can tell you've been in the military by the way the trailer is loaded. It looks like you put some thought into it as to where you would put the equipment to get to what you need when you need it as opposed to some of the stowage sets you see out there that look like stuff just thrown onto the vehicle without much rhyme or reason.

Mirko, good call on the tow cable. It is upside down, but I can't do much about it as I am no longer in possession of the model. My grandson was visiting when I was building it and he was helping. By the time I realized that the tow cable was put on wrong, the glue had already dried. Since it was just to be used as a place holder to figure out how vehicles were going to be arranged in a building, I didn't worry about it much. I will be more careful on my next M113 type build.

Cheers,
James

To be fair I had a few friends offer advice on what and where... I had it too organized LOL.

Love the MERDC! Especially the summer version.

How about the Dual Tex used as a modified patter of the MERDC!

Hi Guys,
I did a Gamma Goat in Dualtex:



Regards,
Georg

Very awesome goat!
There's something to be said about the good ol' days when guys at the unit level could paint up their tracks with brushes, spray guns and paint rollers. I think it beats the hell out of the factory finish painted by robots.

Here's a comparison .... Just gotta love the freestyle camo vs the factory applied look. The 7th Army look was the most fun, from the guady MASSTER to the Dual Tex..

Question about the 577. Inside the vehicle, directly in front of the TC seat is a bunch of metal rods of sorts mounted to the wall with a bunch of bolts too. I know that's a crappy description but anyone who's been in one should know what I'm talking about. What the heck were those?? I lived in a 577 off and on for years and never did know what they were.

You may be referring to the map holder brackets or the 292 antenna....

James-- love your work, very detailed and very nicely painted. May I recommend that you drill a hole in the top and bottom of the bracket located near the generator on the right side of the M-577? It is the antenna mounting bracket and will hold the sections of the 292 antenna (they probably have another type now). Hopefully, Gino will pipe in and provide the current correct nomenclature--arty guys live in those tracks..well done!
DJ

Ohhh I know a 292, that aint it, I was a commo dog for 13 years! This thing, behind the red chart, directly to the left of the 2298 control box...

That looks like the backing where the generator mounts on the outside of the vehicle. ?

May be unique to the vehicle in the picture because I cant seem to find other interior pics with anything there.

Doubt if it has anything to do with the generator, I've pulled packs on 577's and there is only four bolts holding it to the wall and two on the engine deck. It's been in every, maybe a dozen??, 577 I've been in.

Come on people, what is it??!!

James - Johnson, that is...
I know what you are talking about IRT the framework and bars just below the TC's hatch. I could have sworn that those items were counterweights for swimming due to the height of the 577 and the nose heavy attitude with the engine and the 5Kw generator. I remember asking some maintenance folks the question 20-25 years ago and I think that that was the answer...

Jimmy Chuck,
Again, that is a great quickie build for Gordon... Keep up the vehicle modeling. you need to do an 11th ACR ACAV & M48 one of these days.

John

John, I think you nailed it, I too seem to remember something now from about 30 years ago in regards to that being part of the weight and balance for swimming. That was making me nuts for some reason, must be a slow day!