I am almost completed with my M2A2 Bradley AFV. I have been looking at some ref. pics and other builders project to get an idea as to how to make the lense of the periscopes look more realistic.
Just painting them blue kind of looks
So I was wondering if any of you may have a better technique to be more reailistic...

Thanks.
tobar

Paint the periscopes a very dark blue and then cover the dark blue with Testors "windshield creating" glue (sorry, I don't remember the exact name but it's the stuff with the blue label in the black precision application bottle).

When I model stuff with openings for periscopes (commanders cupula for the M60A3 for example) I use this glue to create a "glass" over the opening and then apply dark paint on the back side (inside) of the glass. It works pretty good and looks authentic.

SFC_StJohn
Is the stuff you talked about kind of a "tinted-Future", to give the apprearance of a Glossy
blue.
I can see using this stuff on the cupula because of the inward concaved plastic, I was
looking for the flat periscope face the surrounds the rear compartment of the Bradley....

Go to your local dollar store. Go to the party supplies section, and look for the metallic confetti. You can get them in all kinds of different shapes, but the confetti hearts have the best area of use...come in alot of great colors....just cut out the right size and shape, little super glue and viola....periscopes that stand out.
You can also use these for sight optics on AFVs, TOW sights, sniper's scopes, etc, etc

You can also pick up a couple of mv lenses at your hobby shop. Just bring the priscope so you can size the lense up to it. A hobby shop that deals alot with trains should have them. They are cheap and look great once in place.

confetti is good, but tone it down a bit. I just wrote an article for FSM on Lasers and modern AFV optics.. confetti is one of the ways you can get that effect