My latest project is an M2 Bradley from a REFORGER exercise in Germany in the late 1980s. It will be very detailed and have
a full interior.

From my research and asking here, it looks as though most of the M2s from the time frame were overall Forest Green, like these.




To achieve this, I am starting with the original Tamiya M2 kit (35132) from 1985.


To this I will be adding interior parts from the Meng M3A3 Interior set. The mix will be mostly Meng, with some of the Tamiya M2 interior parts to backdate it.


For tracks, I will be using the Hobby Boss M2 chevron block indi-link track set.


I also have the Aber metal main and coax barrel set, and the port gun set. Additionally, I have the Eduard Interior, Exterior, and Turret Interior PE sets to ad some detail. I also have collected other bits and pieces over the years for it.

Here it is so far. The tan parts and grey parts are Tamiya. The green parts are Meng's M3A3 interior.


Lots more work to go. I'll keep you posted.

Looks great Gino!! My first real exercise was Certain Challenge. Hard to believe it was 31 years ago lol.

I will follow this one!
Don't know why, but I have a strange fascination for this vehicle.

Thanks guys. I hope to get some more work done on it soon. I have been busy with work and chores lately.

Look'n great!

Good stuff, Gino!

Nice Gino. I know it's still early in the construction phase, but how are you finding fit of the Meng parts to the Tamiya base kit?

Mike

The Meng interior parts fit pretty well. The Meng floor was a little tight (too wide), but a bit of sanding on each side allowed it to slide right into the hull w/no issues. Other than that, no problems so far.

I am wondering wether Meng's interior would need much work to backdate it into a Desert Storm M3?

Yes. The rear seats and ammo storage areas were totally different on an M3 and an M3A2. Out of the box, Mengs interior is only good for an M3A3 CFV.

M3 interior.


M3A2 interior.


M3A3 interior (as in Meng kit).

Thanks!!

Looking forward to this one Gino. This is probably my favorite version of the Bradley. Brings back memories of days past, the Cold War and good times in the army.

This is a Kool combo project! I never thought of dropping a Meng Interior into a Tamiya Bradley...go figure.

The Tamiya drivers compartment is more accurate for an early M2, especially the instrument panel and shifter box. The decals for the engine access panel too. and the Meng NBC Filter parts should not be used.
Ken.

Agree with all, that is what I am using. I am only using the shell of the Meng interior and adding the Tamiya parts back to it. The Meng NBC filter is the same as Tamiya's just better detailed.

Work continues. I have completed most of the interior work. I added the weapons mounts from the Eduard set on the interior and a few other pieces. Most of the Eduard parts have been eclipsed by the better Meng parts. I also used the inside periscopes from the Eduard set. I will use some other small parts as I finish it up.




The turret interior is built up too. The Meng turret interior fits the Tamiya turret base and opening well. I back-dated the turret front wall to the bareness of the original M2 with just an entry door into the coax compartment. I also will add a breech for the 25mm Bushmaster that I had made from a previous Bradley project. The breech was not covered as it is on later marks of the Bradley. I used the Eduard radio rack, with a wider shelf and I will use the Meng radios (cut off their shelf) here too.



Lastly, I added Eduard parts and a bit of scratch to detail the insides of the driver's and TOW reload hatch on the roof.



Next up will be some paint and more interior detailing.

I have been progressing pretty well. I think the interior is pretty much done. I painted it using Krylon Pistachio spray. It is dead-on for interior seafoam green. I added M16A1s, an M203, and an M60 to the weapons mounts. Pretty much all of the decals are from the Tamiya kit, with a few from the Meng interior set.






I added a 3D printed intercom control box and J-boxes to the interior as well. The interior lights are from the Meng set, wiring is fine solder and string. The hand holds are from the Eduard Interior PE set.




The IP is from the Eduard Interior set. It looks really nice once painted and detailed.


Here is the Meng turret interior. I added the radios from the Meng set, detailed and wired.





The lower turret basket from Meng. The ammo feed chutes are from the Eduard Turret Interior PE set as Meng missed them.


I still need to add a few detail pieces such as MRE boxes, a couple bags, maps, etc. to make it look a bit more lived in. More to come later.

That looks awesome, Gino. I'm gonna have to remember that, Krylon Pistachio Green,huh?

Thanks Richard. Yup, the Pistachio spray is the way to go. Great stuff.

I'll keep that in mind for the Meng M3A3 soon to be on the bench!

It was brought up on another forum that the TOW markings are wrong above. They should be brown (motor) and blue (training/inert). The yellow is for a HEAT warhead, so you can't have blue and yellow together.

So, I fixed the markings on the TOWs. Brown stripe for motor end. I don't know how I screwed that up. I know better.

Nice work, Gino, I’m following this one. Quick question about paint, have you, or anyone out there, looked at Tamiya Sky, XF-21 as a sea foam green color for the inside of Bradley’s and 113’s? I haven’t myself, just wondering if anyone has tried it.

Its a little light, but I have used it for the green interior color.

I will be following this build as well, I spent 6 years riding around in a M2. Kinda have a soft spot for the Bradley.

FYI...the "hallway" seat next to the turret facing the driver, we always turned those facing out the back, not down the "hallway" and the one behind the driver was taken out, got in the way of stuffing the "hallway: full of anything and everything.

Also I saw very few M2A0's with the water cooler int he troop compartment. It was eliminated in the M2A1

Thanks guys. I too have used Tamiya Sky and found it to bee too light. I know a lot of the "unnecessary" interior parts were taken out by the crews. I wanted this one to look like one that came from the factory and hadn't been modified yet. A straight M2A0.

I have a small update as well. I added some personal items and gear to the interior to complete it. I am calling the interior done.

In the back, I added a couple MRE boxes, water can, ammo boxes, canteens, a helmet, bags, etc.





Same in the driver area.


In the turret, I also added a bag, ammo can, and canteen, along with a map for the BC (Bradley Commander).

I have finished the major construction. I still need to add all the handholds and steps along the side skirts. I also need to add some tool clips and such from the Exterior PE set too.

I used most of the Eduard Exterior PE set. It gives you all the nice mesh screens and other bits and bobbles that make the exterior really nice.

I started on the lower hull by adding four shock absorbers (left over from Dragon's M270 MLRS) to each side of the hull at the 1, 2, 3, and 6th (last) roadwheel position. I also used the sprockets and idlers from the MLRS.


I also added the arm and mount that raises and lowers the ramp from sheet styrene and a left over lifting eye base.


One the upper hull, I used quite a bit of PE. It is mainly in the front glacis area. There are the very nice screens and intake covers, exhaust box, and a few lifting points. I made the front swim barrier cover out of metal foil from a wine bottle neck. I think it looks much better than the tube provided by Tamiya.




On the turret, the PE is much finer and provides smaller details such as the ammo can racks, small parts on the rear of the TOW launcher, and the doors and front of the GPS doghouse.




Hopefully I can get some paint on it this weekend. If not I will be out of town all next week on business and not be able to work on it any.