Well, I’m doing it again……!!!

Another Stryker from Trumpeter, this time it’s a M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle.



To make the model look more dynamic, I steered the wheels on the two front axes.
Also in order to put this Stryker on a diorama, when it should be finished.

I started work, by drilling 0,6mm holes into the two kit parts A44.



Then I took a new, sharp blade to cut the steering linkage part A44 into its five parts.



After that I took pieces of a 0,5mm rod (EVEREEN 218) to connect the steering parts together again. Now it was possible to bring the steering linkage in every wanted position.



To make the wheels turn to the left side, I had to sand the shock absorbers A45 and A46 at their base. Due to the construction of the lower hull, the parts A45 have to be sanded at their rear side and A46 at their front side.



You don’t have to be very careful doing this, because the fine tuning will be done later, when you align the axes to each other.




Driver compartment

Due to the open driver hatch, part of the driver compartment will be visible. I built the walls, using parts from the M1129 Stryker Mortar kit from Trumpeter as a template. I simply took a sharp knife and followed the contour.



I glued everything together, once again using the Mortar Kits parts, as templates.









The cylinders were made from 6,4 mm tube (EVERGREEN 228) with different length: 11 mm the first and 9 mm the second one.
The little wall with the holes is actually the front part of a basket, jet through the open hatch, you wouldn’t just see more than this wall. The holes are 1 mm in diameter, once more drilled, using the kit part as template.
The little half tube on the left side will further on hold the fire extinguisher.


So far for this time,


Peter

Looks awesome, Peter. This one is on my To-Do list!

I'll be following this project. How much more interior do you plan to build? Nice touch with the steering linkage

Very nice job on the driver station.

Olivier

Hi Richard, Hi Olivier, thank you very much!


Hi, KoSprueOne, It will be just the driver compartment at this one.
But, as I mentioned I plan to put it on a diorama, together with ...... another Stryker. And this one will get an interior.

Haven‘t had much time.
Last week was really busy. Therefore, just a “tiny little”
update today.


My plan for this MEV includes a tow hook in opening position.

So, I used the tow hook which is included in the Stryker Upgrade Equipment set AF35S59 from AFV Club, but modified it for my needs.
I cut off the upper part, sanded the rear part to reduce width and finally drilled a hole into the hook.



After that I rebuild the upper part.
I used reference photos, regarding “US-Army tow hook” and “NATO tow hook”.
Due to my researches I built it using two small sheets for the side parts and a 1.5mm x 1 mm block for the centerpiece. The two 0.6mm screws are from Plus Models.





In the end, the tow hook is now movable! Yet for its fragile structure, I will keep it in open position.






Peter

Some progress on my MEV!

This time I worked on the driver compartment. I added some interior things, like the connector for the communication system and a green tube, which I don’t know what it is for. The front part is shown by a photo. I had made this photo some time ago from parts, I have had built. The two black cubes represent the control boxes of the vehicle. I colored the fire extinguisher, which is from the M1129 Mortar kit, by Trumpeter and added a carton to the end of the driver compartment.





In-between, I colored the driver compartment in bright white. I added some traces from boots to the ground, by using different pigments, scratched from chalks and applied with the help of a small brush.



Well, as you can see, there is not much to see any more.








Peter

Excellent detailed progress!

Stryker usually don´t have the towing pintle attached. If they were attached, you can`t lower the rear ramp. The only vehicles with towing pintle were M1132 ESV pulling MICLIC trailer. In this case i think the crews will enter the truck via the rear door.

Even though Strykers are not my topic I really like what you've done with it so far! Will have the occasional look at this thread for sure!

Hi KoSprueOne, Hi Marian,

thanks a lot!!!!!!!!



Servus Hermann,

you are right ………,
but, as I mentioned earlier, I plan on doing a diorama with this Stryker involved. And its story will explain my choice.

Peter

Very nice work and very interesting. Will be paying attention to the build.

Thank you Nikos for your kind words.


During the last weeks I was able to work, from time to time, on my MEV.
It’s now ready for painting. The build was easy, without any unpleasant moments. These are fine kit’s to build.

As you might notice at the photos I didn’t assemble the basket at the right front side.
Also the big rack at the left side was left out.
In each case, because I think it looks cooler and I found pictures in the internet which confirms that this was also done by some of the crews.













Peter

I really like what you've done so far. I only wish Trumpeter weren't so heavy handed with the details sometimes. Compare that last photos to this:



Absolutely not your fault, but by now Trumpeter could be doing far better.

Hi Robert,

great you like my work!

There might be a misunderstanding (maybe it’s because I am thinking German and writing English).

It was my own decision not to build this rack!

It wasn’t Trumpeter’s fault. This rack is definitely part of the Trumpeter kit and it is as well included in their M1135 NBC Stryker kit.

I had made this decision after seeing this photo, along with others, on the site of Ralph Zwilling (tank-Masters.de):



I found it looks cool and liked the idea.

What would you say?


Peter

Hallo Peter!
No, I guessed you left those items off on purpose. I was speaking more about the huge gap around the hatch (Trumpeter's fault) and the clunky handles and details. Even the pioneer tool rack looks like Monogram 1965. I wish they'd have suppied that in PE. (I've a few of these myself and have been overall disappointed, but hey, it gives me more to do in my copious amounts of free time.)

Yours is looking good, and I like the turned wheel feature. Drive on!

MfG,
Rob

I’m relieved!

Thank you!

Peter

Unfortunatly, the Stryker/LAV-III kits are not Trumpeters best work. Aside from clumsy details, the whole proportion is of, compared with AFV Club, the hull a 6(!)mm-1/4 in. too long and about 1,5mm-1/16 in. That`s why I avoid Trumpeter Stryker kits like COVID 19.

In the early morning hours of March 24, 1945, a massive WWII airborne operation known as Operation Varsity launched with an attempt to deploy 17,000 American and British Airborne troops across the Rhine River. It was the largest single-day airborne operation in history. In the final months of WWII, Western Allied Forces advanced east into Germany. This meant crossing numerous rivers, many of which no longer had standing bridges. The Rhine River was especially treacherous, with steep banks and swift currents, providing German forces with a natural defensive barrier.

Planning got underway to deploy airborne forces on the east side of the Rhine. The principal mission was to seize and hold the high ground five miles north of Wesel, Germany, and to facilitate the ground action and establish a bridgehead. The soldiers would then hold the territory until the advancing units of the British 21st Army Group joined them, allowing them to advance to northern Germany. Extensive photo reconnaissance identified suitable drop zones. This operation would be part of Operation Plunder and would involve troops from the 17th Airborne Division and the British 6th Airborne Division.

On the night of March 23, British ground troops crossed the Rhine and launched an intense assault near Wesel, securing nine small bridgeheads. At 6:00 a.m. on March 24, airborne troops were given the green light. A huge armada consisting of more than 1,500 American aircraft and gliders carrying more than 9,000 soldiers, rendezvoused with the British airborne armada of 1,200 aircraft and gliders carrying 8,000 soldiers. They met in the skies near Brussels, Belgium, and formed a column two-and-a-half hours long. To draw away enemy fighters during the operation, the 15th Air Force consisting of 150 heavy bombers, flew one of its longest missions and bombed Berlin.

Paratroopers filed out over the drop site while gliders cut loose over the landing area. Concealed flak positions, sniper and mortar fire, caused casualties. After landing, the soldiers fought off German attempts to infiltrate their defensive positions. In the process, they captured German prisoners. Stuart Stryker served in the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. During Operation Varsity, he parachuted to a landing near Wesel. When his company attacked a strongly defended building, another platoon became pinned down by intense fire. Stryker voluntarily ran to the head of the unit calling for soldiers to follow him. He charged the German position and was killed just 25 yards from the building. His attack provided a diversion that allowed other soldiers to take the position, where they captured over 200 soldiers and freed three American airmen held as prisoners. Stryker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In 2002, the US Army named its new armored fighting vehicle "Stryker" in his honor.

Just in case you didn't know...

The Stryker family of vehicles is actually named in honor of two different and unrelated Soldiers named Stryker who received the Medal of Honor for thier actions.

"Robert Francis Stryker (November 9, 1944 – November 7, 1967) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.

The Stryker combat vehicle is named in his and Pfc. Stuart S. Stryker's honor (no relation)."

Robert F. Stryker MOH citation.

The Stryker Cafe on Ft. Carson was there when the Stryker was still on the drawing board. Don't know which soldier it was named after. But when my then very young son asked me if they'd ever name a dining facility after me I told him I hope the hell not - that means something went horribly wrong.

Very nice work. Love the added interior, seems to be the thing to do with Trumpeter kits, I am adding one to the Type 89 IFV

Thank you Robert for watching and your nice comment.

Hm…. interesting discussion!


This week I started with the painting:

preshadowing:



color





Because of the discussion between Robert and me, my attention went to the rack at the left side. Somehow I felt there is something missing!
After considering some role photos, I noticed that there are some fixing points which hold the rack in place.
This means, they will be visible if the rack is not assembled.

I had missed this and decided to change it now.
I used a Voyager Model set, which is called “fastening bolts for Stryker” to add these items.



The whole thing would have been much easier, if I had done it before sanding the parts for the rack at the side of the vehicle.
So, after preshadowing and painting this part again, it looks like that:




Peter

Those fastening bolts are much more to scale. Echt spitze, ee.

Danke, Mann ..... voll krass!!!

Peter