Well guys, thought I would finally post some work in progress pictures of the project thats been keeping me so busy recently! :-)
1/15 all resin, nightmare to build, but very challenging and rewarding.....although a nightmare, it has been very enjoyable.
As I did not know much about the subject matter when I started this it is an A2 trying to be passed off as a late A1 Vietnam ACAV (it was too late to change things correctly when I found this out!)
This is why the interior is quite heavily weathered, dusty, etc, it will be filled with ammo crates, kit bags, etc when finished.
Also scratchbuilding the engine and cooling system, again this is being scaled up from the Academy M113A1 ACAV which apparently has the A2 engine in it!....this is ok as I am actually building an A2!!...does this make sense to anyone?!!!
Anyway, hope you like work so far.













Carl

daaammmmm that looks good.
I looked at mine a few times, but it's quite a daunting project to dive into..

That interior looks GREAT, hard to tell the difference from some of my reference pictures!

Keep us posted!

Mike

is that interior scratch built? damn, I'm doing one myself, but in 1/35 challenging!!

WOW responses already!!
Thanks for the comments guys
The interior comes with the kit, but there are many scratchbuilt parts in there also (mainly around the drivers section), obviously along with all the wiring.

The Cupola is actually a Verlinden item, (no.991 M113 ACAV kit,) it comes with the 2 side mounted M60's and armour plates.
I have to leave the 50.cal ammo hanging as it is,.... otherwise the commanders hatch will not open and close.(There will also be crew in this, so need as much space as possible in the cupola.)

I have made everything workable on this kit, drilled and brass bushed or pinned all movable parts.
The best bit is the working latch on the access door in the rear ramp! :-)
I have also routered a recessed ring around the cupola bottom with 2 teeth that engage into the hull top to allow the cupola to move 360 degrees whilst locked onto the top hull......the standard Verlinden method just has it sitting on top, ready to fall off if you pick it up!
I also drilled and pinned every track link, bushed all the wheels, etc to try and have it pushable, but too many problems with sprockets not engaging tracks properly, tracks fouling drive parts, etc....it is a pretty dire kit in terms of this accuracy.
I ended up having to glue all runing gear, but split 1 length of drilled track in 2 and used these for the upper tracks, giving a natural sag.

Carl

Now that is something to be proud of, I wish I could be as good. Man that will become a master peice if I ever saw one.

Great job, the weathering is just speechless. I can not begin to say enough great things about it.

Happy Modeling

Simply outstanding work! If I had seen those pictures in another venue, there would have been no problem in passing them off as being the real thing! After serving inside/working inside/repairing the insides of a battalion's worth of M113s, I can say that your work is of the highest caliber! Just a smidgen of jealousy applied here!

Jim Peterson

I think you are trying to trick us. The two first interior pictures must be from a real M113.

Just kiding.

The best interior I have ever seen.

major problem, you a a major master. the inside of your m113 looks so real, when i first look at it , i thought .........no way man, thats has to be a ref pic or something...............bravo, bravo,,,,,,,,,,,i am so gelous,,,,,i hate you ( lol) how do you do it.............you must have 50 years of experience,,,,,,,,please tell me how you did it.

good job

matt

hmmm, thats all well and good but were are the pics of the 1/15 version?





:-) mate thats excellent, the interior as they all have said truly does look real, very good work, keep us posted!
cheers

Holy Moly !!!!!!! Man if u tell me that was a real one i d believe at once. Unbelievably realisti representation, very very nice . Wethering is absolutely perefect . Ur work is superb. No more to say ......
I d really like to try one of these sometime very very nice


Costas

Looking good. I especially like the detail in the driver's compartment and the wiring.

Was the kit expensive? I'd love to get this as well but I've always heard that it's quite expensive and hard to assemble.

Paul

Gee, I had to do a double-take on those interior photos! WOW!!

I too have heard that this is a beast and not without it's problems.... critics not being too kind to this one...(?)

Wow! The interior looks to real! Very nice!

Dude, most excellent!! A couple of points though... onthe .50 cal ammo, the projectiles whould be black with every 5th one red (tracer round) and it looks like the cocking lever is sitting up against the gun shield. Other than that the green eyed monster of jealousy is rearing it's head. Fantastic work!

Jesse

G'day majorproblem,

Well what can be said apart from very well done mate. After spending a few years inside of one of these myself, I had to have a second look. Very realistic. I have the same kit but am a bit slow at starting it. I will be doing the Australian version with the T50 turret. Maybe when i retire.

Now, the .50cal MG. The barrel change handle looks like the newer version of QCB (Quick Change Barrel). Im not to sure if this type was used. And the cocking handle is on the left hand side in the last photo.

But apart from that very very very good indeed.

Cheers and thanks for showing us. Jason

Well, you people certainly know how to put an extremely big smile on my face
Thank you SO much for the great comments, it really does make all the hard work so much more worth it.

Trying to address some of the responses.
50 years experience?!!....that made me laugh thank you, I'm approaching 36 in the next few months.
This is my 2nd build in the last 2 or 3 years, my first build being here
I wish I could tell you how I did it, I have no set methods, I just plonk everything on (paints, etc) until I am happy with the way it looks.
I am a proffesional artist so that may help a little and have always loved modelling through my childhood...my relatives were pro modellers so I was taught scratchbuilding / re-modelling and painting techniques when I was around 7 or 8!....never forgotten them!
I am also the President and co-founder of the U.K Tank club, when this was formed I was highly active in modelling large scale R/C tanks....it sort of took over my business so I calmed it down to a halt for the last few years.
I sold my entire collection to a collector 5 or so months ago and missed having at least 1 tank around my office, so got myself the Trumpeter T-34 as a nice display model....and then got the 43 version(now on hold!!)....its a bug!!
Anyway, the collector now pays me to build for him with an open canvas and open budget (a dream come true!! )...so I guess I am now classed as a semi-pro? although I would still class myself as a very keen learner.
Please don't think oh god the guys a pro, no wonder it looks good!....this is a story that could happen to anyone on here!....I just happened to get extremely lucky
SOooo, if its any consolation to anyone, the M113 is not mine as a result, I do not know if it was expensive, but I think they are quite?

Trying to get back to the other comments( I got a bit side-tracked)
Yes, it is hard to assemble, especially the guessing games involved from the instructions (they are very vague for exact positioning of items)....also the rear idlers are modeled protruding behind the rear hull which is incorrect.
Bad warping of parts, and many many small photo-etched parts, really slow the build down, as do having to add all the tie-downs, etc.
Things like having to glue all the bolts on to the shock absorbers were a mystery to me as to why they were not just molded on to them
Annoying stuff like the supplied tubing and rods being completely the wrong size thickness for anything they are meant for and the bit that topped it all in the instructions was being told that some parts you need are not supplied in the kit!!!!...WAAAHHHAAYYY....Thanks for that Mr Verlinden! That bit is even better than being told the parts may be prone to warping or damage and you may need to scratchbuild them again!! :-)
Just cover your back why dont you!!!
I am trying to write a review of this kit when finished, as I have not managed to find anything about it online.

As for the .50 cal MG, The cocking handle is only against the armour because the gun is swiveled as far as it can go to 1 side, when its centered it has plenty of clearance.
The barrel change handle....you get supplied with 2 or 3 different types....my bad for choosing the one pictured on the Verlinden box!
The projectiles being black??!!....I knew I was wrong doing them silver and thought they should have been copper colour, but I wanted more of a contrasting colour....I have never seen black ones?
Thank you, very interesting!


Anyway, sorry for typing so much just trying to answer some responses and explain my experience but got carried away.
I would recomend this kit for anyone with medium experience with resin who fancies a good challenge....otherwise stay well clear of it.
I am loving doing it, it seems to be even more enjoyable knowing that someone else will own it when finished.
I will post more pictures when more is completed (the engine bay is moving along swiftly now)

Happy modelling

Carl

I agree, my first impression while looking at the interior shots was: " You sure these are not the photos of the actual M113????" Beautiful work!

I hate to repeat what has already been said, but this is jaw droppingly beautiful. The interior, the turret, the electrical wiring, the paint chipping, the weathering,... I could go on. People already remarked that it looks so real, a double take is neccesary. You could use these pictures to illustrate an article, walkaround and no one would realise it's not the real thing.
About the ammo, I don't recall the round being black, the only black rounds I know off where the (plastic) blanks. There is however a tracer round every fifth round as that's what you aim the wapon with. I've only had the pleasure of firing the .50 once, but it's an experience you don't forget!!

Cheers
Henk

Whoops! I don't know where I got the black color for the shells. Copper is the correct color. Must have had too much coffee this morning. But one again, an excellent job on the whole kit!!!

Heres a few pics of the completed engine, etc, installed....98% completed, just needs a few finishing touches and tidying/ touching up.








Carl

Very nice, I hope you will weather this as good as the crew compartments. Looks a bit to clean yet. I like the twisted electrcal wiring at the front, looks good. Will the enginecover stay get a retaining clip or is it spring loaded?? Don't know about the real thing, so I was wondering.

Keep posting those pic's

Cheers
Henk

MajorProb,
cant say anything new - this is photo realistic.

I too got to be around M-113s a few times and your work looks every bit like the real thing (I didnt ride one but got to be inside a few variants in some occasions and it looks like it).

I espeicaly like the effect you did on the floor. looks very appropriate for a vehicle in a tropical enviroment where mud and moisture enter the vehicle frequently.

hope you can make an how to article one day.

Way cool, i just love large scale. The detail can never end. I would love a kit that size. You did a wonderful job and i can't wait to see it finnished. Do you have a unit picked out and how about a base? whats your ideas.