My latest project is an M2A2 ODS Bradley, with older style individual seating, from 3ID during OIF. It will eventually go in a diorama for a customer. The dio will depict 3ID Soldiers disembarking the Bradley to do some patroling in an Iraqi town.

I am using the Tamiya M2A2 ODS kit. I have used Pawel's great article on Accurizing the Tamiya Bradleys to add many small items to the vehicle as well. I have added anti-slip texture using my spray on Rust-Oleum texture coat method. The PE side racks and water can holders (smaller baskets) are from the Verlinden M2A2 Stowage set. The interior was painted using Testors Model Master Pale Green, lightened with some white to give a good representation of Sea Foam Green. All the internal placards and markings were made on decal paper using the internet and my home computer.

Let me know what you think.

Here it is so far.



More here.

Hi Gino,
I like the look of it. I intend to correct my Tammy ODS kit using Pawel's article too. But it needs a lot of time and thus my project is still on the to-do list.

The interior is very clean, I guess it will pretty soon become battle-loaded.

olivier

Looking very nice Gino...did the kit come with all the bolt heads or did you add them?

Thanks guys, glad you lik eit.

Olivier,
Yup, stll need to add more ammo, gear, and stuff, and weather the interior. There will be a few "personal" items such as a pin-up or two as well.

John,
Most of the bolts are molded onto the kit. Some were missed by Tamiya though. I added probably 20 in different places. If you look closely at the photos, the ones I added are white, while the others are the tan color of the Tamiya plastic. Take a look at Pawel's article and he shows where they need to be added.

This was taken from your other threads on this topic




Am i correct to say that you effectively are using 3 different types of Bradely kits (Tamiya (old and new) + Academys ) and kit bash them into one???

Also, which figures will you be using for the soldiers disembarking frmo the bradley?

I am using 1 kit and part of another. The basic Brad is the new Tamiya M2A2 ODS. The interior is from an Academy M2 (a copy of the original Tamiya M2).

For figures, I haven't decided yet. They will probably be a combo of older DML ODS era infantrymen, updated with casts of the new DML Modern Marines torsos with IBAs on.

What is there to say? It is this kind of modeling which inspires me to start new projects. Two questions: 1. As an ex-tow plt. leader I can't remember the white "stickers" on the TOW missiles. Is this the BGM 71 C or D missiles (We only had the A and B version)?
2. How does the extra baskets affect the vehicle performance during MOUT operations (narrow streets, heavy traffic etc.)?

Cheers
Erik

Thanks, glad you like it.




Not sure of the version. I have seen data plate/warning type stickers on TOWs, these are my interpretation of them.




They would limit where the vehicle can go. Narrow streets and traffic were a problem. This represents a 2nd BDE, 3ID vehicle in the initial invasion. We were more concerned with carrying all of our gear as opposed to narrow streets.

looking really good gino, can't wait to see it done...

Gino, your making this brad look like I just hop in it and take off man. Nice job, I am very impressed.

Thanks, glad you guys like it.

Yeah, 7 years in TOW platoon and I don't remember any white stickers on the missles at any shoot. At least you didn't put on the blue stripe! Nothing worse that going into battle with a cement head!!!

By the way the missle end's are wrong. If you can use the ones from the Academy TOW Hummer. They are the closest to being correct.

Actually the missle ends do remind me of the Anti tank Cobra i used to fire in the combat engineers. They are concave shaped like the ones in the photo. Im not sure with the US army but do you guys still carry the Cobra during deployment?

I hate to tell you this Gino, but there is one too many rivets. :-) Really this is turning out to be one of your finest builds to date. I am looking forward to seeing it completed.

The TOWs can't really be seen that much once buttoned up and filled with gear anyways, especially the end caps. The kit ones look good enough to me.

Jazza, we don't use an AT missile named the Cobra. Not sure what its US equivelant is. May be the ANZAC name for the TOW?!?.


Thanks, Dave. Stop counting rivets, man!! :-) :-)

actually, this happened on the first operational use of the TOW missile in the IDF.

the missile arrived during the Yom Kippur war and no one really knew what to do with it.
it was decided to let Sayert Tzhanchanim (the recon element of the regular paratroopers brigade) take it for an ambush mission to delay iraqi tanks moving through Syria.
when they engaged the Iraqi armor column they found out that the missiles they took with them had training warheads.
this didnt change much as the hit precntage was low because no one in the IDF knew how to operate the TOW missile at the time.
after the war dedicated TOW units were established, one such unit engaged and destroyed several Syrian T-72s during the first stage of the 82' Peace for Galille campaign in Lebanon making it the first military force in the world to engage in combat and destory the T-72 tank.

btw, the Cobra is a french AT missile which was for some time used by the US Army in the early 60s.
NATO designation was SS-10/11.

here is a pic of a Uh-1 carrying the Cobra missile:

Apologies, i actually meant the Dragon AT Missle not the Cobra.

Wouldnt know what the ANZACs called it but while in the Singapore army, we fired the Dragon on dummy targets during our live firing exercise. During training, our platoon often carried 2 Dragon launchers.
The back of your TOW missle kinda reminded me of the back of the Dragon launcher which was somewhat cone shaped hence why i was wondering if US troops still carry those around while on deployment.

The Dragon is probably considered old school by now and i would be surprised if it was still being carried.

Now I got ya. The M47 Dragon was used up till about 2003. It was replaced with the Javelin, which is a fire and forget, top-attack missile that uses radar imaging to lock onto the target. A really effective weapons system.

Sorry, also assumed you were in the ANZAC since you hail from NZ.