Sure, its this one. Image taken from Tamiya.com







thats an interesting suggestion. You got the item number for these figures?

Jazza, i believe the figures being reffered to are the 101st Airborne by Trumpeter.
http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_message.asp?id=271

Two of the figures have hoods according to the box, I've not build this kit myself, but i've heard the molding isn't too shabby.

Hi guys,

I bought those trumpeter figures before. To be honest, they're kind of rough. The Torsos are cast pretty good. The weapons are beautiful. But the rest of the pieces need some improvement. It all depends on your standards though. For me, I hate to spend a month or better on a vehicle spending hours upon hours making it look great, and then throw some not so great figures in the mix. It takes away from the presentation of the model IMHO. The faces, helmets, pouches, arms, hands, and legs are all barely usable on the Trumpeter kit. You could however use the weapons and torsos to kit bash some new figures using differant heads and legs and arms. I would reccomend using Dragons Modern US Marines and converting them into army figures (which is pretty simple). They have great details and arent very expensive either.

Tanx Scott. I was kinda heading that way at least something without tracks. I'm sick of tracks. Six tracked vehicles in a row so I need a holiday. I'm doing an ODS Hummer at the moment. It's OOTB so I might try something a little different (for me) for this campaign.

Cheers

I think I've decided to go with an early OIF M113A3, using Tamiya's Desert M113A2 kit as the basis. I don't think I'll try to correct any of the many inaccuracies in the kit, however. I think I'll use this one to reintroduce me to airbrushing, indy link tracks (the AFV set), and to modifying kit parts (I'm cutting off the kit's sand skirts but keeping the front footstep).

I am doing the same kit as Lucas. I have always wanted to build a 113 so this is a perfect oppourtunity to finally do it.

I am not going to get to crazy with detailing it. I just want to concentrate on building a good clean model and have some fun along the way.

Jeff

Hi Lucas and Jeff,

LOL Looks like the three of us are all doing the same topic. I have a bunch of referance images on the A3 if you guys need them. Just drop me a PM and I'll be happy to forward them to you. I'll post some in progress photos soon. The interior of mine is basically finished.

You've started?!

I haven't even got the stuff i need.

Yeah Scott, I have had the kits sitting in the stash for a few months now. Ive been on something of a break from modelling for myself recently. Ive been working on creating, casting, and selling my own items to fund my hobby LOL Honestly, Im having as much fun creating my own items for sale as I do when I build for myself. I really have to get back on track and focus on the 113 and finish it up.

howzit people...

I just want to ask how all the models are coming along?
and to encourage you guys to use the feedback forum to post your W.I.P. pictures in there. Along with a blog to explain to us how you did it, how you painted it, the method you used to weather it, etc.(this will also help others who are just starting out and are looking for techniques that they can use)

so please peeps...show us what you've got.

cheers
chris

Hey Gary, thanks for the offer. I sent you a PM about the pics. It will be fun seeing how the three of us approach the same kit differently. It seems you're going all out on it! That sounds sweet.

I got started on mine last week, but haven't progressed much. It took me a while to figure out the best way to carve the skirts off while leaving the front step intact. I practiced on a the old skirts included with the Tamiya kit, and I think I got the hang of it. I'll post a couple of pics once I've done a bit more work on it. Right now it is just a bucket with no top.

I'm thinking of trying out a neat scheme I saw in Concord's Thunder Run book. In it there are several pics of M113s that were painted sand while their skirts were on, but had the skirts removed later. This left a strip of medium green paint running along the lower lip of the sides and a swath of green behind the top of the road wheels. It looks pretty cool, so I'll give it a shot when I get to the painting stage.

is the start date not till March 1st?

Oh Dayum, I just read the campaign again, and it says "March 1st". I dont know why i thought it was February 1st. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh shiite! Here is my mantra on this one.............. I am..........We..........Todd.....Ed! Oh well, I still have another Academy M113 I robbed the interior out of. I'll build that one then. I have an interesting picture of an M113A3 with additional armor I wanted to build anyway. Guess that will be my build on MARCH 1st!!!!

haha.
I was kinda worried that everyone else had started.
But i was right, March 1st.
That means you should stop building whatever you've started and just start back up after march the 1st, You don't have to build a completely different thing.

Gary,

I'm way down into the thick of things at present

Here is where I am on my m2a2
Big difference on the drive sprockets .
The blast set does bring it up a great deal


I'm awaiting the mr surfacer 500 to do the anti slip on the upper edge of the hull and I have reworked the rear ramp adding eduard light covers and clamps over the Karaya cable .
Ther rear profile was copied off the printed outline From the Vodnick build update of how it sholud look.



I used Mr gunzy and humbrol maskol to outline where I am going to paint the surfacer 500


I'm also working out the drivers compartment with Nemrod driver and Verlinden head .


I hope you like it .
If anyone has some helpfull hints I'm all ears!!

Cheers

Michael

Michael,
I might be mistaken, but it looks like you have the top of the turret ready to recieve a coat of anti-slip. Just to gives you a heads up, the top of the turret doesn't have any anti-slip on it, as far as A0+ to A2's are concerned (I haven't been on an A3 yet.) You can see in the pictures that I provided PrimePortal of the Bradley I have outside our shop. You can also see Sabot's(Rob's) pictures here in the reference gallery. The only thing that has anti-slip is the newer type gunners hatch on upgrade ODS Bradley's.

Pete,

I was going to give the turret a coat of anti slip .

Thank you

I'll get rid of the maskol and get the etch onto it .

I was using someones build photos as reference and it was the A3 variant .

Cheers
Michael

You might be correct on the A3 Michael. The A3 has added armor on top of the turret and those armor plates might have the anti-slip added to them. But yyea, if your doing an ODS/A2 Bradely, anti-slip buddy.

I have a couple that have been sitting half done for a while, including a LAV that I was waiting forever for decals, they finally have released some. I just masked up my LAV and stipple-sprayed a few coats of tamiya primer at arms length for anti-slip:

I am considering joining this campaign, as I have a BMP-1 in my stash that fits nicely.

I am considering building it as one of the new vehicles in the Iraqi forces. It would be from the 9th mechanised division equipped with T-72 and BMP-1s.

I found these on the net.







Does anybody have any additional pictures/links of the BMP-1 in service with the "new" Iraqi army?

Any information on the markings? It seems like there are a green square on the side of the hull and a national marking on the front of the hull.

Wow interesting photo there Jesper. I wonder if those photos were taken before they were mowed down by the US and British forces.

Those are vehicles donated to the current Iraqi army.

Paul

This is the "new" Iraqi army as already noted. The big picture was actually taken by a NATO officer training the new Iraqi army.

I think the state of the equipment of the old Iraqi army was much worse.

I found some more pictures of Iraqi BMP-1s on the net. Thought I would share them with you as inspiration.

I have the OIF decals for my LAV on order. I guess I am entering that one. I have 6 or 7 models I gave up on a while back that really need to get done and a campaign can get you motivated to pick up some paint and get the damn thing back out of the box