BlackMax12 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 This is Rye Field's latest. Based on an Abrams chassis with a plow on the front and some 350ft lines with 5lbs of C4 every foot to clear mines. Just started so not much accomplished and it looks pretty involved. And pretty ugly. Something new for Rye Field is link and length tracks rather than the 960 pieces of individual links on my two other Rye Field Abrams. That is a waste as half the track is hidden by the skirts and something like 6 pieces per link is too much. No gun other than a 50cal machine gun for self defence but lots of reactive armour on the "turret". 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Moore Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Nice start. Good to hear they've included link and length tracks. Hopefully it's getting more common as Takom have included them with some of their recent releases. I think manufacturers are finally cottoning on to the fact that modellers don't want to spend hours putting 1000 part track runs together. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper-30 Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Pulls up a seat .....picked up one of these at Tankfest love the look of it ...so watching with interest.. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Thanks Andy Yes the indy links are nice but they get real old pretty quickly when there's 1000 track pieces per vehicle. For WW2 German Panthers and Tigers yes I can see individual links but for everything else and modern armour, just forget it. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 (edited) Thanks Terry This one has a sh** load of parts, I've been on the turret all day and not even close to half assembled yet. Rye Field kind of dropped the ball on some of the instructions, more pictures would be nice like for the smoke grenade launchers and a few other places I've ran into already. I think the plow and mount is going to be real fun to assemble and will have to be built in modules so it can be painted then assembled hopefully. It's a pretty busy model with lots of open or closed hatches and mounts for the explosive lines and some sort of what looks like tiny rockets that also have the mounts open or closed. I suppose the rockets were to launch the lines but the lines are inside two boxes that open and the rockets are in openable mountings behind the lines, strange stuff. There's no colour call out for the insides of either of those so some research is in order. Sure is ugly but it is different. Watched a youtube of some of these in action and they are beasts. One of them even pulled a stuck Abrams out of a mud hole. Lloyd Edited July 9, 2017 by BlackMax12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver70 Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 8 hours ago, AndyRM101 said: I think manufacturers are finally cottoning on to the fact that modellers don't want to spend hours putting 1000 part track runs together. Well, as a matter of fact some of them do. And at times they're able and willing to pay quite a lot of money for it. But don't tell my wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 This looks interesting Lloyd. I've never been a fan of the Abrams but the aesthetically challenged appearance is.........different. When I saw the box art, the first thought that came to mind was preying mantis. They should have called it that. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Thanks Ozzy It does look rather like a big insect doesn't it? Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Still working on this turret and maybe half way completed. It's quite complicated and some of the instructions need interpreting. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Oh I like the look of this, as you say, good & ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Finally got the turret assembled, all 272 pieces. Still waffling on whether to make the explosive line compartments open or closed. This is going to be fun to paint......not. I've left the hatches for the explosive lines loose for now so I can paint the interiors if I go that way. Need a break before starting the hull and running gear. And forgot the smoke grenades on one side. Here it is so far 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer66 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Hi, really interesting build. this clip has some really good close up footage of the crew loading the charges and rockets. https://youtu.be/2I51-H2hqc8 Al 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 Thanks Al Looks like they replace the whole container which is pre-loaded with the explosive lines. That makes sense as trying to put each line in there without tangles would be a chore. There are about 50 little rockets and they must come as a package to reload also. I still haven't figured out how they attach the lines to the rockets before firing. It must be automated as I can't see a crewman doing it outside the protection of the vehicle and possibly under fire. I started the plow last night and it's quite a project. Lots and lots of parts and the instructions aren't that great and some of the parts are mislabeled which is even more fun. Also don't know why they didn't mould the screens above the blades from plastic rather that trying to glue 10 little pieces of photo etch to two lengths of wire and keep them spaced properly and straight. Quite tedious and they end up looking like they were bent and bruised in action which might be a good thing actually. The whole plow is meant to move up and down but mine just might end up fixed in one position. Not intentional but some of the pivot positions are hard to glue and still make them moveable. Tamiya Extra Thin tends to run where it shouldn't sometimes. Still haven't started the running gear and tracks so it doesn't really look like a tank yet. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 It has a third of the plow assembly hanging off the front now and finally some tracks so it looks like a tracked vehicle. That plow is a project, a big project. Those new Rye Field link and length tracks are a big improvement over the indy links they supplied on the previous Abrams versions, are easy to assemble and actually look pretty decent. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Like the look of this it has the menace of something from Robot wars about it beefy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 Terminator 4 or 5 maybe? Thanks Beefy Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share Posted July 13, 2017 (edited) Got the rocket assembly completed and the side skirts dry fitted and the rest of the plow complete. The plow is just sitting not attached for now as it still needs the one upper grid assembly for the right side. I built two the same and of course one was backwards so had to rip it apart and try to build it opposite of the instructions as they only give you one template and it's only for the left side. Threw away the wire they supply and used Evergreen 0.020" rod as I couldn't get the wire completely straight. It's going to be fun to paint this I believe. Edited July 13, 2017 by BlackMax12 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 16, 2017 Author Share Posted July 16, 2017 Got the second grid built backwards over the right plow blade. Positioned one of the explosive line hatches open. Filling some obvious seams and still need the photo etch plates on top of the side skirts. Slowing down on this one and wondering how I'll ever paint it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 22, 2017 Author Share Posted July 22, 2017 A coat of Tamiya NATO Black as a primer and then a light coat of Tamiya Buff. Maybe some Tamiya Wooden Deck Tan in places later. The side skirts are just dry fitted as removing and installing the tracks isn't easy. Wish now I had left the top run of tracks off. Painted the tracks NATO Black then left the rubber pads black and the rest of the track links dry brushed with Tamiya Deck Linoleum. Still needs lots of work and now wish I had left some parts off until painted. That plow is not a lot of fun to build and not easy to paint. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 That is one complicated looking build. Good to see the preying mantis with a coat of paint. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazB Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Cracking work. I'd love one of these but I think I might hang myself halfway through it Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 23, 2017 Author Share Posted July 23, 2017 Thanks Bull Thanks Gaz Yes this one has been a Royal PITA and it's not done.........it should have been a paint-as-you-go but some dummy got too eager to see it assembled. It does kind of resemble a preying mantis though and the female eats the male which I think this thing might do to me before it's complete. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 23, 2017 Author Share Posted July 23, 2017 Here is the beast with some dirt and stuff. Still needs some touch up and isn't getting any less ugly. This new camera is going to take more learning I can see. Too many buttons and doodads. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris B Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Great build. The mud and dirt on the plow is epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted July 23, 2017 Author Share Posted July 23, 2017 Thanks Chris Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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