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8 minutes ago, Etienne said:

Hello,

 

seems that the tracks links on the hull are burnished ... looks like  a rather dark greyish colour ?

 

E

Hi Etienne,

yes, dipped them in the burnishing fluid and they turned jet black in a couple of minutes. If you the polish them with a paper handkerchief you get a dark metallic grey effect as seen here on the Bradley. It's not the effect I am looking for though so I wil be trying some other tricks out before I go to work on the completed tracks.

;)

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7 minutes ago, Gremlin56 said:

Hi Etienne,

yes, dipped them in the burnishing fluid and they turned jet black in a couple of minutes. If you the polish them with a paper handkerchief you get a dark metallic grey effect as seen here on the Bradley. It's not the effect I am looking for though so I wil be trying some other tricks out before I go to work on the completed tracks.

;)

Thanks for the info ... the CV90 tracks are somehow greyish when wet in the winter, should do the trick for my next swedish build (when I'll have the A'stan one finished :huh:) ... E

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2 hours ago, Gremlin56 said:

Great photos CK, they raise even more questions though. Hope you don't mind me asking ;)

The 3rd ID version it is, lets see if I can get a reasonable model of one of the Mosul Bradleys built using your tips and advice.

First off you mention that there are 82/84 links on a Bradleys tracks. I have come out at 76/76. That means that I either have the tracks too tight (I'll post more photos shortly) or the dimensions of the Meng model are incorrect. Do I need to add a couple more links in this case? I read that the Bradleys and Abram's don't have much sag in their tracks.

The rear hatch (used to reload the TOW) seems to be different to the version supplied by Meng, periscopes in the hatch and not behind as Meng portrays (no quick fix for this though so I'll things as are).

The Skull Indian used on the track guard and turret are great. Is it used on a single vehicle or does it have a wider use?

The tips about the external ammo boxes and tarp are noted, need to think how I'll tackle the tarp.

The Meng version has two huge air conditioning units hanging on the rear of the Bradley, on your photos  I see zero airco's. I also notice one Bradley with the combat identification panels, I have  set as an add on, would I need to fit them?

The Bradley's in your photos have 1 cylindrical sensor attached to the bustle, Meng supplies two.

A veritable mine of information CK,

has me doing a major rethink of some aspects of my build :yes:

Just got a look at your tracks... they look a little tight, but I think running 80/82 will be way too loose, I wouldn’t worry about it too much because once the side skirts go on they’ll be hard (as in flip the model over to see) to see.

 

The difference in the dismount hatch is actually a different between variants.  The kit is an M2 which is the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (more dismount seating, less ammo capacity) which is designed for carrying troops into battle and providing fire support.  My photos (and my service) are M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle which is basically the same thing, except built around a reconnaissance mission, so less dismount seating, significantly larger ammunition capacity.  Since you’ve decided to honor me with the build, I’m willing to overlook the variant difference.  I’m taking lots of notes from your build for when I get the courage to build my own (probably in a few years).

 

If you manage the make a stencil or decals of the skull I would GLADLY pay for it.  The skull is the logo for Crazyhorse Troop 3/7 Cavalry which was unfortunately disbanded in early 2015 as part of the Army drawdown.  During the invasion (2003) they were painted on the front (like the photo) during my time (2009-2015) we painted them on the bustle rack right behind the TOW launcher with TC and Gunner names on the TOW launcher, and track name centered across the back (mine was CRUSHKILL, hence the screen name).  We call the skull the Nowatay Skull (supposedly “Nowatay” is Lakota Sioux for “it’s a good day to die” which is from a longer phrase “It’s a good day to fight, it’s a good day to die”).  Nowatay was the Troop motto and both the word and the skull managed to find themselves spray painted all over Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere else a Crazy Trooper has been.  My wife even has the decal (her choice) on her car!

 

As as far ammo cans, LiveResin makes some good ones but I wouldn’t worry too much about them, you’ve got just as much chance of seeing them as not.  I personally never mounted them there (with the exception of my pyro can). I messed around with aluminum foil this afternoon and I think it would be a perfect way to do the tarp, I’ll take some photos and show you the folding process we use (I’m fairly certain it’s Army standard, I remember learning it in basic training).

 

The A/C units are a deployment modification that get put on and taken off overseas, so a lot of my photos the track doesn’t have it installed, and all the combat photos I have, you can’t see them, feel free to install, we sure loved them!

 

The identification panels (CIP) came with the tracks but they have to be removed to put on the reactive armor and we never bothered replacing them in Iraq (no need when only friendly forces were in armored vehicles and the enemy doesn’t have thermal or night vision).

 

The sensor your talking about is an anti-IED device, in my photos we only had one antenna, as the two antenna system had yet to be applied to Bradley’s (we had it in some trucks, not all).  The two antenna system is accurate for a vehicle though if you’re building a 3rd ID Vehicle, stick with the 1 antenna.

 

Keep bringing up questions, it’s fun to help, as the Bradley seems to be as unloved in the modeling world as much as it is in the real world.  Also, please if I point out an inaccuracy or inconsistency it is only for your knowledge, not a mark against your skill or buildin choices, I would rather you enjoy the build and create something great than be too worried about perfection in accuracy.  I’m not a river counter, I don’t expect you to be one either, your work is great and it’s fun to watch!

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37250825771_df79d4d681_b.jpg

Start with a rectangular piece of foil with about the size of the Bradley’s wheel base.

36995506350_ac6aa43e64_b.jpg

Fold the outsides into the middle.

36541150304_682a003c72_b.jpg

Again, outsides to the middle.

36541150354_424ec0eced_b.jpg

Now lay one side over the other, with all folds on the inside.

37250825211_c73c03d188_b.jpg

Start folding from the bottom and fold all the way to the top.

37221845502_54ca76b9d0_b.jpg37221845552_d0826cfc95_b.jpg

Mold it with your fingers (or cram it in the bustle rack) and boom, perfect scale tarp.

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Thanks CK, that's a huge amount of information and a great instruction on how to fold a Bradley tarp.

I'll take up the challenge and see if I can produce some reasonable Crazy Horse decals, cleaning the main part of the emblem up at the moment:

 

crazy_horse_3.jpg

 

crazy_horse.jpg.

 

If you have a sharper image please post it, if they turn out all right I'll send you a sheet :D

 

The devil is always in the details building a model and you are supplying details in copious amount. Did "Crushkill" have the name applied anywhere (or even better maybe you could supply  details on all the markings that where applied).

Thanks again,

cheers

Julian

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, Ripaman said:

Hi Julian, Bradley is looking brilliant and man what a nice lot of info and pic's thanks alot CK :like:

 

Regards

Richard

 

 

Thanks Richard, looks like I'll be adding another link to the track on both sides of the Bradley, that along with sundry other details.

Excellent photos and information being supplied by CK. :yes:

 

5 hours ago, coneheadff said:

What a great build and looooots of info.

Great!!!

Thanks for sharing 

 

Your welcome, I'm glad CK is prepared to share his photos and information.

:D

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37262265041_108ebf002d_b.jpg

Man you’re fast!  So the skull you already made a decal of is the one used in the 2003 era, in 2009 we cleaned it up and this was the one we used, it was much easier to make stencils of. As far as markings on the track, give me a little bit, it seems every photo I have just barely crops out markings (naturally)

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54 minutes ago, crushkill said:

37262265041_108ebf002d_b.jpg

Man you’re fast!  So the skull you already made a decal of is the one used in the 2003 era, in 2009 we cleaned it up and this was the one we used, it was much easier to make stencils of. As far as markings on the track, give me a little bit, it seems every photo I have just barely crops out markings (naturally)

 

Nice !

Might be easier to use too !

;)

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A couple things you were looking for:

37234564712_046a897d0b_b.jpg37007861510_1b5a771b9d_b.jpg

My wingman ran into me and crushed my TC side sponson box, so the replacement was green except for the door and the light protection cover..

37234530772_a87baa8efb_b.jpg

My wingman, but mainly just for markings. If you notice, TC side is “3I 3-7 CAV” and Driver Side is C22, CrushKill was C27.  The markings are the same on the sponson boxes, except the sides are switched, so TC side is bumper number, Driver side is unit.

37405815075_aac36acf34_b.jpg

Me and my gunner, if you notice, personal water bottles as well as the dog tag on the M240C barrel (used to make sure barrels matched up with the right gun)

36553646634_4b75589b6f_b.jpg37216349546_5fde5b62a7_b.jpg

Finally, the location of the skull and CRUSHKILL.  The green band is Velcro, which we use to mount the laser ndsystem for training, don’t worry about it, it usually fell off after a little while.  It’s hard to see, but there is a tow bar stashed on the driver’s side of the hull beneath the TOW.

Also of note, the dark tan overspray behind crushkill where my driver had the wrong color paint.

 

Something I don’t have photos of, but could be of note: the shovel, ax, pickaxe (all the tools that strap down to the outside, that I imagine are included in the kit) were kept inside the vehicle.  We strapped them all together and squeezed them under the bench in the back. Also all the tools were spray painted tan, so no need to worry about wood grain colors or metal blades.

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4 minutes ago, coneheadff said:

I saw Mengs's M3 at my LHS today and I couldn't resist... but my wife was with me :rant:

 

CK... Those are all A3 types on your pictures, right? Where all tracks during the invasion A3s? 

I can’t speak for the whole Army, but 3ID had M2/3A2 ODS models until 2011, at which point we received the A3’s.  Pretty sure we were one of the last units to upgrade though.  I remember seeing A3’s in Iraq as far back as 2007, but they were all with different units.

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3 minutes ago, coneheadff said:

Wow...the regular A2 model till 2011!?

But I guess you had the ERA installed. Any IED suppressing equipment?

 

Gremlin... sorry for hijacking your great WIP :worthy:

We had the DUKE system and the ERA armor. For us we spent most of our time in M1151’s, only brought the tracks out when someone really needed to be taught a lesson.  

 

The Meng kit includes a JUKE system which is the same as the DUKE, just an extra antenna.

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4 minutes ago, crushkill said:

The Meng kit includes a JUKE system which is the same as the DUKE, just an extra antenna.

 Ah ok... that's the single antenna you mentioned earlier.

Thanks for all the great info!!!

 

Would it be possible to convert Meng's A3 into an A2? 

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5 minutes ago, coneheadff said:

 Ah ok... that's the single antenna you mentioned earlier.

Thanks for all the great info!!!

 

Would it be possible to convert Meng's A3 into an A2? 

Very easy actually, the biggest (most visually obvious) difference between them is the Commander’s Independent Viewer (CIV) the A2 doesn’t have one.  On the interior you’d need to remove the dismount screen in the back, that was an A3 upgrade as well.

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2 minutes ago, coneheadff said:

That's really an easy conversion. Thanks a lot CK!!!

Just did a quick google image search for “M3A2 ODS” and found loads of good pictures from all angles.  It might require a little bit of scratch building because the bustle rack extends farther around.

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2 minutes ago, crushkill said:

Just did a quick google image search for “M3A2 ODS” and found loads of good pictures from all angles.  It might require a little bit of scratch building because the bustle rack extends farther around.

Alright... Thanks again CK!

I will take a look later...when the shelf of doom has cleared a little bit :blush:

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I know the feeling.  I’ve got a 1/35 UH-1C on the bench right now, my first model in a decade.  I decided I was going to build all of my vehicles, so after finishing the Huey I’ve got an M1114 with IED damage, 2 M1151, and M-ATV and a Brad.  My original plan was to build them in the order I was in the vehicles but I may mix it up and do the Brad first, Julian’s build has certainly inspired me, as have his custom decals!!

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One more thing on markings, there’s not really a good photo I could find (although you can see it somewhat in the background of some of the photos I’ve already posted) the crew names are also painted on the track. 

 

On the TOW launcher, centered is:

 

SSG DEARMAS

SPC STEELE

 

And on the square bar next to the driver’s hatch is “PV2 HAWKINS”

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