M270 *finished*

Mikeym_us wrote:

Oh and Griffon Models has a workable hinges and grab handle folding set.

Thanks Mikey! "Cleared Hot" ordnance inbound....fire in the hole!

Mikeym_us wrote:

Not quite the interior set is pretty cheap if you get it on sale. But its well worth the effort it even has parts fro rebuilding the seats as well as the interior framework of the windows as well. Oh and Griffon Models has a workable hinges and grab handle folding set.

Oh quite expensive...ya see, I've spared no expenses. This will be the fifth AM kit I've bought for this model, not to include the Sincgars and Nato radio sets, the brass tubing, rubber hoses, decal making kit, the "special" Tamiya Pro paint brushes at $16 a pop, the Big Foot tracks, the optiloupe attachement for working with micro-parts, the cutting kit for PE parts, the endless other bits such as CA glue, applicators, debonder, etc that had all expired during the four years I was in college. I figure this is expensive and I damned well better have something to show for it.

My next model is going to be STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX!  

I ordered the Griffon set. Thanks for telling me about it. One problem I ran into immediately was that darn 0.165 inch grab handle on the drivers armored louver.

HeavyArty wrote:

Try Great Models Webstore: http://www.greatmodels.com   They carry the full line of Eduard products.  Eduard is from the Czech Republic by the way.

Thank you, between your guidance and Mikey's direction, I might have found exactly what I want.

You guys are the best.

Not quite the interior set is pretty cheap if you get it on sale. But its well worth the effort it even has parts fro rebuilding the seats as well as the interior framework of the windows as well.

Oh and Griffon Models has a workable hinges and grab handle folding set.

Thanks Mikey...ON THE WAY!

Thanks for your help. This will be the most expensive venture I've ever taken for a model.

MajorEET wrote:

Eduard Accessories EDU35524 1/35 EDU35524 MLRS NATO Interior (DR) Is this the Eduard kit that has the paper parts for the computer details?

Yup thats the set.

MajorEET wrote:

The Eduard set also has mods for that console and there are paper print inserts for the IP and the targeting computer. Can you point me to where I can find these? I only know two languages, and neither of them are helping me with russian or whatever languages they are using when I search for Eduard MLRS.

http://www.eduard.cz/

the site is in english just type in MLRS in the search field and it'll take you to the items for that.

nice thing about Eduard is you can download the PE instructions from their site so that you can see what your supposed to do or how the parts go together. 

Eduard Accessories EDU35524 1/35 EDU35524 MLRS NATO Interior (DR)

Is this the Eduard kit that has the paper parts for the computer details?

Mikeym_us wrote:

HeavyArty wrote: The Eduard set also has mods for that console and there are paper print inserts for the IP and the targeting computer.

 Mikey...where do I find these Eduard paper prints?

The Eduard set also has mods for that console and there are paper print inserts for the IP and the targeting computer.

Can you point me to where I can find these? I only know two languages, and neither of them are helping me with russian or whatever languages they are using when I search for Eduard MLRS.

Here is a near completed photo of the drivers armored louver compared to the kit part. I still have to scratch up a grab handle at some 0.165 inches....haven't gotta clue how to do that yet.

beav wrote:

WOW, that PE update set is already proving its worth.  That is one spectacular model you are gonna have once you get all that brass on it.  Are you going to do yours loading like the box cover?

I sent the photos because I have not been able to find ANY photos of this PE set in work. I have asked around to see if anyone else has used this kit, and got no resonses, so as far as I know, these are the first published photos of this PE set in work. Now, you SLEEPERS can send me the hundreds of photos you have of how it is supposed to look.

Yes, I am going to do the model in a loading configuration. I have a HEMMTT that I built several years ago that I want to use with the MLRS. To the chagrin of many an army man, I am going to make my M270 a unit of the USMC. Semper Fi you dogs of war! 

Beav - I have never been able to make that streached spru think work for me. Some here swear by it. Go to the LHS and get .020 brass wire. Perfect for antenna.

Some more ideas. The rear view mirriors have a black rubber on the sides which is why the mirror seems three dimensional. A little black will take care of it.

The kit does not include front mud guards. You can make them out of light plastic bag material. The are about the same size as the rear mud flaps....if you want to add a detal

Front Lights...For colored lights I have two suggestions, both involver Tamiya clear red or orange.

If you are going to paint them and you are not confident to paint by brush...silly putty. Put a small amount around the edge, use a kinfe or other tool to get a good edge with the putty around the light. Paint silver and let dry. Then paint with Tamiya clear color.

Second idea, if you get decal paper. Spray a thin coat of silver, then clear color. Now cut out you light and apply the decal.

You have done a nice job. Hope these ideas help you along.

Rounds Complete!!

Hey all, heres my last pics of this build; I know the antennas are a bit out of scale, and i'll replace them once I get access to materials that are a bit more reliable, but my attempts at sprue stretching were thwarted by dragon's styrene.  It'll end up on a base somewhere hopefully!

Hey guys...

First off, I DO NOT miss working with CA glue! I knocked over an open bottle. Fortunately for me and several of my tools I had a bottle of debonder handy. What an ugly mess!!!

Here are the doors and the unassembled drivers side louver:

And here is the mostly assembled drivers louver...I hope it is worth the effort it took. The white dots are not lint, but rather x-acto blade indents from me cutting off the P-E.

As my older brother Redleg12 states, we are all one happy family now. There is no real rift or any issues.  FA officers go back and forth between Cannon and MLRS now.  No comment on the funny missile and cross cannon guys either (uhm, duck hunters, uhmm ).  They were once all part of the FA, then we cast them out.  Now they are sort of coming back since their school is being moved back to Ft Sill and combining w/the FA school as the School of Fires.  We'll see how that goes. 

The CIPs are Combat Identifier Panels.  They show up as a cool square in thermal imagers to ID them as friendly vehicles.  They were used in OIF, but were not around in ODS.  They were actually developed after ODS due to a high number of friendly fire incidents.

The Numbers are BN ID #s.  Each unit has a specific number and then Batteries/Companies have a subsequent #.  For example, my Battery number in OIF 1 was 41.  My BN (1-39 FA (MLRS) numbers were the 40 series.  I was A Btry, so my # was 41, B was 42, etc.  Some units used a 3 number system that IDed PLT as well. 

The chevrons were used to denote PLT.  ^ up is 1 PLT, rt > is 2nd PLT, v down is 3rd PLT, and lt < is 4th PLT.  A slash \ meant HQ.  The chevron faces the same direction no matter which side of the vehicle it is on as well.  So both sides will not face forward, backward, etc.  They also rotate around teh # depending on their direction.

So  41> was a vehicle from 2nd PLT, A BTRY, 1-39 FA (MLRS), which was my Battery in 3ID.

Hope that helps.

beav wrote:

Thanks redleg!  I'll run over that exhaust when I do a dark grey wash, that should pop the grill out a bit more.  Heres a question for either you or Gino, is there a rift (or something similar to inter-service rivalry) in the FA branch, between the tube guys and rocket guys? (not that it matters since ADA is much better :P)

OK...In my day, the rocket guys were on Pershing & Lance Missiles (they were just finishing phasing out the Honest John from the National Guard). They were a different mos and a different world. Officers were training as FA Cannon or FA General (missile and tube). To some extent in those days you were lightining or thunder

As the MLRS came into the system, it phased out the Lance but mainly the M110A2 8 inch SP howitzer. The MLRS is also "deployed" more like cannon artillery. Lastly many of the initial units were old 8 inch units so they were full of tube guys.

We now all coexist as one happy family. We are all the "King of Battle". Gino was on M109s before he went to the MLRS. We all love the smell of muzzle blast. Some comes out the front...others out the back.

As far as those funny guys with the rocket through the cannon.....I will reserve comment

Rounds Complete!!

Thanks redleg!  I'll run over that exhaust when I do a dark grey wash, that should pop the grill out a bit more. 

Heres a question for either you or Gino, is there a rift (or something similar to inter-service rivalry) in the FA branch, between the tube guys and rocket guys? (not that it matters since ADA is much better :P)

Major EET & Beav - Heavy is the expert on the M270 but a couple of notes...

Get some .020 wire about 3 inches long and attach to each antenna base for antennas.

The exhaust behind the passenger door could be blackened on a little.

Here is my M270 which was one of my early builds. I have it firing

Since it is firing the interior is closed. It's not perfect but it should give you some ideas.

The ODS versions would not have IFF panels. I'm not sure if they mounted them for OIF....but the MLRS is unique and hard to mistake. Gino...weigh in!

Just another redleg trying to help

Rounds Complete!! 

Nice!

Heavy Arty, something I've always been curious about-what is the meaning of the large inverted 'V' and the number on the launcher box?  I've only seen these on vehicles in desert camo-is it some sort of IFF code?  Also what are the louvered boxes (I think they're called CIPs) that they've been attaching to everything?   

Would an MLRS from Desert storm have a CIP on it?  Would it carry one of those large orange signal panels on the roof? 

HeavyArty wrote:

You have to host your pics on the web for them to be viewable.  Your hard drive is not a network drive and is not accessable by the website.  Photo Bucket is a good site to use.  The shiney bolts and fasteners you see are new ones.  They will be overpainted when the vehicle goes in for a repaint, usaully about once a year. The M270 is based on a lengthened Bradley chassis.  The running gear, road wheels, track, and most of the automotive components are the same as on the Bradley.  To make Bradley rubber band kit tracks fit it, you need to add 4-5 links to them. The center console is too far back in the Dragon kit.  Move it forward and it will look fine. Thanks for the compliments on my interiors.  To see more of them and my other models, you can check out my Photo Bucket site at the Showcase II link in my signature block below.

The Eduard set also has mods for that console and there are paper print inserts for the IP and the targeting computer.

Thank you for the tip on moving the console forward. I would have fell right into that trap too.

HeavyArty- wonderful photos man! You are an awesome modeler. It is models built by people like you that got me into this hobby some 35 years ago. Isn't this how it usually starts- I was about 8 years old and mom and dad took me to a hobby store. The shop had some built models on shelves and some hanging from the ceiling and I was H-O-O-K-E-D. They looked so cool, I had to build one, or two thousand as it turns out.

You have to host your pics on the web for them to be viewable.  Your hard drive is not a network drive and is not accessable by the website.  Photo Bucket is a good site to use. 

The shiney bolts and fasteners you see are new ones.  They will be overpainted when the vehicle goes in for a repaint, usaully about once a year.

The M270 is based on a lengthened Bradley chassis.  The running gear, road wheels, track, and most of the automotive components are the same as on the Bradley.  To make Bradley rubber band kit tracks fit it, you need to add 4-5 links to them.

The center console is too far back in the Dragon kit.  Move it forward and it will look fine.

Thanks for the compliments on my interiors.  To see more of them and my other models, you can check out my Photo Bucket site at the Showcase II link in my signature block below.

Thanks for the compliments, I'm sure if you saw it up close you'd notice the wash that I applied is a little sloppy in some places :(

I think the problem with that panel, is not that it is missing, but that dragon made it too short lengthwise-it sits way to far back in the cabin, something that I didn't realize until to late.

I unfortunately know of no way to get files online direct from the hard drive.   

There is no way to attach photos from the hard disk?

By the way, I did a trial fit of the AFV Big Foot tracks to the drive sprockets of the M270 and they fit snuggly.

I see what you mean about there being a panel missing in the model. It seems to me that I was told that the photos on prime portal are of M270s being upgraded. The Royal Models AM kit does not directly address this missing panel, but it does add a lot of detail to that console. I think I can scratch up the missing panel with no problem.

Have you noticed in the prime portal photos that the bolt heads and other fasteners are unfinished? Is this normal for the M270, or is that these are new hardware?

Your model looks very nice. I am a long ways from getting into the big parts. Just detailing the doors took me as long as I thought the whole model should have taken...of course, I haven't done this for a few years so I've been going slow.

the photos of my model come from my photobucket (www.photobucket.com) account, and the other one is from prime portal.  you can link photos that are already on the web into your posts by typing

[IMG-] paste the url [/IMG-] (make sure you remove the hypens first otherwise it wont work-I only did it so that red x's wouldn't show up.)