Hello everybody!

Thanks a lot for your kind words - they mean a lot to me!

Chad - it wouldn't take so long if not for a move and a job change...

Tojo72 - I wonder if your friend's son liked it here and where exactly he was posted...

In my town of Poznań the presence of American soldiers got visible in the last few years.

Thanks again for your comments and have a nice day!

Paweł

That looks great! Glad to see her done!

Pawel

 

Harold

Wow,that was a long project,but worth the wait,it finished up real nice,I appreciate the weathering.

Oh,I wanted to mention that my best friends son was assigned to an artillery unit in Poland last year that used M 109's.He is since back in the states.

Not sure of all the details but that's what he told me

Excellent surface effects!  2 years very well spent!

Hello everybody!

And after putting the "stuff" I had on the track, I'm calling it done!

One move and two lost parts from starting it - kind thankyous for the spare part service by Revell, BTW...

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

The photos:

Thanks for lookin', hope you liked it and have a nice day

Paweł

Hello everybody!

I'd like to show you "the stuff" that I prepared to be carried on my M109:

Two shovels from the Revell kit, cartons that I already shown before, a crate, two rolls, a duffel bag and a mermite-like can anda drink cooler from the Black Dog set, 3D printed M2HB gun with ammo cans.

As for the M2HB ("Ma Deuce") gun I decidet to go with a 3D printed item because the kit part somehow didn't look good:

The top one from the above photo plus the ammo cans come from the following set:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/VLWWDBYA9/1-72-m2hb-machine-gun-pintle-mounted-4x?optionId=68739562

Or from this one if you need other weapons:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/NL73YUXSV/1-72-weapons-collection-32-pcs?optionId=69072162

I have also replaced the kit supplied jerry cans with 3D printed ones:

As you can see the kit supplied ones look more like the German/made cans... The 3D printed come from this set:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/FF5MM5UCS/1-72-us-jerry-cans-16x?optionId=68824465

Now to put all that stuff on the track...

Thanks for lookin', have a nice day

Paweł

Hello Sarge!

Thanks a lot for your comment and for the pictures - they are very interesting, as is the bit about trailers - I wasn't aware of that. Now getting a fitting 1,5 ton trailer won't be easy - maybe I should draw THAT up in 3D?

As for the radios - I didn't mean the commo gear, but rather the radio/casette recorders for listening to FM, music or tapes from home. I imagine there was a healthy mix of American and Japanese made devices there powered by the military D-cells that the people not totally out in the boonies were able to get.

And I'm painting stuff up, I'll post some more photos soon.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel

Gamera - yeah, it's nice and I think it will last me for a few vehicles more...

I noticed the photos of the M109s from Vietnam don't show a whole lot of stowage on them - I guess that's because most of the stuff travelled on the ammo carriers and trucks. In comparison today's Paladins sometimes look in the photos like they are loaded sky high with all kinds of stuff.

Meanwhile I have installed the headlights:

I also HAVE to supplement the mentioned stowage kit with some more stuff - and I begun with the cartons:

Thanks for lookin' and have a nice day!

Paweł

 

In field operations the recoil spades were down and back doors opened so we could fire multiple rounds, then pack up everything and move quickly, it was called shoot-n-scoot. Keep in mind too, we did not have radios in the early M109, and they were a light armored vehicle so a Battery of six howitzers would stay within visual sight of each other and move as a unit after they fired a volley.

It was considered best practice to fire over a hill or trees rather than line of sight. Otherwise, the enemy had our location and would focus their incoming fire on our last known position.

Harold

Hello!

I was thinking along those lines, too - hence my take on the C-rations, how do you like them in 1:72?

And thanks for the tip on the transistor radios... I would apreciate a photo of ones used in NAM.

Because I started thinking about making an update set for this update set consisting of 3D printed parts. It would have .50 ammo boxes (I already designed them), water cans, radios/casette players, correct mermite cans and drink coolers. I'd also appreciate other ideas.

Thanks in advance and have a ncie day

Paweł

Pawel

Hello!

Thank you very much for your comments and for your kind words - they mean a lot to me!

And just today I got this set:

I'm going to put a little of that stuff on my howitzer.

Thanks again and have a nice day

Paweł

 

Gamera - thanks a lot!

Looks cool. 

Gamera - yeah, it's nice and I think it will last me for a few vehicles more...

I noticed the photos of the M109s from Vietnam don't show a whole lot of stowage on them - I guess that's because most of the stuff travelled on the ammo carriers and trucks. In comparison today's Paladins sometimes look in the photos like they are loaded sky high with all kinds of stuff.

Meanwhile I have installed the headlights:

I also HAVE to supplement the mentioned stowage kit with some more stuff - and I begun with the cartons:

Thanks for lookin' and have a nice day!

Paweł

Oh cool, love that storage set! 

Hello!

Thank you very much for your comments and for your kind words - they mean a lot to me!

And just today I got this set:

I'm going to put a little of that stuff on my howitzer.

Thanks again and have a nice day

Paweł

1:72 is too small for me but I must admit that you did a great job painting and weathering this M109. 

Really nice paint work. 

Aha;

 We re-visit when you were a glutton for punishment, Huh? BUT!! You certainly punished our builders who are mediocre in Armor. Like Me! Great Job, Pawel!!

Ohhhhhhhhh that's awesome Pawel!

I love how the mud came out!

Awright, I'm pulling this one off the shelf of doom...

I didn't like the previous painting so much, so recently I got to use my airbrush, so I tried to improve this one some... I like it a lot better now. Here's how it looks like:

Now I have to work on some stowage so that my little baby isn't looking so bare anymore...

Thanks for looking and have a nice day

Paweł

If only I had the skill, G...

Pawel

Hello!

I have tried to add some variation to the paint, so I tried something new - lightening with artist oils. It came out like this:

Then I have put on a blend of two pigments - curiously, both of them are Czech-made. One is Sira SA011 Vietnam - more yellow and CMK Star Dust SD04 Vietnam Earth - very red:

I have concentrated on the top surfaces that would be the most sun-faded but also that's where the dust would accumulate - this can also be seen in some period photos:

OK, so now I'll work more on the tracks and on "stuff" hanging on the howitzer. Thanks for looking and have a nice day

Paweł

Hello!

I have started painting that baby. Some pre-shading with red earth (Humbrol 113) and then US Olive Drab (humbrol 66). Here are the results:

Now I plan to put on a black gloss was and decals on top of that, and then I'll decide if I'll dirty it up some more.

Thanks for looking and have a nice day

Paweł

Hello!

It took some time, but here's more:

As you can see I've added the flotation gear piping cover and receptacles in fron of the turret - I think this is the biggest single omision of the Revell kit.

Now I'm starting to paint everything up.

Thanks for lookin' and have a nice day

Paweł

Yeah, looks like a nice kit Pawel. Looking forward to more.