Hello Gino!

Another cool project, I like it a lot. Can't wait to see you do it  in MERDEC.

Let me post a few of my Kaiserslautern pics here, I hope they will help you:

Oscillating fifth wheel and ramps:

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Thanks Pawel.  It is coming along well.  Pics look good.

Looking good, HeavyArty!

S.H.

A small update tonight. I assume that the earlier M54s had issues with their front fenders drooping. On the M809 series, 2 extra supports were added under the front fenders.

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I have replicated them on my model.

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Also, another note on the AFV Club M39 series (M54, M51, etc...) kits. Hopefully these are another hint that they may come out w/an M809 series truck. On the E sprue in green, and on the clear sprue (N), there are the NATO turn signals for the front and NATO stop/taillights for the rear. Also, on the C sprue are the mounts for the NATO taillights.

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Fingers crossed for AFV Club to do an M809 series truck as well.

Hello Gino!

Lookin' good!

HeavyArty

Is this a hint as to which colours you are going to use on your model? That would be a really nice paint scheme.

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Thanks Pawel.  No, no hints at color.  It will most likely be MERDC, but not Red Desert MERDC.

Oh that's so cool to see you doing another giant truck Gino! The detail there is amazing.  

I guess I never got over my love of big honkin' trucks and construction equipment I had like most small boys... 

Thanks Gamera.  I guess I haven't lost my love of big trucks either.

Gino,

Great work!  Your display is beginning to look like the Anniston Army Reserve parking lot that is a stone's throw away from where I live.

Gary

Delete, double tap.

Thanks Gary.  It is coming along.  Yup, the motorpool is starting to fill up with trucks.

HeavyArty

the motorpool is starting to fill up with trucks

It's my experience of motor pools that they are chock full of vehicles, and often or random types, and equally random paint jobs, with no obvious rhyme nor reason.

So, sounds entirely prototypical to me.

Mind, last week, down in Houston, I saw a train consist of roll-on flat cars with near two dozen of the multi-axles tank tansport trailers (in a rainbow of paint schemes) and exatly two 1070s on the last car.  Go figure.

Thanks Capn.  I should have another update soon.  I was able to get some paint on it over the weekend.

As promised, here is the latest on it.

Over the weekend, I got the wheels on and laid down the MERDC paint. The wheels are resin ones from Real Model. I like them better than the kit tires since they have more rounded shoulders, like actual 5-ton tires. The kit tires have square shoulders and look too new to me, I do like to use them for a new spare though.

For the MERDC, I went with Winter Verdant, which appears to be the most common.  I first sprayed the green using Tamiya OD #2, then hand painted the dark tan, sand, and black. It has a few brush strokes and stray bristle marks here and there, just as I imagine it would when hand painted by a couple privates on extra duty in the motorpool.

Here it is so far.

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Next up is adding/working on the smaller details.

The MERDC looks sharp, nice work!!! 

Thanks Gamera.  I like how the MERDC came out as well.

Wow! That camo looks great, especially if you handpainted it!

S.H.

Thanks S.H.  Yup, all hand painted with a hairy stick.

An update:

The truck is done with construction and basic paint. I added air lines and the brake connector wire from 1/24 spark plug wire with James Lee’s 3D printed gladhands. I marked it as a truck from 2ID, 702 MSB in S. Korea with homemade decals. The next step is weathering.

Here she is.

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Some details.

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I also laid down the passenger seat to make it into the gunner's platform.  The AFV Club seat is in two parts, lower cushion and back part, so it is easy to do.

I have also started on the trailer for it. It is an M129 box trailer used as a maintenance/shop trailer.

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M129 Trailer 11192×720 160 KB

 I started with an old AMT 1/32 reefer trailer.

I cut it down to the proper 28' 8 1/2" length.  Then I covered the ribbed sides with 0.020 sheet styrene and added rivets with a rivet wheel.  I built up the frame and the rear axles using parts from an Italeri M923 5 ton and "C" channel styrene, along with resin copies of AFV Club's wheel hubs.  I will use DEF Model 5 ton wheels on it too.  Lastly, I added the marker lights on the sides and rear lights left over from the AFV Club M54 kit.

Here it is so far.

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I haven’t decided how I will paint it yet. I am leaning toward overall green for some variety.

Nice work!

S.H.

Thanks again S.H.  It is coming along.

That camo is nice!  Can't wait for the box trailer.

Gary

Thanks Gary.

Yeah the camo looks terrific! Looking forward to seeing how the trailer comes along. 

Thanks Gamera.  It is coming along slowly.

"I hope to get some paint on it tonight."

Hello Gino!

The tractor is done and the build is still very interesting! I like what you are doing with the trailer a lot.

BTW, I wanted to ask you - what kind of unit is 702 MSB?

Good luck with it and have a nice day

Paweł

Hi Pawel.  Thanks for the compliments. 

"...what kind of unit is 702 MSB?"

It was a Main Support Battalion in 2ID in S. Korea.  It is now called the 702 BSB, Brigade Support Bn.  They do higher level maintenece, ammo and general resupply, medical treatment/evac, etc...

702nd Brigade Support Battalion (globalsecurity.org)

HeavyArty

Yup, all hand painted with a hairy stick.

And that's tough sledding to doel "right."  That up-close effect where you can see the wet-on-dry paint scheme i nthe original, would just look like "bad modeling" in miniature.  So, finding the balance is a delicate thing.

And done very well here.

(Although I'm not entirely sure who would entrust any of the E4 mafia with a belt of live cal..50 ammo . . . )

Keeping the 5th wheel pretty clean is also probably good modeling, too, as the prototype 'look' of "grease everywhere but the release handle where it gets wiped off by grubby mitts," would make an ugly spot on a pretty model.

That box trailer looks good.  I'd be sore tempted to replicate that faded green scheme in the reference photo--but that may be from the too many motor pool examples I've seen.  Again, painting it in shabby paint might be "accurate" but could also be 'bad modeling'--dunno.

Thanks Capn.  The truck isn't weathered yet.  I'll wait and weather the truck and trailer together.  The 5th wheel will get some grease too.  I'm leaning toward a very faded overall green on the trailer, we shall see.

You should know by now that I don't care about the "bad modeling" aspect as I build for me, not others nor for contests.  I like my models to look realistic, not the latest modeling or finishing fad.

 Heavy Arty:

          Very excellent work. I like where you're going with this! T.B.