Cool! I'll be watching! I wanted to build one some day too, and I stashed the Dragon 1/72 one for that.

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

I'll be watching this one.  It sounds really interseting.  Good start so far.

Nice project! The Marine LVTPs, jeeps, tanks and other vehicles were in the Fall Temperate MERDC colors in Grenada: Forest Green FS 34079, Field Drab FS 30118, Sand FS 30277, and Black FS 37038. That color scheme was not USMC specific, but used by the Army, Marines and some USAF vehicles as well during that era.

Thanks stik for the info. Looking forward to a good build and MERDC camo, fellas.

Looks cool Tiger, and I love the MERDC camo, good luck with it!

It has been a busy week. But I finally got a little work done. I finished the turret, painted the tracks and added the wheels and tracks to the hull. I'm starting my masking of silly putty for the MERDC camo pattern. It'll probably be a combination of airbrushing and hand painting. So here are some WIP pics.

That's a crazy looking machine! Coming along nicely.

S.H.

Looking good.  The MERDC should look really nice on it.

Yeah she looks the business! 

Good luck with the masking. The Silly Putty is probably the best way but it's still a lot of work. 

Hey, everyone. I was busy these last two weeks with anniversary and doing another project with my grandson. Thank you S.H., Gino and Gamera for your comments. I finally silly puttied it and painted in reverse by doing the Deep Forest Green first and then the Field Drab, but this preliminary paint job came out good. I'll be adding the Sand and Black soon, then taking care of the other details. Enjoy the WIP pics and all comments are greatly appreciated.

Nice progress! What green did you use for the FS34079? 

Thanks Stik. For the FS34079, I used Tamiya's XF-26 Deep Green. I was tempted to use XF-11 IJN Green, but from all the research pics I had and you provided I felt that it was too dark. I like the way it came out and I'll be adding the Sand and Black colors soon.

That's coming along really nicely!!! Sharp work! 

Well, I did the Flat Black and Sand colors to the MERDC camouflage scheme. I feel like there's too much Field Drab, but that's the color during this operation. Still I'm very happy with it and now its off to weathering, painting, adding gear, etc. Enjoy the WIP pics. As always any comments and critiques are appreciated.

The MERDC looks really nice.  Great job on it.

TigerII

I feel like there's too much Field Drab, but that's the color during this operation.

Well, it's important to remember that the paint was put on by bored (or "On Report") 18-19y/o E3s after havign been chalked on by a harried E4 being yelled at by a collection of E6 & E7 (as well as the TC, like as not).

The colors match the manual, and it's excellent work on the model.  If anything, it's "too neat" for "applied by Marines."  Modeling rushed brushed on paint is an exercise in frustration.  Sticking with "looks good" is good modeling.

Yeah, we're our own worst critics, looks pretty darn fine to me!!! 

Well thanks for the comments Gino, CapnMac and Gamera. I have some more WIP pics. I did the visors and optics, although I feel the visors need some more tweaking, along with the .50cal MG, tools and equipment. I think its ready for some weathering, and definitely some more tweaking, along with a figure and aerials. Comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.

Nice work on the tools and the optics, she's lookin' good! 

Looking forward to the weathering. Have you considered a base? I think a small wood plaque with a little sand on it would be more than enough. 

Thank you G. It didn't get too much weathering. This is a vehicle that just came off an LST, probably, into the waters and unto a beach. But I do intend to put a figure in the AC cupola. I also tweaked the visors and headlights. BTW, I like your base idea, but I will expand on it and I'll post some more WIP pics soon.

TigerII

This is a vehicle that just came off an LST, probably, into the waters and unto a beach.

By Urgent Fury All the County Class LSTs used the bow ramp to the shore so as to deliver "dry."

My old ride, LST 1197 Barnstable County doing just that:

It was less complicated than "wet" on/off loading:

Most 'Tracs would show some salt staining once ashore, and they'd get a bit of "stuck-on" crustineess once on dryland.  They did not get dusty so much. 

Up close, IRL, there would be swirly bits of "damp" where the paint was neither wet nor dry.  But, that's a "5-6 foot" detail (call it 2m, about 50-55mm eyebal distance fro a 1/35 model).  So, something a person could model, but would likely just look like poor painting skills in model form.

It's like the finicky things like how all the fresh grease from the road wheel hubs can leave a hint of oily black around the centers of the hubs.  But, again, that's detail that could be seen as just less-good modeling.

You are on the right track (No Pun Intended) with this one.

HeavyArty

The MERDC looks really nice.  Great job on it.

 

Agreed, I really like the MERDC schemes I grew up with. Some of the best looking camouflage patterns the Army has used.

Hey Capn, I see you were on the Barnstable "Unstable" County. So was I, in the Spring of 76. Our Artillery battery was attached to BLT 2/2, a Med float and my F/O Team was attached to Golf Co. 2/2 which was on that LST. I made 3 "wet" Amtrac landings in Europe during that float. As for Operation Urgent Fury the Amtracs more than likely came from the USS Saipan, which is an LHA, Amphibious Helicopter Assault vessel with a well deck for LVT's or now AAVP's.

Well, I finished the AC a few days ago, but was having trouble getting onto the forum. I'll be adding him into the turret and then I'll start with the base. He looks a little shiny, thanks to the "Dullcote", so I'll tone his uniform down, color his wristwatch and tweak anything else that I might've missed.

Looks good Tiger! 

During Urgent Fury, the Marines were wearing both the old ERDL jungle cam oes, and the then new issue BDUs. Either type when worn with sleeves rolled had the unprinted inner face of the fabric facing out. The only friendly folks who wore green uniforms on Grenada were either US Army, both Ranger battalions, and some of the Caribbean forces, not USMC types.

Yes Stik, I know what the Marines wore during Urgent Fury, because I was wearing them 4 years before that operation. The camera and the dull cote dulled the camo on the blouse. Besides coming off the ramp of an LHA or LST into the sea there would be some water that would make it into the open hatch. I added extra pics of the figure and the camo and before he went into the cupola, I downplayed the camo with pastels. I didn't particularly care for how the antennas came out, I'll probably give it a dull coat of black and maybe some pennants, but basically this vehicle is done. Now I'm in the process of making a simple base for it.

Copy that about the uniforms and you're having worn them. Just hard to see any camo pattern in the photos. 

I don't know about the details but modeling-wise it all looks good to me!