Updated 8/ 19--Militia/technical gun truck /Africa added jungle foliage

Thanks M1.  Well, just took some pictures with better lighting--enjoy!

Ian,

Those plants look very good in that Dio. 

Been a while since the last update--having some trouble getting the figures, but I think Ive got it all figured out now.  The last week while camping with my family, I got an itch to model, but obviously had no models nearby.  So I went on a little walk armed with a plastic bag and terrorized the local plant population.  I knew jungle theme dios only look good with a massive amount of variety and color, so I grabbed all kinds of plants.  Right now they are just arranged on the base, until I get some glycerine to preserve them permanently.  The grass like stuff is all moss, and all the other plants are just leafy little things I uprooted.

Hope you like it!

Outlands wrote:

Grimmo wrote: are there any of the landrover kits around? Would love to do a couple up as aussie rovers! I can think of three kits off-hand of 1/35-scale Rovers:  Tamiya's British Ambulance and SAS Pink Panther and Testor's Land Rover.  I'm pretty sure all three are OOP, but I sure hope either I'm wrong or that ebay has them cheap.  Ian!  Was showing your diorama off to my wife and the 7yo - both the girls were seriously impressed!  Wife says, "Is that LAUNDRY on that line??"  Oh, yeah - you made a couple of fans there!

I have the pinky and the ambulance, but havent seen the testors kit. will have to have a look around. It would be easier to get the basic kits and go from there than buy the pinky or ambulance kits.

Outlands wrote:

Grimmo wrote: are there any of the landrover kits around? Would love to do a couple up as aussie rovers! I can think of three kits off-hand of 1/35-scale Rovers:  Tamiya's British Ambulance and SAS Pink Panther and Testor's Land Rover.  I'm pretty sure all three are OOP, but I sure hope either I'm wrong or that ebay has them cheap.  Ian!  Was showing your diorama off to my wife and the 7yo - both the girls were seriously impressed!  Wife says, "Is that LAUNDRY on that line??"  Oh, yeah - you made a couple of fans there!

  Thanks! Haven't been around much, enjoying the last of summer before that dreaded stuff called school-- but I'm still chipping away at the dio.  Thanks for the commens!

moxey wrote:

What about a captured Humvee cut down to dashboard level with big.50 cal mounted in the back. I have seen this in a few magazine articles on modern wars in Africa.                                                                                                                                       Moxey

 Moxey, that is very interesting information, can You show us the photos PLEASE !!!!

Grimmo wrote:

are there any of the landrover kits around? Would love to do a couple up as aussie rovers!

I can think of three kits off-hand of 1/35-scale Rovers:  Tamiya's British Ambulance and SAS Pink Panther and Testor's Land Rover.  I'm pretty sure all three are OOP, but I sure hope either I'm wrong or that ebay has them cheap. 

Ian!  Was showing your diorama off to my wife and the 7yo - both the girls were seriously impressed!  Wife says, "Is that LAUNDRY on that line??"  Oh, yeah - you made a couple of fans there!

What about a captured Humvee cut down to dashboard level with big.50 cal mounted in the back. I have seen this in a few magazine articles on modern wars in Africa.

                                                                                                                                      Moxey

very good! coming along nicely!

are there any of the landrover kits around? Would love to do a couple up as aussie rovers!

Hello IanIsBored2000, You are doing great job, that Technial is amazing as well as the diorama base.....

When speaking about Technical cars, please look here......(text in Czech bur fotos are esperanto)

http://modelforum.upce.cz/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14162

Didn't find the pic I was thinking of yet, but found a PILE of pics on one of my favorite sites:

 http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=81668&highlight=somali

I'm still looking for ya, tho!

  I doubt that those guys are too interested in side Airbags and cup holders.

Thanks.

I remember getting intel/opord briefings and whenever they showed the pictues of "Technicals" in the area, most of those vehicles were either Toyota, Nissan/Datsun or Mitsubish pick up trucks.  I wonder whether these manufacturers advertise in Somalia "This truck comes with standard heavy machine gun mount and can hold up to 5 200 round .50 cal ammo cans"

Ian,

I like the way you painted the truck.  Looks very convincing.

Ahh that's awesome man!!  My dad and I are restoring a 1950 buick special we got down the road for $500 and I'm startin' to appreciate the classics a bit more.  Wouldn't be suprised if my Buick weighed half as uch as some of those tanks you see on these forums though.  I don't even legally need seatbelts in it, that's pretty old.  Nice 'Rover though, and it will be helpful for details like tail light color.  Thanks!

Here she is...after getting on the subject, couldn't help imagining this thing as atechnical

Looking really nice!  I think that Landie bears a bit of a likeness to mine!!

 What do you think?

To anyone still with me--  I've been a busy little modeller and been working on the diorama, technical and figures.  The yellowish looking paper on the house and clothesline will be painted to look like tarps and fabric, it just looks weird for now.  Also, my 'rubble' didn't come out how I wanted, more like rocks so it ill be hidden by trsh, planks, more corrugated metal sheets, that kind of stuff. 

Most of what is left is just adding trash, newspapers, an old bicycle, just stuff to make it look more like a slum, and of course the other few figures.

I'll have lots more pictures when it nears completeon.

Doog--Thanks! I'm painting the heads right now.  It's my first dive into AM figure parts and the first pieces of resin I've ever touched and I'm hooked.  The detail is outstanding and you can find some things (like modern African soldiers) that you would NEVER get in plastic.

Edorc--I love the technical! I love the position of the gunner kind of hanging off the back of the truck.  Thanks for th epicture of the technical, the more reference the better, but one nice thing about the figures and vehicle I'm modelling is that anything goes, so I get some freedom when building stuff. 

Ian

 Here is an actual Technical in Mogadishu

For what its worth I did a similar "technical" but based it in Gaza.  Finding a vehicle was a problem in the end I went with a Jeep Wrangler! But I think a Landrover would be better and a Toyota spot on!