I will be following your progress on this build Gino. The cool thing about these Forum builds is they are like virtual workshops for modelers, where we get to see how and why things are done the way they are by other members.

Harold

Oh cool, thanks Gino- neat 'under the hood' as it were demo! 

Thanks guys.  It has been fun so far.  I hope to have some more pics of it all painted and installed soon.  

Thanks GreySnake.

Work continues.  I have pretty much completed the engine compartment.  I just need to add a few decals and run a few wires here and there.  

Here is the rear engine cover with it's fan and shroud for the radiator in the center; fuel filler pipe, and air cleaner and intake hose on the right.

The lower hull with the engine, transmission, intake fan, and battery box.  If you notice, the whole shift tower is attached to the transmission and does not pivot with the cab.  There is a square cut-out in the cab floor that this fits into as it closes.  You will also see a rod and gearbox across the front of the hull.  This is the cab lift mechanism.   

With the rear engine cover in place.

This is how it will look with the cab in place.

More to come as I move on to the cab interior.

Loving it, Gino.

Don't know a lot about modern military vehicles, but this build is looking very impresive mate.

HeavyArty

This is how it will look with the cab in place.

Harold

Thanks guys.  I am enjoying this one.

Sarge, it is a little of both.  I do have some TM pages and other referances to fill in what I don't remember.  I do remember quite a bit since I worked with MLRS launchers off and on for about 8 years.  It is amazing what you forget though.

HeavyArty

Thanks guys.  I am enjoying this one.

Sarge, it is a little of both.  I do have some TM pages and other referances to fill in what I don't remember.  I do remember quite a bit since I worked with MLRS launchers off and on for about 8 years.  It is amazing what you forget thouugh.

 

Harold

Hi Harold.  Yes, I have been building pretty much non-stop since I was a kid and I am pushing 50 now.  I have two older brothers who built cars and planes and of course, I wanted to do what they did.  I guess I have picked up a few things over 40 plus years of building.

That looks great! 

You just need a mechanic figure!

Thanks guys.  A mechanic is planned...eventually. 

I am still plugging away at the build.  I have completed the cab interior.  I added a few parts from the Royal Models MLRS Update set.

From it, I used the seats with seat belts; hoses and filter apparatus for the NBC system; and a few other smaller PE and resin parts.  I also added a fire extinguisher from the spares box between the seats and a HALON fire extinguisher on the left side of the front wall.  The rest is from the kit, to include all warning placards. 

Here is the completed cab interior.

Next up is the completed engine compartment with placards added and weathered.  I also added a HALON bottle on the front right as well.

Cab doors and the side engine compartment door interiors.

I have also completed the LLM (Loader/Launcher Module).  I added the internal lifting hook/hoist mechanism that attaches to the rocket pods from ones left over from a Dragon M270 kit.  For some reason, Trumpeter deleted these.  They are needed if you do not have the rocket pods uploaded.  They are hard to see, but they are in there.  Trumpeter has all the other internal parts included and nicely molded.

You can see the internal hook/hoist mechanism in this pic hanging from the cables below the booms, just above the rocket pods.  These hook onto the pods to lift them up onto the booms, then the booms retract to load them into the LLM.

The LLM overall.

Lastly, I will be adding the APU, A/C unit, and weapon mount from the Dragon M270A1 kit to make this a pretty current M270A1.  

I am planning on making it a vehicle from 6-37 FA (MLRS), 2ID in South Korea in NATO camo.  It is just about ready for paint.  More to come later.

Good morning Gino. Fascinating the way you break down the components of this model. I have only recently started to learn some of your technique. One I noticed today is the way you paint the seats with shading you create what looks like real material. I love the HALON fire extinguishers. Hand painting, adding wear and weathering to the interior, engine compartment and LLM in modular approach you have much greater control over the interior detail. That makes a lot of sense. I started using your method on my M109A2.

By the way I received a second AFV Club M109A2 and M109 L23 to make an M109A1. It will also have that cool resin engine you reviewed. It may be one of the few M109A1 models ever made. When my M109's are finished I will have the first three versions in the series.

Great work on your MLRS and good lessons for interior modeling.

Harold

That interior looks incredible- really nice work there. 

And interesting, I'd wondered how you loaded the rockets into the thing- I had no idea they came in a pod that was loaded as a unit. 

Thanks Harold.  I'm glad this build is helpful to you.  I'm looking forward to seeing your M109A1 build.  It should be nice. 

Thanks Gamera.  Glad you learned something about the MLRS as well.  Another MLRS tidbit; the slang name for the M26 rocket pod container is "Six Pack" since it holds six rockets.  Too bad it isn't six cans of beer.  

Fine work so far!

"Six Pack": neat, send a sixer to a bad guy.

Man, those placards really add the details to the kit. Your attention to all the bits is amazing. I love the work.

BK

Thanks gents.  Unfortunately, I haven't had time to get it painted.  I hope to do so this weekend.  More to follow...

Thanks GreySnake.  I did get some paint on it last weekend, but life is getting in the way.  I am on an unplanned trip, so I won't get back to it for a couple weeks.

Looking forward to seeing what you post when you get back to her. 

I have continued work on my M270A1 MLRS undergoing maintenance.  

After a couple week break where I took an early trip to go meet my first grand daughter (she came a few weeks early and mom and she are doing wonderful), I am back at it.

I have painted all the parts in NATO camo and marked it as launcher C-22 from 6-37 FA (MLRS), 2ID in S. Korea.  I made the decals myself, including the Asian Royal Lions on the front of the cab, from home printer decal paper.  

I added the A/C unit, APU, and MG mount from the Dragon M270A1 to bring it up to pretty current standards, about late 2015-early 2016 based on Load Test date of 23 OCT 15 on the side of the LLM. 

I also added Combat ID Panels (CIPs) to the sides and front.

The doors and side engine access panel.

Next up is tracks, final assembly and a light weathering.  More to come soon.

Hmmm;

 I stumbled on this. I will watch with interest.

Glad to have you aboard.  

Thanks GreySnake.  It is not hard to make them once you get the hang of it.  

The M270A1 MLRS Launcher is complete. I weathered it with a couple washes of a dirt brown color and a lighter sand color to give it a well-maintained, slightly dirty look, as you find vehicles in the motor pool.

You can see below that I added the steering linkage from the steering parts under the cab to the transaxle. I also connected the wiring harness to the cab underside.

I highlighted the interior of the LLM with a bit of aluminum to bring out the details.   I also blackened the face of the LLM to represent the charring that occurs as the rockets are fired.