Thanks Gamera.  I like how it is turning out.

Looks cool Gino, nice work correcting the errors of the original. 

Thanks Tojo72.  I do enjoy adding all the details.

Pawel

Look at what I've just found on scalemates:

Yup,  I am working w/Steve at Model Monkey to design the Stinger box and the IFF Antenna on the right front of the turret.  It is looking great.  I can't wait until it is finished and ready to go.

Look at what I've just found on scalemates:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/model-monkey-35-m6-stinger-box-m6-linebacker-stinger-missile-launcher-box--1472644

Made me think of you, Gino!

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Really enjoying all the extra details

Just a small update today. Work has been nuts and I have another work trip this coming week, so no modeling.

I did make a small correction on the Academy (Tamiya) hull rear. The original Tamiya hull has a stepped rear plate (red outline). It should be flat. It also has small wings (red below) on the top rear hull to cover up the stepped rear plate area, which shouldn’t be there either.

You can see on the Orochi/Kinetic kit below how it should be. The rear plate should be flat and there are angled plates that the rear stowage boxes mount to.

I cut the wings off and added a piece of sheet styrene on each side to complete the flat rear wall. This leaves the small opening between the rear of the hull and the plates that mount the boxes.

I think it is a pretty effective way to represent this area and fix what Tamiya got wrong and Academy copied onto their kits.  A little thick, but passable. 

Thanks Gamera.  I am enjoying it so far.

Nice work on the redone racks! She's really coming together. 

Thanks gents.  I am very happy with how it is turning out.

Good correction, Gino!

I used to buy a lot of the "Tank Supplies" sets from Academy - also gave you a lot of useful stuff. Three sets... - respect Gino!

Thanks for sharing and good luck with your build! Have a nice day

Paweł

I have finished rebuilding the Stinger racks. I modified the TOW racks from the Meng M3A3 interior set. I cut them down to only hold two Stingers for each level of the rack. The table part of the racks are 0.040 sheet styrene with the front edge rounded over and styrene rods for legs. Here they are in the raw.

I used Stingers from the old Tamiya Modern U.S. Accessory Set (35141), each set has 2 Stingers in it.

Over the years I have used quite a few of the sets and kept the unused Stingers. I folded the sight and IFF box on them to show how they come before use.

Stinger missile762×264 36 KB

I also built up the ammo boxes from the Tamiya interior for the rear sponson now that it can be seen. I added handles to the 7.62mm ammo boxes and the far right storage drawer.

I painted it all, added decals to the Stingers and ammo boxes, and installed it all. I also added straps from painted, thin cut masking tape.

I think they look much better now and look more like what is in the original pic.

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CapnMac82

Triming the legs on those racks will be fiddly, but, as a guess, you'll be happier afterward.

Actually, the racks are lower, narrower, shorter, and have different mounts.  Soooo, I ripped them out and am starting over.  Hey, that's modeling.

HeavyArty

On mine, the top shelf is closer to the top of the opening and the boxes go almost to the ceiling.

I was going with this setup as I can’t find any other pics or info on the Stinger boxes. 

Man this is really bugging me now.  

That's where real-world experience comes in and spoils a perfectly good build.

A person looks at that grab handle with the experience of wrassling such things in and out, and the prospect of having that top box bash into the head of the ramp frame will sore vex a person.

And, that gets tempered by knowing that, sometimes, the real world will occasioanlly be fubar that way.

But, those images of the actual vehicle do seem to suggest the shelving is more compact, barely more than one ammo box tall, does suggest the out-of-the-box spacing was wrong.

Triming the legs on those racks will be fiddly, but, as a guess, you'll be happier afterward.

Thanks Gamera.  Yup, gotta hate when that happens.  I have ripped out the oversized racks and stared over.  Thankfully, I wasn't too far along and they are a relatively easy fix.

Wow, I hate it when I come up with new information after I've got something built up. 

Good luck on whatever you decide to do Gino. 

After some contemplation, I have come to a conclusion. Either the Stinger storage boxes are too big, which I don’t think is the case since they were scaled out properly from TM drawings which listed the dimensions, or they are the wrong type of box. I base this on the below pics. In the pic w/the kids in back, look at the height of the shelves for the Stinger boxes. The top shelf comes to about halfway up the ramp opening.  The racks look completely different. Smaller in all dimensions. The padded inserts look like they are designed to hold the missile tubes without the storage boxes.

On mine, the top shelf is closer to the top of the opening and the boxes go almost to the ceiling.

I was going with this setup as I can’t find any other pics or info on the Stinger boxes. 

Man this is really bugging me now.  

I may have to redo these.  I think I have enough separate Stingers to fill up most of, if not all of the racks.   

I can always save the Stinger storage cases for a future Dismounted Stinger HMMWV build. 

Thanks Gamera.  The colors are pretty close.

She's lookin' great Gino!!! 

Hmmm, the seafoam green looks almost like a slightly greener RAF interior green to me. 

Thanks Stik.  I am having fun with it.

I have made a lot of progress over the last week or so.

I pretty much have the interior details painted, decaled, and the basic gear, ammo, etc. in place.

First, a couple parts that I added details to. I detailed the interior of the rooftop hatch by adding the handle and the mechanism to open it.

I also scratched up the lever that opens and closes the rear ramp.

Here it is overall.

Driver’s area side wall. I added the periscope top to the IR Periscope (cylinder w/orange cap).

The upper hull. I added the intercom pieces and wiring to everything. Most won’t be seen, but I know its there.

The Tamiya IP decals. It still looks good and represents the IP pretty well. You can also see the ramp release handle which is over the driver’s right shoulder.

Here are the Stinger Storage Cases on their mounts. I added some stencil decals to them as well.

On to the turret. I added the intercom and SINCGARS here as well.

I also added the ammo chutes from the top of the ammo bin in the turret up to the lower shelf at the front of the turret. Meng missed these. I made them out of PE 20mm ammo chute from a Kitty Hawk H-60 kit.

Next I need to add some personal gear and stowage inside so it looks lived in. Then onto the exterior.

Love that you're doing the interior as well as the external changes on this compared to the basic Infantry squad variant. 

Thanks Duster.  I have been working on it and should have an update soon.

Sorry my lazy eyes (and brain too) missed this until now. So, WOW just a great build.

Thanks Gamera.

Looks great Gino! Always fun to follow along... esp considering how little stuff I've been getting done... 

Thanks Rob, it means a lot coming from you.

I agree with Pawel, you do outstanding work I'm satisfied if you can see some white bits through the open hatch or if the Tamiya interior is kinda correct myself.

But I appreciate the work that goes into replicating interiors to the level you do it.

Thanks Pawel.  I like doing full interiors; I am a glutton for punishment.  Thanks for the offer of parts, but I am good.  Also, it would probably be cost prohibitive to ship them from Poland to the US.

Hello Gino!

Nice progress here! I admire you for completeing several "tanks" with interior - somehow I can't seem to manage that... Reminds me, for a project I bought a bradley interior kit once for "stuff" like radios, extinguishers or lights. Thing is if you wanted the Bradley-specific stuff like the engine or other parts I could offer then to you!

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł