M2A1 Bradley

[pcsguy88]

I tried and failed to convert a 21c Bradley into an RC tank, but decided to continue on to make it a static vehicle with working suspension and linked treads.

I used a 1:16 Panzer III as my donor since the size was very close and treads are almost identical. Only the idlers are way out of place.

 

[pcsguy88]

Painting an 80's green to hide the offending idlers as much as possible.

It ain't easy being green:

 

[AJWW2]

THAT IS COOL!!!

 

[YT1]

Very cool.

 

[Fled74]

Accuracy be damned! It looks "right", and that's all that matters.
Awesome work!

 

[Monkeywrench]

Looks really cool!

 

[loadedtomcat]

Do you have any pictures from the failed process?

 

[pcsguy88]

Do you have any pictures from the failed process?

No, I just had to stop exactly where I am once I realized the gearboxes would not fit with the motors attached and I could not locate shorter canned motors with enough power to drive it.

This project started a good 2 years ago.

 

[pcsguy88]

Washed:

 

[pcsguy88]

Where the color scheme came from:

West Germany in 1988

 

[K-Tiger]

Good, saves me from proving OD Bradleys existed.

 

[pcsguy88]

Good, saves me from proving OD Bradleys existed.

I knew it would be OD the minute I bought that book and saw that picture 2yrs ago. Not sure if I've ever seen another, but I've never searched specifically for it on the net.

 

[K-Tiger]

Well before '91 everything was OD or NATO tri-color.

 

[pcsguy88]

Drybrushed with crappy Folk Art OD. That stuff is frustrating to work with and made it more of a wetbrushing than anything else.

 

[K-Tiger]

*smirks as title the title "Master of Cheap Paints" remains intact*

 

[pcsguy88]

*smirks as title the title "Master of Cheap Paints" remains intact*

They seem to paint surfaces well, but I could not keep the consistency right to drybrush with.


Starting on the details. Amazing how much life just the lights give it:

 

[K-Tiger]

Indeed.

 

[loadedtomcat]

Well before '91 everything was OD or NATO tri-color.

Saw this thing in our motorpool once. Found it quite odd since the vehicle was green with this little patch of desert

 

[K-Tiger]

There still some of that kind of stuff out on Hood. Love the Humvees with mismatched olive parts on them.

 

[pcsguy88]

Done for the day.

The lens is clear red over silver which gives it depth and a copper tone, but camera or lighting are failing me.

 

[Wild weasel]

Looks good! When using the cheap paints to brush large areas I use a a large brush or a foam brush and thin the paint a little, the brush your using is to small, which is why it is splotchy and not an even weahtering. It would definately help to stand about 3 ft away and overspray her with the od which will lesses the contrast and it won't look so splotchy

 

[Wild weasel]

or you can do a dark brown or od filter over it

 

[pcsguy88]

A bit better of the lens:

 

[pcsguy88]

Thank WW. The paint seems to work better when painting solid like the interior, but I just couldn't get it to dust of the brush while drybrushing. The foam brush might just do the trick inside the troop compartment. The splotchy is ok for now since there are a few more layers to go with graphite and an airbrush dusting of umber or buff. I'll get it balanced out. Also, since I mostly paint RC tanks (viewing them from a distance outdoors), I tend to weather like a stage actor puts on make-up.

 

[Wild weasel]

Yeah, if you dust it with buff it'll look awesome!

 

[pcsguy88]

Starting on the troop compartment. Green is the same color as the Bravo tanker helmets. Painting with this Folk Art chalk ain't easy, but atleast it covers well.

 

[pcsguy88]

I can't find my curved wall piece, so I just roughed out a flat wall for the back. I could give 2 shits about accuracy on a Bradley with Panzer III road gear.

Will probably tear the chairs out and paint them a different color for more detail. Wish I had one of those Bravo WWII maps to hang on the rear wall, but maybe I'll hang some underscaled M-4's there instead.

 

[K-Tiger]

No printer?

 

[pcsguy88]

I actually have a functioning printer now and was thinking the same thing. Maybe some pin-ups and a map on the wall with a gun rack. I'll revisit the interior once the exterior is complete.

Thanks WW, I used a sponge for the last coat on the inside and it erased all of the brush strokes.

 

[pcsguy88]

All cleaned up and should be done for the day:

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

That's looking really fantastic Ron...I dig the drybrushing

 

[Fled74]

Looking really good!

 

[pcsguy88]

Is the middle light on the driver's side a convoy light or IR headlight? I painted it like a black light just in case.

Sorry about the flash, but it's the only way the paint showed up:

 

[pcsguy88]

 

[pcsguy88]

And thanks guys for the kind words. I have a long list of ideas and am treating this as my last custom for the foreseeable future.

Should I melt the plastic tools off of the metal hull from underneath and paint them?

 

[K-Tiger]

Don't think you can get them done while attatched?

 

[pcsguy88]

Not much progress today, just painted the rubber on the road wheels. Time to play.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Every subtle addition goes a long way

 

[pcsguy88]

Chipping away bit by bit. Ammo boxes done:

 

[pcsguy88]

OCD kicked in and I had to paint the view ports before I could sleep.