This
is a Revell Russian BTR military kit, in 1:35 scale.
I
thought this looked like a cool vehicle to build, the 8
wheels especially appealed to me. The entire vehicle reminds
me a bit of the old Landmaster
from Damnation Alley.
I
looked at a bunch of images online of various BTRs, there
seems to be a whole scope of possible colors and paint schemes.
At this point, starting out, I think it will be a dark green
base. I thought that would best befit the thick north forests
of Russia.
The
molding is very crisp. At first glance there are not a lot
of parts. Meaning, a lot of individual pieces are repeated,
such as 8 rims, 8 tires, 16 suspension a-arms, etc. For
a few minutes this can seem tedious during assembly.
There
is no interior. I would have liked engine detail, I think
leaving some rear maintenance hatches open would have been
nice, maybe to work in some figures to make a scene, or
add extra details.
On
the bottom of the kit, there was a circular hole with a
mesh patter molded in. The mesh holes were a fair large
size, I didn't think that would be hard to replicate.
Using
my dremel, hobby knife, and sand paper, I opened up the
hole.
Once
I cut the mesh (actual real 1:1 window screen material),
I used masking tape to hold and position it. I then used
zap-a-gap glue.
I
don't know what the hole or mesh is really for on a real
BTR, but it's positioned under the engine. My guess, it
allows for oil and diesel leaks to drip out the bottom.
With
this done, I painted the interior a flat black. Just in
case anyone could see the (missing) interior through any
open hatches or openings, I didn't want any green to show.
Military
Vehicles / HMMV Hummer - Excellent coverage of such things
as parachuting, air-drops of vehicles and equipment, securing
landing zones., concealment, ambush positions, and much more.
Excellent details of vehicles and equipment, like the M102
105mm Field Howitzer, the M998 hummer, TOW missile launchers,
and more, abound, and make for handy reference. This book
is valuable not only to the scale modeler, but also to the
military enthusiast and veteran.
Military
Transport: Trucks & Transporters - 160 pages, covering
75 vehicles from around the world. All photos are in B/W,
with a line drawing, showing a version of the truck. Each
truck is covered by a brief history and tells about the difference
versions and a full specification listing. A better reference
book than most.
Military
Vehicles - This comprehensive guide provides a wealth
historical information and technical detail on over 300
military vehicles, from World War I transports to the
huge and complex prime movers of today's forces. Military
Vehicles covers a broad range of wheeled and tracked machines,
from reconnaissance vehicles to amphibious troop carriers,
trucks and tractors. Each vehicle is illustrated with
a full-color artwork, alongside informed text giving a
detailed account of its development. Full specifications are
given for each type, including maximum speed, range and power
plant. Contents include: Amphibious vehicles, Tracked Infantry
vehicles, light vehicles, tractors, trucks, prime movers and
motorcycles.
Jeep:
Willys, Ford & Bantam Models, 1941-1945 - This book
has over 130 photographs with 50 in full color! It
contains all the essential facts about war-time Willys,
Ford and Bantam Jeeps. A history, description and analysis
of all models and variants. Including specifications and production
figures.
