1:350 USS Wasp

[sgtryan13]

DMC-

You're setting the bar really high for those of us who plan to build thins kit down the road! Awesome job so far man, really! I am sure I will be coming back to this thread once I start on my kit, I just wish I did not have so many builds in the chute ahead of it!

Keep it up.
Ryan

[Ken]

Over on RCGroups we've been using & talking about this keychain video camera. It's available on eBay for about $5 and you need to buy whatever size memory card you want. So for about $15, you have a video camera you can stick on your RC boat, car, plane, heli, dog, cat, kid or yourself and record where ever they go for about 45-60 minutes. It records sound as well. On a boat you can have one facing forward and aft and edit the video into one video.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid ... Categories

[DMC]

I've been working a lot on the JAG 1:350 deck vehicles. I made some decals myself, and I used some from the starfighter decals deck vehicle set. The molded detail is very nice, and they even come with PE steering wheels!

I used pencil graphite to highlight the grill detail. The red spray nozzle on the front of the fire trucks is made from wire. Otherwise it was just a lot of hand-painted details.

I really enjoyed building these, and probably spent way too much time on them. But I think they'll add something to the finished product.

[DMC]

The fire fighting vehicle was the most fun to build. I made decals for the red stripes and used wire for the fire hose nozzle on the front.

[gtbred]

great detailing work DMC. not gonna do that well detail on my Sara build,my eyes will fall out of my head.

[DMC]

I need some help/advice. I've been working on the Marine vehicles lately. I've been detailing them in various ways (I'll post some pics soon) but I'm getting stuck on the M1097 heavy HMMWV. I can't find any good reference photos of what the kit is trying to represent (see pics below). I've found photos of soft top models, but there shoud be the bumps in the top of the truck then. I've found hard top versions, but they don't quite look like the kit either. I don't know much about military trucks, and I've never been an armor modeler. Could anybody help me figure out what type of HMMWV the kit is trying to represent? Any advice on detailing it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[sgtryan13]

I have the kit, and my guess is that the hummers you posted are attempts at what we referred to as "High Backs" It is a canvas type top on both the cab and on the back, looks sort of like a box truck.

You don't find many pics of them because they are not cool and sexy looking, but I assure you, they are VERY common amongst infantry battallions.

Here is the only pic I found on google, and to give credit, google says it is from the kitmaker.com site

To add a little realism, I plan to use a round needle file and sand a few slight depressions on the top going across the width of the cargo area to simulate the sagging of the cover between the ribs. To pronounce the ribs a little more, I may add a length of very thin styrene rod or copper wire on top before I paint it.

With a little more modification you can easily make these into ambulances as well, I can't remember if the kit includes any or not. I def plan to do that, hust to add a little color with the red cross on them.

[DMC]

sgtryan13,

Thanks so much for the help and the suggestion. I really appreciate your advice. I'll let you know what the result looks like.

[sgtryan13]

No problem at all, I can't wait to get started on mine.

One more suggestion, and what I intend to do to break up the monotony of all the same colors of vehicles:

There is pretty much always a mix of desert tan and camo green vehicles, with no rhyme or reason to specific quantities of each color scheme. They just take the vehicles they have that are in good working order when they embark and eventually if time and mission permit, they will repaint if so desired. So it will certainly not be inaccurate to mix up your vehicles colors. With respect to soft topped trucks and hmmwv's, I have often seen them with a tan body and green canvas, or green body and tan canvas. Again, it is just what is available at the time. Hell, sometimes a door or hood needs to be replaced and the only one available is in the opposite camo scheme, so it is just thrown on there and left that way.

keep up the good work, i like seeing your updates on this ship!
Ryan

[DMC]

Great, thanks for the tip. That makes some sense of the pictures I've seen of the vehicles deployed on LHD's. A lot of the photos have vehicles of more than one camo pattern, and I've been wondering about that. That's a great idea about mixing up the camo pattern to make it more visually appealing. I've found that the more color contrast I can get in small scale models, the more detail is easily apparent.

[DMC]

I've been working on the Wasp's Marine vehicles. Here's what I've gotten done so far.

The M198 howitzers are well cast, but to add a little contrast, I highlgted deails in different shades of green. I added some wire and styrene bits for details.

I added a couple PE deails to the AAV's. They're pretty nice little kits by temselves.

A lot of the pics of the LAV's I found have them carrying gas cans straped on the exterior. I made a couple out of styrene and added them to the kits.

I had fun with the HMMWV's. I added a PE front bumper, a exhaust pipe from styrene, and a spare tire from styrene. I made decals for the windows.

[DMC]

Here's some pics of the MTVR. I made decals for the windows. The side mirrors are pieces of PE railing. I added some details to the structure of the trailer part of the truck. Again, bits of railing.

[kidcurrie42]

Outstanding work DMC

Happy Modeling

John

[DMC]

Here's the M1097's, with the modifications to simulate a canvas top, as sgtryan13 suggested.

[DMC]

Here's the M1A1's. I added a couple details with styene, and modified a PE ladder and railing to make the metal bars that go aroung the sides and back of the turret. I added a PE grille to the rear of the tank. I used one of the PE machine guns meant for the ship itself and made another from railing. A few pieces of styrene were added to the equipment rack on the turret. I used a very light black wash to try to highlight some details. I've never been an armor modeler, so I'm sure this looks clumsy to those of you who've modeled M1's, but I had a lot of fun being creative detailing these little kits.

[kidcurrie42]

Very Nice

Happy Modeling

John

[DMC]

I've finished up the LCU's. I made one of them with the bow door down because I plan to display it in the well deck loading vehicles.

I should also mention that I recently got Ray Bean's LHD photo CD that I ordered from WEM. I've never used his product before, but it has been very helpful so far, especially for hull and island details.

[gtbred]

wow!

[DMC]

Here's the finished LCAC's. These are quite complex little kits, especially with the addition of the PE parts from MK 1. I think the result is worth it, though. They really are separate ship kits in and of themselves.

The kits only come with an inflated skirt, so you have to build them this way. The MK1 parts require you to cut out some of the molded-on grates and other details and replace them with the PE parts.

Between the kits and the PE set, I think the detail is great, but I did make a few small additions. On the roof of the pilot house and its counterpart on the port side there several antennas and radars that are not represented by the kit. I made these out of styrene and some leftover PE bits. I think they add something to the finished product, as otherwise the tops of these parts of the LCAC would be totally bare.

[Guest]

Hi i will be doing this 1 later in the year started the 1/350 hancock and planning to do lexington next getting more experience as i go.But i would like to know are you using th PE that came with it or is there other PE avalible for it.Your build looks awesome something i will not be able to achieve your hanger deck looks 100%real .

regards anthony