I've been quite busy making a variety of bits of pieces of late, but have been rather slack in actually posting anything. A while back, I started work on some cardboard M-113s (click
here if you want to know more)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmWFGy-eC77VPARIOhPqV0sQ2StjVDcPs7tzOZqoG0QsJgYxDGrYS12c0aM23flAGBPsOl9eUwmf04tVaODQKmtl4_T4WOiZZ4T-f3PGUi-6UUp-itz7mgHuKxOSSak2BZ_kzb5Q9LUq-/s320/IMG_2569.JPG) |
A mixture of Bravo Team ready mades (at rear), Esci (unpainted front left), and cardboard model M-113s |
The Esci kit was missing a few key pieces that I replaced using the usual methods of bodging out of plastic card, or finding something about right in the bits box.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgURwjDm87enqc2xrkkRgpu8O0bth4bvN6xq5WWJ5WrcEUtX48qA0tLpD5jeKxET1U7dbZPfiEUqonOk20pVfhpVUA1nR0vAgyS7rxy1fGNq63vMxLCWmjt7J1wYDnGyP3epOTmrX4Uky/s320/IMG_2570.JPG) |
One of those road wheels is not like the others..... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvyiKAPIwZbsSbiVMPegwbEMU2ZnUG0nwFuHhEVqm8VwwXSCatn8r6AnIaldWWsPvnCjPjQsNx12bfwvCTQl7jR1o90qftQuqKgrSAfc1bQvufH6JS3_fMOfQbDXta1BojgY86x8ghyphenhyphenxI/s320/m113b.jpg) |
A wheel and tire from a jeep or light truck is given a outer ring of plastic card in order to make a new road wheel. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVTCkgcbMPM7kLq-MYOakiBM0IK0tg6C5BxfJ0KYuCB0BJX-aItmvGyvZal5sAAQrjLcXOTraCMCtSZnFeL7YdaUUrp1Np3mQ_XR7FJifkvIarcQKs9wuDQEmwn28q0rinPfAnk7xRLby/s320/IMG_2571.JPG) |
The green hatch is a spare from the Airfix M-113 Fire Support Vehicle kit. |
I still have three more of the Esci kits to build, and I plan to build them as the straight APC version without any additional stowage. With the cardboard models, I have tried to add clutter and stowage to the vehicles in order to try and disguise any shortcomings in the models, and to see if I could pass them off as vehicles used by support elements, rather than teeth elements, while still maintaining flexibility to use them as such as needed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFDISj_mtcCutsVNEP3FZQATEkDSAwvponydq9DZrd4hyphenhyphenkQQ3eJPHTZoAMj0nIrFPV0VHOacVO2EsGZHK9UceK-QFlATo_hqaOmI1O8aVOyLmI2Z9tSs9iR996sG7tkFkygt5rLjvZ6M3/s320/IMG_2575.JPG) |
Esci vs. Cardboard. |
I don't think I have really succeeded in doing this - at best I have made three M-113s that have a certain air of clutter to them. I suspect I need to put more stowage on them, and/or items of auxiliary equipment that will earmark the vehicle into a support role.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKFczSA885leV2WrzYvLpb_Uw_nuNdRIFESIs-tsIm_rvMcQanHjlM4jjNYCOOh81WA1zvS0RollBI2b9f8bGlAllNaZ51Tv7dKhmTRVCR5w065ZCfJaU5XDv1WT82JyJhDx3A_dG3g5v/s320/IMG_2572.JPG) |
Needs more stowage..... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJw_F3P500Kp-hRr1hAPb14ixV_P4trKKm6YsIyE5BaTc7LuDlOftDN2qnb3rTrwDz0_TLZhBTqk3LvzF8iCYlxDjHGuaM-j3ZLx3Qese6CQ9q7fMH7SMp__SNQtWGaiSPc3DTItzuwyy/s320/IMG_2574.JPG) |
And the tracks aren't quite right.... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9qdl6i6c19j7yj-9qIWf56H-RmdFuQt3tSW9xCiRAHVeatadxe6F2PovXIZrOHRZ-OCA-DYb8cqCZ9LTJzollJ60laWGgi7kqI50PeZnHJSa_X7flbtTDujEQukQAD5du7qi8xWX-WBM/s320/IMG_2573.JPG) |
I could have put more effort into the rear doors, but I figured this was good enough... |
On the cardboard front I have benefited from the generosity of Paul from Plastic Warriors sending me three rather nice scratch-built APCs (click
here for details)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7do8nC12xzUZG2Y6D53ZYXqrsKAlvl4EbIttI5-8oqb8-r9YQHXNpszLGqkJY0wine1na_98TyQB7oO1PuDdAMrvM08uf72MleWt5uFHhUZORkkRxQPXdqWD4jwylu13i8vjr7qNfgyx/s320/IMG_2591.JPG) |
Esci vs Cardboard part II. |
Now for my purposes, these M-113s from Paul being a little large is not a problem, as an imagination background allows for the creation of plausible back stories that can explain away a number of sins.
The fact that there existed earlier APCs, such as the M-75 and the M-44 (click
here for details). that were somewhat larger than the M-113, makes it easier to declare these to be a hitherto unknown vehicle of a similar ilk.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_l-052xJR_bNB5uwBs77-CIHKWEWnKgR2e8Xi84R94gTobIA8xgwTtnR4RY8vO0C85I-qaRJuRGyzw6ELkqFoaquhPWGm4wHfLiKF-2Zc0-hUIJjJ0jmQu-rehxp1v1hFVfft8n5saFuK/s320/IMG_2592.JPG) |
Spot the Esci! |
That, or field them in force with no other M-113s!