Old Marine Posted April 24, 2009 Share #1 Posted April 24, 2009 Just to prove that I can pay attention to something other than WWII vintage things I stepped out of my main area of interest and built this USMC Armored Amphibious Vehicle. I built this right after Desert Shield/Storm in 1991. It's been sitting on the shelf since then so please excuse some of the dust that has dulled the model a bit. This is the Tamiya, 1/35 scale kit and the exterior is pretty much right out of the box. I scratch built and added the entire interior and the figures. Originally this kit comes with NO interior it's designed to be displayed buttoned up. I seem to have a penchant for making things harder than they have to be so I decided to built the interior, it was kind of like building a ship in a bottle. It took a lot longer than I thought, there was a lot of back and forth between the bulkheads and then the figures, then back to the bulkheads and stowage racks then back to adjusting the figures, then trying to fit all that interion in to the hull of the track. It kept me busy and out of trouble. My memory of these things has always been how cramped, smelly and noisy they were. I tried to convey that squashed in feeling by cramming in as many figures as I could. Ok, enjoy the photos and I look forward to your comments and observations. thanks Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share #2 Posted April 24, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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The Meatcan Posted April 24, 2009 Share #14 Posted April 24, 2009 very cool! your excellent figure work really does convey the cramped setting inside the vehicle. Once again, top notch work. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark M Posted April 24, 2009 Share #15 Posted April 24, 2009 Dennis Nicely done,! I espeically like the 6 color choco chip camo uniforms. Thank you for sharing it. Regards, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted April 24, 2009 Share #16 Posted April 24, 2009 cool as always! well done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bond007a1 Posted April 24, 2009 Share #17 Posted April 24, 2009 VERY nicely done....I love the extreme detail on the men & their uniforms....and the vehicle for that matter... Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysmb44 Posted April 26, 2009 Share #18 Posted April 26, 2009 your excellent figure work really does convey the cramped setting inside the vehicle. Once again, top notch work.I agree, and that they actually look like they're talking to each other. Most people put figures into random, disjointed interaction (if you can call it that) with one another. This model conveys a group of people aware of one another. It's a rare modeler that can do this. I'm very impressed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbirming Posted September 26, 2009 Share #19 Posted September 26, 2009 Excellent detail on the uniforms..chocolate chips. Truly amazing work. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arclight Posted October 12, 2009 Share #20 Posted October 12, 2009 Holy macaroni, Dennis! Just saw the pack howitzer, too, and you are just absolutely amazing. Do you do any commissions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGM (ret.) Posted October 14, 2009 Share #21 Posted October 14, 2009 That's killer, Denis! Just how many guys did you fit in there? I counted 14 (15?). I'm so slow, it'd take me a year to do something similar. Gotta agree with some of the other comments, too. You didn't just paint 'em all in chocolet chips, you converted everyone of 'em too! (And not just minor conversions, either, you have some major work in some of those guys.) I know how hard that it is when trying to fit figgies into vehicles. Very nice! Great eye for the human interaction, too. Like willysmb44 said, they all look like they're aware of each other relating. Thanks for dusting it off and sharing! Got anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Marine Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share #22 Posted October 14, 2009 USMC 75mm Pack Howitzer 442 Color guard 101 ABN shadow Box M7 Priest 105mm How 57mm AT gun and Truck 8 inch How Patton's Command Vehicle Hi SGM, Thanks for the nice words. The figures really do take most of the time in these models. It can get pretty tedious going back and forth checking the fit of each figure, but the end result is worth it. It's just a personal opinion but to me the figures make these vehicles come alive. I am not sure how many figures are in that Amphtrack, I'll take a head count tonight for you. That model was probably the most difficult of the bunch. I had to scratch build the interior, benches and stowage racks and then fit all the figures and then once the interior was finished and weathered I had to close up the outer hull around it. It was a lot like building a ship in a bottle. Above are links to my other models in case you missed them. Thanks Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremiahcable Posted October 25, 2009 Share #23 Posted October 25, 2009 Great work Dennis. It reminded me of how much I dislike 'Tracks. I used to sit on a box up by the firewall for the engine compartment so I could handle radios for the Skipper. Thanks for bringing back some memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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