Modeling for the tabletop
 

Hey guys,

Some friends asked me to run a T2k game for them here, and I wasn't going to start until after the 1st of the year or so, which would give me time to get miniatures and such together. I've found some great resources for normal vehicles of the era, and indeed I have a 1/72 scale paper craft LAV-25 to put together, but what I'd really like to do is kitbash a LAV-75A4 (LAV-105).

The easiest approach as I can tell would be to get a 1/72 M113 kit and use the tracks and suspension, then a Stryker MGS kit to use the turret and bits from both to detail the hull, which I'd carve from balsa wood.

Thing is, maybe I'm going crazy but I cannot for the life of me find an M113 kit that doesn't cost a small fortune (to take the suspension/tracks from).

I've looked at papercraft stuff for the hull, I've looked high and low and keep hitting dead ends. Any suggestions?

I haven't seen them on the shelves for a while but a company called Unimax Toys put out a plastic preassembled LAV25 that was fairly cheap, I think I paid around $5-7 for mine. I just looked and the top is attached to the bottom with screws so it might lend itself to conversion if you can find one.

Here's a link to show what they have" http://www.unimax.com.hk/product_ins...=S59&type=toys

I actually found a very groovy scale calculator and I'm going to attempt a (likely very crude) paper model of it, at least the hull.

If I can get it working I will post pics.

I, for one, would enjoy seeing what you built.

My $0.02

Mike

http://www.amazon.com/1-72-Bravo-Tea...pd_sim_sbs_t_4

heres a cheap one for ya.

Thanks, Bobcat. I ended up going with a Paper Tiger Armaments M113 kit for the lower hull. So far, this is what I have for measurements (I am working in 1/72 / 20mm scale):

The Expeditionary Tank (aka "Ridgeway" LAV-75A4 or LAV-105)...

The slope of the front hull is 7 degrees. The up-slope on the belly near the front is 31 degrees.

The actual turret height is 32 inches, or .8 meters. At 1/72 that's a half-inch, or 1.27cm.

The hull height, without turret, without bogies, is 2m. The height of the bogies is 24" (assuming an M113 drivetrain like the RDF/LT, and my readings of the tech specs supports that, all the way to 5 wheels, drive wheel and return roller), but they overlap the hull somewhat, call it 6". If we calculate, that gives us a hull height without wheels or suspension then is 2m, or .87 inches, or 2.2cm.

The length of the hull (in inches) scales down to 4.1 inches, or 10.41cm.

The width scales down to 1.5 inches, or 3.8 cm.

As I said, I purchased a Paper Tigers Armaments M113 kit. The first assembly step will be to put the lower hull together and see what modifications I might have to make to my design to mate up the upper hull of the Ridgeway with the '113's lower hull. I hope this can be done easily.

More as things develop...

Jagd, are people running games online through the forums? If so, that would be great! I would love to be able to play again with a motivated group.

www.rpol.net has a few good ones.

Thanks for the heads up!