STRYKER M1128 U.S. ARMY MOBILE GUN SYSTEM MGS AFV CLUB 1/35

It is the building of third U.S. Army Stryker. I made it in July 2015.

This time, I’ll try a derivative type of the Stryker armored car once again. Because I produced normal personnel carrier and a type mounted with missiles in the past, I think the building is not hard. This type equipped with 105mm gun is my favorite.

The assembling illustration of the AFV Club is clear and easily understandable. This manual has many pages and 1page is not so condensed volume, I felt my working was speedy.

After all, the assembly around the headlight is confusing though the same part has been made in the past. It cannot be helped because a real car is also such complicated.

It’s a different order with the assembling manual that I glued the top and bottom parts together when attaching a front bumper to avoid upper and bottom fitting gap. And at the same time I needed to have trial assemble of the rear hatch together.
(26-June-2015)

After the photo-etched parts of the dustproof filters are installed, the main body is almost completed. If I don’t care in handling, I do again small parts attaching because some parts are sticking out.

Something like the belts of this photo-etched parts, I guess what kind of role they are. It looks like soft material. Strap of the opening panel?

The assembly of the machine gun mounted on the turret is difficult. I needed to assemble the gun parts together quickly, otherwise some of them are not connected, too late to make small adjustments. AFV Club kits are often many small parts included, it’s based on the high reproducibility.

A combination of the small gun turret and body are bad, so I opened wider a circular hole of the body, A hook of a gun turret was cut off and re-attached the hook from unused parts.
(04-July-2015)

Assembly was almost completed at last. I think it’s too large the material attaching to the top of the antenna, I made it with putty. After all, it’s painted in black and not so anxious about it.

There is a gun turret in the rear from the center, and there seems to be the center of gravity in the rear, too. A long gun barrel goes out of there, it’s strong impression.

Yes, appearance from the front is quite good. It will become more real after I put clear lights while painting. The metal gun barrel makes me feel expert working, I like it, of course, there is not remarking point of the parts accuracy.

I made two jerricans of the spare fuel, but there was not indication where to load on this manual. Because I put two water tanks on the vehicle right side, I can’t say precisely, but I loaded the fuel jerricans onto the left rack and attached a unity band using with metal parts.

I made metal belts to attach shovel and hammer, etc.

I think it’s something strange, noticed there’s not yet attaching rubber tires. Tires are most appeal point, forgetting it is like pasta without garlic. The next step is painting.
(08-July-2015)

Now a little progress, I painted basic color RML83 dark green. This color matched to the modern AFV green very much.

I sprayed the shade color, fade away expressing. This is same as modern air plane, I made before. It’ll be adjusted at coating later, I suppose now is slightly much gloss?
It’s needed detailed painting and light weathering for completion.
(21-July-2015)

The anti-tank gun mounted type Stryker armored car has finally been completed. A couple of years ago, I watched Discovery channel TV program that Stryker was tested in a polar cold resistance test at Alaskan base. Since that day, I have felt the Stryker proportion is very nice and want to make it sometime.

Because there is mobility at light weight than a tank, there is the merit of dispatching to all the world quickly in case of the regional conflict. Because the gross weight is less than 20 tons, according to the manual of this kit, air transportation is possible by C-130 carrier.

Besides, there are some variations, mortar deployment type, engineer car, ambulance car, car mounted with anti-tank missile, reconnaissance car, etc. It only possible to change equipment leaves the chassis, quite convenient. I have made the personnel carrier and the missile car before.

They were dispatched for the Iraqi War, but because the armor was thin, it was easy to be damaged by RPGs and seemed to have a hard fight. The Stryker’s better strategy is using mobility, and to move quickly, even if they have the powerful main gun.

This AFV seems to carry a total of 18 shots , but I wonder it’s enough?

ecause the scoop of the outside was painted red on the illustration box, I imitated it. I made strap belts made of metal band.

I wonder tail lights clear red was a little thinner. But darker painted and nobody knows the original parts were clear…..

Decals of fire attention on jerrycans are prepared in this kit. It’s sticking very tightly, but looks stand out.

I used anti reflection coating seal on the periscopes and macrometer, it’s nice accents. Colors changed in many ways from different directions.

I paint the bullet belt of the machine gun with brass and copper as instruction. It is tiny area, but nice point when it was noticed.

Seen from the rear, it’s quite simple and angular vehicle. After painting the rear lights, it looks cool.

The gun turret turns smoothly, but it’s quite hard to up and down the gun barrel itself. To hard by force is damaged risk. I judged that this angle of the barrel looks the best.

Regarding the weathering, I didn’t put the rust at all on this modern vehicle. I did only dust and mud effect this time. Because I wanted to show the feeling that run about in a battlefield, I strongly performed weathering in spots.

One shot from front. I think headlights may shine a little more. The inside of the clear parts were silver painted, lights are clouded like mist over. Possibly, this vehicle is dusty, so I can say it’s balanced in total.

I wonder the point of the antenna is slightly bigger… I think the body color is not a bad balance generally.

I would like to make it smoother, but got wrapped up in the simulation game on the way, and it has stopped suddenly….. I played Fuhrer play in HoI3.
The armored car has different charms from tanks, it’s cool!! As for the striker, I’m enough cause already made 3 types. I’m interested in German eight wheels armored car. I have bought sdkfz223 when I noticed, though it was not eight wheels.
(26-July-2015)