Vietnam Gun Trucks - truck #2, base

[406 Silverado]

Hi all. Been on a Vietnam build kick right now. To be honest they are commission builds but I have been wanting to do something from Nam for a while now.

The Gun Trucks are all AFV Club kits, two M35a1 quad 50's and the other is a conversion of the M35a2 with the gun box in the bed.

The first quad was to be OOTB and built as 'Nancy", but I needed to line the bed sides due to ejector pin marks and sink marks. I also replaced the armor plates with styrene due to pin marks.

Second quad 50 is basically OOTB but with a field conversion with different side armor plates and stowage box in the bed.

The Gun Truck is the basic Duece and half converted to a gun truck, thinking around 68/69, with the usual armor box with double walls.

All three will be loaded with ammo cans, sandbags, personal gear etc.


* Note: the first pic of the kit box art is not the two kits that I bought. Mine must be older or newer kits that do not include PE or the M60 and mount in the cab.

[fhvn4d]

Might have to copycat this one or go for the tanker version..... now that I got my feet wet

[sturmbird]

I'd kinda hold out for the AFV M54 truck, and combine the quad fifty with it. They actually had Stewart & Stephenson or Osh Kosh build them. The weight was the problem for the M35 setup. We had a brand new one flown out (M54), and lost it 36 hours later. Did manage to save the quad fifty, and find a new generator.
gary

[406 Silverado]

Brian, I'm thinking of eventually doing the 49 Charlie some day.

Gary, would be nice if there was a plastic kit of the M54. I'll do it as a gun truck with M113 hull in the bed, tons of ref pics of those.

[Leon]

Rob,i was thinking about trying to do the same thing with an M113!

[sturmbird]

Dec 31, 2017 11:08:34 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Brian, I'm thinking of eventually doing the 49 Charlie some day.

Gary, would be nice if there was a plastic kit of the M54. I'll do it as a gun truck with M113 hull in the bed, tons of ref pics of those.

AFV said they were doing one a few months back
gary

[406 Silverado]

Gary if they do, then I'll do 'Eve of Destruction'.

Second Quad well underway and nearly finished.

[Leon]

Nice progress Rob! This is looking fantastic.

[joelsmith]

"Eve of Destruction" is at the Army Transportation Museum on Ft Eustis, Newport News, VA. On my last visit, it was still a "open post", and admission to the museum was free. I don't know what the photo regs. are but you might be able to ask the museum curator/PIO for help.

[mrt51]

Oh yeah I love this.

[flmlm]

Very nice work. Love the subject.

Regards
Mike

[406 Silverado]

Thanks fellas.

Some primer and paint this week on 'Nancy'.

[406 Silverado]

Weathering started on Nancy.

[deafpanzer]

I think Nancy is so pretty now....

[sturmbird]

I'm glad you weathered it the way you show. Gun trucks mostly stayed home (inside the wire) and sometimes went on a convoy. They rarely got real muddy, as the roads played havoc with tires. Last thing you wanted to do outside the wire was to change the inside duel.
gary

[Leon]

Weathering is looking good Rob!

[tobias5555]

Very cool update.

[wing_nut]

Nice. Anything with teeth is cool.

[406 Silverado]

Thanks fellas.

Gary, Actually the gun trucks were on the road non stop with convoys. But yes these quads (4 AA units I believe) didn't travel much with convoys, just in the beginning until the more armored and armored five tonners took over. Although they didn't travel the dirt roads much they did get dirty/muddy if they did have to move in or out of the compound. And yeah a real pain to change those inner tires, which was usually the one that got a flat. Our dump trucks and our older 21/2 and 5 tonners always got flats on the inner wheels lol.

[sturmbird]

Jan 11, 2018 11:56:01 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Thanks fellas.

Gary, Actually the gun trucks were on the road non stop with convoys. But yes these quads (4 AA units I believe) didn't travel much with convoys, just in the beginning until the more armored and armored five tonners took over. Although they didn't travel the dirt roads much they did get dirty/muddy if they did have to move in or out of the compound. And yeah a real pain to change those inner tires, which was usually the one that got a flat. Our dump trucks and our older 21/2 and 5 tonners always got flats on the inner wheels lol.

about the only road they were used much on was the An Khe pass, and it was paved. Never saw one on the road in I-Corp. Yet I did see a pair right outside of Quin Nhon, but even then only a couple miles out. When you got outta eyesight of the guard bunkers; tracks & beehive rounds ruled the day. Remember a gun truck is still a thin skinned vehicle, and a 57mm recoilless will still eat it alive. All I'm pointing out is that when Highway One went from black top to gravel; tires became the big issue in a truck. There was always two trucks in the motor pool with flat tires.

We got a brand new M54 with a quad fifty flown out via Sky Crane. It was very heavy, and got bogged down twice in the first 24 hours. An M42 might have been better for our needs, or even better a Sheridan loaded with a bunch of Beehive rounds.
gary

[sturmbird]

Jan 11, 2018 11:56:01 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Thanks fellas.

Gary, Actually the gun trucks were on the road non stop with convoys. But yes these quads (4 AA units I believe) didn't travel much with convoys, just in the beginning until the more armored and armored five tonners took over. Although they didn't travel the dirt roads much they did get dirty/muddy if they did have to move in or out of the compound. And yeah a real pain to change those inner tires, which was usually the one that got a flat. Our dump trucks and our older 21/2 and 5 tonners always got flats on the inner wheels lol.

That's a real good question! Why were 2/3rds of the fat on an inside dual? Plus changing the flat on the road was a pain. We would never change an inside or outside rear dual till we got home. A front tire had to be changed right on the spot. Very dangerous times. Yet repairing the flat could get you killed just as well. More than one guy got a broken arm or worse from the safety ring blowing off the rim. I saw one guy get his arm broke while airing up the tire and the ring facing the ground. It got so bad they fabricated a cage and flew it out to us. Lasted thru four or five explosions! Then they brought out a big heavy one that held up. We changed so many flats that they asked for a hydraulic press, but you know how far that went<g>! I was lucky, as I had other wonderful jobs that kept me out of the motor pool.

What the Army should have done, was to completely redesign the M35 / M54 trucks. The floors needed to be at least a half inch thick steel with a Kevlar blanket. The doors need armor as well. Not going to stop an RPG, but would stop a 30 caliber round. Running over a mine usually trashed the truck, but just as bad the crew usually suffered. I refused to ride in the back of any truck. That often was fatal. Better to walk while the truck crawled along than die in it.
gary

[406 Silverado]

oh yeah that ring will ruin your day.

Just a small update, didn't get to do as much this week as I had hoped to. Need to add more to the bed as far as sand bags.

[Leon]

Just keeps looking better Rob!

[406 Silverado]

Thanks Leon. Having fun buddy. Slapped on some green paint on the second quad 50 this evening.

[sturmbird]

Jan 12, 2018 19:00:10 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

oh yeah that ring will ruin your day.

Just a small update, didn't get to do as much this week as I had hoped to. Need to add more to the bed as far as sand bags.

looks great! Been working on a generic M35 for quite awhile. A real beat up truck at best. I'm modeling it from memory, as those folks meant a lot to me. The owners were MAV-V SF, and I'm relatively certain the truck came from out front of some PX when nobody was looking. The truck looks like it fell out of a C130. No doors, windshield, and everything else was bent up. I take a few lessons from some folks in the burnt and beat up area (these guys are pros at destroying anything<g>) I dig it out about once every six months when I think of those old men (all were about thirty to thirty five). Right now I'm kinda stuck on the two front fenders. Hard to bend them up real good! Then I need to do some destruction on the hood and bend up the bed a little bit. I started out with the fuel truck. Had I still been gainfully employed, I'd have made molds from Cero bend, and then tin foil fenders and a hood.
gary

by the way I may have hit upon a way to cut plastic and yet make it look like it's been cut with a torch! Still working with it, but looks promising. Plus it's easy and simple.
glt

[sturmbird]

one last question. What are you using for a wash to duplicate the classic red dust? I've tried several, but was never satisfied.
gary

[406 Silverado]

Gary, for torch cut plates I use a very course sanding stick and or drag a #11 blade across the edge of the plate. dragging the blade makes it skip resulting in an uneven cut look.
as for the wash, I am using Vallejo paints thinned with water and wet/damp brushes. I first use Vallejo dark washes (Oiled Earth) to bring out details, nuts,bolts etc. Then a lighter dust filter with the airbrush and brush, then I add slightly darker thinned paint layers. Final dark reddish color in recesses etc. you can also add some pigments to the thinned paint/wash for a flatter dustier look.
I covered basic techniques for dust and washes in the book I did for Vallejo.


Once I'm done with all these commission Nam pieces I'll get back to doing more rust buckets.
Looking forward to seeing that Deuce you're working on.

[dierk]

Looking good Rob!
Really do enjoy your builds!

[sturmbird]

Jan 13, 2018 9:15:40 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Gary, for torch cut plates I use a very course sanding stick and or drag a #11 blade across the edge of the plate. dragging the blade makes it skip resulting in an uneven cut look.
as for the wash, I am using Vallejo paints thinned with water and wet/damp brushes. I first use Vallejo dark washes (Oiled Earth) to bring out details, nuts,bolts etc. Then a lighter dust filter with the airbrush and brush, then I add slightly darker thinned paint layers. Final dark reddish color in recesses etc. you can also add some pigments to the thinned paint/wash for a flatter dustier look.
I covered basic techniques for dust and washes in the book I did for Vallejo.


Once I'm done with all these commission Nam pieces I'll get back to doing more rust buckets.
Looking forward to seeing that Deuce you're working on.

I my never ending pile of fly fishing equipment, I have this backing that is so abrasive that it's almost dangerous! It'll cut your fingers to the bone like a knife going thru butter. Will saw plastic like you can't believe. Years back I bought a 600 yard spool to put 350 yards on a spey rod setup (another ill adventure!). Anyway this is 30lb. test line, but is the diameter of 12lb. test. Expensive stuff, but also last forever.

I think Vietnam armor will be the next big thing as they've got about everything from WWII covered right now. Lets all pray for a new line of Sheridans and SPG's. I see Tamiya moving towards the Korean conflict, and this is very much needed and also wanted. Yet you could cover most everything from Vietnam in about twenty kits! It's just all the user customized tracks and such. I don't do as much Vietnam era stuff as most would think, but could be talked into it. Just seems like there's a lack of interest from the manufacturers. Plus, growing up in that era I tend to get critical on myself (not a good thing). I have one Sheridan that I finally threw out because I was never going to rebuild it again. I probably did it four times, and was never happy.

I might make a gazillion sand bags and build a 105 arty section. Found a couple AFV kits hunting for a Stugg G the other day. We'll see if I get interested enough. Been gathering parts for a multi gun M102 battery for several years now. Close but still not there yet. Need one for howitzer and some Conex containers. Seeing the M48 build kinda makes me want to do a couple, but one has to be an M48a2.
gary

[406 Silverado]

Well Nancy is nearly finished. Need to do the mirrors and ammo cans on the guns and little touch ups, then a base.