1/35 Trumpeter SCUD

[doogsatx/]

So, after some handwringing on what to build next after wrapping up my Leopard C2...



The box is honestly smaller than I expected it to be. But the entire launcher vehicle is only something like 12-13" all told.



But...holy cow are there a ton of parts.



To this, I'll be adding DEF Model tires and some Voyager rocket plumbing.





While the DEF tires are for the Dragon kit, I have it on good authority that they fit the Trumpy just fine, they just need the center mounting holes slightly widened.

Anyway...fun begins soon!

[Leon]

Some fine looking AM goodies going on this Doogs!

[dierk]

REALLY looking forward to this!

[John Everett]

I'll be very interested to watch you power through this one. Any estimates on time-to-finish (presuming something with great, shiny, overwrought panel lines doesn't grab your attention in the meantime)?

[deafpanzer]

HOLY SMOKES!!! Doogs has spoken... I am definitely going to follow every post here. Good luck!

[JimD]

I can't get over those resin tires. Them's gorgeous.

[doogsatx/]

Oct 13, 2015 12:24:47 GMT -5 John Everett said:

I'll be very interested to watch you power through this one. Any estimates on time-to-finish (presuming something with great, shiny, overwrought panel lines doesn't grab your attention in the meantime)?

I commit to no estimates! The C2 took ~ 10 months from start to finish, but there was a long break in between.

End of year would be nice? But I've got the F-104 on the go, too.

[JimD]

You get some sort of fancy certificate if you complete it before 2016. That's a lot of kit and no shame if you don't...but man...that'd be an accomplishment in my book.

[dupes]

Certainly doable...until you add a pile of aftermarket! I agree with the "that's a lot of kit".

[JimD]

Oct 14, 2015 9:38:03 GMT -5 dupes said:

Certainly doable...until you add a pile of aftermarket! I agree with the "that's a lot of kit".

Doable...for you...sure. We're mere mortals.

[Tobi]

There are some interesting marking options in this kit. Already decided which scheme it shall be?

[dylan]

I will be watching this one. really looking forward to seeing the Doogs treatment on this one

[doogsatx/]

Work begins!

Lots to pay attention to even on the first step of this thing - but I have to give Trumpeter huge props so far for absolutely nailing the crossmember fit. These pegs are snug! Not quite press-fit, but as close as you can get. Great way to ensure alignment.

The various differential pans also fit well - despite at first looking like they would be rather sloppy. Next will be getting to the actual diffs and driveshafts.

[Wes]

Off to a great start. Im following.

[JimD]

That is a hefty chunk of plastic. Glad this one is on the go.

[doogsatx/]

Oct 22, 2015 13:46:14 GMT -5 JimD said:

That is a hefty chunk of plastic. Glad this one is on the go.

Maybe I'm just used to 1/32 aircraft by now or something...but honestly the launcher vehicle is smaller than the mental picture I had of it. If anything I think it goes to show that tanks are a LOT bigger than we generally assume - and put next to them even giant truck-things like the MAZ look somewhat diminished.

[wbill76]

It's true about relative perspective when it comes to modern vehicles...but the SCUD is no small undertaking regardless. Nice to hear that Trumpeter did things right out of the gate at least.

[doogsatx/]

Alright! I've got the "between two frames" bits in place. Believe it or not, at this point it still breaks apart into two separate halves so I can get in there and paint (when it stops raining).



My Nikon close-up came out blurry (think I bumped the tripod) so here's a lesser phone shot:



Since I'm to the waiting for paint point on the drivetrain, I moved on to the V12 diesel.

Here's the real thing:



Here's the kit parts coming along. Not a lot of detail on the block, but the only part of all of this that will really be visible - the valve covers - look like a good match for the real thing.

[wing_nut]

Looking just fine. Can't wait to see what ya do with the diesel.

[John Everett]

Sorry about your rain. Came though that way today. It looks like it will be around for a few days. On the upside, the frame assembly looks great. Attaboy!

[Leon]

Frame assembly looks great Doogs!

[deafpanzer]

Jeez, looks like you will definitely need a BIGGER bench. Just move into the kitchen just for this build I am sure your wife will understand...

[doogsatx/]

Started throwing some primer the other night:



And last night moved on to the outer frame bits.



One cool thing is that the skid plates, which I won't be adding for some while, are essentially snap-fit.



Here's what's next. I'm a bit intimidated.

[wbill76]

Looks like Trumpeter opted to pack as much as they could into that Step 7 diagram page!

[doogsatx/]

That they did! And there's zero chance for confusion with getting the right bits in the right places. Right?

Actually on closer inspection yesterday, I discovered that the hub/arm assemblies are meant to clip onto the frame mounts, which gives me huge hopes for some measure of workability. At least enough to get all the wheels sitting nice and flat, and then being able to glue the suspension in the proper positioning. Maybe...

[doogsatx/]

Work's been sucking up bench time, but I got to play with the SCUD tires and initial linkages last night. Also got to give the new phone's camera a workout, and I'm in love. Huge improvement over the Moto X.

Happy to report that the DEF Model tires fit perfectly once the mounting hole is drilled out to 7/64":





AND...the steering joints are workable. Gives me huge hope for the rest of the control arms and not having wheels randomly floating.

[doogsatx/]

Working on the various control arms for the SCUD...good news is that everything is (at the moment) very workable. Steering joints move. Control arms move. How much they continue to do so once they're attached to the frame is anyone's guess.



Also...the instructions are very frustrating at this stage. For instance, the rear wheel mounts...nowhere in the instructions does it say that which way faces up matters. But it completely does for the purposes of driveshaft mounting. So yeah, I got to un-snap a lot of control arms last night to fix that little bit of fun.



Overall still digging things, even if this is going to be a bear to paint and install! If I were designing the kit or approaching it fresh, I think it would make more sense to drill the arms out and use pins to trap them, rather than the hard-on-the-plastic snap attachments they use.

[wbill76]

That's cool that the suspension is largely workable...especially considering how many wheels this thing has and the overall weight when you get it all together. Getting those control arms undone and redone must've been an exercise in patience...they don't look all that sturdy.

[TRM]

What a monster!! Looking like you are taming the beast quite nicely there Doogs!! Keep slinging the glue!!

[JimD]

I'm just glad I've resigned myself to airplanes. I couldn't handle that confusion. Going to be epic to watch you deal with it though. Haha.