I am not normally a 'kit basher' but...I have been building forces for a 'Field of Battle' Scenario (the ww2 version with some modern additions for Vietnam), based around Operation Starlite in 1965, with Marines vs VC, with boocoo armed villes -based on the old Command Decision scenario by Greg Novak.
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| Getting ready for Operation Starlite 1965. These 'US Marines (Early War)' are from the Orion plastic range. Absolutely superb figures, which combine plastic utility with Platoon 20 character (I needed Marines with M14s...not M16s...an important detail...M48s be damned...) |
Bearing in mind a unit is a company, and support elements range from LVTP-5s (yes - the big awkward one) to M48 tanks, and I use 20mm / 1/72, there would be some vehicles required.
So having bought the LVTP5s as 3D prints, I thought "It's ok, I have plenty of M48s", until I discovered that what I had, was one kit, one dodgy incorrect scale abomination..and a polythene Airfix Patton turret on a polythene Airfix Centurion hull... uhhh ok?
A panicked look in the bits box ensued (I mean I wasn't going to buy MORE 3D prints after buying the Big Beautiful. LVTP5s - that's far too easy).
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| Airfix polythene Patton turret, gun from the other kit, cheap chinese knock-off hull in stamped metal from the bits box, and tracks from 'i really don't know where'...what can go wrong? |
I managed to find a cheap chinese knock off of an 'M60?' which had an M48 hull, and joy of joys, discovered that the dodgy gun without muzzle break on the polythene, could be replaced with extra bits from the M48 1/72 model (two barrels in one kit..who knew?)
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| The next problem... |
There remained however, one slight issue...the new gun,with the muzzle brake, did not have the front piece. Now I thought...AHA! a brass fixing...nope, wrong diameter...a piece of plastic rod! nope, wrong diameter...and then I thought...a bloody PLASTIC STRAW!
Now, someone once told me that these were getting banned. PAH! I say...apparently that's been reversed, so Operation Starlite can go ahead, unfettered by StrawGate.
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| The solution...apparently you can find them on the beach? Who knew? |
And then, I found a second MG/command turret in the model kit - the gift that just keeps on giving...(muzzle brakes notwithstanding)...
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| ...and an MG turret too? Oh Italeri - you rock! |
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| The two M48s, undercoated...to see action soon in FoB Vietnam |
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| Guys! It was one damned muzzle-brake...seriously! I mean the plastic in the model, and chemicals in the glue, surely outweighs..I mean... |
And of course, very sad news about the Oz this week. One of the creators of classic and modern metal.. RIP.