3D Printed BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

BMP-1 With Tank Girl

This is another of the  Bergman designs printed under licence by [chcha_5648] and sold on eBay for £12.

I filled large 3D Print lines in with Milliput and just used a thick undercoat to hide the finer ones.

The BMP was the world's first IFV, designed to transport Soviet infantry through radiation soaked battlefields on their way to the Rhine. More than 40,000 were manufactured and they still turn up all over the world in modern wars. The main weapon is a strange, 73 mm, low-pressure smoothbore firing an RPG out to about 500 m. Later an explosive shell was provided which was far more useful.

An AT-3 'Sagger' launcher was mounted over the gun but this was next to useless in practice so they were often removed. Later upgrades have all sorts of improvements, 30 mm autocannon, AT-3 or AT-5 ATGM, automatic grenade launchers etc.

BMP-1 Of The Afghan Police

There is very little room inside because the vehicle was designed to be ground hogging, partly to make it inconspicuous and partly so it would not be blown over by nuclear blasts. In the real world they are always festooned with baggage of various sorts or the baggage is inside and the passengers ride on top - a much safer proposition in modern wars where mines and IEDs are the primary threat.

Out Of The Box

The kit comes in two pieces, a hull and a rotating turret.

Spare Turret

You get the choice of two turrets included in the price, with or without the Sagger.

3D Printed BTR-60P

Out of the Box

This is the first 3-D printed model I have ever bought. It was designed and digitised by M Bergman who has made the files available for personal use on Thingiverse. These prints are definitely for the use of  'expert only' but Bergman makes a commercial licence available. This specimen was printed by a vendor (chcha_5648) who sells it on eBay for £12 + P&P at 1:50 scale. That was what caught my eye: the price is most advantageous.

I bought this and a BMP 1. The box when it arrived was so light that for a moment I thought there was nothing in it!

The polymer used is light, incredibly light, but it is hard and very durable. The model comes in one piece, no assembly required. This is an immediate advantage of 3D printing. All the wheel suspension is modelled on the one print. The second thing I noticed was that it didn't need cleaning of mould release agent because, err, it isn't moulded. The paint goes straight on.

The last advantage of 3D Prints is that vendors can afford to keep a large number of digital files on a hard drive so lots of unusual vehicles can be made available. This just wouldn't be affordable with resin mould or, God help you, plastic.

On the other hand prints will never be made en masse. The process can't be easily scaled up (you'd need banks of printers - pricey) so they're really a different niche to plastic or even resin models.

Print Lines

Now the elephant in the room. 3D Printing leaves print lines. There is no way around this - at least not at an affordable price. The design is clever in that the top flat surfaces show the lightest lining, while really heavy lining tends to be on the bits out of immediate sight.

Nevertheless, there is no way around this. Expect print lines and don't buy if this is an issue for you.

As an aside, I undercoated with Army Coat white spray. This is a nice thick paint that goes some way to hide the lines. However, white was a poor choice. I should have used black so I didn't have to chase down white paint in every minor crevice - and there are a lot of crevices in a 3D Print.

Spray paint is not essential. Brushed acrylic will go straight on to the polymer, no hassle.

The Finished Model

And this is what it looks like after painting and weathering. I added a few extras. Some baggage and cans from Tamiya accessories. A spare crewman gunner from a Tamiya kit and a modern Russian Automatic Grenade Launcher from Eureka.

A lick o' paint hides a multitude of sins: it also hides the print lines which are more obvious in the photos than the actual model.

Needless to say, do not use washes!

The Sharp End

The BTR-60P was the first of the famous 8-Wheeled APCs in which Soviet mechanised infantry were to ride on their death march to the Rhine. It was open-topped and had paper thin armour just about capable of deflecting rifle bullets and small shell splinters. Up to two pintle mounted MGs could be placed on the top of the front bulkhead.

The PB version was roofed over to give some protection against air bursts and had an MG in a small conical turret. The Warsaw Pact manufactured around 28,000 and the Russian Federation keeps in the region of 4,000 in storage.

Stowage

I wanted the vehicle for wargaming skirmishes along the borders of the old Soviet States. It is just the sort of simple lightly armoured machine that might turn up being used as a transport for material: only the maddest or most naive soldiers would ride in it.

The AGL is just the sort weapon that might be mounted on one of the old pintle-mounts so that the terrified crew could try to shoot their way out of an ambush - assuming an RPG hasn't already gone through the cardboard armour.

The stowage represents the slapdash nature of the militia running this transport. Oddly enough the rusty drum of leaking diesel is marked US Army!

 Next up, the BMP - and I am so pleased with my first attempt that I have ordered an LAV and a Cougar.

Modern British Army Patrol, Airfix 1/48

British Army Patrol

When Airfix were going through their strange-management phase, they wildly over produced British Army Afghan models in 1/48 under the brand of Operation Herrick so these models are cheaply available on eBay.

They are very sophisticated kits, more complex than Tamiya equivalents. As well as the Coyote, Land Rover, vehicle crew, dismounts and Warrior in my collection, they also make a Jackal and a Lynx Helicopter.

The Coyote is classed as a Recce vehicle by the army and is a light Tactical Support Vehicle. It is not armoured against artillery or direct fire but has excellent IED and mine blast protection. Heavily armed, it is used for carrying supplies for smaller Protected Patrol Vehicles, escorting convoys and fast assault against insurgent bases.

Warrior IFV

The Warrior is my latest model. It is of course the Army's legacy Mechanised Warfare IFV.

Warrior is now rather long in the tooth and in need of replacing or upgrading like its stablemate, the Challenger MBT. However, like the Challenger Warrior is still a potent machine with modern thermal imaging and enhanced composite armour.

Note The Profusion Of Electronic Equipment

Warrior is armed with a 30 mm Rarden Cannon and eight 94 mm HEAT missiles. It has a crew of three and seven dismounts.

Side View

The Airfix kit comes with all-round bar shields to disable or prematurely detonate RPG weapons but I decided to leave these off as they make the model bulky for wargaming and, I think, spoil the look of the model.

Tank Girl + Tamiya T55

Tank Girl

Tank Girl is a Reaper Bones 25 mm or small 28 mm model. It is a bit under-scale for a 1:48 tank but, given that she is a petite Asian girl, I think it works.

The tank is Tamiya's new T55 model. It is a great kit, fairly simple but fitting together perfectly.

As it is for wargaming, I left off some of the tinier bits: they would only drop off with handling.

T55

The T54/55 is arguably the most successful post war tank - around 100,000 built. It was a game changer. Conceived as a medium tank to replace the T34/85, it was so capable that it made production of heavy tanks like the T10 obsolete. Along with Western tanks like the Centurion and M48, it ushered in the Main Battle Tank era that persists to this day.

Size Comparison

When you compare the T55 model with a 1:48 model of a British Warrior, you realise how big are modern AFVs.

The T55 weighed around 36 tonnes. Its modern replacement, the T90 weighs in at 48 tonnes while a British Challenger 2 is 62.5 tonnes. Even a Warrior is 25.5 tonnes and that is without the heavy armour and large high velocity gun that make modern tanks so heavy.

New Light Tank for the British Army

This is the new British Army Scout SV light tank equipped with a purpose-designed 40mm Anglo-French gun.

Note light is a relative term. It weighs in at 38-42 tonnes. A Sherman tank weighed 30 tonnes so in WWII terms it should be classed as a medium. A Challenger II is 63 tonnes but I suspect the MBT is about to go the way of the battleship.

Royal Engineer AVRE Tanks

A Churchill AVRE Engineering tank outside the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham.

A Centurion AVRE. The Centurion was the best battle tank of the Cold War era.

A Royal Engineers bridgelayer on, I think, a Chieftan chassis.

War & Peace: Falkland's war

The Scimitar light tank, used for reconnaissance and colonial warfare. This was the first all-aluminium AFV in the world and you occasionally see them belting down the M3. Armed with a 30mm cannon firing from clips. This one is named Anzio, which immediately attracted my attention, given my family history.

The little boy is playing with a 'jimpy', GPMG. If you look closely it is based on an MG42. All modern general purpose MGs are based on an MG42. It is shown here in 'heavy MG' mode. It is also used on a bipod or sling as an LMG.

The rapier AA missile system. Very effective but can be temperamental when transported to the South Atlantic and used by Mr Average soldier. It was discovered that it can track stealth fighters using infra-red.

Light howitzer. Another effective colonial warfare weapon.

Gazelle light reconnaissance helicopter. Horribly vulnerable, especially when your own side shoot at it. Not suitable for the modern battlefield.

War & Peace - Chieftan

   This is probably about as close as I ever want to get to  a moving Chieftan Main Battle Tank.

   War & Peace is one of the biggest military shows in the world. It is held at The Hop Farm in Kent and features a parade ring for mobile displays.

   My fellow Blogger, Zzzzzz, once owned a company of these - at least he signed for them.

   Below is a 'pig', a wheeled APC last used in Northern Ireland.

March of the Land Rovers

Crack Up - British Army Detachments

   In Crackup the regular British Army is quality level 'elite' so has Eight Tactical Units in each detachment. I have now finished two detachments. The first, led by a captain, has two Challenger MBTs, Two Warrior IFVs with 30mm chain cannon, and four dismounts: commander/rifleteam, rifle team, two rocket launcher teams.

   The second detachment has four Challengers (they are actually Ixo diecast Challenger Is that I could not resist buying at £2.99 each from Model Zone), two rifle teams (one of which is the command team led by a lieutenant) and two rocket launcher teams.

   One more detachment based around attack helicopters and the army is finished. Elite armies don't have many troops.

Crackup!

British Troops, Mercians, in Helmand.

   The background to Crackup, the modern war rules I am designing with John Treadaway are starting to come together. The rules will be usable for any modern war scenario but it is helpful to have a timeline into the near future to give Crackup its own flavour.

   Please feel free to add your own suggestions below.

  

Timeline – early 21st Century

2000: The Real IRA, a regrouped Catholic terror organisations initiates new wave of bombings in London.

2001: Dot Com financial bubble collapse

2001: Western-trained Islamic radicals from al-Qaeda, a Saudi Arabian-backed terrorist organisation, attack New York and other targets in the USA causing multiple deaths.

2002: Nato invades Afghanistan and drives al-Qaeda into Pakistan.

2003: Afghan Tailban start major counterinsurgency in Afghanistan operating from safe refuges in Pakistan protected by Pakistan’s ISI.

2003: Anglic forces led by the USA invade Iraq.

2005: Islamic terrorists bomb London.

2007: American property bubble collapse followed by London and New York banking crisis.

2008: Intensification of American drone attacks in Pakistan.

2011: American troops leave Iraq.

2014: American troops leave Afghanistan.

2015: Franco-German Brigade (Brigade Franco-Allemande, Deutsch-Französische Brigade) sent into Greece to keep order by Eurocorps.

2015: American troops sent into Mexico to assist Mexican army against the drug gangs.

2016: Taliban re-occupy Afghanistan.

2016: Scotland votes for independence causing the breakup of the United Kingdom.

2017: Iran and Shia government in Iraq sign mutual defence pact.

2017: England & Wales vote to leave the European Union.

2017: Georgia invades Caucuses to secure oil; war spreads to include Ukraine and Russian Federation.

2018: Turkey invades northern Iraq to suppress Kurdish terrorism.

2018: China sends troops into various African countries to protect their mining interests.

2019: Taliban take power in Pakistan and Chechnya before collapsing into clan warfare.

2019: France deploys troops in Kent to secure Channel Tunnel initiating mechanised warfare across Kent, Sussex and Essex.

2019: Scots attack Northern England and Ireland invades Free Ulster causing general fighting across the British Isles.

2020: War declared between Turkey backed by Sunni oil states and Iran-Iraq alliance.

2020: Pakistani Taliban invade Kashmir and explode nuclear weapon in Mumbai.

2021: World first Nuclear War destroys Pakistan and many Indian cities destroying central governments on the sub-continent.

2021: Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz precipitating oil and economic crisis. American carrier is sunk attempting to force the Strait.

2022: Chinese economic bubble collapses precipitating civil wars between Communist Party controlled coast and various Marxist and Nationalist warlords in the interior, including nuclear weapon strikes.

2023: Lega Nord declares UDI from Italy and European Union for Padania.

2023: Violent storms flood New York and American East Coast

2023: Wessex New Model Army clashes with British army in Surrey; Reigate destroyed in the fighting with heavy civilian casualties.

2024: Overstretched Eurocorps battles independence movements in British Isles, Belgium, Northern Germany, Southern France and the Balkans, which are often backed by National armies.

2024: General Glutenburger wins US Presidential election for Republican Party campaigning on a platform of moral purification of America and declares storms to be a judgement from God and not Global Warming.

2025: New Model Army concept spreads across world with mixed results but always chaos follows in their wake.

2026: Mexican war spills over into southern US states as drug cartel mercenary units declare war on the USA.

2027: Glutenburger cancels upcoming election, bans political parties, mounts a nuclear strike on Mexico City, and declares America one nation under God.

2028: Glutenburger assassinated by Mexican Mictecacihuatl (Lady of Death) Drug Cartel.

2029: Northern US cities rebel with military support from Canada; Quebec succeeds.

2029: Russian and North American crop failures due to freak weather conditions: mass starvation.

2030: National and civil wars break into smaller and smaller ethnic conflicts across the globe; New Model armies collapse into mercenary militias as electronic communications degrade away.

Modern British Mechanised Battlegroup

      Modern British Mechanised Battlegroup at 1/72 scale in North European camo. A mixture of Caeser, Revell and Altaya models.

   I intend to use these to test out the variant of Hammers Slammers rules for modern warfare that I am developing with John Treadaway.

SEWG - Golan Heights

It was noteworthy how few SF&F games were on display at SEWG. Historical wargaming is definitely back in vogue.

I am pretty certain that this is the '73 war on the Golan Heights. You can see Centurions, the best tank of its generation defending the ditch.

Dragon M26

This was built a few years ago, 1997 to be accurate, and took 2nd place at an IPMS regional show.


It is the Dragon M26A1 as used by the USMC during the first year of the Korean War.


The individual track links were a pain. I modified the model to show a tank with the fenders removed. I also opened all of the periscopes. As a tanker, I notice little things on other peoples models that bug me, number one being a tank closed up for battle with no open periscopes. Is anyone looking out?


Thomas V. Willoughby

FV101 Scorpion Light Tank by Tom Willoughby

This is the AFV Club Scorpion Recon Tank. It was built nearly out of the box with an added Chieftan stowage box from the parts bin. The crew are remodeled from the Tamiya Challenger 1. Tom replaced the mud flaps with thin plastic sheet. He notes that kit tracks are pretty poor but at the time no after market track was available.

These AFVs are very fast. I have passed them bowling along at 60mph or so on British roads. They served in the Falklands War because they were capable of crossing ground too boggy to cross on foot. They were usually equipped with 76mm cannon. Around 3,000 were manufactured by Alvis-Vickers and sold around the world.

Scimitars were withdrawn from the British Army in 1994 but the aluminium hulls were refurbished to use as the Sabre.

My thanks to Tom Willoughby for allowing me to show his work.

John

M48A5 by Tom Willoughby

Another fine display model from Tom Willoughby.

It is an Acadamy M48A5 built to represent one of the American National Guard tanks that Tom crewed. It is a commission for an old treadhead veteran. It's in summer verdant, MERDAC cammo used into the late 80s. Tom has deliberately been light on the weathering compared to most National Guard tank as he wanted to display the model in clean condition.

The Conqueror by Tom Willoughby

The Conqueror was designed at the end of WWII to counter the Soviet JS IS-3. It was the last heavy tank designed for the British Army when the Tiger was still in the Royal Tank Regiment's collective memory. It was the first British tank to mount a 120mm gun.

The tank was heavily armoured and heavy with overstressed mechanicals so it was unreliable. It was suprisingly manouvrable in the field. It mounted a rotatabe target selecting cupula for the commander, a feature not seen again on western tanks until the Abrams and Challenger II.

The army lost interest in the Conqueror when it was clear that the contemperary Centurion was endlessly upgradable.

John