1:35 Brdm1-u

[Fishcarver]

"The "starpom" isn't going to like this, Yuri".

A BRDM1-U command vehicle in prgress: Thanx to "Jr. Technician" and a little bit of "sweat equity" (kitbashing and scratchbuilding), State Tractor Plant #187 begins to roll out yet another piece of 1:35 scale armour for the Rodina.

Note that Sergei is absent..........did the Party find him, at last?

Stay Tuned!

Jim

 

[Fishcarver]

Back to the 80s for this One!

The basic kit for this model goes back to the 1980s. In its original form, it was huge: bigger than 1:25, it appears. I rescaled it to 1:35. As it originally appeared, not all of the parts were printed. Some had to be "cloned". Furthermore, to save space, the parts were printed in two colours on one page. This build required a LOT of preparation!

 

[Fishcarver]

Here is a sample of one of the pages of the original model:

I separated all of the parts, figured out the number of each that I'd need, and re-drew all of the "Green parts" with a 0.5mm technical pen. Then I cut, pasted and scanned everything so as to be able to print it on cardstock.

 

[Fishcarver]

Strange chassis construction

The chassis construction seemed a little odd. Furthermore, there were no bays for the belly wheels.......these were scratchbuilt, or rather, kitbashed from a spare set of parts for my 2P27 ATGM vehicle. So far, we have added belly wheel bays, opened hatches,and added leaf springs. I particularly like the 14.7 mm DShk HMG........

 

[Fishcarver]

The Boys are Back in Town

Another day at State Tractor Plant #187. Sergei and the zampolit inspect the work in progress on the BRDM-1U. At the top of the picture is barely seen Yuri, who has recently been discharged from an inebriates' home on the outskirts of Moscow.

 

[Fishcarver]

Fraternal Assistance

An observer from the GDR provides some comments on the scratchbuilding processes.

 

[Fishcarver]

Some Reference Material

Here is some reference material that I am using.

 

[Fishcarver]

Where's the Wheels?

Heading toward final assembly. Now, if the State Tire Factory would deliver some wheels, we'd be all set......

 

[Fishcarver]

Tractor Plant #187 Achieves Its Quota!

The completed BRDM1-U. The multiple antennas mark it as a command vehicle.

This was an interesting and challenging build. There really was not a lot wrong with that old Jr. Technician kit, once the preparation was completed.

I'll put more pix in my Gallery later today.

Now, onto something with tracks.........
Jim

 

[Jim Krauzlis]

Awesome, Jim!

Not sure if you saw this site (probably already know about it, come to think of it), but it seems to be a repository of some of those Young Technician models, including this one:
http://papertoys.narod.ru/epaper_main.html

As with many narod sites, it's got a very slow server, so you are warned!:grin:

I was wondering if you encountered any problems with the tire construction...seemed to be a rather detailed method of construction. Your tires came out superbly, by the way!

Cheers!
Jim

 

[Fishcarver]

Mix and Match (or, If it Works, why not?)

Jim: Thanks for the kind words. Actually, I did not use the wheels/tires from the BRDM on the site that you mentioned: I used an extra set (and a bunch of other common parts) from the 2P27 vehicle. After looking at the ass'y instructions for the tires for the b/w vehicle, I opted to use the 2P27 wheels.(I had an extra set).The only thing I used from the b/w model's wheels were the unique star-shaped locking hubs.

I am building in 1:35 as a) I don't have a lot of room for large models and b) we have 3 katz, all of whom are no respecters of shelf space, if you get my meaning and catch my drift. It feels good to work in fine scale again (although my wife, seeing me building hatch hinges out of wire and brass foil, thinks I'm nuts.......)

Best Regards,
Jim

 

[Fishcarver]

Rear View

Here's a rear view of the BRDM 1U. According to my references, the hatches on the rear deck are for access to the batteries for the extra comm gear that these vehicles carried.

 

[Fishcarver]

Why I love Card Modeling!

http://www.squadron.com/NoStock.asp?item=EE35162

Check the MSRP on this item. I figure that at most, mine cost about $1.50 (and that's CANADIAN !)

Regards,
Jim