Thursday 9 January 2014

Old Crow Slingshot AFV

I've been working on some Old Crow vehicles recently.  Here's the first one to be completed, a Slingshot AFV with a turret mounted missile launcher. As always, click on the pictures for a larger image!

Jungle patrol with the Slingshot.

The low afternoon sun shines through the jungle.

The basic model was simple to assemble - all parts were washed thoroughly and dried, top and bottom halves of hull were glued together with araldite epoxy resin.  Wheels were also attached with araldite, taking care to ensure they all touch the ground.  They vary slightly in size/shape, not very much but enough that you could end up with a vehicle that wobbles or has a middle wheel just off the ground!

I've added quite a few details to these.  Grab rails/handles have been fashioned out of 0.56mm 24swg tinned copper wire superglued into holes I've drilled in.  I find that this wire bends and cuts very easily so is ideal for making quick additions like this.  The resin is very easy to drill into.  A tarpaulin has been sculpted out of super fine white milliput to fill up an empty space on the side of the hull.

Safety rail around top hatch, sculpted tarpaulin stowage.
 As well as the rail around the top hatch and the handles on the front and side hatches, I added a couple of smaller wire loops on the front of the vehicle.  Before I glued them into place, I added a single link of chain to each loop which hopefully gives the appearance of a couple of u-shackles hanging down, as seen on many modern AFVs.

Front u-shackles and various hatch handles.
 A resin stowage box and a couple of jerry cans complete the rear of the vehicle.  After this I decided to add a radio aerial too, this was made from a guitar string glued into a short length of brass tube, inserted into a hole drilled in the top of the vehicle hull.

Stowage box and jerry cans.
The standard Old Crow missile box was enhanced with a few left-over parts from other Old Crow missile pods, giving it an additional top layer with another 16 missiles.  This vehicle is intended to supplement my Stoat patrol vehicles and Kamodo APCs, providing light rocket artillery support.

Tarpaulin finished in DPM to match my infantry.
After a coat of Wilkinson's light grey spray primer, I've painted it in the same UK temperate colours as my other vehicles.  Humbrol 75 matt bronze green provides the base colour with Vallejo matt black bands.  Humbrol 29 dark earth was painted onto the wheels and into the wheel arches as a base coat with the green or black drybrushed on afterwards, giving the appearance of ingrained dirt in the wheel treads and under the body of the vehicle (or so I hope!).

Standard UK temperate camouflage scheme.
The green was given a thin wash of Vallejo black ink before drybrushing with the base colour.  Highlights were applied using Humbrol 86 light olive green on the main areas and Humbrol 67 tank grey on the black bands.

Extra layer of missile boxes added.
An overall drybrush of Humbrol 29 dark earth was applied across the vehicle, concentrating on the lower areas.  A second, lighter drybrush of Humbrol 93 desert yellow completed the weathering.

Rear stowage box and jerry cans.
The odd dab of GW chainmail was applied around the edge of hatches, on hinges etc.  The driver's vision block was painted Humbrol 25 blue with a GW enchanted blue highlight.  Sensor windows on the missile launcher are GW red gore and Vallejo black.  All these bits have subsequently been painted over with Pledge floor wax to give a glossy finish.

Size comparison - Matchbox Stoat, Old Crow Slingshot, DLD Kamodo.
 This will fit in nicely with my other vehicles and give some much needed fire support.

Infantry from Peter Pig (AK-47 professionals)

4 comments:

  1. That looks great!

    Love the pictures too

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  2. These just make my wish Old Crow was still open.

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    Replies
    1. E-mail Old Crow to see - I think he can sometimes fit orders in between bits of film work!

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  3. Fits in brilliantly with all the converted vehicles you've done. Nicely done.

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