For modern military load modelers...

[jimmo]

Don't get your panties in a twist...

Them's fightin' words where I come from. BTW, I was NOT upset.

I said it *looks* stretched.
Probably because your missing details between the engine cover and the actual tank part of the HEMTT...
Yes i also know its a WIP...

Details like the ether canister, air cleaner and hydraulic reservoir. Oh yea, and the item that Herpa left off their HO model, the old Allison HD4560 (or maybe the 4500SP) transmission. I haven't decided yet. I would have done the A4 but I didn't have any info on that one at the time. I still might some day.

Oh and you should totally make some HMMWVs in resin, M998s would be good for '90s to about 2010 when they were in process of being phased out... Or M1097s, both are soft tops but 1097s are still running around. Or both... I'd buy a bunch... That is if you don't make them already if you do, make one where there is no canvas on the rear, exposing the bed of the truck.

I have done a slant back HMMWV in resin. I discontinued it because (it seemed like) the only people who bought them (occasionally) were German modelers.

My primary interest in military vehicles was the surplus usage--especially for the M978...

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I have to make some military versions for all the people that found out I was making this one--especially those Germans.

[nscaler711]

Slant back sure, but the most popular HMMWVs are soft tops or soft tops without the cargo section covered... Might sell more that way, same goes for Up armored 1115s and 1116s.... I know id buy a few... Especially after I'm out of the service, I loved those machines and I definitely want to model a National Guard Armory... So ill need a bunch of HMMWVs FMTVs, HEMTTs, pretty much everything the Army has had in the last 10 years....
Hell even Z scale had HEMTTs that were M985 cargos...

Sure there's not alot of military modelers out there, but there could be if there were models of them out.


Oh and I'm going to continue suggesting the M984 wrecker.... Beasts... Seen them flat tow a Abrams...

[jimmo]

Slant back sure, but the most popular HMMWVs are soft tops or soft tops without the cargo section covered... Might sell more that way, same goes for Up armored 1115s and 1116s.... I know id buy a few... Especially after I'm out of the service, I loved those machines and I definitely want to model a National Guard Armory... So ill need a bunch of HMMWVs FMTVs, HEMTTs, pretty much everything the Army has had in the last 10 years....
Hell even Z scale had HEMTTs that were M985 cargos...

Sure there's not alot of military modelers out there, but there could be if there were models of them out.


Oh and I'm going to continue suggesting the M984 wrecker.... Beasts... Seen them flat tow a Abrams...

I think your best bet for military vehicles is going to be Shapeways. Most of the smaller models are 1/144 scale but some have given in and made them 1/160. The problem I faced (and still do) with my military models is that military modelers are always willing to buy a few, but a few modelers buying a few models does not make for very good sales. That is why I chose to do a model (I really liked) that can be made into a really interesting civilian vehicle. The slant back was expedited partially because a potential buyer said he would purchase a ton of them. It was also made to replace the civilian H-1 that I used to sell. The potential buyer never purchased any of them (Doh!) and I was left with a slow mover.

The other aspect with choosing candidates for resin cast N-scale vehicles is the logistics involved in not only making the model, but also (and more importantly) that it is able to be cast. Open vehicles are problematic not only because they usually have more, minute detail but would oftentimes require multi-part molds and additional molds for the tiny detail parts. All this drives up the cost of production and therefore makes the price for the consumer much higher. Add that to the relatively low buyer interest and you have a product that can't even pay for itself.

The beauty of Shapeways is that we (as designers) can make and produce models with (relatively) little monetary investment. So who knows what I'll conjure up in the future.

The Micro-Trains Z-scale HEMTTs were both M985 and M978s (if my memory serves me correctly).

[GimpLizard]

The beauty of Shapeways is that we (as designers) can make and produce models with (relatively) little monetary investment. So who knows what I'll conjure up in the future.

That 1964 Rambler Ambassador, 9 passenger, station wagon is still out there just beggin' to be modeled in 1/160. 

[jimmo]

That 1964 Rambler Ambassador, 9 passenger, station wagon is still out there just beggin' to be modeled in 1/160. 

Have you tried searching through any of the websites that sell 3D images? Most of them have search capabilities for specific items, like '64 Ramblers and whatnot. Have you contacted Rapidpro (Madaboutcars)? They seem to be able to crank out just about any kind of vehicle (within reason). I'm surprised every time I check in on them to see what they have done lately.

[sirenwerks]

Didn't someone (Daniel) on TRW buy some RapidPro models? I was hoping for a report on them.

[jimmo]

Didn't someone (Daniel) on TRW buy some RapidPro models? I was hoping for a report on them.

It was Daniel Leavitt and I was looking forward to some feedback as well. I have seen an article about finishing the HO cars but nothing yet about the N-scale vehicles. BTW, the HO vehicles (with a fair amount of work) came out great!

[fredmoehrle]

Wow, I've been gone for so long...  Anyways.

Anybody seen a N scale LAV-25?
They were just coming into service when I left the USMC.

[Specter3]

Caught this outside of Charlotte headed south about 5-7 years ago.

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[Omatrack]

Anybody seen a N scale LAV-25?
They were just coming into service when I left the USMC.

Found this shop on shapeways with some variants of the lav 25.  Have not ordered from him so don't know the quality of the product.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/NRHRY7MWE/lav-25-1-160?li=user-profile&optionId=57208041

John