Modelling - Converting an S&S Type 63 to Type 89

The Type 89 or ZSD 89 entered service in 1990 and is an evolution of the Type 63/85 family. The vehicle is capable of carrying 15 and is armed with a 12.7 mm QJC 88 HMG mounted in an open protected mount. The vehicle is amphibious and provides the basis for a large number of varients covering supporting roles from recovery to observation post vehicles and weapons carriers. In addition the vehicle has been adapted as the basis for a number of Artilery systems. Given its relatively wide deployment and the variety of roles it fills it seemed a worthwhile activity to try and create one through converting the S&S Type 63.

The Type 89 is 3.13m wide 6.125 m long and 2.59m high, whilst the Type 63 is 2.978m wide, 5.476m long and 2.58m high. In 1/72 scale this equates to a difference in width of 2mm and in length of 9mm. Given the difference in length and the overal similarity in shape. I decided to focus the conversion on lengthening the vehicle only.

There are plenty of pictures on the web both of the real vehicle and 1/35 model kits both of which provide good sources of information on what things look like and what goes where. In addition vehicle plans, like these from the Hobby Boss 1/35 scale kit allow you to create effectively a scale drawing from which key measurements can be taken although this is less critical on a conversion and more critical on a complete scratch build.

The S&S Models type 63 APC is the basis of this conversion which of itself is a very attractive model of the most numerous of the Chinese APCs. Other than the length and width differences already discussed the remaining features that would need to be changed include:

• the arrangement of the engine decks
• two additional hatches over the extended rear deck.
• external fuel tanks
• an extra road wheel.

You have two options to extending a vehicle, cut it in half or build on the back, in this case I decided to build on the back. The first job was to remove all the detail no longer required, primarily the rear hatches and back door.

I then built up the extension to the rear using Plasti-card. I am not a great precision cutter so my general approach is to get it broadly right then fill and sand my secret tool in any modelling endeavour is this baby.

With care it can rapidly rectify faults aid in complex shape development and smooth filler rapidly. if your not careful it fills your lungs with dust and wrecks your models so, masks and tidying up are one required activity and another is the taking care when your sanding. The main benifit for me is the speed.

Having sorted the backend, I then built up the engine deck out of card stock before, attacking the roof hatches and seating the turret which comes from another of S&S's kits the ZSL 92A or Wz551 as it appears in their Catelouge. With the forward hatches removed the 25mm Cannon from the ZSL 92 can be used although this varients did not enter service.

I then added the rear door detail, the fuel tanks and hull side detail before attacking the tracks.

The tracks needed:

• extending,
• a new road wheel inserting
• the road wheel spacing to be representative
• appropriate side skirts to be built up.

This needed the track cutting in Three places to address the first three items, once cut Plasticard was attached along the track length before the gaps were filled using Plasticard and are friend the filleing and fileing solution, during this stage all surface detail on the existing side skirts was removed.

The side skirts were then built up using Plasticard and filler to create a smooth join with the top of the track guards. The reinforcing ribs were constructed out of plastic rod. I ended up doing this twice having started with 1 mm plastic rod and ended up with .3mm which gave a much better effect

The model is off to Shaun at S&S at the weekend who is going to see if he can modify it for ease of casting then pop a few out to see what they look like. If they are good I will put some thought into creating some of the variants.

References:

Jane's Armour & Artillery 2002/2003

Military Balance 2010

China defence mash up Immages, reasonable set of immages

Scale Plastic and rail 1/35 model review, good immages of the parts

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Chaseing The Dragon - Post Cold War Hobby News

As I am only just becoming familiar with whats available in this space and its a relatively underdeveloped area of gaming particularly from the Chinese perspective I will be covering off some products as I find them, particularly the Chinese kits. Part of the reason I started to pick this particular project up again has been the recent developments in terms of the availability of figures and vehicles in this area.  As ever though its the talented teams from S&S, Elhiem and Hobby Den that are moving forward to create Figures and vehicles for Pacific gone Hot.

Figures

Elhiem

Chinese Infantry. Elhiem have started on a very tasty tester figure which is shaping up quite nicely, depending on what the demand looks like will probably depend on the speed of development of a more rounded Range. So if you want more let Matt know either through his web site or his Elhiem Figures area on the guild forum.

Vehicles

On the vehicles front there is a fair bit of movement with a number of new Chinese models, Recent releases from S Models and Hobby Boss combining with existing offerings from S&S and items being worked on by Hobby Den.

S Models

S Models BMP 1 - two vehicles in one pack gives a very cost effective route to a type 86, currently three varients could be created using turrets from the S&S WZ551(ZSL92A) kit allowing for aType 86-1 to be created although I am not clear if this was a prototype only. They come with decals for Chinese Wagons not surprisingly so a top buy all round.

In addition S Models have recently released a Type 99 which also comes with Chinese Decals and I'm assuming two in a box. Looking at the Sprut immages it can probably be built as a Type 98 or Type 99. I have one on route from the Hobby Den, so more on that in the not too distant future.

Hobby Den

Last I spoke with Brian he was off to investigate if he could build the ZBD 2000 turret that would allow you to convert your S Models Type 86 Wagons into Type 86Gs Heres hopeing its going well as there seemed to be quite a bit of interest when it was mooted on the Guild.

Of interest the same turret is deployed on the ZSL92B, Brian tells me he is looking at a complete ZSL 92B, with a prototype being put together within the month, heres hoping he puts the turret out as a separate item as well.

S&S

One re issued kit and a couple of last years releases to cover here so on the re issued front Shaun is working up to remoulding the Type 63 which of course is only one road wheel shy of a Type 89 (ZSD 89) which is the in service version of the Type 85, with the HMG turret from The ZSL 92 it forms the basic APC variant, with the 25mm turret it represents a ZSD 89 II.

In addition last year shaun launched a Type 99 and two versions of the WZ 551 or ZSL92 handily these provide two turret options deployed with the types ZSL92and ZSL92A. I am thinking of having a bash at a bit of scratch building around the HJ 9 varient

A number of Shauns Soviet releases are also good for vehicles in this space, noteably the 2S3 and at a push the 2S1. I think somewhere in the production pipeline he also has the Chinese HMMWV which would be nice.

All available through the S&S new Shop,  I have just ordered a few of this lot to look at and play around with.

Smerch

Smerch have released a Russian 9A52-4.  This has been both exported to and inevitably copied by the Chinese, have yet to dig out any details although these guys are normally fairly expensive.  The good thing about MRLs is you won't be needing to many

Revell

I covered this over on Cold War Gamer but its far more applicable here, Revell will be releasing a T 90,  currently in Service with both the Indian and Russian Army within the region, so a choice of Cam Schemes and Infantry to play with.  

Revelle T-90 Release

ACE

I also dragged over from Cold War Gammer this re - release anouncement of the ACE BMP 2 this time with Rubber tracks which could dramatically improve the build time and effort, but then again may just introduce some problems of their own, another good kit for post Soviet Russians or Indians.

Hobby Boss

Hobby Boss have recently released this version of the Z-10 Attack Helicopter, which comes with another set of handy Chinese decals. Not that this is in particularly wide spread use, although the betting mony says if you have them and your fighting you deploy them.

Decals

Managed to find these on eBay, purchased from Hong Kong, good service. I did buy quite a few though. They came from either Globaltoy or Orange Hobby.

Web

As I have been researching some relatively new topic areas I have re discovered the utility of some sites I have used in the past as well as discovering some new ones.

Military Weapons of Japanese Neighbours Site

Military Weapons of Japanese Neighbours is very useful Japanese language site is  and contains more detail than some of its English counterparts.  Not to bad when used in conjunction with a Translator and better coverage than Sino Defence.  Bit of a Gem really and shows the advantages of searching on immages without which I would not have found it, excellent resource all round.  Primarily covers Chinese and Taiwanese systems.  The Chinese Army Systems can be found here.

Cold War Gamer on Face Book

As I mentioned in the last edition of Cold War Gammer I now have an active Facebook page which as a micro blog offers a bunch of news as it happens covering:

• new releases,
• upcoming posts, in this Blog and the Dragon Rising
• Links to my work in progress posts on the guild forum
• posts of note from blog sites covering the cold war and ultra modern period.

Together with links to a wide range of pages relevant to the contents of the two blogs.  Its also a good place to chat or ask questions and a bit more flexible than the blogs, Take a look

Scale Mates

Also worth a look on the web if you have not already found it is the scale mates site. Which is a great modelling resource pulling together a variety of Internet feeds to provide fairly comprehensive information based on searches for the kits or vehicles your looking for including;

• Other a Kits
• After Market accessories
• Pricing and links to on line retailers

And a really great find the model shop tool, all up a great site.

Coming Up On Dragon Rising, Bear Resurgent

So whats coming up over the next three months I'll be completeing a series of Posts on Chinese equipment and US Orbat as well as reviewing models suitable for USMC, Chinese Army and A Stryker Battalion.

In the back ground I'll be doing some thinking about what makes terrain modern in the Asian component of the Pacific rim along with looking forward to a bunch of kit and figure releases as Pacific goes Hot takes off

If you have any Dragon Rising, Bear Resurgent product news that you would like to share drop me a line at coldwargamer@gmail.com

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Modelling - Scratch building, USNAVY LCU

A key component of operations in the Pacific will undoubtedly be the US Marine Corps and a key component of their operations involve ship to shore transfer and assault landings of various descriptions. My war games and modelling interests nearly always spread beyond the immediate land battle and representation of insertion transport whether afloat or in the air provide some interesting modelling challenges.

Having already built an LCAC (to be covered in a later post) I started to look at the USNAVYs LCU fleet as something that could be built into both ship to shore games and riverine warfare and anti pirate operations. However they are big beasts.

The LCU came into service around the beginning of the Vietnam war and have been busy moving the USMC from ship to shore ever since. They can carry 125tones of cargo which equates to 2 M1s, 10 LAVs or 400 troops.  They can carry a range of fixed small arms Machine guns and mini guns primarily for self defence.  Within the Pacific 7th Fleet they form part of Task Force 76 which is the Expeditionary Strike group. This includes two Assault Craft Units, which I assume provide both the LCU and LCAC force components. They will also be found working with the Maritime Prepositioning Squadrons and the Amphibious Readiness Groups that transport USMC's MEUSOCs.

The basic dimensions of the beast are 134 feet long by 29 feet wide which I roughly converted to 22.3 inches long and 4.8 inches wide. I use the word roughly as I am unclear where exactly the measurements are taken from whether they refer to the waterline or the absolute length.

I managed to find some plans and did most of my dimensioning by blowing these up untill the picture was 22.3 inches long. The broad shape was then sketched out onto MDF which would form the base of the craft. The block sections for the Bow and superstructure were also sketched in.

The bulk of the vessel is of a sheet metal construction so fairly easy to reproduce less the main superstructure and the bow section. The super structure, bridge engine room and accomodation, was constructed with plasti-card to a pattern created from the dimensioned drawings. The bow section seemed a little more difficult so was cut and sanded out of balsa wood, before being clad in plasti-card on the upper surfaces. The Bow ramp was also cut from balsa and based on a quantity of wine being consumed ended up being a little longer than needed. The M1 gives an impression of scale.

I also started to detail up the first part of the hull wall from plasticard with detailing cut from plastic strip, turned out there were quite a few triangular hull supports to make for the complete vessel.

I then started to build up the detail, from plastic rod, brass wire and parts from the bits box, this included the start of the wheel house. The main effort was to create the right look and feel and whilst the basic shape and structure was constructed with a degree of accuracy, much of the detailing fell into the category of creating the right look and feel rather than being wholly accurate.

The remainder of the hull was then built out using plasticard, with the stern ramp again being modelled in balsa.

It then became a job of building out the detail which was either cut from card stock or came out of the spares box.

Again the emphasis was get the look and feel right and the density of fittings such that the model was representative rather than 100% accurate.  Brass rod and wire were used for the deck railings and the various boxes were produced from card stock.  

The balsa segments of the boat were sealed and smoothed, before painting.  The boat was painted in Vajello Sky Grey and Black grey and weathered using dilute washes of Mahogany Brown.  With Black washes applied around any of the detail.

Just have to come up with a game concept to use it in now.

References:

Americas Navy LCU Characteristics

FAS LCU with plan view

The Brigade LCU Pictures

LCU YouTube Videos

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