BMP-1 IFV - Soviet army, Afghanistan 1980s - Build

[HERMAN BIX]

Good Grief !!
Nothing I will ever do can come close to the level of skill you display creating scintillating machines out of flat plastic & metal.
Brilliant achievement, and its far from done

[Son of a gun-ner]

LOL, you'll never cease to astound me Louis

[lmcq11]

Hi,

Thank you, but it is far from perfect. The plan is still to create a basic interior in order to have something interesting to look at through the doors and hatches. I want to time box this because I do not want to spend months on it.

This is the dreaded BMP auto-loader and its rocket propelled ammunition on their rotating chain.

BMP-1 1/16 RC build

There are more interesting things to build than a BMP turret auto-loader mechanism so I limited my time to a 2 hour build period for this. It's close enough for the purpose...

BMP-1 1/16 RC build

Change of plans for the tracks. I will not spend 20 hours cutting Heng Long Sherman individual tracks links to reduce them to a 17.5mm width, redo their chevron, etc, with unknown results. I found that VS 1/24 M4A3 RC tracks are a pretty good fit for the BMP. they have a width of 17mm, which is almost perfect. These are the Hard Track Set with individual links and metal connector, not the soft track set.Two packs are required and they sell for about $15 each.

BMP-1 1/16 RC build

These will obviously not be accurate BMP tracks because of the chevron and number of links, but they fill a big gap that I am happy to have resolved for $30, minus shipping.

Now the challenge is to reduce the 1/16 Sherman sprockets to fit their size. It will take some engineering. I concluded that I prefer to rework 2 sprockets than hundreds of individual track links.

BMP-1 1/16 RC build

Comparison of the VS 1/24 and HL 1/16 Sherman tracks. Also present are the two spare links to show the individual 1/24 links.

BMP-1 1/16 RC build

Regards, Louis

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning!
No luck in getting a couple of 1/24 scale Sherman Sprockets and working them over for realism? Even a set of the sprockets off of a cheap Heng Long 1/30 scale Sherman would be easier to work with. Brilliant work and following along per usual!
regards,
Painless

[lmcq11]

No luck in getting a couple of 1/24 scale Sherman Sprockets and working them over for realism?

Thanks Painless, no luck. Seems like the VS Brand and products are discontinued. The VStank.com website is advertising old promotions from 2017 and no longer seems updated, the parts section is empty of content. Distributors are mostly out of stock and seem to be liquidating the stuff they have left. I managed to get tracks from Moaitoys.com.

I will keep looking but it does not seem VS was selling a Sherman sprocket on its own. Plan B is to reuse the HL sprocket, I made a rough prototype below to see what it would look like.

The reduction needed is pretty drastic

Sherman 1/24 VS tank tracks

Sherman 1/24 VS tank tracks

This is the single face prototype after 20 minutes of Dremel and file sanding. Looks like it would work. But the BMP sprocket is really close to the Sherman so I will keep on checking for VS sprockets but chances are low. I have not seen any in past 2 months. I will investigate other options further.

Sherman 1/24 VS tank tracks

Sherman 1/24 VS tank tracks

Sherman 1/24 VS tank tracks

Regards, Louis

[PainlessWolf]

Louis,
It might be worth your while to go to Ebay and look this fellow up and send him an email. He seems to have a lot of spares for the 1/24 scale tanks and just might have have a couple of Sherman sprockets lying around. ( or know where to get them )
https://www.ebay.com/str/ram8270/Model- ... 2419868018
regards,
Painless

[lmcq11]

It might be worth your while to go to Ebay and look this fellow up and send him an email. He seems to have a lot of spares for the 1/24 scale tanks and just might have have a couple of Sherman sprockets lying around. ( or know where to get them )

We think alike. I already asked him, his reply below. The hull only has the idler wheel.

New message from: ram8270 Top Rated Seller(12,567YellowShooting Star)
I have the lower hull for the Sherman, is that any use to you?
Copy + paste this item number into ebay search 283265780461 and it should get you to the listing if you want to check for yourself
Thanks
Reply

Your previous message
Hi, do you sell the front sprockets wheel for RC 1/24 VS TANK M4 Sherman ?
thank you,
Louis

[toniolillo]

Well job!!!! The cutting of the traction wheels is a work of surgeon

[lmcq11]

Hi,

Change of subject for today, this is the planning stage post for the crew and infantry riders.

Inspiring me for the build were pictures and movies showing Soviet mechanized infantry sitting on top of their vehicle in very similar fashion as the Americans in Vietnam. In addition to the fear of mines, the Soviets infantry likely did not appreciate the cramped BMP interior with its seats literally on top of the gas tank, or the secondary gas tanks inside the rear exit doors... The men also needed to keep all eyes on surrounding mountains, looking for Mujahedeen movements that would signal an ambush, keeping weapons at the ready. Notice the men wear caps and boonie hats, here mounted on a up-armored BMP-2.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

The book "Soviet Paratrooper Versus Mujahideen fighter" provides excellent information of the men, battle history, uniforms and gears of the VDV (Vozdushno-desantnye voyska Rossii), with good color drawings. Although the men were airborne units, they could transform as mechanized infantry when required.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

There are no Afghanistan era Soviet tank rider figures available so the plan is to convert that is available. The bulk of the infantry (3 to 5 men) will be made of the Kirin VDV trooper below. Although the pose is of a running man, it can easily be modified into a sitting position because the legs are folded. He is armed with an AKS-74, the folding stock version of the 5.45mm calibre AK-74, not the older 7.62mm AK-47 or AKM. He wears a boonie hat, body armor, magazine pouches on the front torso, a water canteen and bayonet.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

Below are the parts coming with the Kirin figure. Although of fine quality, the major disappointment is the weapon, partially moulded within the hand and not molded stand alone. More equipment and grenades would have been nice too.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

To make a sitting figure, all is required is a realignment of the legs at various angles for each men, basic rearrangement of the upper pants and lower jacket, and putty to fill in the gaps.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

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Dry fitting tests with the uncleaned resin parts just to see.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

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Various poses can be created.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

I find a resemblance with George W Bush... Separate 1/16 heads were ordered to create different figures.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

Various arrangements will be studied, first need to install all hatches and finish the interior.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

I needed a commander figure. The Maim T-72 figure presented earlier this month will be used as the turret gunner. I have selected the excellent Quasar Soviet WW2 tank commander as the base for modifications into a lightly wounded more modern BMP commander.

BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16

continuing on following post

[lmcq11]

Its tanker helmet will be modified into a more recent version, similar to the one used on the MAIM figure. The uniform will also be simplified into a standard field jacket and pants.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

The only other 1/16 Soviet - Afghanistan war figures on the market are the two CIFI standing figures from the Czech Republic. Of lower quality than the rest, their use will depend on what I can do with them. And as they are standing, they would need to be positioned standing through the rear top hatches.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

Their heads are not good and need to be replaced or improved in some ways. The plan for the figure on the left is to make this guy an embedded Afghan DRA (Democratic Republic of Afghanistan) trooper, with cap and AKM rifle. The plan for the one on the right is to make it the squad leader, armed with an AKS-74U, the shortened version of the AK-74.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

The carving on this face was either badly designed, or had some casting issues. He has a moustache but the facial lines are not realistic as they are.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

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This face on this one is a bit better but the eyes could be improved.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

The CIFI figures and all its equipment are oversized compared to the Kirin figures. Legs will need to be shortened. The AKM rifle that it came with is also oversized, or maybe it is the Kirin elements that are undersized, likely both. The use of these two CIFI figures will be based on a comparative study with the Kirin figures. If I find there is no way to integrate them well, they will not be used.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

I like the quality of Reedees miniature 1/16 resin faces and guns.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

This is the Reedees PKM infantry machine gun that will be used on one of the Kirin figure as a Soviet Rambo, with cool ammo belts around his neck.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

I search for a Dragunov SVD sniper rifle and the portable RPG-26 AT rocket in 1/16 scale but none are available. This Reedees RPG-7 will be used with the Afghan DRA soldier, in addition to his AKM.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

Finally, this is the Quasar AK-74U short version that will be used by the squad leader. The Soviet designed it as an equivalent to the US M-16 (XM-177) Commando version.

Soviet BMP-1 crew and infantry 1/16 RC

Next step is to finish the BMP interior.

Regards, Louis