RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Thank you,

And with this post, the construction phase is finished.


View of the parts created for the tail lights.


This is the model as it stands today. I have added the hooks and all the handles in brass, and some more details seen in ref pictures.


Redid a large access hatch on the glacis in the proper shape, but i do not feel like redoing all the details, such as hinges in the back.


Pistol ports were enhanced.


Tail lights installed.


There are different BRDM-2 versions of the engine deck panels. The one provided with the kit is certainly not the most common one, especially those two hatches next to the turret ring. I have not found a single reference picture of them other than an old graph, so these two hatches seem to have existed at one point.


The turret mantlet needed some finetuning.


This is it, the next step is to give it a primer coat and then i will see the situation more clearly regarding small holes, air bubbles, weld lines and scratches on the resin that need correction. I expect having to add putty in a lot of places, and polish this vehicle thoroughly.

Next time you see it, it will be painted. I still have to search through my old decal junkyard, and try to find something exotic or create an East German vehicle.

Regards, Louis

Hi,

This post is for the painting and finalization of the model

The vehicle will be an East German Schutzenpanzerwagen 40P2, the early version of the BRDM-2 before all the upgrades. From what i could determine, it's olive green.


Reference pictures confirm the color but the East Germany insigna is usually on the turret.


There were so many air bubbles and scratches on the resin hull that became more visible after the first coat of Tamiya oil primer, it took me a while to rework most of them.


Additional sanding and polishing was required also after a second coat. In the end, it got 3 coats of primer.


Final adjustment on the chassis. Playing with these beautifully made mechanical metal parts is a real pleasure.


I found some wheel rims from the WPL soviet truck, it is a better match than the ones i initially used. The kit comes with accurate resin plugs to put on the rims. However, it would force me to completely flatten the rims and then there is no way to attach the resin plugs other than gluing them on the rims, making maintenance more complicated when the wheels need to be removed. From experience,it happens often. It would be ok for a static model but it is an issue for an RC vehicle. I decided to use the plastic rim as they are and not used the resin plugs.


The tires were a bit soft. I know WPL sell some foam to put inside the tires but i do not have any on inventory now. In the meantine, i used a kitchen paper towel, folded and inserted evenly inside the tires. It should improve the tire pressure a bit.

Notice the details on the tires. It even has an arrow for the rotation direction. Not sure where the Russian seller got these, maybe custom made, but they are well molded and are a perfect fit for the BRDM-2 and BTR models.


The rims are a bit deeper than the others, i had to insert a nut inside to create a spacer while screwing the rims in place.


The electronics are installed. Here you see a HL TK 7.1, rotation unit, speaker, battery and a Tongde main switch. Additional cables are from the steering servo, gun elevation servo, headlights, tail lights, main machine gun flash, coax machine gun flash and the motor. The rotation wheel is from Vex Robotics.

As mentioned during the build, the steering servo is connected to CH5 Periscope servo and controlled by the horizontal slider under stick 2. This feature is only available on the TK 7.1.

The motor is connected to either M1 or M2.


Photoshoot of the model on following posts.

And here is a exterior photoshoot of the completed model. I will provide a video of the model in action later. This was a really short build. I started it 2 weeks ago, must be a record for me. The kit is not of a great quality but it really makes it possible to have a BRDM-2 without weeks of work trying to figure out the dimensions and angles of every part.

Decals are from the Hooben T-55 sheet. There are definitely some mistakes and simplications, but i am happy with the results considering the fast 2 weeks build period and that it is mostly scratch building other than the hollow shell of the hull and turret. It is a rare RC model in 1/16.

Tremendous build (again)! I'm surprised the tires required stuffing. Model must be heavier than it looks or the tires are unusually soft. The ones from the HL truck (and sanded down) were enough to support my heavy 16th DUKW, but they do flat spot if stored carrying the weight.

Ecam wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 5:58 pm Tremendous build (again)! I'm surprised the tires required stuffing. Model must be heavier than it looks or the tires are unusually soft. The ones from the HL truck (and sanded down) were enough to support my heavy 16th DUKW, but they do flat spot if stored carrying the weight.

Thank you. These tires are custom made in Russia, not WPL. On the batch i have, the rubber is soft and tender, the hold of the tire on the rims was weak. The resin model with metal gears is heavier than plastic. Although i had no real issue during testing on flat surfaces, i could imagined some issues in the field.



And here is a rare opportunity to see the 1/16 scale BRDM-2 next to its main western counterpart, the Cadillac Gage Commando V-100 and V-150, also RC and scratch built using a Ludwig base.

Honestly, i always had a soft spot for the Commando.

Regards, Louis

Wonderful collection.

Thank you,

And to finalize the build report, here is a short workbench demo of the model in action.



Regards, Louis

The range of elevation and depression of the MG and main gun is remarkable. You done did it again, Louis!