With the reception of the 1/10 SAS bust figures and 1/10 action figure bodies, the planned construction of the SAS crew can start.
A short study of the few pictures available show some variations of uniforms, going from the more eccentric use of Arab style head gears, uniform tunic, shorts, gloves, with long beards and war weary stoic looks for the picture. The officer David Stirling wearing a thick jacket next to them... highlighting the variation in expected temperatures for the day. It is also important to notice how the figures are sit. They are not high on their seats, they are actually quite low and cramped. So, any representation of the SAS team need to show them in a similar way.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
- Capture.JPG (39.5 KiB) Viewed 2514 times
Picture from the same location but different angles showing the gunner wearing pants instead of shorts. So, they are not all wearing shorts like we might have expected from 1/35 kits. Notice that the third Jeep has the same armament setup as this build. I am also noticing these guys are not kids in their early 20s, they look like guys are all well over into their 40s, a fact that the resin busts are representing.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
- Capture3.JPG (93.85 KiB) Viewed 2514 times
SAS going into action, with a rather unique mercenary style look that many tried to repro afterwards.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
- Capture3a.JPG (52.81 KiB) Viewed 2514 times
This picture seems to show a leather tunic over a regular uniform with pants, and an more improvised head gear.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
- Capture2.JPG (31.4 KiB) Viewed 2514 times
With only busts available for driver and gunner figures, i selected what seemed to be the best available match to create a body for the SAS team. Here is the rounded up material for the figure creation, the two SAS busts figures originally designed by Young miniatures, and their action body hosts.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
The 1/10 action figure, called "Ron" and available on eBay, has good available position for the legs and a good match, even if it a modern figure. But that won't matter much after that will remain of them. The only positioning issue is that it need a bit of rework at the hip in order to provide more space for the legs to be a seating figure.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
For the first figure, i decided to reuse part of the torso and see how it links up with the SAS resin bust. Once excess material is removed under the butt to show it properly on the seat, it has potential.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
Putting the resin bust on top of the action figure torso reveals the extent of the work required to match the two components together. The resin busts are big, have wide shoulders and shown with an angle that gives them a belly when placed on a torso, something that need correction. That view is probably enough to discourage the most hardened scratch builder but there is no alternatives, i want those SAS figures on the Jeep..
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
The frame for a tunic is created in plasticard.
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
To which a lot of putty is put on to try to start representing a basic uniform tunic, the best a could. The creation of the tunic takes a few phases, trials and errors, in order to improve,
- 1/10 RC Jeep Willys MB - Long Range Desert Group - Build
Continuing on following post