1/16 RC BRDM-2 Soviet Combat Recon Patrol Vehicle - Build
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 2:08 am
The BRDM-2 (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina), meaning Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle) is an amphibious armoured scout car designed and developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. It is of the same class as the American V-100 Cadillac Gage Commando. It is still in operation today in many countries.
It has been a few years since i have done a wheeled vehicle. In preparation for an upcoming M-8 Greyhound build, i felt it was time for me to go back into the world of wheels and regain some of the expertise i had previously gathered with the V-100, V-150, Puma, TPZ Fuchs and Boxer GTK builds.
I had this kit... well its mostly an empty resin shell with a few parts, of a 1/16 DRDM-2 purchased from a Russian seller maybe 4 years ago, long before the Ukrainian war when all Russian sellers disappeared from eBay. The model has been sitting on the shelf all that time, awaiting that i gather some courage to start it.
It seems to me that the designer who built the original BRDM-2 model decided at one point to replicate it to make some money. In the process of making the molds, he had to basically destroy all the details he had build. So, what was provided was a very basic kit of the armored shell with turret and few other parts. All the details need to be rebuilt from scratch. I am dissapointed that the armor of the front windows cannot be raised and are molded shut, i will do something about that because it is important for the BRDM-2 look.
It's an empty shell, leaving the builder to ponder his options for completion, including all the mechanical components and electronics.
These are all the other parts provided, main machine gun elevation pivot, two hatches, 4 wheel hubs, one searchlight, one ventilation cover and one spade. That's all.
I purchased the matching rubber tires later from the same Russian seller when i saw them available. Finding and selecting appropriate tires are as much of an issue with wheeled vehicles as finding tracks for scratch built tanks. I was glad when these were offered, even if somewhat expensive.
Another luck was the availability from Live Resin of a 1/16 representation of the 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun.
The distinctive and complex barrel will add realism to the model. It will need to be carefully drilled through and reinforced with a metal tube, and will have a fiber optic for the flash. Sadly, all the rest of this nice kit will be discarded.
To help me with the mechanical components and provide some base to build on, i did a lot of investigation and decided to purchase an MN-90 RC 4x4 vehicle. The spacing between the two axels seemed perfect.
Continuing on following post
It has been a few years since i have done a wheeled vehicle. In preparation for an upcoming M-8 Greyhound build, i felt it was time for me to go back into the world of wheels and regain some of the expertise i had previously gathered with the V-100, V-150, Puma, TPZ Fuchs and Boxer GTK builds.
I had this kit... well its mostly an empty resin shell with a few parts, of a 1/16 DRDM-2 purchased from a Russian seller maybe 4 years ago, long before the Ukrainian war when all Russian sellers disappeared from eBay. The model has been sitting on the shelf all that time, awaiting that i gather some courage to start it.
It seems to me that the designer who built the original BRDM-2 model decided at one point to replicate it to make some money. In the process of making the molds, he had to basically destroy all the details he had build. So, what was provided was a very basic kit of the armored shell with turret and few other parts. All the details need to be rebuilt from scratch. I am dissapointed that the armor of the front windows cannot be raised and are molded shut, i will do something about that because it is important for the BRDM-2 look.
It's an empty shell, leaving the builder to ponder his options for completion, including all the mechanical components and electronics.
These are all the other parts provided, main machine gun elevation pivot, two hatches, 4 wheel hubs, one searchlight, one ventilation cover and one spade. That's all.
I purchased the matching rubber tires later from the same Russian seller when i saw them available. Finding and selecting appropriate tires are as much of an issue with wheeled vehicles as finding tracks for scratch built tanks. I was glad when these were offered, even if somewhat expensive.
Another luck was the availability from Live Resin of a 1/16 representation of the 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun.
The distinctive and complex barrel will add realism to the model. It will need to be carefully drilled through and reinforced with a metal tube, and will have a fiber optic for the flash. Sadly, all the rest of this nice kit will be discarded.
To help me with the mechanical components and provide some base to build on, i did a lot of investigation and decided to purchase an MN-90 RC 4x4 vehicle. The spacing between the two axels seemed perfect.
Continuing on following post