# AFV Club M1134 Stryker



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Hey guys, I usually build up over on the cars side of the site but once in a while I'll do a nice military subject, this time it's one of the Strykers.










This is one of several versions of the Stryker available from AFV, it was on sale at my local hobby shop so I couldn't resist. I have been planning on doing an M1126 with the M151 CROWS, this will be a good enough substitute for this project. Either way this will hopefully be a lengthy and well detailed build.

I'm sure most of you guys know the basic history of the Stryker, it's an air transportable, lightly armored, fast combat vehicle. Those who serve with with them in OIF praise them highly but others in the military community are very highly critical. As with any fairly new combat vehicle it has it's successes and failures, and Iraq is a very difficult challenge to deal with. Deployed with a sort of Venetian Blind slat armour to defeat RPG's, the slats add 3 tons to an already heavy vehicle and are effective only about half the time. I am still debating adding the slats to this project, however if I do it will be scratch built as the $100+ photo etched add-on is WAY out of my budget for this project.










Another thing is that this model does not come with an interior. One is available for the M1126 ICV as an aftermarket item, but again it's over $60 for the kit and it wouldn't necessarily be accurate for this vehicle with the TOW tubes. I am considering getting an older Tamiya M2 Bradley and using the interior fixtures from that to build the basic details for the M1134 since it has the TOW tubes and sighting equipment. It would be less than buying the wrong interior and still having to build things for the TOW-specific Stryker.










This vehicle will eventually be built into a diorama vignette still being designed. The storyline is that the Stryker is re-equipping on a ruined street, and around the corner is an insurgent with an RPG. Fortunately the insurgent is also being stalked by a GI with his M4. The ICM Terror Op's or Iraq Events Insurgents figures will be used. This makes building the slat armour pretty much a necessity.

I'll start on the Stryker in about two weeks, right now it's about research and practicing building up the slats using 0.010 styrene strips and acquiring other parts of the base model, such as stowage. Any helps or tips from anyone who has done this type of conversion before would be appreciated.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Eduard's slat armor set runs about $45 and there is another set that runs about $55


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

If I can swing it out of strip styrene it should cost me less than $5, if I epicly fail then the PE set would be my second choice. This won't be a contest model, obviously the inaccuracies would get it tossed out in a second, but I have a $100 allowance for my hobbies each month and I'm hoping this one won't break the bank.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Sounds like a great diorama, looking forward to it.


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Look forward to seeign the build. I've got a basic Stryker in the stash and was really tempted to get the engineering version as well.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Last year I did a lot of work building a balsa boat and bought a balsa wood stripper, it's a little device that has an adjustable thumb screw that lets you adjust the width of the strips with a #11 blade to do the cutting. I've also made plastic strips with it up to 0.020 thick, I just need these to be 0.010 think, with would be a third of an inch scale, so just about right. Evergreen makes square stock that I can use for the braces, and I have some netting for the ends. 










I found one site that posted the instructions for the Eduard kit as well as a wealth of pictures of how it looks, I think materials (plastic) may cost a total of $10 and for me at least, plastic is easier to work with than brass. 

Since I have no first-hand experience with a Styker vehicle, real or scale, I'm having to fudge and judge as I go along. I noticed the color isn't as much an OD green as it is a Euro 1 or similar color, none of the deployed TOW Strykers seem to have been painted in sand, or if they did it all wore off back down to the green. Some have sand/tan weathering, which I will airbrush in once everything else is done. 

On the interior, I talked with a fellow IPMS member and he suggested just having it buttoned up, the M2 Bradley wouldn't even be close and it's not worth the cost of trying. It changes the story line a little but not much and will save me $25 to use on other details. Also, he noted, at the range the RPG Insurgent would be to the vehicle, it wouldn't arm and even if it did, he'd be killed when it detonated along with the Stryker. Somethings can be fudged a bit to tell the story though, and the Iraq Events set has 3 insurgents and a young boy informant, I could use a small arms equipped insurgent just as easily. The plan is to still have the single GI in a shooting posture with the insurgents about to be engaged. Al alternate story line is that the insurgents were discovered by two GI's who were taking a nature break, one still occupied in the act but looking towards the insurgents, the other turning to engage. 

The diorama base will be ether the Streets of Bagdad...










...or the Farm Wall.










The Farm Wall would work better, the GI's would be through the big end of the wall, the insurgents would be looking over the part of the wall that is damaged.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Started some practice with making the slat armour, this is a bit larger than the scale it needs to be, the slats are 1/8th" apart and 1/8th" deep, thickness is 0.020". I'm probably going to have to use CA glue to put the real one together since it will be made from 0.010" sheet and the regular glue could warp the plastic where it is glued together. This is horizontal slats with small vertical spacers, the one I do for the Stryker will be horizontal slats with long vertical spacers the height of the panel, it'll look much neater like that. 



















The spacing on the PE add-on looks to be closer to 0.10", depth of the slats looks to be just about the same. Again square plastic bar and "L" shaped beam will be used for the supports, thickness looks about 0.08 to 0.05.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I worked on the first section of the slat armour for my Stryker today, using 0.15 V-groove styrene and 3/32" square. I am semi-pleased with it even though it's very rough, it looks as it could be in the field. The problem is that this section took about 2 1/2 hours to do, estimated time to do the all of the slat armour panels is about 8 hours, and then there's mounting it. 










I've worked with photo etched parts before doing 1/350th scale ships, it's a PITA for me because of my Parkinson's so I find working in plastic to be easier even if I have to scratch build it. The Stryker is a complex kit (for me) and the multitude of small parts is also a problem. But this is what modeling is all about; challenging yourself to do something better. At this point I'm not sure I'm going to use my slats on this project, I'm going to go ahead and get the vehicle built completely and then decided depending on how that much turns out. So far the slats have been the easiest part of the build for me, and that's no joke. I am building the vehicle "buttoned up" though and scratching the full diorama idea for now, I will see about doing the ICV version later in the planned display.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

It will look nice when you are finished. AFV CLub kits are interesting. I find the plastic hard to work with and it makes assembly more time consuming. Also the small parts have lots of big sprue attachment points to remove and clean up, which is compounded by the crappy quality of the plastic. I built the Trumpeter kit and it went together very nicely with no problems at all. AFV's kits are a bit more accurate, though. I think both AFV and Trumpeter seemed to work from prototype or early production vehicles but AFV is more like the actual in service Stryker. All Strykers in combat zones are fitted wtih slat armor. At least in Iraq the armor was fitted in Kuwait (?) before the vehicles were sent into action. Only stateside vehicles may not have the armor. 

Dragon has a Stryker kit in the works with slat armor, although I have not heard much about it for a while. It was supposed to be out after the Trumpeter kit but before the AFC Club kits.

Yes the color is not OD. US tanks have not been OD for 40 years. And most available OD paints are not the proper armor color anyway, being airplane shades. I would use a dark green or even something like Testors Marine Corps Green. When I built the Trumpeter kit, I used Tamiya Deep Green and then weathred it out with pastels.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Dj, talked with a guy in a Stryker unit in Ft. Lewis, he said that the color is cloest to 34095 Field Green (he was a modeler too). He said that the AFV kit is better for accuracy, this guy see's them all day long so I'll take his word for it. Mine is coming along nicely but with it all buttoned up it will be just a display piece.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yes the AFV kit is more accurate but harder to build with poor plastic. But you will get a much nicer model when it is done. One nice thing with the Trumpy kit was it came with a big sprue of stowage... rolled nets, back packs, cots, etc. Saves you buying some expensive resin stuff.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Stowage is expensive, almost worth spending $30 for just the kit since the Verlinden stuff is nearly that already, that way you get a spare tire or two, etc.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You might want to just drop the $10 or so for Tamiya's modern US armor accessories set. It has IFF panels, bed rolls, ruck sacks, etc. 

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/l.aspx?k=1096682

Tamiya makes an older set that is less useful as it represents early 80s equipment and uniforms

http://www.hobby57.com/photos/TAMI35141.jpg

Most of the current plastic modern US figures are not suitable for anything from Iraq or Afghanistan either. They represent 80s vintage soldiers. The uniforms today are not the same (not just the camo colors but the cut) and web gear, etc. and even guns are different. Trumpeter has some POOR Modern US Marines. I think Dragon makes one set of modern Marine radio operators. Even a lot of the resin figures, like Verlindens are a crude mix of old Desert Storm vintage equipment and uniform details with more modern stuff.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

"HAY PETE"...Just Checking on you here, where all wondering where you have been keeping your self over in Model Cars, But We know as well you have this build Pending and it will take some time to finish, LOOKING GOOD AS WELL, I don't know if I would use the side racks you made my self as well, Even know they look great, But both ways will be just as good I'm Sure, You are "A MATER BUILDER PETE", so I hope these guys over here can see that buy now, IF NOT, I'M TELLING YOU GUYS THAT IS A FACT,...Be keeping Are eye out on the progress here as well Pete,......So, Remember to .....
"NOT FIRE tell you see the whites of there eyes"......"HURRAH"..And,...Simplify Soldier,......LOL...
that's all I have for My "VERY LIMITED" Warrior Slang here dude,...HE, HE, HE.........I will go back to my Hole now Pete, and let you get back to boot camp here.....

Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Been pretty ill the last week, off my meds and some other problems. Project hasn't been shelved but it has been placed back in the closet until I get better.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

Hope you feel better soon Pete, wouldn't be the same with out you here with out a doubt. As well as I hope passover when well for you to Pete, See you when you feel better..WE WILL BE HERE.

Ian


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

Hay I have a Quick Question for you if your still there Pete, Been looking for some Pre-wired Distributors and even know I'm going to get some of these on this site, I NEED a 1:16 scale Pre-wired Distributor, Besides Mega, WHO DO YOU USE ? or where should I go to look for that scale. http://www.modelroundup.com/product-p/pp-3003.htm

Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Wow, Ian, not sure about 1/16th scale. Let me look around and I'll either PM you or get back to you on the model car side.


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