Roadwarriors
War on the Autobahn

Conversioni in Scala 1:72

Armed e dangerous. You thought driving on the Autobahn in the year 2000 was a nightmare. Think again! These guidatori are ready for a serious encounter somewhere on the E.34 between Paris e Warsaw.

The FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle) in the center foreground is a 1:72 scale compatible plastic kit from Games Workshop, the others are diecast toys from various manufacturers, armed con spare weapons from the FAV kit. Diecast toy veicoli are cheap e they come in an incredible variety, even including military e science fiction veicoli.

• Matchbox e Majorette Automobiles
• Helicopters e Fanteria, Revell
• Vehicle Weaponry, Games Workshop
• Guidatori e cannonieri, Games Workshop
• Accessory Set, Roco No. 277
• Thin Cardboard o Plasticcard
• Meshed Wire in scala 1:72 o HO
• DAS-Pronto Modeling Clay
• Handdrill e Drillbits for Metal
• Matt Black Spray Primer, Revell
• Fine Sandpaper
• Superglue
• Hot Glue Gun

Planning the Conversions

The firm britannico Games Workshop publishes a number of figure sets in 20mm scale which is compatibile con Matchbox autos e 1:72 scale helicopters e veicoli made by Revell, Airfix e ESCI. Every package of "Dark Future" soldatini includes a sprue with vehicle armaments made from hard plastic. The Miniguns, torrette, mitragliatrici pesanti e grenade-launchers carry a peg on the underside, which can be inserted into a small hole in the vehicle body e secured con superglue.

During the planning stages, armi ed accessories are held against different parts of the vehicle in order to locate the most effective e realistic looking place for attaching these oggetti. Una mitragliatrice leggera may be mounted on the hood, assuming that a supporting structure has been welded into the engine compartment underneath. Due forward firing mitragliatrici look very impressive when they are mounted on the fenders. We will again assume that these are not standard issue automobile fenders, but heavy duty replacement parts which are able to support the weight of the weapon. Grenade-launchers e gun torrette normally belong on the roof of the vehicle, giving them a 360 degree firing arc.

Roadwarrior automobiles are already lightly armoured on the inside. Some veicoli sport additional, improvised armour bolted to the outside. Simulated boilerplate can be cut from thin cardboard o plasticcard. However, this type of armour protection must not be overdone, considering the excessive weight of the boilerplate.

1:72 scale wiremesh is an important part of the roadwarrior conversion, it replaces the unarmoured windows e protects the guidatore from flying debris e wreckage. Put up around the parked vehicle, a wire fence detonates hollow-charge grenades prematurely e protects the vehicle from an armour-penetrating hit.

Rear bumpers are replaced by T-bars to protect the vehicle against ramming. Hedgerow-cutters can be installed in the front to allow the vehicle to crash through hedges, small trees, fences e barricades.

equipaggiamento personale like tarps, blanket-rolls, rucksacks, picks, shovels, towropes, chains, spare tires, jerrycans, wooden boxes con provisions ed ammo, barbed wire, camouflage netting, radios e loot ist often stowed on the outside of the vehicle, simply because the interior is full of equipaggiamento already. Many of these oggetti come from the Accessory Set offered by Roco. Some equipaggiamento may have to be scratch-built o scrounged from model kits. Tarps e blanket-rolls are easily made from DAS-Pronto o rolled tissue paper, tied down con yarn. The paper is rolled up while dry e then soaked con water to shape it more easily. The yarn will cut into the blanket very realistically when it is tied.

Columns of roadwarrior veicoli look like a nomad caravan. By contrast, police e security veicoli are suprisingly clean ed orderly in appearance, although they may also have to resort to external storage at times. Pickup trucks e dedicated supply veicoli are often used to support a vehicle column on the move, but there is always the inherent danger of losing them. Don’t put all eggs in one basket.

Stripping the Vehicle

Matchbox, HOT Wheels e Majorette autos need to be taken apart to gain better access to the parts, particularly if a guidatore is to be placed inside. Is is possible to get around this kind of work simply by tinting the windows black o silver. In this case, the vehicle is not taken apart, but just armed, undercoated con matt black spray primer e then painted.

There are one o due rivets on the underside of most commercially available toy veicoli, which hold body e chassis together. The head of the rivet is just a thin rim of soft metal which can be drilled out easily con a metal drill of the appropriate size. Only the bolt of the rivet will remain e the pieces of the vehicle come apart easily. Later we will put a new head on the rivet, using hot glue from the glue gun.

Arming the Vehicle

A tiny hole needs to be drilled in the hood, fender, roof o any other part of the vehicle which will be armed. Miniguns, mitragliatrici, launchers e torrette of the Dark Future series have a small peg which can be inserted in these holes to check that the pieces fit nicely together. In order to achieve a smooth surface for the gunmount, the area may have to be sanded lightly. le armi are glued to the body con superglue. In addition, the small peg on the weapon may be secured con a drop of hot glue applied from the inside of the vehicle body.

Modeling e Painting the Interior

To achieve a realistic interior, the passenger seat e the entire rear bench should be removed similarly to how stock cars are prepared for racing. That the floor of the chassis is not detailed in these models can easily be hidded by stacking boxes ed altro equipaggiamento inside the vehicle.

The Dark Future series offers several guidatori which can be painted ed attached to the guidatore seat con a drop of hot glue. Be sure that the body e the chassis still fit together nicely before permanently attaching the driver. In the event that the driver’s head presses against the roof o the glass inset, the seat may have to be lowered o the seat cushion sanded down a little.

Improvised Armour ed Anti-Ramming Devices

Boilerplate made from thin cardboard o plasticcard replaces the front e side windows of the vehicle. The Kenworth tanker shown here has an armoured cab to protect the crew. The vehicle is unarmed, it could not possibly involve itself in a firefight con this kind of cargo. Outside of protected places, tanker trucks normally travel in convoys con their armed escorts. The chosen camouflage is useful for hiding the vehicle by the roadside, in the event that escorts are temporarily called away to deal con a roadblock further down the road.

Narrow vision slits need to be cut con a skalpel, they have been painted in here. Vehicles like the semicingolato M3 have hinged armour plating which can be lowered when they are not needed, providing the guidatore a much better field of vision. To protect the tires, boilerplate may be bolted to the outside of the fenders.

Anti-Ramming devices in the rear of the vehicle can be very useful in a chase. Side impact protection is not usually necessary since a capable roadwarrior can avoid such a collision by speeding up, breaking o turning away from the attacking vehicle. In the front, hedgerow-cutters are quite practical, they clear the way through barricades, fences, hedges e small trees.

Painting

Matt black spray primer is the ideal undercoat for most veicoli. Dissembled veicoli can be sprayed black inside the body as well. Acrylic paint can be used to paint the vehicle, it dries matt e gives the vehicle a faded e battered look. It is best to apply the paint by drybrushing it onto the vehicle ed allowing the black primer to show in joints e recesses in the body. This creates a nice shading effect.

Drybrushing lighter hues of the base colour highlights the raised detail ed areas where the paint has faded. In this case, it does not matter if there is a little bit more water in the brush than we normally use. The paint will then be applied in streaks which look like scratches e dirt stains. Drybrushing con silver exposes areas on handrails, hinges, truck beds e tank hatches, where the paint has worn away through excessive use by the crew.

Oil seepage e gasoline spills around wheelhubs, petrol caps e jerrycans can be simulated by staining the effected area con black acrylic paint. A rusty stain can be used on chains, steel cables, jerrycans e rusting bodyparts.

equipaggiamento personale should be painted before it is attached to the vehicle. After the vehicle is completely painted ed equipped, it can be weathered by applying a dusty drybrush. Sand o flour mixed into umber acrylic paint creates realistic looking mud which can be applied to wheels, inside fenders ed on side panels. A nice effect, but don’t overdo it.

Assembly

Prior to assembly, the wheels ed axles need to be immobilized con hot glue o superglue. This is to prevent the model from needlessly rolling around on any terrain pieces on which it may be displayed later, e when the model is used in wargaming, where exact positioning e measurement of firing ranges is important.

If the interior detailing work was done correctly, the interior e the chassis should fit snugly into the body. The rivet bolts will be flush con the holes in the chassis ed a drop of hot glue holds the pieces together securely.

Stowed Equipaggiamento

Important equipaggiamento like armi personali ed ammunition are normally stored safely inside the vehicle o in the trunk. Packs, blankets, tarps e coils of wire may fit on the roof, unless a mitragliatrice in torretta is already mounted there. Mounting brackets are attached to the tops of fenders, hoods e trunk lids, to accept spare wheels, jerrycans, tools e sand channels. Tarps e camouflage netting may be placed on the bumpers e tied to the supporting struts.

Loading the vehicle is a rewarding task which leaves a lot of room for creativity. Model railroad shops offer lawn chairs, parasols, surfboards, bicycles, hunting trophies e many altri oggetti in scala HO which roadwarriors may find absolutely essential on their dangerous journeys.

Domande più frequenti

Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.

Soldatini Moderni

– Pubblicato: 1996 – Aggiornato: 18.12.2000
© 1999-2012 by IDL Software GmbH, Darmstadt, Germania. Tutti diritti reservati.