8 Wheeled Duck Hunter, LAV-AD

It’s just enough to keep supply and mechs sorta happy and know which vehicle is which but hopefully not enough that the enemy knows how many are around.

Looks good. :+1:

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@Tank_1812, thanks Ryan. Yeah aside from some field applied marking for their place in the task force, these things are minimally marked. I didn’t even see any names of crew of for the vehicle in photos… :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Today was some good progress. First up I airbrushed on a flat coat. Then I started detail painting items, removed the masking off of the turret windows, and lastly added the air ID panel onto the rear deck…

A few more bench sessions and I should be able to finish this one up

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Looking really good Carlos. It built up great :+1:

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That is only for the fly boys. Ground vehicles might have a vehicle name/phrase but a person’s name is to make troops individuals and frowned upon by most commands for the Marine Corps.

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Had a day off today, so I was able to take advantage of that and get in some bench time on this. And I was able to reach a major milestone by getting the wheels attached finally. I also started weathering the hull before installing the wheels.

more to come soon….

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She is looking good with her legs on. :+1:

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That’s reportedly one of your best pick up lines :grin:

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Oh that sounds like the basis for one of those jokes that’s start with “what do you call a _____ ?” that we used to tell… :smirk:

Thanks for the compliments on this build? Moving forward again finally

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It’s not my worst, that is for sure. :joy:

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Here is my latest update on this project. Today I added most of the stowage, and started on the weathering… plus I added a few last bits…

Just a bit more left to do…

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That is a real beauty :+1::+1:

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Looking good mate- the stowage adds a nice bit of life to it and that air ID panel on the rear sure catches the eye.

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Lovely build and the stowage you added looks just right. Did all the ADs get repurposed? Or put in mothballs ?

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Trisaw couldn’t find out what happened to them, they just all disappeared one day.

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They’re probably sitting somewhere at MCLB Barstow like the M67 flame tanks were/are. Fourth LAR (41 area at Camp Pendleton) used to own them, but they were gone from the ramp when we got back from Iraq in '03. I’d try reaching out to the bubbas I knew there, but they’re all long gone - retired, EAS’d, etc.

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That looks really great.

Cheers,
Ralph

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@bwilt, @Johnnych01, @Karl187, @mech

Thanks guys for your kind feedback.

@Johnnych01, I don’t know what happened to most of the vehicles, but one made it into an Air Defense Museum. The walk around of that vehicle is on War Wheels site and was quite helpful for this build when I finally stumbled across that page.

LAV AD ADA Museum

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That’s good. Nice to see at least one will be kept as a reminder :+1:

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Interior turret photos and update sets would be helpful.

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I also asked a two USMC colonels, one active and one retired. The active colonel said that he has not seen or dealt with the LAV-ADs. The retired colonel surmised that they are probably stored somewhere in case of emergency, break glass, and take them out, but he can’t prove his statement. USMC Public Affairs never produced anything substantive for me.

The last time the LAV-ADs appeared was during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Even if prepositioned, the USMC never admitted where they were.

They are probably sorely due for an overhaul and an upgrade, especially their thermal sights, and even adding RADA radars like the IM-SHORAD Stryker. At the time, the US Army and USMC probably had a semi-phobia on AFV radars and enemy anti-radiation missiles and wanted everything FLIR passive like the LAV-AD and HMMWV “Avengers.” Now, with all the aerial threats, miniature AFV radars are in vogue.

Remember, only 18 LAV-ADs were built so if the US Army ADA museum has one, 17 remain probably somewhere, unknown. They were not used as target practice or OPFOR vehicles so where they are remains anyone’s guess.

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