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Build Review of TOW Missile Accessories
WXerock
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Posted: Sunday, October 01, 2017 - 06:40 AM UTC
Installment 1:

Build Review of Legend Production’s kit numbers LF3D006, TOW Missile Rack set and LF3D007, Humvee TOW Turret set

The Boxes:





When combined together, these two kits contain almost everything required to convert Academy’s M1151, kit 13415, into an M1167. They depict the TOW missile rack and turret used on the M1167. Based on the real M1151, the M1167 is an Expanded Capacity TOW Missile Carrier HMMWV. The turret on the M1167 allows the gunner to fire the TOW missile system from frontal arc cover and use a secondary weapon for self-defense. The secondary weapon in this case is an M240. The kits were mastered by Peter Samofalov who is known for his past work with Live Resin and from his storefront on Shapeways. They are the results of a collaboration between Peter and Legend. The TOW ITAS components are an evolution of those that he sells on Shapeways.

The Review: This will be a full build review of both resin kits. These are two multi-media kits with parts in resin, photo etched brass, brass wire and black insulated wire. The kits come packaged in Legend’s typical end opening card stock box with the parts in small zipper bags. The black boxes have photos of renderings of the two built kits. The kit contents come packaged in zipper bags.

Breakdown:
LF3D006 TOW Missile Rack set
13 Resin
2 Photo Etch

LF3D007 Humvee TOW Turret set
64 Resin
1 Brass Wire
1 Insulated Wire

The instructions are typical of Legend, which consist of photos of the kits being assembled with arrows to the parts being added. They are not what you would call step-by-step instructions. Some of the photos are of renderings and not actual kit parts. This method leaves a lot to be desired. Parts placement is in some cases vague. I would recommend having a good set of photos of the real thing ready as you build. There are a few good walkarounds available if you do a search of the web. Legend also has a series of photos and renderings of the kits available on their site that show different views of an assembled kit. The missile rack instructions show a single exploded view and three renderings of the assembled set. The turret breakdown is shown in an exploded view of the three main assemblies that make up the turret. Those assemblies are the turret, the TOW missile launcher, the M240 and its mount. One nice thing that Legend did is to include wire that can be used to add wiring to the model. This is a nice touch.

The Instructions:







The kits are cast in a light gray colored resin. The resin cuts and sands well. There are part numbers on the instructions but there are no numbers on the parts or on the pour blocks. All parts identification must be done by comparing the parts to the photos. There was no breakage and no parts were detached from their pour blocks. The pour blocks on most of the large parts are attached with numerous, large contact points that require very careful cleanup. The main sight, part #26, has very delicate rib detail. The pour block on this part is attached along a face that has these ribs. I have no idea how this can be cleaned up preserving the detail. Part #26 should have been broken down into more than one part. Another thing to note is that many of the flat parts have ribs that extend from the pour block along a flat face. These ribs are difficult to remove in most cases because they run close to required detail. The ribs are added by Legend to lessen any chance of warpage that may occur after the parts are removed from their molds. There are also numerous triangular ribs added to strengthen detail. Careful study of the real thing is the only way to guarantee you remove the correct material. There is no visible curvature to any of the parts. The smaller parts have small attachment points which should be easy to remove. There are large areas that need to be removed from the large openings. The main turret ring has a disc of resin over the opening that has no clear demarcation between the part and the disc. The disc attaches where the turret ring has fine toothed detail. It was impossible to tell how much material to remove and once removed the tooth detail is completely wiped out. There had to be a better way to add a disc to this part. This resin to be removed is not actually shown in the instructions. Again, you will need to carefully study photos of the real thing and built up models. There is a little flash on the openings of all of the small parts. In some cases this flash is thin and is easy to remove with a toothbrush.

Overall Detail: The detail on the kits are fantastic. It places the kits on par with the best on the market. The parts are smooth and blemish free. All detail is very sharp. Most details have a scale appearance. I say most, because I think the turret walls are far too thick. There are a few small details that are simplified. Most of these details are handled much like it would be on a plastic kit. I think that Legend could have added undercuts to some of this detail to improve its appearance.

The Parts for LF3D006:







The Cleaned Parts:





The Missile Rack: The missile rack kit comes with the rack, six missile tubes in two varieties, a Lithium Ion battery box, a battery charger, and a storage mount for the cabin floor for the main traversing unit. The rendering on the box shows a storage configuration that is not used in an M1167. I am not sure what vehicle uses it but I imagine it might be used in an MRAP. Looking at photos of a rack installed in an M1167 shows that a frame is part of the bottom of the rack. This frame is then bolted to the floor of the cargo area. Legend doesn’t model this frame on the bottom of the rack so if you’re a stickler for detail it can be easily added. There are racks mounted to the cargo area floor forward of the missile rack. These racks are not included in the kit. Markings on the floor in this area in photos of a real M1167 say “Battery Box.” I assume that the included battery stores here. The battery charger mounts to the top of the fender near here and cabling runs from the charger to this area. On their website Legend incorrectly shows the battery stored on the opposite fender, but photos of the real truck indicate that there are ammo can storage racks located here instead. None of the straps that hold the top missiles in place are modeled, nor does Legend show how they are secured. The missiles on the top should be secured with straps. Legend doesn’t give you strap material either. Another omission from the kit is the mount for the sight which sets on top of the A/C unit on the cabin floor between the rear seats. It’s funny that Legend gives you the mount for the traversing unit but not the sight.

Assembly of LF3D006 TOW Missile Rack set:
Assembly of the missile rack can be accomplished by studying a single exploded view drawing. It is straightforward and poses no challenges. Using styrene I added the frame to the bottom of the rack that allows the real thing to be bolted down. When I get ready to use this in a model I will build the battery rack for the cargo area. I’ve included photos that show the rack temporarily mounted in the bed of an Academy M1151 body.







Parts for LF3D007:













The Cleaned Parts of the Turret:



That’s it for Installment 1. In the next installment I’ll finish the turret and post photos of the cleaned parts for the TOW missile launcher.
Removed by original poster on 10/02/17 - 11:37:52 (GMT).
Maki
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Posted: Sunday, October 01, 2017 - 02:06 PM UTC
Darren did the magic and the topic is moved.

I would be very much interested in publishing these reviews as a full review, not just forum topic. What do you think?

Mario
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Sunday, October 01, 2017 - 03:11 PM UTC
"When combined together, these two kits contain almost everything required to convert Academy’s M1151, kit 13415, into an M1167."
Is there anything more missing than the omissions mentioned in the text?

/ Robin
WXerock
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Posted: Monday, October 02, 2017 - 03:41 AM UTC
Get Robin, the missing stuff is limited to:

Rack for battery in cargo bed
Rack for ammo cans above right wheel well
Rack for sight on A/C unit in cabin
Decals, I really think Legend could have provided them!

None of this is a big deal and can easily be scratched by anyone with the skill to build this set.

Regards,

Eric

Edit: I didn't type "Get Robin." I am pretty sure I just typed "Robin."
WXerock
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Posted: Saturday, October 07, 2017 - 06:59 AM UTC
Installment 2:

The Turret: The detail on the turret and its accessories is truly amazing. The turret can either be shown in a transport configuration, or in a firing configuration with the rear turret sides folded down. All of the detail is captured very well. Nothing is omitted. My biggest problem with the kit is that the missile launcher only comes loaded with a missile tube. It doesn’t come with an empty tube. Having a missile permanently loaded limits the versatility of the kit. I contacted Peter through his thread on Armorama and asked him if it would be possible for him to make an empty launch tube available on Shapeways. He had a set of empty launch tubes uploaded for printing in less than a week. I ordered a set immediately. One very nice feature is that Legend included the turret traversing unit and the reinforced ring that goes on the inside of the roof. This is a detail that’s missing from the Academy kit. All of the components of the TOW Improved Target Acquisition System are works of art. Every little detail seems to be captured very well. Legend has even included the connectors for the ends of the cables as separate pieces.

Assembly of LF3D007 Humvee TOW Turret set:

The following photos were taken during the build. I wanted to make sure I am paying close attention to parts alignment here. As you can see the shape of the turret is very complex.





In the following photo you can see the turret ring after the disc of material is removed from the opening. You can see that the remaining tooth detail is very fine on the faces but would have to be restored to the opening.



Here is the missile launcher with its integrally molded missile. You can see the large pour plugs on this part. After removal I had to do a little carving to restore detail that was under their attach points. I also have included photos of Peter Samofalov’s empty launch tubes that I ordered from Shapeways. The detail is every bit as fine as that on the resin parts. There are no evident printing lines on them at all. I’ll post a couple of photos later after I’ve been able to shoot them with a coat of primer. They are a perfect addition to the set. They really open up the display options. You can pose it with a missile being loaded or with the system stored in the cabin and cargo area for transport. With a missile loaded in the launcher, you really shouldn’t pose the sides of the turret in the up, or transport configuration.









Here is the completed turret. It really did turn out very well. The detail on it is amazing. I Other than straps to hold everything down, there isn’t any missing detail.









That’s it for installment 2. I did get the all of the parts for the launcher cleaned up. I’ll try to get them photographed before the weekend is out and start to build them. There are some truly tiny and perfectly done parts on it.
amoz02t
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Posted: Saturday, October 07, 2017 - 07:55 AM UTC
Great work Eric! Many thanks for the kit info and review
Maki
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Posted: Saturday, October 07, 2017 - 11:47 AM UTC
Eric, I can't see the photos of the installment 2?

Mario
samofptr
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Posted: Saturday, October 07, 2017 - 06:35 PM UTC
Eric, thanks for the detailed and informative review!

For Rack for ammo cans above right wheel, how does it look? I can make such additions on the shapeways (also Rack for sight on A/C unit in cabin), if it is interesting for the modelers - indeed, the details are not complex for scratching modeling.

And here is a photo of the actual 71F-3-RF TOW missile container.
4579525527_e6a65d42f0_o
WXerock
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 07:46 AM UTC
Installment 3:

The Missile Launcher: The launcher is the centerpiece of this set. The detail is superb! Assembly though, was not easy. I won’t say it was hard, it just wasn’t easy. The reason for this is that Legend decided to attach the parts to the resin runners using the alignment pins that you use to attach the parts together. It is impossible on most parts to even tell there is an alignment pin there. This is because Legend covers the alignment pins with a web of reinforcement filets used to strengthen the parts during demolding. I accidentally removed almost every single alignment pin while removing the parts from the runners! I just didn’t realize they were there. It was so frustrating! Most of the detail on the sight was easy to align, but the alignment pins on the sight to launcher and around the launcher had to be replaced with styrene rod. All that aside, it turned out amazing. I hope Peter gives the same treatment to an early TOW system. I want to be able to give this treatment to an M1046! I didn’t wire up the whole system because I will do it later before I use it on a model. Assembly is truly for those with some experience with resin kits. You can see the many wiring connectors on the assembly. I attached all of them with brass wire after drilling alignment holes into each part. They’ll be much stronger that way.

The Parts:





The launcher and FCS:





The Sight:





The completed assembly is next. The sight and launcher are glued together temporarily here with some PVA glue. After I took the last photo the sight just fell off!









That’s it for now! Installment 4 should be that last of it. I have cleaned up the parts for the M240 and its mount. A PEQ box in 1/35 scale is tiny!
samofptr
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 11:17 PM UTC
Eric, something is wrong with the photo resource, probably incorrect links, and the photos in yours two previous posts are not visible
Maybe it source does not work well, as a backup option I can recommend Flickr - a very convenient resource for posting photos and share links.
WXerock
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Posted: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - 04:05 AM UTC
Peter, I don't get it. I can see the photos on my computer, my phone and my tablet. I use Google Photos. Mario said he couldn't see them a while back. Can you try another device?

Edit: I can't see the photos from Installment 2 on my tablet. I don't have time to try and fix them for a couple of days. I'll have to try Flickr.

Edit 2: I played with it and can see all of the installments in all of my devices again. I may have to switch away from Google.

Regards,
Eric
Maki
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Posted: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - 12:04 PM UTC
I can't see the photos either on my PC or my iPhone. Not sure where's the problem.

Mario
WXerock
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Posted: Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 04:27 AM UTC
Installment 4:

This is going to be a short one. Here are photos of the parts for the M240, it’s swingarm and mount. The parts are some of the smallest I’ve seen but are perfectly molded. Assembly will take quite a few glances at the renderings and photos of the real weapon. It went together pretty easily. I still had to use styrene to pin some of the parts together because it was impossible to trim the attach point without ruining the part’s alignment pins. The one real PITA for this assembly is a handle that you need to form from brass wire for the mount. It really sucked. Many of these parts are exact copies in resin from a swingarm and mount kit Peter has had available on Shapeways for a while now. I just wish Legend had made the handle for the mount out of resin. I noticed after I took the photos that I had forgotten the weapon’s carrying handle! I lucked out though and found it lying on my bench. Good thing I didn’t just sweep all of the debris onto the floor like I usually do!

The Parts:



And here is the completed thing. It really turned out perfectly.





I'm sorry but this batch of photos are a little bit blurry. I think I didn't have enough natural lighting so the quality suffered a bit. That’s it for now. I have to put it all together for a few final photos! I have made a couple of minor changes along the way after I took the original photos. I’ll explain when it’s done. Next up will be the conclusion. Finally!
WXerock
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Posted: Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 05:04 AM UTC
Peter, I am sorry I missed your comment about the sight rack. I was frustrated with the photo issue. I took your advice and switched to Flickr. It seems to work for now. I hope you all can see them. I looked through the photos on Prime Postal that Brent Sauer took of an M1167. There are 7 pages of really good, clear photos. Here is a list of things that would round it out nicely:

-Tailgate rack. There is a rack on the tailgate that the straps are attached to. They aren't actually attached to the gate itself. The rack should be easy to model. Page 1 of the photos

-Ammo Can Racks. They are visible behind the fire extinguisher in the cargo bed. It looks like they are small angle iron with slots for the straps to hook to. They appear to be sized for M2A1 .50 cal ammo cans. Page 1 of the photos.

-Fire extinguishers. There are two. One mounts to either side of the rear armor partition in the cabin/cargo bed. There is one in Academy's kit but it is little better than a shapeless lump of plastic. Pages 1/3/6 of the photos.

-Emergency Windshield Release Handles. There are four of these that look identical. Page 4 of photos.

-ITAS Sight Mount. There is a sheet metal rack that mounts over the A/C unit that the rack is mounted to. There are intercomm boxes on the sides of the rack, but these are available from Mike Goldberg. Pages 4/5 of the photos.

-Windshield Wiper Motor. Page 4 of the photos.

The items all look pretty easy to model and I'd buy a couple of each. I'm sure if you made them available as separate items they would get a few buyers. Sorry if I got a little too ambitious. Thank you again for posting the empty TOW launchers so fast!

Regards,

Eric
amoz02t
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Posted: Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 07:47 AM UTC
Hi Eric. All photos are now visible on this end. Wonderful review! Many thanks for the effort and photos. All the best- Stuart
samofptr
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Posted: Friday, October 13, 2017 - 06:36 PM UTC
Thank you Eric! It is a very informative and useful review and great photomaterials.
I will prepare the models of fire extinguishers, as well as other useful addons for the interior of M1167.
samofptr
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Posted: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 - 10:18 PM UTC
The Kidde Dual Spectrum Fire Protection System and Multi Purpose Fire Extinguisher added on Shapeways
https://www.shapeways.com/product/X54UL2JJ4/35-spm041-fireextinguisher-s1x35?optionId=63872763
WXerock
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Posted: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 - 10:51 PM UTC
Peter, those fire extinguisher renderings look amazing. I'll have to try to get a set soon. One more item that is sorely needed for the M1151 series of vehicles is the air conditioning units. Academy didn't model them even though they are in the wheel wells. The only way to get a set is to order the Legend update for the M1151 which has them in resin. I really have to learn how to use 3d modeling software. it really is the future for scale models.

Regards,

Eric
WXerock
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 02:49 AM UTC
Installment 5: It’s done! Well not really. Here are some photos of the temporarily assembled turret. I show it mounted on the roof of an Academy M1151. I say temporary because I have a lot to do to it before I use it. I used just enough glue on the parts to hold them in place for the photos. I am going to build thinner walls for the turret and replace all of the tie downs with photo etched replacements form Aber. It looks suitably busy, like a modern weapons system should.















That’s it for this installment. I’ll post more photos as I work on the turret walls and other details. I am going to primer it once I’m done and then put it away until I start on my M1167.
samofptr
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Posted: Monday, October 23, 2017 - 12:15 AM UTC
Eric, you have very good technical skills and engineering thinking, and I think that if you want to master 3D prototyping, this process will be successful. Just need to learn the tools in the preferred 3D editor.
Thanks for the great photos and explanations!
I'll prepare set with Interior ITAS Sight Mount, and Antenna/Terminal Subsystem with corner shield.
For air conditioning units, is it on humvee dashboard?
WXerock
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Posted: Monday, October 23, 2017 - 01:59 AM UTC
Peter, the air conditioning units in the M1151/M1167 are mounted in both rear wheel wells. The location of them is behind the grills over the rear wheels. The only source for these now is the Legend M1151 detail set. There are some pretty good photos available by doing a google search of M1151walkarounds.

Regards,

Eric
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Posted: Friday, October 27, 2017 - 05:26 PM UTC
Received today the version on tripod #LF3D008. I plan t build a M11121 from 1/4 INF. I wonder what the significance of the second lauchtube in which the the tube is covered with canvas or else.
WXerock
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Posted: Friday, October 27, 2017 - 10:23 PM UTC
Hans-Hermann, I tried to do a Google search on it and failed. There are a few photos of the USMC using them but with no explanation. My guess is that it is an insulating blanket to keep the motor section either warm or cool depending on the weather. Hopefully we have a missileer here that can chime in. I am going to review that set and the MRAP TOW Turret as soon as I get them. I should have them soon.

Regards,

Eric
samofptr
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Posted: Wednesday, November 01, 2017 - 10:58 PM UTC
Two new sets for Humvee TOW carrier, additions for Legend TOW sets andAcademy m1151:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/T92QLQ3A9/35-spm027-tow09-hmmwv-addition-s1x35?optionId=63974269
https://www.shapeways.com/product/PZ39GNNAL/35-spm042-hmmwv-m1151addition-s1x35?optionId=63974305
In sets:
Vehicle Emergency Escape (VEE) window
HMMWV dashboard
window sun visor
HMMWV roof pads
Wiper motor assembly, windsh – vertical and angle versions
TOW ITAS sight interior mount
TOW ground tripod rack for HMMWV
Anten terminal,satellite communication

The automatic check on the Shapeways informs that everything is correct, but the corrections for the thickness of the supports after a manual check are likely. In this cases, I am making such corrections in one or two days.

For the MRAP version I will make the ITAS interior mount set with wall rack.
Also I found information for the Humvee air conditioner. I'll do it later.
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