Another kit finished a while ago but not posted. This is the RetroKit 1/72 scale APC and assorted marines. I had the APC produced by Gonziod in the early 90s, but this version is far more accurate and much sharper detail. However in a moment of madness I decided to add full lighting to the headlights, front side lights, rear light, search light and an intermittent barrel flash for the main guns.
Some significant areas of the underside had to be milled out to create space from the electronics, battery, LEDs and associated wiring. I also recreated the guns and searchlight housing in CAD and printed new versions to facilitate the lighting - printing the guns with a hole along them was easier than trying to drill out the existing parts, and similarly the searchlight was printed hollow to permit fitting a 0603 size SMD LED. Also new rear light units were printed in clear resin, but with a small recess in the bottom to hold a tiny 0402 LED in each one
While I was at it I also printed some other parts with improved accuracy including the front mini cannon, the rear gun rails, the cylindrical canisters on the rear of the hull and the searchlight grille.
0603 LEDs were used for the headlights, with a small piece of 1.5mm fibre optic with the end slightly mushroomed by a flame used to create the lens of the headlight.
The marines were a little rough in places, and I didn't spend as long on them as I probably should - camo at that size is tough!
Once I was all finished I realised the the rear lights on the real APC were actually white, not red! Doh! Oh well, too late to do anything about it now - the red LEDS are sealed inside the model. Such is life.
Some significant areas of the underside had to be milled out to create space from the electronics, battery, LEDs and associated wiring. I also recreated the guns and searchlight housing in CAD and printed new versions to facilitate the lighting - printing the guns with a hole along them was easier than trying to drill out the existing parts, and similarly the searchlight was printed hollow to permit fitting a 0603 size SMD LED. Also new rear light units were printed in clear resin, but with a small recess in the bottom to hold a tiny 0402 LED in each one
While I was at it I also printed some other parts with improved accuracy including the front mini cannon, the rear gun rails, the cylindrical canisters on the rear of the hull and the searchlight grille.
0603 LEDs were used for the headlights, with a small piece of 1.5mm fibre optic with the end slightly mushroomed by a flame used to create the lens of the headlight.
The marines were a little rough in places, and I didn't spend as long on them as I probably should - camo at that size is tough!
Once I was all finished I realised the the rear lights on the real APC were actually white, not red! Doh! Oh well, too late to do anything about it now - the red LEDS are sealed inside the model. Such is life.
