Gents...
I love British lorries and as I got tired of waiting for IBG or SKP release injected Bedfords, as a announced, I decided build my Bedford in scratch... I choose this girl:
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Bedford QLC 4x4-2 Dromedary with Mickey Mouse cammo |
I got this profile of Bedford. Thanks to Andy Cusworth, from Maple Leaf Up Forum, for their courtesy and care ...
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Andy's profile |
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Bedford QLC 4x4-2 Dromedary with Mickey Mouse cammo - rear view |
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Bedford QLC 4x4-2 Dromedary with Mickey Mouse cammo - side view |
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Bedford QLC 4x4-2 Dromedary under painting... |
This project has long been on my list of "priorities" ... It's time to realize it !! So, let´s go !!!! I´ll use this jurassic kit, as doner: Peerless Bedford Gun Portée
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Peerless old school kit Bedford QL gun portée |
To transform the cabin, I´ll use an old (again) resin conversion kit from Resicast. The kit consist in a metal roof with windshield, two doors and no more.
I had this kit Peerless deep in my closet for centuries ...When I opened it, I discovered (or rather, I remembered ...) that this kit had been cannibalized for other projects. But the kit is complete, but it is a miscellany of pieces Peerless (yellow) and Italeri (dark green).
Also, I found the kit box a set of wheels in resin
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Resicast cabin plus Peerless/Italeri and resin wheels |
To complete the "cake recipe", Plastruct, plasticards and tons of sweat and fun ...
Who dare, wins !!!
As I believe in this motto, engage !!! The madness starts by chassi: The wheels in place to confirm the chassi and suspension alignment.
The engine in place...
In your feet, Girl !!!
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Chassi with wheels. Notice the Resicast roof |
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Notice the resicast doors and, in background, my Bedford half-track |
Surgery time: I need cut the cabin front panel to adjust the Resicast roof. Planning...
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the players... |
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lines for panel cut... |
...and execution:
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cut done... |
Carving more plasticard....
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floor and sides of trailer |
The cargo-bay is growing...
Making the semi-trailer sub-chassis, with Plastruct. (I love this stuff...)
Almost complete...
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left side |
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rear side |
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right side |
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front side |
In the next steps, I´ll make the details of semi-trailer belly...Another dry-run:
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the truck is growing...notice the Shermie, waiting his time... |
Sunday I build the Tasker coupling. This ball-type coupling was very primitive, allowing only 20° to the side branch ...It was a permanent hitch but, in my model I'm going to just snap, to facilitate handling of the model ...
The tractor part:
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Tasker coupling ball-type |
And the trailer part:
After that, I build the trailer axle: Plastruct with metal "core", for reinforcement...
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trailer axle with resin wheels |
And the rear suspension, using kits spare parts: Almost there...
Checking the 20 ° angulation of the coupling Tasker:
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only 20 degrees... |
To facilitate the painting of the spare wheel, I did the spare support articulated. See below:
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the trapezium support, plus spare wheel and the lock pin (red arrow) |
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range of movement of the trapezium |
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the spare wheel in trapezium... |
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the spare wheel locked in his place, with pin |
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trapezium belly view |
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trapezium articulation |
And a size comparison with a Bedford halftrack:
After Warren Inman and colleagues in Armorama warn, actually gave notice that the box truck was oversized. The way is to redo the thing.
Removing the box from the truck´s chassi:
...and breaking up the box to remake with the correct dimensions.
Much better...
Since I am getting better at it, redid the support of the box on the truck´s chassi, according to the original. The previous was wrong ....
...and:
I did the air reservoir to the trailer´s brakes.
The semi-trailer, after resizing:
The semi-trailer can rotate 90° without touching the box of truck:
A bird-view:
...another views:
Pneumatic connections between truck and trailer:
And this make the strongest cry: Seventy little hooks for the tarp (cooper wire):
...and tarp structure:
Talking about tarp: tracing-paper plus white glue and water...
Primer time:
In good company:
...and the first colors:
I choose the markings of my truck:
Guards Armoured Division - Royal Engineers
Well, finally the final pics of my Bedford "Dromedary"... The Mickey Mouse cammo...Like the real, I made my cammo paint with brush....
The final markings (thanks, Dick Taylor and Alan McNeilly...): Bedford QLC Dromedary 4x4-2
Guards Armoured Division, 14th Field Squadron - Royal Engineers - July 1st, 1944 – Battle of Normandy.
I made my decals with Corel Draw art, Sirap decal paper and Laserjet color...
And the final pics:
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left side |
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Tasker coupling |
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Sorry for the stains on the glass ... the glue is not dry yet ... |
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front view |
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rear view |
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the cargo box in chassi |
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right side |
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Bedford QLC Dromedary 4x4-2
Guards Armoured Division,
14th Field Squadron - Royal Engineers
July 1st, 1944 – Battle of Normandy |
Thanks for following this project ....