In a break from HUMMWV action tonight I present a project I have been fiddling around with for the last few days...A simple bridge.
Last year Peabody made a very nice bridge out of some parts from the classic Airfix Pontoon bridge http://peabody-here.blogspot.co.nz/2011/05/building-bridges.html . I was very impressed with this and vowed to copy his good work. Last weekend I finally found a few spares that had been hiding.
While the Airfix Bridge is great, most of the time it is to long for gaming. In CD3 terms, the 4 inches in the ramps alone is 200 yards.
I cut the rails down, and the plastic being so old shattered, still there was enough for this purpose. I could and probably should have made the ends square, but this will do.
A touch of superglue
Painted and weathered.
I made the ramps from balsa, ice cream sticks and twigs from the driveway.
Flocked and weathered.
The total package, just over a hours work over 4 or so nights.
Of course the ramps can also be used for the correct long length bridge spans.
Seen here in scale with NZ Army 1/76 scale vehicles. Nice and simple build. Many thanks to Peabody for the idea.
Model on!
Great use of the old Airfix kit. Scale is always a problem with wargames unless you do skirmish stuff, then it doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteDon't I know it Rodger, Al is always nutting off about it, especially with the likes of roads being 150 yards wide if true to scale, thats a lot of road.
DeleteNice work, I have some of this at home in a drawer I think....
ReplyDeleteGood stuff Fran, get it out and use it!
DeleteImaginative redesign of a classic piece of wargames equipment. I have some of those as well, but with a much narrower platform - at least, with the framing, the bed is too narrow for my AFVs. But I think you might have given me an idea how to amend that.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the Airfix bridge set came with several plastic pontoons. These can not only be used as bridge supports for wide river crossings, but can also be used as barges (any period) for ferrying troops across wide streams.
Cheers,
Ion A. Dowman
Cheers Ion, yep those barges come in useful for WW1 landing crafts as well.
DeleteNice bit of scenery that. I bet it'll come in handy more than once!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee, I can see this being in the background for alot of posts.
DeleteCheers Paul
Phew - until that second last photo I thought there were no HUMMWVs in this post! The old Pontoon Bridge is a versatile thing - I cut a battered one down a few years ago to make four small bridges like yours.
ReplyDeleteI thought you would be excited about the HUMMWV's in at least one of the shots Tim.
DeleteCan I see your results please?
Cutting up a rare kit like that!!!! Shame on you :-D
ReplyDeleteIt looks very good...I wish I hadn´t binned mine :-(
Cheers
Paul
Oh its hardly rare Paul, over priced maybe. The are still on sale down here.
DeleteExcellent result, Paul...ahh...the old pontoon bridge, brilliant stuff ;)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite Airfix products Monty. Lots of good childhood memories there.
DeleteYour comments about scale are spot on mate, lucky I'm an abstract kind of guy. I think this a top notch bit of kit
ReplyDeleteAbstract is generous mate! I might use the other ramp as part of a bridging unit next.
ReplyDeleteCheers mate.
Very good idea!!! I begin with my bridge this night.
ReplyDeleteI will await your finished product!
DeleteGood luck
Love that NZ armour
ReplyDeleteYour moderns are hot :)
Sadly Geordie the tracked armour is all gone from Kiwi stocks, its wheels all the way now.
Delete(We always have Aussie to protect us from the commies)
Cheers Paul