Kill markings, UPDATED with pics 11-2-9

Ruger · Post by **Ruger** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:27 pm

I'm in the process of making kill markings for my tanks, using Photoshop, my printer, and Testor's decal paper. I think my initial efforts went well enough, giving one tank two T-72's to its credit. It was supposed to be three, but the one decal just wouldn't co-operate. So two it is.

Now the question is, what else should my tanks have killed? Trucks, IFV's, helicopters? Going by the following photo, any number of things would work, but I'll admit, I can't figure out what some of them are. I have the photo in a larger size if anyone wants a copy to examine. I can definitely pick out five tanks, but what the other things are eludes me. I think the one might be a blind guy with a dog?

I'm trying to loosely follow this list: LIST. But I'm fairly open minded. Any suggestions?

MV

GooglyDoogly · Post by **GooglyDoogly** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:02 am

The others were APCs/BMPs/BDRMs/etc. The smallest were soldiers.

Ruger · Post by **Ruger** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:14 pm

I'm not sure why I didn't do this before, but here's a close up of the markings on Sinister Minister.

As Googly mentioned, there are seven other vehicles. I can't really determine the type, but I can certainly make decals for different Iraqi equipment and mix and match accordingly. It's the other markings that I'm unsure of. I'm tempted to agree with Googly that they are soldiers, but if so, why are the three in the center so much larger than the others? And what is depicted by the feet of the centermost of the three larger ones? Could the righthand five markings be bombs of some sort? I'm thinking that it's unlikely that this tank is taking credit for killing three adults (one with a seeing eye dog) and five children.

So, any ideas?

MV

Ruger · Post by **Ruger** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:59 pm

Now with pics!

This photo shows the applied decal kill marking, in this case, two T-72's

This photo shows pretty much the same, but illustrates how at times the decal film itself can be visible. I need to work on that, starting with better trimming before application. Luckily, they're not always visible, and you have to be looking pretty closely.

This pic is of the same tank, not really showing anything, but I had the camera out and figured what the heck.

This photo also doesn't show much, but I suppose it can be said that the T-72 is one of the kills, or at least, soon to be added as one (I doubt that the tank crew paints the markings immediately after the kill, seems like it could wait until returning to base).

I should have added some of my insurgent figures leaving the bug, but didn't think of it. Oh well. Next time. Also shown in some of these shots are some of my attempts at grenades for the grenade launchers on the Abrams. Oddly enough, this tank features both my first (and ugliest) attempts, as well as some of my latter (much better looking) ones. I guess I should have tried harder to include them. Again, next time...

MV

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:51 am

Just a guess on the figure markings. Maybe the center one of the three represents a morter crew or weapon. The 5 smaller markings could be rocket launchers.

Ruger · Post by **Ruger** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:12 pm

I think perhaps you're onto something Grockwood. Some sort of small equipment. I had thought that maybe they were bomb silhouettes, denoting IED's. I suppose I can make just about anything, since I'm not trying to model Sinister Minister directly, but I wish I knew what they were nonetheless. Thanks for the input.

MV

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:36 am

You need CIP panels on that thing

gouchy · Post by **gouchy** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:42 pm

Is it possible the middle figure looks different from the rest is caused by finger smudge or dirt smear?

There are pics of 1/35 tamiya model

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/m1a1hadl_1.htm

and the 3 bigger figs looks the same w/o the smudge/dog. Hobby Master also did a 1/56 diecast of this tank but the small pics are inconclusive but I think the 3 figs look similar.

The figure looks like it has a unusual bent/curved pose and is bigger and different from the 5 smaller figs

If it was depicting a single motar team, I find it strange its in the middle and not grouped to the side.

Quite perplexing tryin to figure what they are, my first impression would been 3 adults and 5 kids KIA, def a massive public relations disaster

1958Zelda · Post by **1958Zelda** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:51 pm

Great job on the whole diorama.

Ruger · Post by **Ruger** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:07 pm

Thanks for the input. I wish I could find out more info about the actual tank, and more pics wouldn't hurt my feelings either. But it's cool, I'll just mark my tanks as I want to, and that's more with vehicles than with soldiers. I'm somewhat of the opinion that taking out a soldier with a tank isn't really worthy of a kill marking, it's gotta be at least another vehicle, preferably a military one, though I suppose in the current scheme of things, technicals and carbomb cars could count also.

I also agree with the thinking that it would seem odd for that one to be in the middle of the other two if it was supposed to represent something different.

Zelda, thanks for the kind words. That was just thrown together for those photos, but it seems to represent an overall theme in my work. The diorama base shown, was only meant to be an experiment in the use of bricks and some practice painting. But I ended up liking it, so I've turned it into a keeper. The bug was meant as practice in ageing and damaging a car, but it too, I liked. And that particular Abrams is one that I bought from a member here as an open and played with toy, I use it as a trial for new ideas, and as such, it's constantly getting improved and now it's well on its way to being my favorite of my Abrams. The T-72, well, it's just a T-72. I had to have one, but I wish FOV hadn't made it so beat up. I prefer my tanks to look factory fresh, and if I want them to look otherwise I'll handle it myself.

Pickle, CIP's you say. I've been hesitant to bring those up. I seem to recall that you were making CIP's and offering them for sale. I remember being quite interested in them in 1:32, and wanting several. And then I remember thinking that they sure were taking a long time. And after a while I was thinking I'd been quite patient, and it really had been long enough, I should have my CIP's by now. So I went back and went through all my PM's just so I'd have all my ducks in a row when I asked you about the panels... And you know what I found (and I'm guessing you do...)? The reason I hadn't recieved any CIP's, is because in spite of all the messages we'd traded back and forth, I never actually ordered them. I felt quite the fool, but I was glad I figured it out before I went and asked youi why I hadn't gotten them! After that I was a little embarrassed to bring them up, so I didn't. But uh, now that you mention it... Are they still possible? 'Cause you're right, I do need them...

MV

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:36 pm

Ruger wrote:Thanks for the input. I wish I could find out more info about the actual tank, and more pics wouldn't hurt my feelings either. But it's cool, I'll just mark my tanks as I want to, and that's more with vehicles than with soldiers. I'm somewhat of the opinion that taking out a soldier with a tank isn't really worthy of a kill marking, it's gotta be at least another vehicle, preferably a military one, though I suppose in the current scheme of things, technicals and carbomb cars could count also.

I also agree with the thinking that it would seem odd for that one to be in the middle of the other two if it was supposed to represent something different.

Zelda, thanks for the kind words. That was just thrown together for those photos, but it seems to represent an overall theme in my work. The diorama base shown, was only meant to be an experiment in the use of bricks and some practice painting. But I ended up liking it, so I've turned it into a keeper. The bug was meant as practice in ageing and damaging a car, but it too, I liked. And that particular Abrams is one that I bought from a member here as an open and played with toy, I use it as a trial for new ideas, and as such, it's constantly getting improved and now it's well on its way to being my favorite of my Abrams. The T-72, well, it's just a T-72. I had to have one, but I wish FOV hadn't made it so beat up. I prefer my tanks to look factory fresh, and if I want them to look otherwise I'll handle it myself.

Pickle, CIP's you say. I've been hesitant to bring those up. I seem to recall that you were making CIP's and offering them for sale. I remember being quite interested in them in 1:32, and wanting several. And then I remember thinking that they sure were taking a long time. And after a while I was thinking I'd been quite patient, and it really had been long enough, I should have my CIP's by now. So I went back and went through all my PM's just so I'd have all my ducks in a row when I asked you about the panels... And you know what I found (and I'm guessing you do...)? The reason I hadn't recieved any CIP's, is because in spite of all the messages we'd traded back and forth, I never actually ordered them. I felt quite the fool, but I was glad I figured it out before I went and asked youi why I hadn't gotten them! After that I was a little embarrassed to bring them up, so I didn't. But uh, now that you mention it... Are they still possible? 'Cause you're right, I do need them...

MV

No biggie. I thought that tank was 1/18 scale. But I did make the 1/32 CIP panels. I sold a lot of them with guys off of the forum.

I also had them on ebay. But they did not sale

Niether did my 1/18 scale CIPs on ebay. I would say that I sold probably 30 sets of the plain about 25 sets of the Hummvee in 1/18 scale . So much in fact that I had to make new molds.

I did not sell that many in 1/32 scale. But it was worth doing. Those molds are still in good shape and the 1/18 remade molds are doing well.

Any time you are ready