1991 Desert Storm - Iraqi Army Progress
Disaster and Recovery - Progress Report
So I’ve had some real set backs on this project. Once again, I’ve forgotten how murderously finicky and fragile the dark wash can be on any desert army (or arctic for that matter, anything with a lighter base color). This is particularly true with more modern historical vehicles with such broad, flat panels.
Well, the dark wash on these Marine vehicles went down positively horribly, even though I thinned it considerably. Fortunately, I was able to save these vehicles with another light coat of desert sand. This covered the train wreck, I had to mix the airbrush paint myself using watered down craft store acrylics. Hardly an ideal solution, but it worked.
After that, pretty much a full day was spent PIN washing these vehicles again – almost an hour per vehicle. It was murderously time consuming, but I think I have a wash down I can live with. The American “desert yellow” has come out well (the temperature of the color of course changes with the wash, so you have to air brush with that in mind). and I think I’m in the home stretch of these vehicles.
MEANWHILE: Also working on my Iraqi T-54s/55s (some with side skirts, some without), and some Type 59 II Chinese imports / upgrades.
ALSO: Started on the “Ryan’s Leathernecks” infantry that come with the set. Lots of M16A2 service rifles, M249 SAWs, M203 GLs, an M72 LAW or two, even a small mortar and what looks like a Dragon ATGW. Again, this was originally for Team Yankee (mid 1980s), I’m adapting it as best I can for a 1991 Desert Storm force.
Beginnings of my Iraqi force. I'm using the Syrian T-54 Battalion from Fate of a Nation as a base. The T-54s are yes ... confirmed to be small, especially against the ZSU-23-4 Shilka SPAAGs.
I've made three of the T-54s with side skirts, three without (the 1991 Gulf War saw a mix of these). I also made three of them as Chinese Type 59 IIs (Iraq had about 1500 of these in service for the war).
The Marine Force after the wash went badly wrong, re-colored, and re-washed.
Again, the ERA panels that were carried on the M-60A1s will have to be fabricated. I also bought the LAV-25s from another kit. Otherwise these are Ryan's Leathernecks from Battlefront's Team Yankee.
The LAVs come with plenty of options. I built three as standard LAV-25s (25mm autocannon in small turret), one as a mortar carrier and one with an ITV-style ATGW TOW-II launcher. 
The HMMWVs also come with plenty of options. I built one with a TOW, one with a Mk 19 40mm AGL, and four with the ole' reliable M2HB "Ma Deuce" .50 cal.
Also started the Marine Infantry. They give you 55 figures in all. Needed quite a bit of cleaning, But I will say I can recognize details like the H-Harness 782 gear, M249 SAWs, M203 GLs under some of the M16A2 service rifles, etc. Ready for prime and base coating.
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