1:35 LAV-R accessories set

An accessory set for the LAV-R recovery vehicle, 1:35

This item is an accessory set for a model of the American recovery version of the LAV wheeled armored vehicle, not a model of the vehicle on its own. On engineer and recovery machines the external material matters twice over, because it is the stowed equipment that shows at a glance what the vehicle is for. The set is in 1:35.

The real subject

The LAV is a family of eight-wheeled armored vehicles introduced with the US Marine Corps in the 1980s and derived from a European design. Alongside the basic fighting version with a turret, a whole range of specialized variants came about, among them a command, a mortar, an anti-tank and indeed a recovery version. The LAV-R version carries lifting and towing gear, and its job is to tow and repair damaged vehicles right in the area of operations, often as part of fast-moving units.

Tips for painting and fitting into a scene

Recovery vehicles in use tend to be noticeably more battered than fighting vehicles, so it pays to work with worn edges, oil stains and the marks left by handling material. Paint the accessories separately and let them stand out tonally from the uniform paint of the hull. A dark wash will bring out the gaps and the tie-down points, a dry brush the edges, and pigments chosen to match the battlefield, that is dust or mud, will settle the whole into its surroundings.

Who the set is for

• modelers of modern American vehicles
• anyone interested in engineer and recovery vehicles
• builders of dioramas with vehicles in the field
• collectors of accessories in 1:35