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Good evening, Have you noticed that most of the time LAV models aren't really all that dusty or dirty? Particularly the tire sidewalls? Well, I stumbled across an LAV operating in Afghanistan that looks like the paint shop was spraying dust. The tire treads and the sidewalls are pretty much the same color. For what it's worth, here's a photo that surfaced on Quora. Despite the fact that my primary interest is aircraft, this shot intrigues me to the point that I just might try building a model to match.

Hi from the sarge after i read the comment from Chris Bucholtz in the May-June issue of IPMS 2016 vol 87 #03. i have been a little upset about his comments about modelers weathering their aircraft and about other modelers complaining about how much is too much. The problem with the whole thing is, it's not the modeler as they are free to make any changes add or subtract from the basic model as they see fit or for others to voice their opinion of what they think. The problem is the IPMS leaders themselves. They should know that modern day weathered aircraft in real life DOESN'T EXIST. They should have their own category like hypothetical jet aircraft. Or Miscellaneous category or at lease in the Humor one. Did anyone stop to think that the pilot's name is on the side of his aircraft and sometimes the crew chief. If a pilot came out of his morning briefing to fly a mission and seen his aircraft looking like it was just pulled out of the bone yard and he has to fly it, come on give me a brake!! The crew chief better be hiding under a rock somewhere. The pilot would hunt him down, and he would be sent to BUM Fricken EGYPT(military term). As a air force ground crew we have to check out every aircraft everyday. The pilot writes up things everyday he sees need to be checked out. Even a ding in a drop tank or the leading edge of a wing is fixed. How do you think he would feel to walk out and see something like a weathered aircraft to fly that day. And the fact that some of the weathered aircraft are NAVY, OMG doesn't anyone know what happens to an aircraft sitting on an aircraft carrier with salt air and water on it and dissimilar metals corrosion problem. The aircraft crew goes over that aircraft to make sure the wing isn't going to rust off somewhere. And besides the fact that aircraft are washed on a regular basis usually after every monthly maintenance check even the big boys C-130s, B-52s, KC-135s etc. And even the camo ones too. If the pilot wants it washed it's washed. Did anyone stop to think that some poor smuck spent a lot of time researching the aircraft he or she is working on to find the right color of gray yep everyone has a different shade of gray(except weathered) not listed on any paint i know of. The modeler tries to get the proper color, tint and squadron markings and he is sitting next to someone that got some Wal-mart gray, dumped some graphite dust (molybdenum disulfide--mil-m-7866b) that's military too, on it and blew it off, then the judges come by and now have a choice between real and eye candy. eye candy wins time and time again. Because the vast majority of judges have no idea whats real and what's not. You get dinged on not real enough the gray just didn't look right, or the cockpit seat belt just didn't look right and the weathered gets first place. It just looked too real. It would be the same as you have a 57 Chevy and restored it back to original condition it took you a long time to get the correct parts seats radio etc. Then a person gets a 57 from the UP in Michigan that has been driven sense day 1 winter salt and so on. Both take it to a car show, you jack it up, put mirrors under it open to the doors to show off in interior open the hood the engine is factory fresh. The person next to you has his Michigan composite, they jack it up put mirrors under it but take the drain plug out of the oil pan, keep the windows rolled up to keep the pigeons in open the hood and toss a bucket of mud on it. AND THEY GET FIRST PLACE it just looked so real. Oh yea the category was factory fresh but the judges didn't know the difference. So how about getting it right and put them in their own class to complete with other imaginary aircraft!! The Sarge former USAF ground crew 1968 -1972 Viet Vet and proud of it

Hi from the sarge after i read the comment from Chris Bucholtz in the May-June issue of IPMS 2016 vol 87 #03. i have been a little upset about his comments about modelers weathering their aircraft and about other modelers complaining about how much is too much. The problem with the whole thing is, it's not the modeler as they are free to make any changes add or subtract from the basic model as they see fit or for others to voice their opinion of what they think. The problem is the IPMS leaders themselves. They should know that modern day weathered aircraft in real life DOESN'T EXIST. They should have their own category like hypothetical jet aircraft. Or Miscellaneous category or at lease in the Humor one. Did anyone stop to think that the pilot's name is on the side of his aircraft and sometimes the crew chief. If a pilot came out of his morning briefing to fly a mission and seen his aircraft looking like it was just pulled out of the bone yard and he has to fly it, come on give me a brake!! The crew chief better be hiding under a rock somewhere. The pilot would hunt him down, and he would be sent to BUM Fricken EGYPT(military term). As a air force ground crew we have to check out every aircraft everyday. The pilot writes up things everyday he sees need to be checked out. Even a ding in a drop tank or the leading edge of a wing is fixed. How do you think he would feel to walk out and see something like a weathered aircraft to fly that day. And the fact that some of the weathered aircraft are NAVY, OMG doesn't anyone know what happens to an aircraft sitting on an aircraft carrier with salt air and water on it and dissimilar metals corrosion problem. The aircraft crew goes over that aircraft to make sure the wing isn't going to rust off somewhere. And besides the fact that aircraft are washed on a regular basis usually after every monthly maintenance check even the big boys C-130s, B-52s, KC-135s etc. And even the camo ones too. If the pilot wants it washed it's washed. Did anyone stop to think that some poor smuck spent a lot of time researching the aircraft he or she is working on to find the right color of gray yep everyone has a different shade of gray(except weathered) not listed on any paint i know of. The modeler tries to get the proper color, tint and squadron markings and he is sitting next to someone that got some Wal-mart gray, dumped some graphite dust (molybdenum disulfide--mil-m-7866b) that's military too, on it and blew it off, then the judges come by and now have a choice between real and eye candy. eye candy wins time and time again. Because the vast majority of judges have no idea whats real and what's not. You get dinged on not real enough the gray just didn't look right, or the cockpit seat belt just didn't look right and the weathered gets first place. It just looked too real. It would be the same as you have a 57 Chevy and restored it back to original condition it took you a long time to get the correct parts seats radio etc. Then a person gets a 57 from the UP in Michigan that has been driven sense day 1 winter salt and so on. Both take it to a car show, you jack it up, put mirrors under it open to the doors to show off in interior open the hood the engine is factory fresh. The person next to you has his Michigan composite, they jack it up put mirrors under it but take the drain plug out of the oil pan, keep the windows rolled up to keep the pigeons in open the hood and toss a bucket of mud on it. AND THEY GET FIRST PLACE it just looked so real. Oh yea the category was factory fresh but the judges didn't know the difference. So how about getting it right and put them in their own class to complete with other imaginary aircraft!! The Sarge former USAF ground crew 1968 -1972 Viet Vet and proud of it