Stryker

Hello Everybody:

I suppose I am not your typical member here. I am not military. My request has to do with the Stryker and scale modeling. As a passion, I freelance write for a model magazine and I have written a small photo history book about the 3rd ID in Iraq. My real job is as a claims manager for a commercial insurance company. I have learned quite a bit about the Stryker recently but I am sure there are many here with more knowledge.

Three model companies recently announced they will be releasing the Stryker ICV and variants. Which leads me to my thread here.

I am helping one of those companies develop the ICV and other variants. There seems to be many possibilities for modelers as far as options go, NOT including slat armor since this will not be possible in my view due to plastic injection molding limitation - the slat in plastic would have to be way to thick.

I know there are many potential options like blast plates which are left on stateside and exhuast extensions. I have seen some of these oddities on a visit I made to the NTC in February when 3/2 Stryker Bde was there. But my experience with the Stryker is limited to 3/2 and some brand new trucks about to be delivered. I want to be sure I understand all of the options that may be reasonable to depict on a model. Should I be suggesting anything else besides the list below?

Blast plates - left on some trucks after slat is removed.
Exhuast extension - left on after slat removed.
Extended lights - left on after slat removed.
Footman loops.
2 cargo nets - seems standard.
Blast shields - seems to be the newest addition to Strykers for air guard soldiers.
Male bolts (long bolts) - left on sometimes when slat is removed.

Sorry for the long thread. Thanks for reading.

Bob

Ummm...maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't call them "trucks" :D

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Originally Posted by jcustis

Ummm...maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't call them "trucks" :D

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Yes, they are referred to as trucks quite a bit, at least at Ft Lewis.

Bob

PrimePortal is an excellent site for detailed pictures of various military vehicles. There are several extensive 'walk arounds' of the Stryker here. Hopefully this will help some.

Thanks. Yes, I am very familiar with Prime Portal. In fact, I am building a HEMTT at the moment for Don Busack, who runs the site. He is a great guy, and his site is quite helpful to us modelers.

One of the reasons I posted here was I thought maybe there were some experienced Stryker soldiers here that might be able to point out some different unit nuances. For instance, as I mentioned, I followed 3/2 Stryker Bde for a week at the NTC and noticed many vehicles had left slat armor details on when they returned from Iraq (like blast plates, extended exhausts, etc.).

I was wondering if other Stryker Bdes had other details I needed to be aware of, so that we may consider some different options. I know that it is possible different units might have differences in small details. For example, in OIF1 only the 2nd Bde of the 3rd ID had extended bustle racks for their M1A1s and side storage racks for their Bradleys and M113s, in addition to jerrycan racks. I think sometimes these items were referred to as 'Gypsey Racks.'

Thanks.

Bob

The slats are a very characteristic feature. Applaud your quest for realism, can't help as I'm not a Stryker guy, but the overwhelming "reality" of late for those things is that giant cage, with some memories of the ride through the last town dangling off it -- chunks of mud huts and paraphenilia from the market. The rest is decimal dust, buried under a layer of mud hut dust.

I think you'd corner the market if you could crack the slat nut. Understand the plastic issue. Can you get a non-platic guy to come up with another solution, e.g fishing line, small ribbon or metal tape, to put into a plastic mount? Or is that taboo in the plastic world, much like asking for the forces you need seems to be in CentCom.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ironhorse

I think you'd corner the market if you could crack the slat nut. Understand the plastic issue. Can you get a non-platic guy to come up with another solution, e.g fishing line, small ribbon or metal tape, to put into a plastic mount? Or is that taboo in the plastic world, much like asking for the forces you need seems to be in CentCom.

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Well, the company I am helping actually does do "multi-media" kits, meaning different materials are used to create the most realistic (and to scale) model reasonably possible. For instance, tank barrels are a problem for modelers since they come in two parts in plastic and getting that glue seam to disappear sometimes is very difficult. So, some companies now produce aluminum barrels, but of course that increases costs. Reasonable is the key. Noboby wants model kits that cost, say, more than $50 or so. Thus, there are still considerations for cost. Which brings me to the scale effect of slat. To do that properly, it would probably need to be done in brass photo etch, which would make something like the Stryker cost close to $200.

Nonetheless, I am suggesting to the kit manfucaturer that certain parts be in brass PE, like the blast plates and footman loops. Thus, the modeler could still produce a cool looking stateside vehicle with these options, and in scale. Doing these two items would be way overscale in plastic. The numerous tie-downs all over the side, top, and even under the sponsons, would probably need to be done in PE, if they want to be that accurate. To do them in plastic would result in solid plastic tie-downs, which is not idealistic of course. There would not be that tiny 'U' shape that is there in reality.

Anyway, I think after the Stryker model comes out, an aftermarket company would take on the slat thing in PE. It would cost a lot, but that is what niche manufacturers are for, and that niche customer would scoop them up.

What I want to do is provide the most options reasonably available, and so I wish to know if there are any unit differences in some small details, as I have previously discussed.

Thanks.

Bob

I spoke with a 2nd SCR platoon leader this noon, and they indeed call them "trucks." His squad leaders he refers to as "truck commander."