Hey guys,
I hope someone can help me with this problem. I am building the OLD 1/35 Dragon/Revell M1A1, and I am going to scratchbuild a BRE, using the PE part from the NEW Dragon kit as a guide. Trouble is, I need to get some PE mesh, and I don't know which set to buy. I was looking at the Aber sets, but I don't know which one would be the right size (I think there are about 4 or 5 different sizes of diamond mesh) . I want to scratch build this, as I think it will be much easier and faster than using the Eduard PE set I bought!

Also, does anyone have a picture showing how the mesh is installed? Is it between two pieces of metal, or is it just welded on the outside of the supporting bar -- does this question make any sense?

Thanks for your help,
-Doug

Hi Douglas,
here is a link for a "walkaround" of the BRE. This is the USMC type though.

http://olivier.carneau.free.fr/revues/USMC%20M1A1%20Bustle%20Rack%20Extension.pdf

Olivier

Wow!,
Thanks, Olivier. That is a really great walk around, just what I needed. I did not know that the USMC BRE differed from the Army one. Crap! Now I am going to have to try to put that Eduard thing together.......or maybe I will just use it as a guide

Anybody know about the mesh size though?

Thanks a bunch,
-Doug

Douglas, Olivier's pdf file is excellent. I've built a few USMC BREs for Dragon's, Tamiya's and Trumpeter's kits...Take note that you'll have to play with the measurements for the BRE to attached at the correct position on the mentioned kits..

Can't help you with the mesh..

But I used evergreen strip styrene to build my USMC Rack :

For the rods/bars - 030"
For the rear facing rectangular strip 015 x 040" ....which I joined parallel and above another rectangular strp 015 x 060".
For the 3 supports which mount to the turret bussel rack, as well as all other rectangular strips I used 015 x 060" strips.
And lastly the 2 vertical rectangular strips which are connected and run the lenght of the 3 rods at each side...those 2 vertical strips are thinner..Can't remember how I did mine..think I trimmed down whatever strip I had with a sharp blade and ruler.

If you're building only 1 BRE I think it's fine...But I built 4.. and it became a pain in the neck...but it was easier than buildng 2 of eduards' set.

From my website

I forgot to mention I did an article in the feature section about the DML M1A1. You can see in it my own BRE and the kind of mesh I used.
It's a diamond pattern, I can't remember the Aber reference but I cose it according to the diamond dimensions. I measured the diamond from the pdf file, convert it in the 1/35 scale and picked up the right ref in the aber list !

Here is the feature article
USMC M1A1 with BRE

Olivier