MOWAG Piranha 4×4

[Guest]

Here’s the old Verlinden kit of a vehicle that has seen hardly any use, if at all. I’ve long wondered why they produced it at all, but maybe ten years ago or so, I bought it cheap from a second-hand kit dealer because I kind of like the Piranha, and the 4×4 is unusual.

[ATTACH]313452[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]313453[/ATTACH]

I actually built it soon after I bought it, but never finished it — all that remained to be done was add two lifting eyes and the mirrors, which for some reason I had put off doing. As I was putting the mirrors on my Ferret, I thought I might as well do that fiddly job twice and finally complete the Piranha.

It’s a typical Verlinden kit: all resin (bring your own copper wire for certain details) with a big solid lump for the hull, without any opening hatches. I also had to scratchbuild the guard over the driver’s periscopes because, as I recall, the resin part had broken into pieces. The turret can be left loose but falls off the model if you tilt it too far

Now all I need is a paint scheme. The only pictures I’ve found of this version are of a MOWAG prototype:



Supposedly, Ghana and/or Liberia used the 4×4, but I can’t find photos of them to see if it was this version or had a different turret, hatch layout, or whatever, so I suppose I’ll have to paint it as the prototype.

[papa 695]

Paint it sat on a forecourt rusted and abandoned with a for sale sign. :smiling2::smiling2::smiling2:

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
Very unusual. I've never heard of it. Looks quite crisp detail. Is it 1/72 or 1/35?
Jim

[Guest]

Paint it sat on a forecourt rusted and abandoned with a for sale sign. :smiling2::smiling2::smiling2:

There’s an idea … However, I think I’ll first check if I still have/can find Helvetica typeface rub-down transfers in white to make the prototype’s markings from.

Very unusual. I've never heard of it.

The Piranha was offered in 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 versions. Like I said, hardly anyone bought the 4×4, aside from apparently Ghana and perhaps Liberia, while the 6×6 is better known as the Canadian Grizzly and the 8×8 as the American LAV-series and the Stryker.

Looks quite crisp detail. Is it 1/72 or 1/35?

1/35.

[Guest]

It's now painted green:

[ATTACH]313965[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]313966[/ATTACH]

First a coat of Army Painter white primer, then one of Tamiya XF-58 Olive Green. I originally tried LifeColor RLM 80, because I liked the bluish shade it has and that seemed to fit 1970s colour photos, but couldn’t get it to cover so I switched the paint for Tamiya, which worked much better.

Since this was a prototype only, I don’t think all that much more painting is going to be necessary — it certainly won’t get any heavy weathering. I do wish I could find somewhere that sells sheets of white dry transfer letters, though.

[Guest]

… and we’re done.