Converting a 1/72 scale M113 to 15mm scale Rhino/Razorback

Hi, folks. I've been working on converting a 1/72 scale Bravo Team M113 to a 15mm scale Rhino or Razorback. A while back I read on TMP that the design of the GW Rhino and similar vehicles is based on the M113 APC. I was concerned though that a 1/72 scal vehicle would be too large for 15mm. I got hold of a Bravo Team M113 in 1/72 scale and saw that it had a lot of potential. There was also a thread on the DakkaDakka forum discussing scale of GW vehicles and one of the posters posted a size comparison of a M113 with a Rhino. This confirmed my opinion that these Bravo Team M113s are appropriately scaled for use as 15mm Rhinos, Razorbacks, Predators and Vindicators.


The OP, Holden88 on the DakkaDakka forum said "So now we can determine what the real world dimensions of a Rhino would be based on the model. It measures 12 cm in length and 5 cm in height. Multiply these values by a factor of 2 we get. Length = 24 feet. Height = 10 feet."

The 1/72 scale Bravo Team M113 measures 1 inch high and and is about 2 3/4 inches long, making it scale out almost the same as a Rhino at 10' high and ~ 27 feet long.

My conversion is very basic. I added some plasticard from a "For Sale" sign to the sides, with a plasticard hatch added on the left side. There was already a couple of nice vents on the M113, I just made a cut-out in the plasticard to show them. I was unable to create the inset detail from the GW model so just used some cereal box card to create raised angled detail on the front and rear of the sides instead. The vertical detail in the place where a Rhino has the exhaust(?) was made with some sections of 4 15mm brads for a staple gun. Then I added a thin strip of cereal card to the front of the M113 and placed a couple of square ports made from pieces of granny grate. Next I removed the turret from the M113 model and replaced that with a hatch made from a 1/2" round magnet. I use those magnets for bases for my 15mm minis and had some sitting on the workbench and noticed that they appeared to be the right size. They fit so I used them as the base for my top hatch and Razorback gun. The Razorback gun is made from a couple of gun bitz from the Hirst Arts Industrial Accessory Mold #326 glued to a light from the same mold. Then it was ready for paint. I disassembled the M113 and glued neodynium magnets to the underside of both the hatch and the area where the Razorback gun turret sits, That way the hatch stays in place and I can swap the gun turret on or off to represent either a Razorback or Rhino. Paint was just a black spray primer and multiple coats of Folk Art Cobalt Blue craft paint. I then added a few paper emblems for decoration. I still need to go in and some detail paint, and maybe a black wash but it's mostly done. Here's some pics.


Rhino config



Razorback config
Different view of Razorback

Rhino with a couple of Blue Moon Orion Republic Heavy Infantry.

I've got another M113 sitting on the workbench partially painted. I may try to come up with a Predator style turret for that one.

Thanks for looking,

Luckyjoe