LEMRAV

Subject:
"Ferret" LEMRAV
(Light Electro-Magnetic Reactive Armored Vehicle)
Kit Bash - 1/35

Review & model by:
Steve Freeman
Pictures: R. Forys

[The Ferret is designed to be a light reconnaissance vehicle fitted with a full spectrum sensor suite.]

This project started as a challenge to do something that pushed your modeling skills. The idea was to be able to try things without having to worry about the end results. The learning's, (successes and disasters) would be reported back to the group. We had to start with a kit outside our normal area of interest that we had acquired from a club fund raising raffle. (Something we wouldn't care about destroying!)

My idea grew out of helping my son with some science homework. I'd also been reading about the efforts of IED's and other weapons to field explosive resistant vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Combined with my interest in Dale Brown (Flight of the Old Dog) novels and science fiction, the concept of the LEMRAV was cooked up. Other than minor modifications and part swaps I hadn't done any significant kit bashing before, so I took a deep breath and jumped in.

[It started with the Monogram 48th scale AH-1S Cobra helicopter.]

Starting with the Monogram 48th scale AH-1S Cobra helicopter, I chopped the tail booms just behind the engine compartment. A single seat cockpit was kit bashed from the kit cockpit, items from my spares box, and a scratch built seat. After painting the cockpit assembly and the kit turbine, they were sandwiched between the fuselage pieces. To fill out the body, nose pieces from a scrap F-18 and the kit tail booms were glued to the sides and faired in with Evergreen quarter round and Squadron putty. The hole in the back end was filled with appropriately shaped pieces cut from the F-18, along with more quarter round and more putty.

The chassis and drive train was created from Tamiya GMC 2 ½ ton truck parts I had in my spares box. I chopped sections out of the chassis to fit it to the body with an appropriate wheelbase. The GMC drive shafts where reduced in length or replaced with Evergreen rod.

Background
A modern insurgent has the capability to blend into the environment and surreptitiously deploy weapons never before available to his predecessors. Detection of an insurgent or deployed weapon requires an almost prescience capability. A scout needs to be able to capture and quickly assimilate volumes of minute details to form pictures of his environments that can be analyzed to determine the existence of potential threat.

The Ferret is designed to be a light reconnaissance vehicle that is able to capture details of its surroundings and analyze those details to provide the operator with real time threat assessments. It is provided with agility and protective systems to allow it to survive in the modern insurgent environment.

Sensor and Threat Assessment Suite
The LEMRAV is fitted with a full spectrum sensor suite that collects data across multiple dimensions. Radio / radar spectrum sensors provide data to identify suspicious electro-magnetic radiation. Visual and infrared spectrum light wave scanners provide data to build a picture of the physical environment. This is used to identify threats based on physical characteristics or suspicious motions of objects. Chemical and biological particulate collectors provide data to determine the existence of explosive or biological weapons that are or were in the vicinity.

The king pin in the sensor suite however is the ultra high frequency seismic sonar. This equipment is an extension of the technology paleontologists use to scan for fossilized remains of dinosaurs. Ultra high frequency sonic waves are projected into the ground ahead of the vehicle from the emitter pod mounted below the nose. Sensors linked to the vehicle wheels pick up the reflected sound waves. From this data, a physical picture of underground objects is produced. Other attributes about those objects can be deduced from the effect they have on the reflected wave. From this picture and deduced composition, potential threats can be identified.

An advanced AI system takes all this information, filters out the environmental noise and inconsequential items, than consolidates it into a comprehensive picture of the local environment. From this picture, the system generates a threat assessment that is presented to the operator in real time through virtual reality goggles.

Armor Suite
The LEMRAV is protected by an innovative electro-magnetic reactive armour technology. Suspended along the flanks of the vehicle is a sophisticated fiber web that is capable of converting kinetic energy into electro-magnetic. This fiber is formed from three conductive layers. The inner and outer layers hold magnetic charges of opposite polarity, which holds the fiber together. The web is formed from sets of fibers connected in such a way that when the web is deformed, the inner and outer layers in the fibers slide in opposite directions. This causes an electric current to be created in the middle layer. This current is directed into magnetic intensifiers that increases the magnetic charge in the inner and outer layers. As the magnetic charge is increased, the fiber contracts back to its original state. The faster the deformation of the web, the faster the counteracting magnetic forces are generated which retards the deformation. Based on the principle of conservation of energy, the forces exerted by a projectile or explosive pressure waves are converted into equal and opposite magnetic forces. This conversion negates any damage to the vehicle and its systems.

The outer reactive armor is not 100% effective. Small particles from a destroyed projectile or debris carried by the explosive pressure wave will leak through the web. As well any heat associated with the weapon will leak through. A Kevlar / Nomex fiber appliqué armour is applied around the body to protect against this residual threat. The third level of protection is provided to the operator and internal systems in the form of a titanium cockpit tub with a plasti-steel canopy.

Weapon System
Defensively, the vehicle depends on its ability to detect and avoid threats. If attacked, it then depends on its ability to absorb anything fired against it. As a last resort and to provide some offensive capability, the vehicle is equipped with a 35 mm rail gun. This weapon uses a magnetic pulse to accelerate a high-density metal slug to hypersonic speeds, and is able to deliver over 100 round per second. Since the projectiles don't require propellant charges, the weapon system is capable of storing 5 times the number of rounds of a chemically powered weapon.

Propulsion and Power
The vehicle's propulsion system is electric. Each pair of wheels is powered by their own electric motor. All pairs are connected together in case of failure of any one motor. To provide the electrical power requirements of the entire vehicle, it is equipped with a 500-megawatt generator powered by a Pratt and Whitney T400-CP-400 turboshaft. Power surplus to requirements is stored in a battery system that allows for short periods of silent operation with the turbine shut down.

The EM reactive armour mesh was constructed with nylon wedding veil sandwiched between a frame made from Evergreen strip and brass rod. The kit main rotor blades where cut in half to form the "magnetic intensifier" that also acts as the support for the mesh. The kit weapons winglets were repositioned forward on the nose to provide a base for the armor assembly. Since the armor mesh would have to be moved to allow for servicing the vehicle, the armor assemblies are hinged on the base. The kit tail pieces and rear rotor were adapted to provide supports for the rear facing mesh assembly and the rear of the side assemblies when deployed.

[The seismic sonar emitter pod is a radar pod from an F4U Corsair night fight kit.]

The fiber appliqué armour was simulated with a layer of blue painters tape burnished down with an embossing tool to improve the adhesion. The seismic sonar emitter pod is a radar pod from an F4U Corsair night fight kit mounted to the Cobra gun turret with the kit main rotor assembly.

[The crewman was converted from a Tamiya 8th Army 25 Pdr gunner figure.]

To create the rail gun I added an aluminum tube down the middle of the kit Gatling gun assembly and mounted it where the main rotors should have gone. To finish off the model and give some size reference, I adapted a Tamiya 8th Army 25 Pdr gunner. I cut the arms, legs, and torso apart and reattached them to fit into space. The parts were then blended with 2-part putty. The headgear was kit bashed from German helmet, goggles, and evergreen scraps.

[The model was primed with Model Master gunmetal then painted with light coats of MM Iraqi Sand.]

Paint: I wanted to experiment with an idea that been percolating in my brain for a while. On most AFV's, bare metal is a shiny dark blue / black rather than silver. So instead of base coating / preshading with flat black I used Model Master gunmetal. After it had dried, I rubbed the surface down with a soft cloth to smooth and shine the surface. Several light coats of MM Iraqi Sand (thinned 50/50) were applied. Each coat was rubbed down lightly to reveal the base coat on the raised surfaces. The model was washed with raw umber oil paint after being gloss coated with future, and then dry-brushed with Iraqi Sand lighted with white oil paint after being flat coated with Testors Lacquer dull coat.

[Although I'm not 100% happy with everything, this was a really fun project.]

Conclusion: I like the use of gun metal as a primer. I think it has the potential for some interesting effects that I'll explore further in the future. Although I'm not 100% happy with the end results of the mesh armor, the use of wedding veil as a building material has some possibilities. Another technique I plan on exploring further. This was a really fun project. I highly recommend the exercise to any individual or group. It's a great way to expand your horizons.