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Issue 107 March 2015 www.modelmilitary.com
URBAN SURVIVAL, ABRAMS STYLE Dragon plus Legends 1:35 TUSK 2 Upgrade
WÄSCHEREI IN DER FRANZÖSISCHEN STRASSE Berlin Street Diorama in 1:35
MON CHAR !
Tamiya’s motorised 1:35 Char B1 bis
INSIDE: p 01 CoverMMI 107B.indd 1
1:35 Panzer 35(t) Befehlswagen ■ 1:35 Japanese Army Officer Set ■ 1:35 Himmelsdorf Diorama Set ■ 1:35 KV-85 ■ and more...
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Tankograd Fast Track 06. Type 10TK Modern Japanese Army Main Battle Tank In action photographs and a detailed walkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies - As our series ‘In-Detail’ but half size / half price! Quantity Photos and Illustrations: Illustrated with 70 colour photographs, 40 pages. £10.99
Tankograd 9022 - Cold War Exercise SPEARPOINT 80 Joint British and American Forces face the Threat from the East. After two years of preparatory work, the field training exercise Spearpoint 80 was conducted as part of the large-scale Exercise Crusader 80 between 11 and 26 September 1980. Since NATO came into existence, this exercise was the largest British one held on West German soil.Illustrated with 86 colour photographs, 32 black&white photographs and 4 maps. £13.99
Painting Wargame Tanks The definitive guide to paint Wargames armored vehicles by the hands of the famous Ruben Torregrosa (Heresybrush) and Mig Jimenez. Through its 96 pages we will discover, in a very visual and easy manner, how to get the results we want in our vehicles, since the book adapts to the needs of each player. From a basic guide for materials, through painting a tank in an easy but effective way, to obtaining the best possible professional finish. £21.99
D.A.K Profile Guide This book shows the original German camouflage of vehicles used by the Deutsche Afrika Korps, with color variants throughout the war. 108 pages, Over 170 profiles cover schemes, published by A.K Interactive. £23.99
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A.K Learning Volume 3. Tracks and Wheels Tracks and Wheels is the third release from the already famous AK Learning Series. The extremely talented artists within this book, take you on a journey through every aspect of painting and weathering tracks and wheels through their very own words, guiding you through their styles and approaches. Paperback, 83 pages, full colour. £10.99
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WW1 The First Mechanized War This book provides a comprehensive and complete view of the crude beginnings and fast evolution of armored warfare during the Great War. It includes historical texts illustrated with period photographs, and detailed colour profiles of each of the most outstanding models. Paperback, 167 pages, Black/White photos, colour profiles. £27.99
How to Build Tamiya’s Armour Kits in 1:35 This new book brings together five detailed features that will show what is possible from this extensive range of kits. In so doing, it offers hints and tips, detailed step-by-step guides and written descriptions on all manner of techniques from basic construction, through detailing, painting and realistic weathering. Paperback, 82 pages, full colour. £12.95
Tankograd 6034 - U.S. WW II & Korea M4A3 Sherman (76mm) Medium Tank 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Illustrated throughout. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal compagnion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants. £9.99
Tankograd 6033 - U.S. WW II Dodge WC62-WC63 6x6 Trucks 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Illustrated throughout. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal companion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants. £9.99
The Modeller’s Guide: Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama Intended for for both beginners and advanced modellers as it covers wide variety of modelling tasks ranging from basic detailing, scratch-building, painting, weathering, machining custom parts using resin as well as scratch-building part from brass and aluminium and of course, diorama making. Paperback. £18.95
The Weathering Magazine 9 - K.O and Wrecks This issue is dedicated to destroyed, abandoned, and sunken vehicles.The best modellers in the world will offer a repertoire of exceptional examples and they explain with detailed step by step process, all the newest tricks and techniques to get your models represent similar conditions. £8.99
FUCHS Part 3 Ambulance / Electronic Warfare / NBC The Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs (‘Fuchs’ being German for ‘fox’) wheeled armoured personnel carriers are, aside from the Leopard main battle tanks, the most iconic and most prominent assets of the modern German Army. 64 pages, full colour. £13.99
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Contents - Issue 107 March 2015 16
REGULARS
FEATURES
p 4 NEWS
p 6 THINK TANK
p 58 INCOMING
p 16 MON CHAR!
p 59 SMALL SCALE
p 30 PREVIEW
p 60 1:48 SCALE
p 32 URBAN SURVIVAL, ABRAMS STYLE
What’s new in the world of military modelling News on accessories, tools and finishing products What’s happening with releases 1:72 scale and smaller Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories
p 61 FIGURES
MMI’s thoughts on the figure releases
p 66 LAST POST
Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor
Char B1 bis History and Walk Around Tamiya 1:35 Motorised Char B1 bis by Brett Green Iwata Custom Micron B Airbrush
Dragon 1:35 M1A2 Upgrade by Mason Hongyi Zhang
52
32
p 38 FRANZOSISCH
1:35 scale Berlin Street Diorama by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala
p 52 LARGE, SAFE AND POWERFUL
MiniArt’s 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car by Federico Collada
p 57 PREVIEW
Bronco 1:35 Pz.Bfwg. 35(t)
©ADH Publishing Ltd 2015 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@modelmilitary.com Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.
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Newsline - March ’15
MMI Newsdesk, ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:editor@modelmilitary.com
The MAFVA Nationals 2015
T
he annual get-together of the Miniature AFV Association for this year will take place at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on Sunday June 21st, which happens to be Father’s Day. The MAFVA Nationals takes place within a large marquee adjacent to the American Air Museum, which is under re-organisation this year. Visitors will have access to the rest of the museum, with the usual activity around the vehicle workshops, the restoration hangars, and of course there is always something flying at Duxford. The marquee will be laid out in the familiar format of traders lining each side and the far end, MAFVA HQ at the runway end facing the competition tables, and MAFVA branches and clubs filling up the central blocks. Whilst the traders provide a lot of interest and help us unload our wallets, it is the club stands that provide the life-blood of the show. Here modellers can show off their latest efforts, and can discuss them with club colleagues and visitors alike. This can quite often be a marvellous resource for information, tips and the like which will help achieve
the results you are seeking. The other bonus visitors will have is access to the back issues of Tankette, the Association magazine. These will be on offer at special show prices, with big discounts for complete volumes. And of course, buying back issues at the Nationals will mean you save the cost of postage! The competitions will be run as last year building on the team’s experience, and again the Junior class is to be sponsored by Armourfast. Each Junior entrant will receive an Armourfast kit, with more going to the class winners. It has always been an aim of the MAFVA Nationals to encourage youngsters to participate in the hobby, and support from the traders has always helped. Further details of the competition and show will be posted on www.mafva.net/Nationals. Other questions may be sent to the organiser, Paul Middleton at paul.middleton600@ntlworld.com or by writing with an SSAE to 39 The Leas, Baldock, Herts, SG7 6HZ, Great Britain. Thanks to MAVFA for the information and images.
Inside the Armour 1:35 Centurion Mk.III Conversion Inside the Armour’s final release from 2014 has been released: Item No. 5015 Centurion Mk.III Conversion – This includes an accurate Mk.II/III Turret, number 19 radio mounts, turned Besa barrel and early stowage bins, plus wide rear deflector. These are all the parts you need to make an early Mk.III suitable for the Korean War. Also suitable for early Shot Kals 20 PDR BARREL NOT INCLUDED, Recommended for AFV Club 35106 or any AFV Club centurion plus aftermarket 20pdr Turret and bins will also be sold separately The price for this is £20 Other recent releases include: • 35106 T54/55 Spider Wheels (20 pieces) • 35108 T54 Zip Boxes - early T54 Boxes, 4 pieces • 35109 T54 Early Fuel Tanks - 7 resin pieces (PE not Included) • 35104 Shilka Upgrade - 500+PE pieces, 24 resin pieces, wood, styrene rod, brass rod All of these new release are available right now through Inside the Armour’s website www.insidethearmour.com
Dragon 1:35 Black Label Saladin
Dragon’s longawaited 1:35 scale Black Label Saladin armoured car should be with us by the time you read this issue of MMI. This will be Dragon Kit No. 3554. This model will feature a one-piece slide-moulded turret, poseable hatches, one-piece upper and lower hull sections, two-part multimedia wheels featuring deep tread detail, separate tie-downs and grab handles, and detailed suspension. It would appear that the kit will not provide a full interior, and judging by the photos of the sprues, construction should be fast and straightforward – just the way I like it! This is one that I am really looking forward too, and you may be assured that we will have a full build article as soon as the kit is available. Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the information and Dragon for the images.
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Think Tank - CHAR B1 and B1 Bis
CHAR B1 AND B1 BIS T
The origins, development and operational history of the Char B1 tank family.
he Char B1 was a specialised heavy break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turret was added, to allow it to function also as a Char de Bataille, a "battle tank" fighting enemy armour, equipping the armoured divisions of the Infantry Arm. Starting in the early twenties, its development and production were repeatedly delayed, resulting in a vehicle that was both technologically complex and expensive, and already obsolescent when real mass-production of a derived version, the Char B1 "bis", started in the late thirties. Although a second uparmoured version, the Char B1 "ter", was developed, only two prototypes were built. Among the most powerfully armed and armoured tanks of its day, the type was very effective in direct confrontations with German armour in 1940 during the Battle of France, but slow speed and high fuel consumption made it ill-
adapted to the war of movement then being fought. After the defeat of France, captured Char B1 (bis) would be used by Germany, with some rebuilt as flamethrowers or mechanised artillery. The Char B1 had its origins in the concept of a Char de Bataille conceived by General Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne in 1919, e.g. in his memorandum Mémoire sur les missions des chars blindés en campagne. It had to be a "Battle Tank" that would be able to accomplish a breakthrough of the enemy line by destroying fortifications, gun emplacements and opposing tanks. In January 1921 a commission headed by General Edmond Buat initiated a project for such a vehicle. To limit costs, it had to be built like a self-propelled gun, with the main weapon in the hull. To minimise the vehicle size this gun should only be able to move up and down with the horizontal aiming to be provided by turning the entire vehicle. The specifications included: a maximum weight of thirteen metric tonnes; a maximum armour
thickness of 25 millimetres; a hull as low as possible to enable the gun to fire into vision slits of bunkers; a small machine gun turret to beat off enemy infantry attacks, at the same time serving as an observation post for the commander and a crew of at most three men. Two versions should be built, the one a close support tank armed with a 75 mm howitzer, the other an antitank-vehicle with a 47 mm gun instead. French industry was very interested in the project. In the past this had often led to much non-constructive rivalry. Estienne, who in the war had personally witnessed the dismal effects of such a situation, was determined to avoid a repetition this time. He used his position as InspectorGeneral of the Tanks to enforce the so-called "Estienne accord" on the industrialists, ordering them to "reach a mutual understanding, free from any spirit of industrial competition". To be allowed to join they had to agree beforehand to relinquish any patents to the Army, which would be free to combine
all projects into a single type. In exchange industry were promised very large orders of no less than a thousand vehicles. On these conditions four projects were started in 1921: two by a cooperation between Renault and Schneider: the SRA and the SRB, one by FAMH (Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt, better known as Saint Chamond) and the last by FCM (Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée), the FCM 21. Renault and Schneider would each get to produce 250 units, FAMH and FCM each 125. A fifth producer, Delaunay-Belleville, of which the project (an improved FT 17) had been rejected beforehand, would be allowed to make 83 tanks; the remaining 167 would be allotted at the discretion of the French State. On 13 May 1924 the four prototypes were presented at the Atelier de Rueil, where they were compared, each having to drive over a twenty kilometre test course. Immediately it became evident that their technical development had been insufficient,
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A Char B1 bis under construction.
most breaking down; the SRA even started to fall apart. Maintenance was difficult because the engines were inaccessible. All projects used a three men crew but differed considerably in size, form and the solution chosen to laterally point the gun.
A yard full of damaged Char B1 bis tanks.
THE SRA The SRA was the heaviest vehicle with 19.5 metric tonnes. Its length was 595 centimetres, its height 226 cm and its width 249 cm. It had a 75 mm howitzer in the right side of the hull and a cast, 30 mm thick, turret with two machine-guns. It was steered by an epicyclical transmission combined with hydraulically reinforced brake disks—during tests this failed to provide the desired precision.
THE SRB The SRB was a somewhat larger vehicle, six metres long, 228 centimetres high and 2,5 metres wide. It was nevertheless lighter at 18.5 tonnes, a result of having a smaller 47 mm gun—it thus was the antitank-version.
THE FAHM PROTOTYPE The FAHM prototype resembled the contemporary Vickers Medium Tank. It weighed seventeen tonnes, was 520 centimetres long, 240 cm high and 243 cm wide.
THE FCM 21 The lightest prototype was the FCM 21 at 15.64 tonnes. It resembled a scaled-down Char 2C, the giant tank produced by the same company. March 1925 Estienne decided to base the future production type on the SRB, as regarded the general form and mechanical parts. However, it would be fitted with the 75 mm gun, a Holt-track to be developed by FCM, which company had completed a special research programme aimed at optimising weight distribution, and the FAMH-suspension (later this would again be discarded). Estienne also had some special desires: a track tension wheel should be fitted, adjustable from the inside, and a small gangway from the fighting room should improve the accessibility of the engine compartment. Furthermore the front armour should be increased to 40 millimetres.
An immobilised Char B1 bis is being used as an oversized signpost. Note the German directions painted onto the side of the tank.
THE WOODEN MOCK-UP In November 1925 Renault was given the order to build a wooden mock-up that was finished early 1926. On 27 January 1926 it was decided to build three prototypes of what was provisionally called A
A good view of the fittings on the rear hull of the Char B1 bis, including chains, a tow cable and one of the three styles of exhaust. March 2015 - Model Military International 7
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Think Tank - CHAR B1 and B1 Bis B a Tracteur 30, a final design
by engineer Alleaume of the Schneider company, cooperating with the STCC (Section Technique des Chars de Combat). The first was to be delivered by Renault, the other two by FCM and FAHM respectively. The same year the Direction de l'Infanterie in the Plan 1926 redefined the concept of a Char de Bataille. There would be a greater emphasis on infantry support, implying that the antitank-capacity was secondary and no armour increase was necessary. The weight was to be limited to 22 metric tonnes and the speed might be as low as 15 km/h. However, a radio set would have to be fitted to better direct and coordinate its actions; therefore a fourth crewmember was needed. On 18 March 1927 the contracts for the three prototypes were signed. The hull of first Renault vehicle, made of softer boiler plate instead of armour steel to simplify changes, was in January 1929 finished apart from the armament. It was delivered in March. The separately produced cast turret was delivered on 23 April. The howitzer could only be fitted in April 1930. This prototype was allotted the series number N° 101. N° 102, the production of which FAMH had shifted to Renault, was delivered soon after; in September 1930 FCM delivered N° 103, constructed by the Atelier de Mépanti at Marseille. One of the vehicles was fitted with an alternative 75 mm Schneider gun instead of the 75 mm St Chamond M 21 from FAMH. Testing on the first prototype had already begun before the other two were delivered, or even its main armament was fitted. It had with 24,750 kilogrammes a weight higher than specified but could nevertheless reach a top speed of 24 km/h. From 6 May until August 1930 the Commission d'Experiences des Matériels de Chars carried out a further test programme on what was now officially called the Char B—the "B" not referring to Bataille but to a general classification code. The commission was largely satisfied with the vehicle, though many smaller problems were detected that had to be improved. The FCM prototype featured several alternative technologies: a Winterthur transmission, a Citroën clutch and a Sulzer diesel engine, later replaced by a Clerget diesel. All of these systems would prove to be more unreliable than the original concept and were ultimately rejected. The three vehicles were not
A German soldier poses on a disabled Char B1.
A captured French Renault UE carrier in front of Char B1 bis, “Bugeaud”, tank no. 534 of 28th BCC 3.
“Bearn II”, tank no. 401 of the 37th BCC, burnt out.
“Verdun II”, No. 452, a Char B1 bis of 1st DCR. German unit markings have been painted onto the side armour plate.
Char B1 bis “Marne” abandoned in a French street.
Another view of Bearn II. Note the heavy spring and the small pair of forward road wheels. These are usually hidden behind the heavy side armour plate.
A Char B1 bis abandoned in a field. The heavy staining on the hull sides was typical.
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only used for technological but also tactical experimentations. Together with the Char D1 preseries they represented the only modern tanks in France and the Army was naturally very interested in what lessons could be learned from them about future warfare, outlining the concept of a Char de Manoeuvre. Neither Char de Bataille nor Char de Manoeuvre are official type designations; they refer to the tactical concepts only. In October 1931 a small unit was formed, the Détachement d' Experimentation in which the prototypes were united from December, using the Camp de Châlons as a base to see how they could be used in winter conditions. Afterwards they on their own power drove to the Atelier de Rueil for repairs. In September they participated in the Champagne summer manoeuvres as a Détachement Mécanique de Combat; from 4 May 1933 N° 102 en 103 together formed a Détachement d'Engins Blindés to perform tactical experiments in the army bases of Coëtquidan and Mourmelon as part of a motorised light division, followed by comparable experiments in April 1934 at Sissonne. Technical aspects were not forgotten during these tests and it was established they could attain an average road speed of 19 km/h, cross a trench 2,4 metres wide and wade through a 105 centimetres deep stream. The prototypes were again extensively altered to meet changes in specifications. On 6 April 1934 the first order was made for seven tanks of a Char B1. The "B1" refers to the fact that there were other simultaneous projects to develop improved types: the Char B2, B3 and B B. The Char B1 was manufactured by several firms: Renault (182), AMX (47), FCM (72), FAMH (70) and Schneider (32). Although it was the main producer, Renault had not exclusively designed the tank. Therefore the official name was not Renault B1 as often erroneously given. It was a very expensive tank to build: the per unit cost was about 1.5 million French francs. In France at the time two schools of thought collided: the first wanted to build very strong heavy tanks, the other a lot of cheap light tanks. Both sides managed to influence procurement policy to the end that not enough tanks were built of either category, to the exasperation of men like Colonel Charles de Gaulle who wanted to build more of the medium Char D2, with a third of the cost of the Char B1 bis, but armed with the same 47mm gun. A
Char B1 bis, “Surcouf” of 47th BCC, on a trailer.
Many Char B1 bis tanks ran out of fuel or broke down, and were scuttled by their crews.
A front view of the same vehicle.
A nice side view of an abandoned Char B1 bis tank.
Tank no. 112, Mulhouse, abandoned in Orleans.
German soldiers examine a knocked-out Char B1 bis tank. Note the many shell strikes that have failed to penetrate the rear hull.
Char B1 bis, tank no. 257, “Bourrasque”, of 2nd Section, 1st Company, 15th Tank Battalion, 2nd Armoured Division.
Char B1 bis, tank no. 455 “Cambronne” of the 46th BCC, comes to a sticky end on the edge of a river.
The track has been thrown on this knocked out Char B1 bis.
A German Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f). This was a German conversion applied to captured Char B1 bis tanks. Note the flame nozzle in place of the hull 75mm howitzer.
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Think Tank - CHAR B1 and B1 Bis B
The outer appearance of the Char B1 reflected the fact that development started in the 1920s: like the very first tank, the British Mark I tank of World War I fame, it still had large tracks going around the entire hull and large armour plates protecting the suspension— and like all tanks of that decade it had no welded or cast hull armour. The similarity resulted partly from the fact that the Char B1 was a specialised offensive weapon, a break-through tank optimised for punching a hole into strong defensive entrenchments, so it was designed with good trench-crossing capabilities. The French Army thought that dislodging the enemy from a key front sector would decide a campaign, and it prided itself on being the only army in the world having a sufficient number of adequately protected heavy tanks. The exploitation phase of a battle was seen as secondary and best carried out by controlled and methodical movement to ensure superiority in numbers, so for the heavy tanks also mobility was of secondary concern. Although the Char B1 had for the time of its conception a good speed, no serious efforts were made to improve it when much faster tanks appeared. More important than the tank's limitations in tactical mobility, though, were its limitations in strategic mobility. The low practical range implied the need to refuel very often, limiting its
operational capabilities. This again implied that the armoured divisions of the Infantry, the Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve, were— despite their name that merely reflected the fact that they had originally been planned to be raised in a secondary mobilisation—not very effective as a mobile reserve and thus lacked strategic flexibility. They were not created to fulfil such a role in the first place, which was reflected in the small size of the artillery and infantry components of the divisions.
The One Man Turret Another explanation of the similarity to the British Mark I lies in the Char B1's original specification to create a selfpropelled gun able to destroy enemy infantry and artillery. The main weapon of the tank was its 75 mm howitzer, and the entire design of the vehicle was directed to making this gun as effective as possible. When in the early 1930s it became obvious that the Char B1 also had to defeat counterattacking enemy armour, it was too late for a complete redesign. The solution was to add the standard cast APX-1 turret that also equipped the Char D2. Like most French tanks of the period (the exception being the AMC 34 and AMC 35) the Char B thus had a small one-man turret. Today this is typically seen as one of their greatest flaws. The commander, alone in the
turret, not only had to command the tank, but also to aim and load the gun. If he was a unit leader, he had to command his other tanks as well. This was in contrast with the contemporary German, British and to a lesser extent Soviet policy to use two or three-man turret crews, in which these duties were divided between several men. The other nations felt that the commander would otherwise be over-tasked and unable to perform any of his roles as well as the commanders of tanks with two or three-man turret crews. Whether this left the Char B1 less formidable in actual combat than a review of its impressive statistics suggests, is difficult to ascertain. In 1940, the vast majority of Char B1 combat losses were inflicted by German artillery and anti-tank guns. In direct meetings with German tanks the Char B1 usually had the better of it, sometimes spectacularly so as when on 16 May a single tank, Eure (commanded by Captain Pierre Billotte), frontally attacked and destroyed thirteen German tanks lying in ambush in Stonne, all of them Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs, in the course of a few minutes. The tank safely returned despite being hit 140 times. Similarly, in his book Panzer Leader, Heinz Guderian related an incident, which took place during a tank battle south of Juniville: "While the tank battle was in progress, I attempted, in vain, to destroy a Char B with a captured 47-mm anti-tank gun;
all the shells I fired at it simply bounced harmlessly off its thick armour. Our 37-mm and 20-mm guns were equally ineffective against this adversary. As a result, we inevitably suffered sadly heavy casualties". The French favoured small turrets despite their shortcomings, as they allowed for much smaller and thus cheaper vehicles. Although the French expenditure on tanks was relatively larger than the German, France simply lacked the production capacity to build a sufficient number of heavier tanks. The Char B1 was expensive enough as it was, eating up half of the infantry tank budget.
VARIANTS - Char B1 The original Char B1 had frontal and side armour up to 40 mm thick. The vehicle had a fully traversing APX1 turret with a 47 mm L/27.6 SA 34 gun. This had a poor anti-tank capability: the thirty APHE (Armour Piercing High Explosive) rounds among the fifty the tank carried had a maximum penetration of about 25 mm. In addition, it was armed with a 75 mm ABS 1929 SA 35 gun mounted in the right-hand side of the hull front and two 7.5 mm Châtellerault M 1931 machine guns: one in the hull and the other in the turret. The 75 mm L/17.1 gun, that could fire both a HE and the APHE Obus de rupture Modèle 1910M round, had a limited traverse of only one degree to the left or the right
The Tank Museum’s Char B1 bis. This vehicle was captured in France and used by German occupation forces in Jersey.
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(equating to about 18 metres at 500 m range). It was laid onto target by the driver (provided with the gun sight) through the Naeder hydraulic precision transmission. The traverse had only been made possible in order to precisely align the gun barrel with the sight beforehand. The 75 mm gun had its own loader—the remaining two crew members were the radio operator and the commander, who had to load, aim and fire the 47 mm gun while commanding the vehicle (and in the case of platoon leaders, command other vehicles as well). The fighting compartment had the radio set on the left and an exit hatch in the right side. All vehicles had the ER53 radio telegraphy set, which used Morse Code only. A hatch in the rear bulkhead gave access to a corridor (under which nineteen 75 mm rounds out of a total of eighty were stowed) in the engine room to the right of the engine, which was officially rated at 250 hp (190 kW), but had an actual output of 272 hp (203 kW). Each tank had its own team of three mechanics; in battle some of these might join the regular crew. The suspension was very complex with sixteen road wheels per side. There were three large central bogies, sprung by a vertical coil spring. Each central bogie carried two smaller ones. The three vertical springs moved through holes in a horizontal beam, to both extreme ends of which road wheels were attached by means of leaf springs: three at the front and one at the back. The high track run gave the tank an old fashioned look, reflecting its long development time. It had a maximum speed of 28 km/h and a weight of 28 metric tons. The range was about 200 km. A total of 34 vehicles were built from December 1935 until July 1937. They had series numbers 102 to 135. Chassis number 101 was kept apart to build the Char B1 ter prototype.
Char B1 bis The Char B1 bis was an upgraded variant with thicker armour at 60 mm maximum (55 mm at the sides) and an APX4 turret with a longer-barrelled (L/32) 47 mm SA 35 gun, to give the tank a real anti-tank capacity. It was the main production type: from 8 April 1937 until June 1940 369 units were delivered out of a total order for 1144, with series numbers 201 to 569. Before the war manufacture was slow: only 129 had been delivered on 1 September 1939. The monthly delivery was still not more than fifteen in December; it peaked
in March 1940 with 45. The Char B1 bis had a top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) provided by a 307 bhp (229 kW) petrol engine. The first batch of 35 Char B1 bis used the original engine but from 1938 to May 1940 they were slowly re-equipped. Its weight was about 31.5 metric tons. The operational range was about 180 km (110 mi) which was similar to other tanks of the period. At 20 km/h (12 mph) the three fuel tanks (total capacity of 400 l (88 imp gal) would be exhausted in six hours. To improve matters, at first, trailers with an 800 litre auxiliary fuel tank were towed but this practice was soon abandoned. Instead Char B1 units included a large number of fuel trucks and TRC Lorraine 37 L armoured tracked refuelling vehicles specially designed to quickly refuel them. The last tanks to be produced in June had an extra internal 170 l (37 imp gal) fuel tank. To cool the more powerful engine the Char B1 bis had the air intake on the left side enlarged. It is often claimed this formed a weak spot in the armour, based on a single incident on 16 May near Stonne where two German 37 mm PAK guns claimed to have knocked out three Char B1's by firing at the intakes at close range. The air intake was a 6-inch (150 mm) thick assembly of horizontal slits alternately angled upwards and downwards between 28 mm thick armour plates, and as such intended to be no more vulnerable than the normal 55 mm side plates. Over the production run the type was slowly improved. Tanks number 306 to 340 carried 62 47-mm rounds (and the old complement of 4,800 machine gun rounds); later tanks 72 and 5,250. However the B1 bis had fewer 75 mm rounds compared to the earlier B1 : 74 instead of eighty, normally only seven of which were APHE ammunition. Early in 1940 another change was made when the ER53 radio was replaced by the ER51 that allowed spoken wireless communication. The company and battalion command tanks also had an ER55 for communication with higher command. The crews of the 1re DCR kept their old sets however, preferring them because the human voice was drowned by engine noise.
The large characteristic riveted track links.
Side detail of the track links. The large lightening holes are of particular interest.
Detail view of the headlight and idler wheel.
An outer view of the idler wheel. Note the mix of slotted screw heads and pointed rivets on the hull side.
Char B1 ter Development of the Char B1 ter was started at the same time as production funds were given for the bis with the intention of providing a tank armoured to 75mm. A design with sloped and welded 70 mm armour, weighing
A
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Think Tank - CHAR B1 and B1 Bis B 36.6 metric tons and powered
by a 350 hp (260 kW) engine was meant to replace the B1 bis to accelerate mass production from the summer of 1940. In the course of the redesign, space was provided for a fifth crew member, a "mechanic". Cost was reduced by omitting the complex Neader transmission and giving the hull gun a traverse of five degrees to each side instead. The first prototype was shown in 1937. Only two prototypes could be finished before the defeat of France. In May 1940 it was agreed to deliver nine Char B1's each month to Britain in exchange for a monthly British production of the "H 39".
Operational History After the German invasion, several ad hoc units were formed: the 4DCR with 52 Char B1's and five autonomous companies (347e, 348e, 349e, 352e and 353e Compagnie Autonome de Chars) with in total 56 tanks: 12 B1s and 44 B1 bis. Also 28BCC was reconstituted with 34 tanks. The
regular divisions destroyed quite a few German tanks, but lacked enough organic infantry and artillery to function as an effective mobile reserve. A number of Char B1s (161) were captured by the Germans during the Fall of France. These were later pressed into service as second line and training vehicles under the name of Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f). Sixty became platforms for flamethrowers as Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2 (f). Sixteen were converted into 105 mm selfpropelled artillery. Ordinary tank versions were also frequently modified. For example, additional armour was placed above the main gun, and a winch mechanism was added behind the turret. One unit, Panzer-Abteilung 213, was equipped with the Char B1 bis and deployed on the Channel Islands from 1941 to 1945. One of their tanks is displayed by the Bovington Tank Museum, though repainted in French colours. In German service, the tank saw action in the Balkans Campaign and the Eastern
The front axle is covered by an armoured tube.
Detail view of the Renault factory badge and welded mounts.
Front, initially during Operation Barbarossa, the flamethrower version from 1942 onwards. Italy, independently from Germany, captured eight Chars B1 bis when in October 1940 an Italian worker disclosed to the Italian Armistice Commission that they in July had been hidden in a cave near Les Baux-de-Provence. These vehicles, six of which lacked the turret, were tested but probably not operationally used by Italy. After the Allies had invaded France in 1944, some B1s were recaptured. Several were used on an individual and incidental basis by resistance forces, such as those fighting the German garrison of Paris in August 1944. On 7 October 1944, the Provisional Government of the French Republic formed the 13th Dragoon Regiment of the Free French Forces. The majority of the regiment fielded SOMUA S35 cavalry tanks, but Captain Edmond Voillaume's 2nd Company was equipped with 19 B1 bis tanks, which included a mixture of standard and German modified
The front of the hull.
The driver’s vision box. This offered slots and the hatch could also be opened for a wider view.
The forward section of the starboard hull side.
The main entry hatch on the starboard side.
B-2s. They were stationed in OrlĂŠans until 2 April 1945, when they were mobilised for the Allied siege of La Rochelle. The tanks were effective in the attack on Royan on 15 April 1945, using their 75 mm guns for fire support, while targeting pillboxes with their 47 mm guns. After that, 2nd Company accompanied troops on an assault on Pontaillac on 17 April, followed by an attack on the German stronghold at La Rochelle between 29 April and 8 May. Voillaume was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. After the war, the 13th Dragoon Regiment was stationed in the French occupation zone of Allied-occupied Germany as part of the French 3rd Armoured Division. It was eventually disbanded in the German town of Wittlich in April 1946. n
Development and history text courtesy of Wikipedia http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_B1
A close-up view of the 75mm howitzer muzzle. The rifling may clearly be seen here.
The cast texture of the 75mm gun mantlet may be appreciated here.
The starboard drive sprocket.
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An overall view of the vehicle from the rear three-quarter.
The large ventilation louvre on the port side.
The jack, mounted on the track guard.
Detail view of the front hull meeting the track guard.
The rough casting of the turret is very obvious in this photo.
Starboard view of the 47mm gun mantlet.
The turret machine gun mantlet.
Starboard view of the turret.
Detail view of one of three turret lifting hooks.
The commander’s turret hatch in the closed position. March 2015 - Model Military International 13
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
The box art for Tamiya’s motorised 1:35 scale Char B1 bis.
MON CHA
Tamiya now offers a motorised version of their excellent 1:35 scale Char B1 bis. The Editor takes the opportunity to build this classic kit.
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HAR! The one-piece upper hull is an impressive piece of moulding.
Subtle cast texture is moulded to the turret and the Commander’s cupola.
The two arches will hold the batteries in place when the hull top and bottom halves are joined.
The new sprue contains plastic parts for the interior of the hull that will accommodate the motorisation parts.
The white battery boxes. The model takes two AAA batteries.
The motorisation parts, including a tube of Tamiya grease and two Allen keys to assist assembly.
The wonderful click-link individual track links.
The original four French markings are offered in Warning stickers for fans of Occupational Health this motorised version. and Safety.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
T
amiya released their 1:35 scale Char B1 bis, kit number 35282, back in 2006. This kit was hailed at the time as one of the best military models ever released in terms of detail and fit. A German Army version was released as a follow up in 2007. I bought Tamiya’s Char B1 bis soon after its release but never found the time to build it.
TAMIYA’S MOTORISED CHAR B1 BIS IN THE BOX Tamiya has now added a third kit to this family with a motorised Char B1 bis. The new kit comprises 238 parts in tan coloured plastic, 130 browngrey individual track links, two lengths of black chain, an electric motor with integrated gearbox and wiring, polythene battery boxes, various metal fittings, two Allen keys and a tube of grease, plus markings for four vehicles and warning stickers. The standard of moulding is everything you would expect from Tamiya. There are no imperfections on any exterior surfaces, and textures are impressive. These include raised rivet heads, vents, hatches and subtle cast texture on the turret, commander’s cupola and mantlet. Alternative parts are offered for the exhausts and track guards. The Commander’s cupola may be left to rotate after assembly, the howitzer barrel will elevate and traverse thanks to the polythene caps, and the driver’s hatches are separate parts (although there is no interior detail if you leave them open). The new plastic parts are provided on a single tan-coloured sprue. These are all related to the motorisation. The only clue to the motorisation on the finished model will be the on/off switch on the bottom of the hull, unless you choose to apply the garish warning stickers to the model. The individual track links are supplied as separate parts in a plastic bag. The only clean-up needed is the removal of a small raised pip on the top centre of each track pad. The links are designed to click together and remain fully workable after assembly. Detail is generally excellent although a few small elements are omitted, including the lifting hooks on the Commander’s cupola, the front sets of sponson skids and the lifting ring on the howitzer mantlet.
The small road wheels are supplied in pairs and are simply trapped between the pictured rail and the bottom of the hull.
The road wheels in place. You do need to be careful to avoid getting glue on the wheels.
The idler wheels rotate with the assistance of polythene caps.
The howitzer is also fitted with poly caps, which allow it to elevate and traverse (slightly).
The starboard idler wheel, its mount and the howitzer itself make up a single sub-assembly.
Don’t forget to drill out the holes in the upper hull.
This sub-assembly is now added to the lower hull.
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CONSTRUCTION Construction was as fast and trouble free as you would expect from a Tamiya kit. My only words of caution would be to make sure that the road wheels are free to rotate, so apply glue sparingly when trapping the small wheels between the mounting rail and the lower hull sides; and don’t forget to drill out the locating holes from the inside of the upper hull! I generally followed the sequence of the instructions, and only made a couple of minor variations. Although the turret and mantlet are moulded with a subtle casting effect, I beefed up the texture with Tamiya Surfacer. I scooped out some of the gloopy blobs from the neck and the cap of the bottle, and stippled the thick liquid on with an old stiff brush. I also added the lifting ring to the mantlet and three small lifting hooks to the Commander’s cupola. Wartime photos seem to suggest that the mantlet lifting ring was actually a twisted piece of metal, quite reminiscent of a curly pig’s tail. I bent a piece of brass wire to shape and drilled a hole in the top of the mantlet. The kit conveniently has three left over lifting hooks. I adapted these to the small cupola by simply cutting off the flared bases and gluing the reduced hooks to the sides of the cupola. Assembling the motorisation gear was easy. The motor, gearbox and wiring are supplied as a single unit, so it really is just a matter of following the instructions. The motor unit feels very loose right up until the two hull halves are joined. Despite my concerns, the fit and operation was fine once the sprockets and tracks were attached. Assembling the tracks is literally a snap by simply clicking the links together using the action noted in the instructions.
The drive sprocket tension screw may be adjusted with an Allen key when the model is assembled.
Here is one of the tensioner assemblies glued inside the rear of the hull.
The electric motor with its integrated gearbox and wiring.
Grease is the word! The axle and other metal parts should be greased before assembly.
At this stage, the engine and axle are quite loose inside the rear hull. Don’t worry though – things tighten up once the hull halves are joined and the drive sprockets are attached.
PAINTING I built a Bronco Hotchkiss H39 back in 2011, and I think it was my worst paint finish in at least the last ten years. I attempted a three-colour French camouflage scheme slightly obscured by dust, and ended up with something that looked like an unwashed potato. I confess that this put me off the idea of French armour camouflage for a while. When I started this model, I thought that I might avoid the ignominy of another failed paint job by painting this as a singleshaded Vichy machine. A
The new plastic bulkhead helps keep things in place. Take care to ensure the red wires are fed underneath the tabs at the top edges of the bulkheads, as may be seen in this photo. March 2015 - Model Military International 19
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
The metal contacts have now been fitted to the battery boxes. Take careful note of the polarity (positive and negative).
B In the end though, I put my
misgivings to one side, girded my loins and decided on an interesting mixed scheme with a hard-edged, black-outlined, three-coloured turret topping a green and dark yellow hull. I started with a base coat of Tamiya acrylic XF-60 Dark Yellow mixed with 50% XF-2 Flat White. The resulting bright, light shade would be darkened during the weathering stage. Next, I scaled the kit’s painting
No soldering is required. All the wiring is held in place by twisting and flexible vinyl bands cut from tube.
guide up to 1:35 scale using Photoshop, and printed out the side and top views. A piece of wide Tamiya tape was laid down on the hull side drawings and cut out with a pair of scissors. The tape was then peeled off and applied to the hull sides. I decided on a simpler and chunkier camouflage pattern for the top of the hull. Masks were also cut from Tamiya tape for this custom pattern. With the masks in place, the hull
received an overall coat of GunzeSangyo acrylic H422 RLM 82 Light Green. The demarcation was quite hard edged after the removal of the tape, so I softened it slightly by spraying fine lines of the yellow mix where the two colours met. The turret camouflage was now sketched directly onto the yellow painted plastic with a brown artist’s pencil. A green shade was mixed from Vallejo acrylics and brushed onto the turret, followed
A metal bolt is fitted to the core of each drive sprockets. A threaded lock will help you secure the drive sprockets to the metal axles.
The battery-securing arches have been glued into the lower hull.
by a mixed medium brown. The final step was to carefully hand paint a black outline around the camouflage patterns.
MARKINGS AND WEATHERING The first order of weathering was blending and fading. For this, I simply sprayed Tamiya XF-57 Buff diluted with 90% thinners over the entire model. This toned down the bright shades and also disguised any tiny remaining spatters of overspray on the hull. A
Batteries and drive sprockets in place now.
The two hull halves are ready to be brought together.
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The mantlet, driver’s armoured box and other details are added before the hull halves are assembled.
The hull halves connected, and the track guards attached. The front and rear edges of the track guards were sanded thinner before being glued to the hull.
Three small lifting hooks for the Commander’s cupola were modified from the leftover kit parts. Extra texture was also added using Tamiya Surfacer.
The turret was also textured with Tamiya Surfacer…
The hull halves are held in place with this black screw.
The characteristic pigs tail lifting hook was bent from a length of brass rod.
…as was the mantlet. The mantlet was also drilled through to allow a lifting hook to be fitted.
All together now! Although the fit was pretty good with just the screw, I glued the top and bottom halves along the side hull join to eliminate any chance of tiny gaps.
Details added to the rear deck, and surface texture for the soon-to-be-rusty exhaust heat guards.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
The entire model received a coat of Tamiya Grey Primer straight from the can to identify any recalcitrant gaps or other imperfections.
The base colour was a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow and XF-2 Flat White. This light, bright colour will be toned down after subsequent weathering.
B Next, the turret and hull front
were sprayed with several coats of Future Floor Polish to provide a glossy base for the decals Markings were a combination of hand-painting and decals – both home-made and after market. The basic shape of the turret scroll marking was drawn on with a permanent white Uni Posca marker. This was later tidied up with a fine brush. The blue was mixed from Vallejo acrylics and applied with a fine brush. The trapezium shapes are homemade decals, masked and sprayed. The light green was mixed from Tamiya acrylics and sprayed onto the masked decal sheet. The “EURE” vehicle name was adapted from “FLEURIE”, which appears on an Editions du Barbotin decal sheet. Once the markings were in place,
two coats of AK Interactive’s Ultra Matte Varnish were applied. I quite liked the clean look of the camouflaged tank at this stage. However, the vast majority of photos show that Char B1 bis hulls were usually filthy to the point of largely obscuring the camouflage patterns. It seems that the tracks were heavily greased, and when combined with dust and mud, the results were inevitable! The first step was to highlight structural detail with Deep Shadow Wash from the new Wilder range of weathering products. The heavy wash was left to dry for around ten minutes then the excess was removed with a flat brush lightly dampened with mineral turps. Next was the pigment layer. I have never been particularly happy with my application of pigments so I usually use Easy Mud or
The camouflage patterns for the hull sides and top were scaled up to 1:35 on Photoshop and printed out. Wide Tamiya masking tape was laid down on the pattern, which clearly showed through.
apply weathering effects using the airbrush. However, it seemed that the heavy weathering on this vehicle would demand the use of pigments. My biggest challenge to date has been finding a fixing solution that would hold the pigments in place and not wash them away. This time I used Wilder’s FX01 Fixer on Mig pigments and was delighted with the results. Drops of the liquid were gently dripped onto the layers of pigments using an eyedropper for predictable and pleasing results. Wilder NL02 Deep Shadow Wash was then applied selectively to surface features and in streaks down the hull sides. Additional Mig P033 Dark Mud pigment and Deep Shadow Wash were then applied to areas of fresh and accumulated mud.
Rust shaded pigments were also applied to the tops of the exhaust pipe and heat shields. The chunky chains were dipped in “Black Magic” blackening solution before being draped on the hooks on the rear hull. Before the tracks were added permanently to the running gear, they were sprayed with a “scale black” shade – a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, then brushed with a mix of water and Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth. The excess mud was wiped off the track pads with a clean cloth. The small headlight is supplied as a solid plastic part. The front of the light was painted medium grey with a light grey crescent, followed by a blob of two-part epoxy glue to represent the clear lens.
The patterns were cut out with a pair of scissors and the tape peeled off the paper before being applied to the model.
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CREW FIGURE I liked the moulding and especially the face of the kit-supplied Commander, so I decided to use him without modification. The head was sprayed with Tamiya White Primer and the body with Tamiya Grey Primer straight from the spray can. The head then received a sprayed coat of Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh. Facial features were given a wash with heavily thinned Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna before details were picked out with a fine brush. Finally, the uniform and helmet were painted with Vallejo acrylics.
I simplified the upper surface pattern. This was also masked with Tamiya tape.
CONCLUSION Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Char B1 bis was a classic kit upon its release in 2006, and the years have not dulled its lustre. Tamiya has cleverly concealed motorisation on the finished model so the only clue is the on/off switch and the securing screw, both located on the bottom of the hull. I really enjoyed building, painting and weathering this kit, and it does look great lumbering slowly across my workshop floor! ■
Gunze acrylic H422 RLM 82 Light Green was used as the disruptive shade.
Openings to the electrical engine compartment were plugged with Blu-Tack before the next stages of painting and weathering. I did not want to gum up the works with paint and pigments!
Masking tape removed, revealing a mostly hard-edged camouflage pattern.
The brown disruptive camouflage was added after the green. The hard-edged turret camouflage was sketched onto the yellow base coat with a brown artist’s pencil, then brush painted with Vallejo acrylics.
The trapezium shapes are home-made decals, masked and sprayed.
The black outline was then carefully painted with a fine brush. The basic shape of the turret scroll marking was drawn on with a permanent white Uni Posca marker. This was later tidied up with a fine brush.
The light green was mixed from Tamiya acrylics and sprayed onto the masked decal sheet.
Voila! Green trapezium decals!
The blue was mixed from Vallejo acrylics and applied with a fine brush.
The “EURE” vehicle name was adapted from “FLEURIE”, which appears on an Editions du Barbotin decal sheet.
The combination of decals and paintwork on the small turret.
The trapezoid decals have been applied here.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
The basic camouflage colours in place. The edges of the hull colours have been softened slightly by airbrushed lines of the yellow camouflage colour. This offers a little contrast and variation compared to the very hard-edged turret camouflage.
An overall heavily thinned coat of Tamiya XF-57 Buff has been applied to suggest a light covering of dust, and to tone down the somewhat bright colours.
Wilder Deep Shadow Wash was applied around the rivets, structural details and in panel lines.
Three shades of Mig Pigments - P033 Dark Mud, P234 Rubbel (sic) Dust and P415 Light European Earth – were shovelled on and held in place with Wilder FX01 Fixer, applied delicately with an eye dropper.
After leaving the wash for around 10 minutes, the excess was removed with a clean flat brush slightly moistened with mineral turpentine.
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The pigments were built up gradually in layers on the hull sides, front and rear, starting with the lighter colour. Each pigment colour was fixed and dry before the next was applied.
The basic three pigments fixed in place on one of the hull sides.
Wilder NL02 Deep Shadow Wash was then applied selectively to surface features and in streaks down the hull sides.
Rust shaded pigments were also applied to the tops of the exhaust pipe and heat shields.
I bought a new tool for applying chips to my armour models. This is from J’s Work. The set provides six different grades of sponge, a handle, six mounts and double-sided tape. I was very pleased with the effect achieved with the medium density sponges.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
The track links were quickly clicked together into full lengths.
The assembled tracks were painted with a “scale black” shade – 50/50 Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown – and then treated to a coat of Maru Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth.
The chains were dipped in “Black Magic” blackening agent before being draped on the hooks on the rear hull.
The pigments on the exhaust dried to a satisfactory rusty finish. Details were picked out with Vallejo acrylics.
The paint job is now complete.
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The Tamiya Commander figure was primed and painted without modification.
The facial features and moulding quality is very high.
The figure’s small frame fits well in the turret hatch.
Chipping may be seen to good effect here.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor) • Kit No. 30058
Construction was as fast and “ trouble free as you would expect from a Tamiya kit... ” The Char B1 bis in profile.
Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/single motor). Kit No. 30058 Tools & Modelling Products: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Surfacer Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Mr Dissolved Putty Selleys Epoxy Glue Irwin Clamps (various sizes) Testor Aztek A470 airbrush Iwata HP-CP Airbrush Paints and Finishing Products: Vehicle: Tamiya Spray Cans - Grey Primer Gunze Mr Colour Lacquer Paint - 122 RLM 82 Light Green Tamiya Acrylic – X-25 Clear Green; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-52 Flat Earth; XF-57 Buff; XF-59 Desert Yellow; XF-60 Dark Yellow; XF-64 Red Brown. Mr Colour Leveling Thinner 400 Vallejo Acrylics - Various Figures: Uniforms Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics – Various Flesh Base Coat: Tamiya acrylic XF-15 Flat Flesh. Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna. Variations and Highlights: Vallejo Model Colour acrylics 70815 Basic Skin Tone; 845 Sunny Skin Tone; 919 Foundation White (mixed). General Detailing (all Vallejo Model Colour acrylics): 70862 Black Grey; 919 Foundation White. Wilder – FX01 Fixer; NL02 Deep Shadow Wash MIG Pigments – P033 Dark Mud; P042 Ochre Rust; P234 Rubbel (sic) Dust: P414 Track Brown; P415 Light European Earth; P416 Fresh Rust. Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth Black Magic (blackening agent)
The only clue to the “ motorisation on the finished model will be the on/off switch on the bottom of the hull, unless you choose to apply the garish warning stickers to the model...
✓ High level of detail; superb fit; clever engineering; easy build; minimal ejector pin marks.
The front of the small solid headlight was painted medium grey with a light grey crescent, followed by a blob of two-part epoxy glue to represent the clear lens.
”
✗ A few minor details missing. Available from Thanks to Tamiya Japan for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net
Rating
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Motorisation has been achieved with no compromises to the authenticity of the model, with the exception of the mounting screw and on/off switch on the lower hull.
Additional P033 Dark Mud pigment and Deep Shadow Wash were applied to areas of fresh and accumulated mud. March 2015 - Model Military International 29
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EQUIPMENT PREVIEW
IWATA CUSTOM MICRON B
A FINE INSTRUMENT OF MODELLING! Need a professional quality airbrush for your most demanding spraying operations? Look no further than the Custom Micron B. Marcus Nicholls takes one for a test drive.
N
ot all airbrushes are created equal. There are many on the market from very basic models upwards but Iwata's Custom Micron line stands as the gold standard. They are designed for the professional who requires precise, consistent and accurate control to produce very detailed airbrushing. The CM range has recently been subtly improved, with a taller trigger and a revised finger-pad for a more comfortable feel. There is now also a 'dock' for the crown-cap at the rear of the preset handle. This allows the crown (the shield around the tip of the needle at the front of the airbrush) to be safely stored when spraying without it, or cleaning the tip. It's a tiny component that will want to roll off your workbench and onto the floor, so this feature is an excellent idea.
IN THE BOX Each Custom Micron airbrush comes in a strong and good looking metal case that includes a moisture filter, which screws directly to the air inlet. This forms a pistol grip when in place which
increases spraying comfort. Also in the case is a spray tip spanner and a tube of Iwata's own 'Superlube' airbrush lubricant for the needlechuck and other components. In the hand, the CM-B feels perfectly balanced. It's light, but not so light that you can't feel it. The new height trigger feels perfect under one's fingertip and the symmetrical design is ideal for left or right-handed users. Surface finish and build quality are perfect. If your modelling budget can stretch to it (it currently retails for £345) and you need an airbrush that is capable is producing extremely fine lines for complex camouflage schemes, extremely subtle and precise shading, figures and many more tasks, the CM-B represents the best money can buy.
SPECIFICATIONS • Dual-action, internal-mix airbrush • Cut-out in airbrush body for easy adjustment of needle packing and lubrication • New, taller roll-top trigger • Crown cap dock on handle • Removable head-assembly for ease of cleaning • Gravity-feed with 1.8ml (1/16oz) cup
• Pre-set adjustment handle • Hand-fitted and tested matched spray-head system • 0.18mm nozzle as standard for ultra-fine detail from 0.18mm to 20mm (3/4") spray pattern • Option for a 0.23mm head system for greater coverage and higher-viscosity paints
CONCLUSION The Custom Micron is truly the Mercedes-Benz of airbrushes, with an impeccable reputation that is recognised around the world as one of the finest pieces of airbrush engineering ever created. It needs to be treated like the thoroughbred that it is; some practice is needed in use to get the best out of it, and it needs very careful cleaning so the finely tuned components aren't knocked out of register. When given the respect it deserves, the Custom Micron will reward you with astonishing results and will last for many years. ■
The trigger is cast with non-slip grip.a
The removable crown.
Available online from The Airbrush Company www.airbrushes.com The maximum airflow may be adjusted using this knob on the back of the body.
The grip is comfortable and natural for those long painting sessions
Easy access is provided by the removable rear of the body.
The tip wrench and lubricant is also included as part of the package.
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Iwata supplies the separate water trap, which doubles as a comfortable trigger grip.
16/01/2015 13:58
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M1A2 SEP. Kit No. 3536 + Legend 1:35 Abrams TUSK 2 Upgrade Set • Item No. LF12A5
URBAN SURVIVAL, ABRAMS STYLE
Mason Hongyi Zhang transforms Dragon’s 1:35 Abrams with the Legends TUSK 2 Update Set.
C
lose quarters combat has always been considered to be the worst nightmare for tanks, especially in an urban warfare setting, because attacks can strike from any direction to bring damage to the tank including some weakest spots like top, rear, and bottom. The modern main battle tanks (MBT) are usually equipped with thick and firm front-armour in order to make them difficult to be penetrated. However, it is not impossible to destroy them. MBTs still can be destroyed by variety kinds if warheads in a close range by taking damage on other sides that are equipping weaker armours. On the other hand, the crews will constantly facing the danger of getting shot by enemy snipers when they come out of the turret. In response to this specific situation, General Dynamics developed a Tank Urban Survival Kit system known as TUSK 1 in 2006 for the US Army’s Abrams main battle tank series to enhance the crew’s survivability in urban battlefields. In general, modifications of square reactive armour bricks and slat armour was mounted to the sides skirts. Loader’s machine gun upgraded with an armour shield and a thermal sight. The original .50c machine gun was replaced by a remote MG turret made by Kongsberg Gruppen Company,
while the commander no longer has to expose himself to use the machine gun. The first generation of TUSK has proven to be a successful design on the battlefields of the Middle East. As the result, General Dynamics made further upgrades, which was known as TUSK 2. The main exterior differences between TUSK 1 and TUSK 2 are the reactive armour tiles mounted on the existing square reactive armour bricks as well as the side of the turret. In addition, the loader’s gun shield was replaced by a new transparent armour gun shield, which provides larger protection area and better visibility. The remote MG turret was removed. Instead, the .50 calibre machine gun was installed back to the original position and upgraded with a large transparent armour gun shield and thermal sight. The Commander’s cupola was protected by a 360 degree transparent armour shield so that crew can come out of the turret to fire the weapon and do not have to worry about the sniper from the enemy. Also note that the TUSK system consists of modular components that allow tanks to be modified without sending them back to manufacturer, while the tank with reactive armour may not be suitable for railway transportation or certain battlefields.
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Legend’s Abrams TUSK 2 upgrade set (ref.LF12A5). Most of the parts are resin, it also provides some PE parts for smaller details.
I used 2.0mm ABS card with drilled holes to strengthen the structure of the front chassis and hold the carbon rod for the idler wheels.
I drilled holes on both sides of the chassis. The larger holes are for the road wheel arms, while the smaller holes are for the carbon rods.
Drilled holes on wheel arms and connected with carbon rods to simulate the movement of the real torsion bars.
0.8mm ABS cards were used to strengthen the structure of the entyre lower hull, because the original plastic hull kit was a little bit twisted and the walls of the lower hull were not paralleled.
I separated the plastic idler wheel arms, first the road wheel arms and shock absorbers into individual parts using a model knife, and then used a Tamiya vise with 0.5mm drill bits to drill holes on each axle of those parts in order to join them with brass beams.
Now, they are movable like real one.
The Kit Legend 1:35 scale Abrams TUSK 2 upgrade set (ref.LF12A5) matches the Dragon M1A2 SEP (ref. 3536) pretty well, which allowed me to build a M1A2 TUSK 2. When I started building this kit, Voyager Model had not yet released their PE solution for TUSK 2 upgrade set. Legend seemed to be the only choice I had at this time. The Legend version consists of resin, brass sheet, transparent plastic and other small parts. Personally, I believe that Legend kit is
relatively easier to assemble than Voyager’s PE set. Also, Legend’s transparent armour gun shield shows a better presentation of the real tank and appealed more realistically in resin than a photo etched kit.
Assembly
The Dragon kit has an overall good presentation in almost every aspect. Both of Dragon and Legend have provided some PE for necessary details, so I decided to follow the instructions for the basic assembly and the modification will
be focused on the suspension. In order to simulate the movement of a real Abrams suspension on a scale model, several modifications were needed. First of all, I used 0.8mm ABS cards to strengthen the structure of the entyre lower hull, because the original plastic hull kit was a little bit twisted and the walls of the lower hull were not paralleled. I cemented the cut cards onto the lower hull by using Loctite super glue. Thus, a comparatively vertical surface for the subsequent drilling work is prepared. A
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M1A2 SEP. Kit No. 3536 + Legend 1:35 Abrams TUSK 2 Upgrade Set • Item No. LF12A5
B In the next stage, I separated the plastic
idler wheel arms, first road wheel arms and shock absorbers kits into individual parts with X-ACTO knife, and then used a Tamiya pin vise with 0.5mm drill bits to drill holes on each axle of those parts in order to join them with brass beams. Now, they are movable like the real one. I was trying to make the torsion bars workable, so I drilled holes with 1.5mm in diameter on sides of the lower hull and the road wheel arms, then glued 1.5 mm carbon rods with road wheel arms and sealed them with Loctite super glue. By doing this, the hull will bounce like a real tank when I press the upper chassis. Maybe it’s not 100% duplication of the real tank’s suspension system, but for me it’s still a lot of fun to do this.
PAINTING Before commencing with painting, I prefer to dissemble the model into as many pieces as possible, then proceed to apply a primer coat of Mr. Surface 1000. I realised that the tones of US desert-coloured equipment are not yellowish but light brownish grey. They usually appear yellowish colour because the real equipment will reflects sunlight and their surrounding colour. In addition, vehicle operated in desert environment usually have a layer of dirt attached to the body which is mostly in tones of yellow. In order to make the colour more realistic, I always do the paint job during the daytime under natural sunlight. If I had to paint at night, I prefer to use daylight bulb, because the soft white bulb or any other types of bulb will coat a yellowish colour to the object and will affect my judgment of using the right colour. Although there are already various kinds of ready-made colour sets for modern US vehicles that available in hobby store, but I always choose to mix the colour myself for painting process. The ratio for the base coat is 80% of Mr Color’s 156 white and 15% of Mr Color’s 131 brown with 5% of Mr Color’s 313 yellow. When the base colour applied, I increased the proportion of white paint into the base colour to create highlights. Most of the highlight colour was airbrushed after masking. I was trying to leave some space for the weathering process later, so I mixed all the colours into a lighter tone compare to the actual colours they supposed to be.
The hull will bounce like a real tank when I press the upper chassis.
The Legend upgrade is relatively easier to assemble than the Voyager’s PE set. Also, Legend’s transparent armour gun shield shows a better presentation of the real tank and appealed more realistically in resin than a photo etched kit.
Resin Anti-IED armour at bottom required a lot of putty work.
Legend Abrams TUSK 2 upgrade set (ref.LF12A5) matches the Dragon M1A2 SEP (ref. 3536) perfectly.
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The inner portion of the wheel was masked with a rounded shaped plastic template before I airbrushed the tyre. This reminds me of the painful work experience while I was attempting to paint all the rubber part of the wheels by hand. It was an extremely time-consuming and tedious process and required of a very focus and careful operation. I used Mr Color’s Iron (212) to paint the machine guns. It has a lighter tone compare to X-10 “gun metal” from Tamiya, but it will achieve a more realistic effect. Various kinds of small kits like the rubber parts on the tracks, reactive armours, cone, tough box, cooler, water container, equipment case, ammunition box and fuel tank were painted by hand using Vallejo acyclic paint.
Weathering After I completed the base colour, I applied a wash using Winsor & Newton’s brown and black oil paint diluted with Zippo lighter fluid to emphasise the details. Note that this process cannot be overdone, otherwise the tone of the colour will be changed and it will not be easy to correct. Usually, modern US Army vehicles are well maintained and have less rust or chips, especially for TUSK 2 as it is mainly used for experimental purposes. As a consequence, I had a hard time finding image resources regarding to its condition during combat situations. Only minor scratches and chips can be found on the reference images of TUSK 2. However, it doesn’t mean that modern armoured vehicles cannot get a decent weathering effect like a WWII vehicle. I believe that every armoured vehicle has its own personality regardless the service period. Compared to the vehicles during WWII, modern armour is usually manufactured with newer materials. For instance, aluminium alloy, rubber, ceramic, resin and titanium alloy are commonly used in tank manufacturing today. Note that these materials could have a chip or fade effect, but they will not rust. Those materials can be found in the areas like side reactive armour, MG shields, wheels, etc. I chose to add light chipping and scratching effect onto those non-rusting parts with dark brown paint of Vallejo’s acrylic by hand. Before applying a filter to the whole model, I decided to use an old technique – a wash, but unlike the traditional wash. I used dark brown oil paint as a main wash material and only pin washed details like corners and crevices to create the contrast while the tone of the base colour was not changed much. At this point, I proceed to the stage of filter to enrich the flat surface by adding extra tones to the base colour. The colour I chose for filter and fading was Vandyke brown (676), Perylene Black (505), Yellow Ochre Light (745), Transparent Red Ochre (647) and Flake White (246) from Winsor & Newton oil paint. I applied the oil paint to the flat surfaces by a small brush. Darker paint was used to emphasise the shadow area and lighter paint was used to emphasize the highlights. Then, I used a paint brush to blend the oil colour with Zippo lighter fluid. The reason of me to choose lighter fluid as a thinner for oil paint is that once it dried thoroughly, the surface will achieve a matt finish, which is nice. Once again, never overdo on this procedure, because the oil will spread A
When the base colour was applied, I increased the proportion of white paint into the base colour to create highlights. I was trying to leave some space for the weathering process later, so I mixed all the colours into a lighter tone compare to the actual colours they supposed to be.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M1A2 SEP. Kit No. 3536 + Legend 1:35 Abrams TUSK 2 Upgrade Set • Item No. LF12A5
A.
B.
B as they are blended.
In order to prevent excessive change of the tone of the base colour, it’s better to apply small amount of oil paints at a time. US Army’s FOBs (Forward Operating Base) are usually located in the suburbs rather than in the urban areas. Thus, those armoured vehicles that stationed in FOB will frequently pass through rural areas. I used pigments with fixer from MIG productions to create dust and dry mud effect on tracks and wheels. There are certain surfaces will have trace of liquid on them, like spilled drinking water on top of the turret, spilled fuel at rear of the upper hull, or spilled lubricating oil at the front of the upper hull. I chose to use enamel paint and thinner from Tamiya with the ratio of 10% (paint) to 90% (thinner) and Wet Effect Fluid from AK Interactive to create liquid effect on the vehicle. Note that Afghanistan is an arid area with very little rainfall, so I did not apply too much rain marks to avoid making the model looks unreal. In order to make periscope and optical instruments look real, I applied a coat of clear colour at the front of the transparent parts to increase reflection. Based on the reference images, I used a mixture of pigments from MIG Productions and oil paints from Winsor & Newton to make the rust on the .50 Cal machine gun’s ammunition box and fences on the tail of the tank. I filtered out these two parts with orange and brown oil paints, then applied a coat of fixer from AK Interactive, and finished the whole process by sprinkled the Light Rust pigment (P024) from MIG Productions.
CONCLUSION The M1 Abrams series was designed and manufactured around the 1980s. TUSK upgrade kits provide the M1 series a fresh and up-to-date appearance. Perhaps in the near future we can expect the introduction of the TUSK 3. ■
Modelspec Dragon 1:35 M1A2 SEP
Kit No. 3536
Update Set Used: Legend 1:35 Abrams TUSK 2 upgrade set Item No. LF12A5 ✓ Good quality base kit; high level of detail and a striking variant. ✗ Experience required for this complex conversion. Available from Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net
Rating C.
A. We can tell from this picture that TUSK 2 is much wider than TUSK 1. Due to railway transport regulations in Europe and North America, TUSK 2 is not suitable for most tunnels and bridges. B. The method of colour modulation requires meticulous controlling. The goal was to show some contracting colours, but these contracting colours should not stand out of the overall background colours. C. The stowage box, cooler, water container, equipment case, ammunition box and fuel tank were painted by hand using Vallejo acyclic paint. D. I only applied a small amount of mud and dirt on the turret to avoid unreal looking. E. AK Interactive wet effects fluid has a good performance and adhesion on the chassis for rain marks. F. I used a darker colour on the anti-IED armour at bottom to make contract. Spilled oil and water also from AK Interactive we effect fluid. More modulation effects were applied on top of the engine hatch, and light rust was applied on some area of the turret and chassis. G. The cables of the flash light on machine gun shield and night vision sight was made by copper wires. H. Oxidation and rust effect on the vent was made of pigments from MIG production plus some plaster. I. I used oil paints from Winsor & Newton to filter the turret, note that certain materials on the turret will not rust.
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D.
G.
E.
F.
H.
I.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
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Wäscherei in der Französischen Straße Kamil Feliks Sztarbala recreates a domestic street scene after the fall of Berlin.
W
hen I first browsed Panzerwrecks #2, what struck me the most was a photo of an Sd.Kfz. 223 armoured command car, which had been abandoned by its crew on Französische Straße (French Street) after the Battle of Berlin. This damaged and looted vehicle could be a nice modelling subject on its own, however, the German women doing laundry near to this wreck were the component that made this picture a perfect inspiration for a small “after the battle” diorama. My model choice was obvious. The 1:35 scale Sd.Kfz.223 from Hobby Boss is a fairly new kit. What’s even more important is that it contains interior parts, including a replica engine. Although the level and quality of its detail can’t be compared to the latest releases from Meng or Bronco, and the crew compartment equipment isn’t particularly accurate, it is still the best available starter kit for building a model of a wrecked vehicle.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
I began construction in accordance with the instructions. First, I had to improve the brake rods. To give them a more 3D appearance, I scribed the area where the rods join the chassis frame.
Kit Assembly
The chassis frame itself went together quite easily, although I had to remove molding seams from all suspension springs. At this stage, one has to be careful and ensure that all four wheel fittings are in contact with the ground, in order to avoid wheel levitation.
Since the wrecked vehicle, pictured in Panzerwrecks, was missing its wheels, I had to conjure up the brake drums. I started by modifying the inner sides of kit’s wheels.
The kit’s engine was rather simplified. As it would be barely visible in the completed kit, I only made some minor enhancements to this. This included adding basic electrical wiring and scratch building the air filters.
Correctly adjusted kit’s wheel parts and discs, cut from 1.5 and 1.0 mm styrene sheets, were used to form the brake drums.
I then glued them together with C.A. adhesive, and sanded to the proper shape.
Once I’d assembled and attached the brake drums, I added the brake rod ends, made from lengths of 0.5 mm tin wire.
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I then focused on the lower half of the hull. To position the machine gun mount, I had to temporarily put both hull halves and turret ring together. The interior had to be basically build from scratch, and not only because the kit parts weren’t accurate. To replicate a wrecked and looted vehicle, I had to remove the crew compartment’s equipment, and reproduce its mounts and racks instead. My first step was to fill all mounting points in the inner sides of the hull with putty.
Next, I upgraded the upper half of the hull with photo-etched parts from the Hobby Boss’ kit and my stash of spares, as well as with details made from pieces of styrene sheet and rod. The radio rack was slightly more complicated to make. I began by assembling the shelves from lengths of styrene angle strip.
Once again, interior detail was recreated with photo-etched parts included in the kit and some leftovers from other models. A few boxes and a rack for the second battery were scratch built from pieces of styrene sheet.
If you put the plastic parts on a metal pad whilst you glue them together, you won’t need to worry about the Extra Thin Cement leaking from the joint areas. It will be easy to detach them from the metal surface when the glue dries.
Once I had attached the shelves to the hull walls, I could add the remaining rack parts.
Lengths of tin and brass wire were used to reproduce the damaged electrical wiring on the hull floor.
The construction of the crew compartment was finished.
Before I started painting the interior, I corrected the shape of the rear wall of the upper hull. March 2015 - Model Military International 41
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
All inner surfaces were primed with Mr.Color C29 Hull Red. Once the paint had dried, some areas were given a layer of AK-Interactive AK088 ‘Worn Effects Fluid’.
Next, I masked off the engine compartment and airbrushed the interior with Ammo 017 ‘Cremeweiss’.
By spraying a heavily diluted coat of white paint from the same manufacturer over certain areas, I finished the inner surfaces using the colour modulation style. I also highlighted the edges and chosen details.
Once I’d brush painted some details with Vallejo acrylics, I could apply AK-Interactive AK093 ‘Wash for Interior’.
I then took advantage of the previous application of ‘Worn Effects Fluid’, and replicated the chipping by revealing the priming coat with an old brush and a scalpel blade.
The appearance of the armoured glass panels was recreated with Mr.Hobby H94 Clear Green. I also reproduced the instrument glass with drops of gloss varnish.
Additional scratches and small paint chips were applied with a fine brush and Vallejo 70861 Glossy Black.
The crew compartment was ready. The final touch was to add some mud and dirt onto the floor. For this purpose, I used Tamiya Weathering Sticks and an old paint brush, dampened with water.
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To proceed with construction, I also had to paint the chassis frame. It was mainly primed with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, although some certain details were airbrushed with Gunmetal.
The engine was brush painted with Natural Steel, Black and Gunmetal acrylics.
AK046 ‘Light Rust Wash’ was perfect for bringing out the details of the radiator.
…and applied AK070 ‘Brown Blue Wash’ onto them. This way I not only emphasized the details, but also recreated the first layer of dirt.
Next, I glued the engine sub-assemblies to the chassis…
I then filled all unwanted mounting points on the lower hull half with putty, and sprayed the underside with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black.
The lower hull and chassis frame went together easily.
To join the exhaust manifold with the remaining parts of the exhaust system, I pushed lengths of vinyl tube onto the manifold’s ends.
Afterwards, I airbrushed a mist of AK082 ‘Engine Grime’ over the engine compartment. Once it had only slightly dried, I purposely damaged the enamel layer by rolling in and scratching the surface with a toothpick.
Before I glued the hull halves together, I had to fill further redundant part location holes. I also secured the door apertures and hull roof with masking tape. March 2015 - Model Military International 43
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
Now I could focus on detailing the exterior of the vehicle. The fenders required particular attention. The starboard rear fender was assembled from kit parts and a few photo etched leftovers from my stash.
The archive photo revealed that the left rear fender had been badly damaged. First, I deepened its inner edges with a scriber tool. This allowed me to bend the plastic part easily. Next, I attached the details.
The Hobby Boss’ kit included photo etched gutters. However, those provided for the side visors didn’t resemble the real ones, so I conjured up their replacements from lengths of profiled styrene strip.
In accordance with the reference picture, I also had to remove the blinker mounts from the front fenders.
The spare wheel mount was another detail which had to be scratch built At this stage, I connected the fenders to the hull, and scratch built the from pieces of 0.5 mm styrene sheet. The bolts would be added later. fixing rods which were missing from the kit.
The inner detail of the side doors also required improvement. The plastic details were replaced with lengths of thin brass wire and some photo etched parts.
Continuing construction, I subsequently added various external details, using the photo etched parts from both the kit and my stash of spares.
The turret of the Sd.Kfz.223 pictured on Französische Straße was different than the one provided by Hobby Boss. My first adjustment was to fill the mounting holes for the visors. The antenna mount was made from a piece of a styrene profile strip, whilst its base came from a resin set manufactured by PanzerArt.
A self-made radio rack was fitted to the turret ring.
To upgrade the rear hatch, I used pieces of 0.5 mm styrene sheet and plastic hinges, cut out from the kit parts.
I finished the turret assembly by attaching the photo etched mesh covers, which had been purposely bent, in order to resemble their appearance on the wrecked vehicle.
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The last step was to modify the large ‘bed-frame’ antenna. Its rear mounts included in the kit represented the standard version used on the Sd.Kfz.223, but the vehicle I had chosen to depict was equipped with the mounts that are typical for the Sd.Kfz.261. Once I’d removed the redundant detail, I started scratch building the new antenna base. To replicate the conical arms, I stretched a piece of plastic sprue over a candle flame.
The resulting rods were cut into two pieces of the correct length, and then glued to the hull.
The antenna mounts were completed by adding some properly modified detail parts from the kit, and lengths of styrene rod.
The shape of the damaged frame antenna reminded me of a Chinese letter. To mirror this on my model, I bent the plastic part with special bending and shaping pliers.
Next, I adjusted it to the mounts.
Of course, the frame antenna and some other sub-assemblies were left separate at this point, for easier painting.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
Painting
Firstly, I primed the whole kit with Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown.
A few transparent layers of Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh basetone were airbrushed over all surfaces in such a way that the brown primer still showed through them in various corners, and around chosen detail.
For colour modulation and initial highlights, I used Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan. At this stage, I also sprayed some vertical smudges over the sides of the hull. Stronger highlights were added with heavily diluted Mr.Color C316 Insignia White.
The paintwork was secured with clear gloss coat. This allowed me to apply the decals. Naturally, I didn’t forget to paint the traces of primer which would have been revealed by breaking off the fender on the real vehicle.
The details were accentuated with AK-Interactive AK300 ‘Wash for German Vehicles in Dark Yellow’. The latter was also used to recreate the first, subtle layer of dirt.
I began the weathering process by airbrushing some tiny drops of slightly diluted AK082 ‘Engine Grime’. This required setting the micro air control valve on my airbrush to a minimal air pressure.
The enamel was spread and blurred over the surface with a cotton bud, dampened with white spirit.
Once the enamel had dried, I dampened the hull surface with white spirit, and speckled a little AK074 ‘Rainmarks for NATO Tanks’ over it, using a toothbrush.
I then replicated some vertical streaks by stroking the enamelcovered surface with a fine, long bristle brush, dampened with white spirit. The lower hull areas received the same treatment, although in this case I applied more enamels.
To add more volume to the overall dust and dirt effect, I used heavily The rusty effect on the brake drums was recreated by applying dense diluted AK017 ‘Earth Effects’ enamel. Firstly, I airbrushed a thin mist pigments, collected from the bottoms of the jars with AK046 ‘Light of the enamel. Next, I set the micro air control valve on my airbrush to Rust Wash’ and AK083 ‘Track Wash’ enamels. a minimal air pressure again, and sprayed quite a lot of tiny drops of the same colour.
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The kit was ready to be placed on the base.
Note the distinct border between cleaner and dirtier areas where the fender had been attached before it was damaged.
Figures
One could probably guess that figures that would fit this scene were not available on the market. Therefore, I had to conjure them up myself by ‘kitbashing’ some parts borrowed from one of Masterbox’s sets and a few resin figures manufactured by Legend. I began by preparing some mannequins. The resin parts were easy to bend after heating them up.
Once I’d selected the appropriate forearms and hands, I connected them to the torsos, using lengths of tin wire. The wet laundry was reproduced by using pieces of tissue, dampened with white glue.
Next, I adjusted the previously modified heads, and started forming the bodies by applying small amounts of two part epoxy putty. I then sculpted the lower parts of clothes.
To easily recreate the protruding elements of the apron, I had to add a temporary frame, made of plasticine, between the legs.
Working on the small areas, little by little, I gave the final shape to the hands and clothing detail, and then added the headdresses.
Afterwards, I applied the base colours and brush painted the flesh and legs.
The plasticine can be later removed without any problems. When the epoxy putty fully cures, you only need to heat up the figure under a lamp, and the plasticine will soften and flow out. The remnants can be washed out with a cotton bud, dampened with lighter fluid.
The completed figures were sprayed with grey primer. To make further shading easier, I also airbrushed a mist of white paint from above.
The final touch was to paint various small details, and airbrush a layer of clear matte varnish.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
Base
My first step was to prepare all small components of the vignette. The hydrant was scratch built from brass tubing, lengths of styrene profile strip, and a piece of resin. The latter was shaped with a rotary tool in order to create a decorative finial.
Making the buckets and tubs was quite time-consuming. Initially, I tried to form them from aluminium foil, but they turned out to be too fragile, so I switched to pieces of 0.25 styrene sheet, and brass wire.
The storm drain grate was assembled from lengths of 0.75 and 1 mm square styrene rod. The frame of the grate was made in the same way as the radio rack shelves.
To reproduce the colour and texture of cast iron, I sprayed the hydrant and grate with a mixture of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, and a little XF-64 Red Brown, and Mr.Hobby H76 Burnt Iron. The buckets and tubs also received their base tones.
Once all had cured, I cut off the excess edges of the side walls and made an aperture for the storm drain.
Afterwards, I formed a box structure from pieces of balsa wood, and glued a piece of styrodur foam within it. At this point I also added the pavement, made from a piece of 4 mm styrene sheet.
I decided that a large piece of fine sandpaper would work well for recreating the tarmac surface of the street, but I had to slightly smoothen it with…sandpaper! Next, I attached it to the base with white glue. The paving slabs were cut out from cardboard sheet.
I then applied thick layers of surface primer from Ammo, using the black one for the street, and grey for the pavement.
To add more volume to the effect, I airbrushed some random smudges with three dark tones from Lifecolor CS27 ‘Shades of Black’ set, onto the tarmac and emphasized the bituminous seals with Vallejo 70861 Glossy Black.
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A mixture of AK118 ‘Gravel and Sand Fixer’, grey pigments and a little silica sand was used to replicate the concrete screed around the hydrant. Once it had dried, I recreated some damage with a scalpel blade.
AK067 ‘Streaking Grime for DAK Vehicles’, AK014 ‘Winter Streaking Grime’ and AK015 ‘Dust Effects’ were applied onto the pavement surface in order to alter the colours of chosen areas, and accentuate the gaps between the slabs. Some properly painted pieces of plasterboard were to act as concrete rubble.
Now I had to add some rubble and junk onto the street. This was made by adding small pieces of balsa and crumbled plasterboard, whilst the bricks were cut from a foam sheet.
All these odds and ends were stuck to the surface with white glue, but this time I additionally strengthened the connection by spraying a coat of AK118 ‘Gravel and Sand Fixer’. Next, I brush painted all small bits with As the street had still looked quite sterile, I decided to weather it with some AK-Interactive enamels. Small amounts of these products were collected with a brush, and distributed over the surface, previously dampened with white spirit, by blowing air Vallejo acrylics. through the airbrush. The resulting stains were shaped with a brush or cotton bud where necessary.
When I was satisfied with the effect, I started attaching the major components of the vignette. Some of them required a provisional support, because I had used two-part epoxy adhesive that takes quite a long time to cure.
Once again, the wet laundry was made from pieces of tissue, dampened with white glue. Finally, I recreated a puddle and some water spills with acrylic gloss varnish.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Hobby Boss 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 233 • Kit No. 82443
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All the customisation work for the figures, the vehicle and the street was worthwhile.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
MiniArt 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car • Kit No. 35152
LARGE, SAFE L U F R E W O P D AN s MiniArt’s Federico Collada finishe oured Car in 1:35 scale AEC Mk.I Arman scheme. a weathered North Afric
T
he AEC (Associated Equipment Company) of Southall, Middlesex produced buses, motor coaches and lorries from 1912 until 1979. From 1941 to 1944 the company stopped producing civil vehicles in favour of the war effort and produced the successful 10 ton 4x4 Matador artillery tractor which was used to tow middle field and anti-aircraft guns. In 1941 they developed and presented by their own initiative an armoured car based on the Matador chassis with some slight technical modifications like the positioning of the engine at an
angle front to rear which permitted to lower the general height of the vehicle. The vehicle caused Churchill a very good impression so in June of that same year a first order was placed to produce it. Over the following two years, 629 vehicles were produced of four variants. The intention of AEC was to provide a fast wheeled car with same protection and firepower as a tank, so the first model used a Valentine Mk.II turret armed with the 2 pounder gun and a co-axial 7,92mm Besa machine-gun. The following models used a bigger turret that mounted a 6 pounder, and later a 75mm gun. There was
also an AA model that mounted the Crusader AA turret armed with twin Oerlikon cannons but never entered production due to the Allies air superiority in Europe. The AEC was taller and bigger than its contemporaries. It had a conventional layout with the engine at the rear, the turret at the centre and the driver in the front position. The car had a 4x4 wheel drive configuration but it was capable of altering it to a 4x2 position when operating on roads. The protection was very important in the design, to the point that the driver had no direct vision options and he had to drive looking through periscopes,
although he could raise his seat and open the hatch for safe travel. The AEC 195 diesel engine allowed a maximum speed of 56 km/h for the 11 tons of weight. The Mk.I saw action in Africa, Sicily and Italy with the 8th Army.
MINIART´S MODEL ACCURATE, COMPLEX AND BEAUTIFUL A year ago Miniart surprised everybody by releasing three versions of this vehicle in 1:35 scale. This was very good news as it was the first time that a plastic kit of the AECs was available. The first one was the Mk.I model which showed the “state of the art”
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engineering of the Ukraine firm that provided a kit so full of details and subtle parts that the model became a modellers trending topic at the forums for many days. When I received my kit I expected another good quality Miniart kit but I didn’t expect it to have so many pieces. Checking the sprues to examine them I noticed that many of them were very delicate and with very subtle details, and none flashing, errors or broken parts. The kit included some very useful photoetched parts and a decal sheet with markings for three different vehicles deployed at Libya, Syria and Egypt.
The kit includes a high level of interior detail.
Interior details are coming together.
ASSEMBLY AND FIRST COLOURS With a kit having so many parts the first thing you should do is study the instructions carefully; you may want to alter the building process suggested according to your painting plan. You can go straight forward if not painting the interior but you may build many subgroups of parts and start the painting before going along. That was definitely my case. I made many groups, engine, floor with seat and steering wheel, etc. and started painting them with the walls of the car aside in order to reach the many details with the brush comfortably. I painted all the parts with Vallejo primers, then, I used many acrylic and synthetic colours to paint the stains and dirty. With a mix of pigments and water I made a wash in the interior to imitate the dust accumulated, this wash was stronger on the engine parts. I used some Lifecolor and AK special paints to drop some oil and gasoline stains here and there. Once I finished painting the inside parts I began to close the vehicle, first the walls, the chassis beams and then the suspension, here I stopped again to give a primer hand before adding the transmission and the exhaust. For the turret interior I worked the same way, I painted all of the details, including the weathering before closing it. Some details are not included in the kit like the inner parts of the turret side slots, others doesn´t adjust perfectly and some putty and sanding is required. I didn´t pay much attention on the inner faults as little would be seen even with the roof doors opened. I then assembled the wheels and prepared some masks
The kit engine. Vallejo’s acrylic primers are a good base coat for further weathering.
The first stage of engine weathering is achieved using AK Interactive products.
Vallejo Pigments add a gritty, dirty, rusty finish to the engine and exhaust.
The rest of the interior was painted and weathered before the hull was sealed.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
MiniArt 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car • Kit No. 35152
B form a piece of masking tape from
Vallejo acrylic primers were also used for the wheels and tyres.
Note the crisp demarcation after the circular masks are removed from the wheel rims.
Arsenal models. I measured the radius and then used cutting bow dividers. First I painted the rim with the Vallejo Primer 70613 and then I used 70918 Ivory as a filter to highlight, this way I got the 64 Portland Stone by average. Then I placed the masks and used a mix of Vallejo primers 90% 70603 and 10% 70606 to get and old tire colour for the pneumatics. With all the interior parts ready and painted I closed the vehicle with all the top parts and prepared for priming. I used the same two colours mentioned above trying to get the Portland Stone by contrasting a darker base and a clearer light, but never using that colour at all. The key was to apply the lights all over the vehicle very diluted with the airbrush insisting on some details, the centre of the bigger surfaces and the upper ones. I didn’t use the zenithal criterion, just an aesthetic dispersion that wouldn’t leave some zones much darker than others.
SPOILING A PERFECT BASE
The base coat has been applied to the hull and turret.
Highlights and modulation are achieved with the paler Ivory colour.
The Ivory colour is thinned and used as a filter.
This is the part of the painting process I like the most - messing it up! Sometimes I like to weather my models a lot, rust them to the limit and bury them with a lot of dust, mud, debris, etc. But this time I preferred not to go to excesses, and instead went for a lightly weathered operational look. I’m not quite sure if I succeeded here. I began by using a little piece of sponge and a dark brown colour to paint the chipping at the fenders’ edges, the plates’ borders and corners. I tried not to soak the sponge with paint too much to avoid leaving wet traces or too large dots. Then I used Vallejo semi-gloss
varnish to get a proper base for the next phases and 24 hours later I made a first wash using AK 045 synthetic dark brown to reproduce some shadows around the details to enhance them. I let the model rest for another 24 hours and then I started a new way of staining the model that I have been practicing lately. It’s a combination of two already well-known painting techniques, the brush spattering and the oil melting. I chose some AK colours and used a small brush and a toothpick to splatter a lot of very little dots all over the vertical surfaces. Once dry, I blurred them downwards with a flat brush moistened in white spirit. I repeated the same trick at the horizontal surfaces but this time I blurred the paint dots with a stencilling movement so they would spread around and melt with the others. I used Vallejo Model Air colours to paint the details using a brush. Although these paints are designed to use with an airbrush, they work very well applied by brush too. For the turret Besa machine gun I started with a silver base and then successive Vallejo black acrylic washes until I got the gunmetal colour I was looking for. For the periscopes crystals I used a similar trick, I started with a silver base and later applied a blue filter using a translucent paint. I protected this work with another coat of varnish, this time matt, and continued with the following stage, the dusting. First I used a sand colour synthetic wash for the wheels and lower part of the body, some hours later I used some light earth tones and sand colours pigments diluted with water and applied as a wash with a big brush. Once the wash dried I eliminated the excess at some
Chipping effects were applied with a sponge and Vallejo acrylics.
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zones by passing a hard flat brush. At this point I decided to close the bonnet to accommodate some stowage although I hadn’t decided yet what thing to use. I used the AK special paints for the oil and gasoline stains splattering some dots here and there and applying them with a small brush at some particular places. In some cases I deposited a bit of pigment over the fresh paint to increase the dimensional aspect of the stain like happens when the grease or oil gets in contact with the dry mud or dust accumulation. The last painting step was to imitate the bare metal at some points of constant rubbing, for this task I used a graphite pencil and also graphite pigment rubbed with a felt pencil. I collected a lot of sacks, backpacks, personal equipment, rolls, boxes, etc. from my stowage box and from many resin and plastic kits, and tried many different distributions. There were many pieces I liked but I wouldn’t be able to use them all so I decided to start painting a lot of them before deciding. The worst thing that could happen is that I would have many ready painted pieces for another project. I painted everything more or less the same way I did with the model using primers, washes and some dusting. Finally I selected some boxes, jerry cans, a rope, helmets, a rusted chain, a frying pan, a biscuit box, and a stepladder. I thought that this last item would be very helpful to elevate and observer a bit more if needed. The funny thing is that in the end, I didn’t place any stowage over the bonnet! I fastened the stowage to the mudguards with ropes made out of cotton thread painted with a brown wash. A
The Model Air paints actually work very well when applied by brush.
The next step was a coat of AK’s Dark Brown Enamel Wash over an acrylic semi-gloss finish. The Dark Brown wash was also used to highlight shadows.
Next came brush spattering and the oil melting. A lot of very small dots are spattered over the vertical surfaces with a toothpick and fine brush.
Once dry, these are blurred downwards with a flat brush moistened in white spirit.
Detail parts were picked out by brush using Vallejo Model Air acrylic paints.
For the turret Besa machine gun I started with a silver base and then successive Vallejo black acrylic washes.
Basic painting and weathering is complete. Now to add a little more interest!
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FEATURE ARTICLE
MiniArt 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car • Kit No. 35152
B The finishing touch was a scale
map of the Tripoli area like the one used by the British and later the U.S. troops during the African campaign. I placed the map at the top of the big side box with some binoculars and a water canteen to avoid the wind from taking it.
FINAL THOUGHTS I very much enjoyed this model and I am sure I will start the Mk.II model soon. It is obvious that MiniArt is not only releasing some of the most interesting kits every year, but also that they put the best of themselves in every design. I have just received the Triedwagen 641 tram kit and the first impression couldn’t be better. I’m hoping to see their new Panzer III Ausf. A/B kits too, the first ones in plastic 1:35 scale. I’m sure that they will be a “must have”! ■
Modelspec MiniArt 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car
Kit No. 35152
Accessories Used: Stowage from the spares box Paints & Finishing Products: Vallejo Paints - Acrylic Primers; Model Colour Acrylics; Model Air Acrylics; Acrylic Model Washes; Airbrush Thinner Vallejo Pigments - Various AK Interactive – Various Wsshes; Rust Streaks; OIF & OEF Streaking Effects; Engine Oil; Fuel Stains
Pack, rolls and other stowage were gathered from the spares box.
✓ High level of detail; good fit. ✗ Lots of small parts. Available from MiniArt Kits are available from Creative Models Limited www.creativemodels.co.uk
Rating
Cans, wooden boxes and a ladder were fitted to one side of the vehicle. Additional stowage was “tied” to the other side.
It is obvious that MiniArt is not “only releasing some of the most
interesting kits every year, but also that they put the best of themselves in every design...
The finishing touch was a scale map of the Tripoli area.
The chipping and weathering breaks up the large expanse of desert camouflage.
”
MiniArt’s AEC Armoured Car is well detailed and a pleasure to build.
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KIT PREVIEW
Bronco 1:35 Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t) • Kit No. GB-35205
This kit contains two all-new sprues. This one includes the clothes rail antenna.
Markings are supplied for two vehicles.
THE COMMAND PERFORMANCE Luke Pitt is impressed with the latest in Bronco’s 1:35 scale Panzer 35(t) family, the Command “Panzerbefehlswagen” version.
T
he Skoda Lt Vz25 was a light tank developed for the Czech army in the mid-1930s. With the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, most of the tanks were modified and pressed into service with the German army. The tank saw service in German hands in Poland, France and Russia. To my knowledge, this is the third rendition of this vehicle in 35th scale and the second variation from Bronco. With this version, the addition of the square antenna, extra radio equipment and a separate photo etch fret distinguish it from their first release. The latest addition to the Bronco Panzer 35(t) family is this Panzerbefehlswagen. It is presented in the now familiar Bronco box with a crisp illustration adorning the box top lid. When opening the box, you are confronted with 580 parts over 22 sprues. After the initial shock of the sheer number of parts included and reviewing the instructions it becomes apparent that Bronco has done their homework with this kit. Almost everything is included except an engine bay. The moulding on all the parts is of a very high standard with no flash present on any of the sprues. The upper hull and turret armour is handled well, being
both thin and having no knock out marks on either surface. The lower hull is made up of four basic parts, the floor, both hull sides and a rear panel. I’m currently painting their first rendition of this kit and can report the construction is in a word “tiresome” The sheer number of incredibly small parts that have to be cleaned up tests ones patience. All that being said, the fit of the hull in particular is superb. The side panels have the suspension mountings with the other suspension being separate. The drive sprockets are in five pieces each with the front missing out on the distinctive semi recessed holes on the hub itself. These are represented a slight raised circles. The road wheels have excellent rim/hub details. The track links are very well done. All that needs to be done is to carefully remove them from the sprue gates with a sharp knife and click together. However, they are very fragile when complete so the “drape and glue” method would have been the best approach here. A complete interior is included (minus the engine bay) and it is very complete and well done. A large photo etch fret is included that addresses most of the small exterior and interior fittings Two marking choices are included with both in overall Panzer Grey.
The second new sprue with radio equipment and other detail parts.
A large 19-page instruction booklet is broken down into 32 construction steps. The instructions are well laid out and wonderfully drawn but a little vague. In fact, I found myself scratching my head in places and had to consult some of the steps ahead of various sequences to discover where certain items should be placed. This is a very good kit and is, in my view, better than all other Panzer 35(t) kits that have gone before it. Bronco’s 1:35 scale Panzer 35(t) family are state of the art and include everything you will need to make a quite stunning model right out of the box. The negative (apart from putting all the sprues back in the box after this review) is the sheer number of smaller parts. The vague instructions are a concern, is as is the complex nature of the build. These will unfortunately put a lot of modellers off. Bronco kits demand a particular mindset. If you enjoy building and basically plod along with your building as I do, then this may be the kit for you. I really can’t recommend this kit to anyone who wants a quick build. I can however it to lovers of extreme detail as it has it in spades. ■
The main parts are in common with the earlier 35(t) release.
The lower hull sides.
Lots of small suspension parts!
Thanks to Bronco for the review sample http://www. cn-bronco.com/en/index.php The bottom of the hull.
Individual track links. The main, large photo-etched fret.
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Incoming
Inside the Armour Italeri
1:35 scale Himmelsdoprf Diorama Set Item No. 36505
To add a bit of scenery to your ‘World Of Tanks’ vehicles, Italeri has re-released some of their existing diorama accessory sets and packaged them up into this one new box. What we have is the Church Ruin Set (Item No. 408), WWII Road Signs Set 2 (6527) and Brick Walls Set (405). New decals with signs specifically for the ‘World Of Tanks’ universe are included, as well as an A3 sized ‘Himmelsdorf’ glossy poster. The Church Ruin is still great for its age and if, like me, you have been around long enough to remember Francois Verlinden’s painting of it you will know that it can be turned into a very respectable ruin. There are only 8 parts to it so construction is a doddle. With the road signs we get a telegraph pole, two barrels to which you can attach other poles, and various billboards etc. with which to affix your signs & markings. Despite being a newer set, there are some mould seams to remove from the telegraph poles and the tree trunk. Again, it is a simple set with only 30 parts so should be quick and easy to build. Turning to the bricks, we have two sprues of various interlocking sections and individual bricks that you can use to make anything you want. 110 parts should give you enough to let your imagination run riot and it should just be enough to hide a Tiger behind! This, along with one of the Italeri WoT tanks, would be an ideal gift for anyone interested in this online game. It is not a difficult set at all to build, the fun will be in the painting and just seeing where the imagination takes it. It is probably not aimed at the experienced modeller, but this would be an ideal starter to get children introduced to this hobby of ours. Recommended. Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net Graham Tetley
1:35 scale Shilka ZSU-23-4 Upgrade Item No. ITA35014
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armoured, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system (SPAAG). The acronym "ZSU" stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka, meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimetres; the "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It is named after the Russian Shilka River. Afghan soldiers nicknamed it the "sewing machine" due to the sound of the firing guns.* Dragon released their 1:35 scale Shilka way back in 1997. It has stood the test of time fairly well, but it could certainly do with a warmover considering the moulds are now nearly 20 years old. Inside the Armour has taken a turn toward the East with this new upgrade set. This is made up from 33 resin parts, five photo-etched frets with more than 500 parts, plus two short lengths of wood. This is an enormous upgrade to the old Dragon mouldings. Resin parts include replacement road wheels and drive sprockets, tow hooks, cupola, filler hatches, bolt heads and gun cooling tubes. The photo-etched parts add detail to almost every area of the model, but highlights include the nicely textured mesh, and the delicate details added to the guns. Tools, clamps, fenders, light fittings and much more are also included on the four generous photo-etched frets. The short wooden pieces are designed to form a stowage rack along the front of the hull. Replacement gun barrels are not included, but they would be an excellent investment to top off all that lovely resin and photo-etched detail. Barrel sets are available from RB Models. This is a very impressive upgrade that will transform your 1:35 Dragon or Cyber Hobby Shilka. Just about the only negative is that the kit is a bit difficult to find on hobby shop shelves these days. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Inside the Armour for the sample www.insidethearmour.com History courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZSU-23-4 Brett Green
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A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76
Plastic road wheels are supplied as three parts each.
The rear and upper rear hull.
Revell
1:72 scale TPz 1 Fuchs (EloKa “Hummel”/ABC Spurpanzer) • Kit No. 03139
More than 1,000 Fuchs (Fox) TPz 1 (APC) have been delivered to the Bundeswehr since 1979. The lightly armoured, all-wheel drive and amphibious transport vehicle has proven itself in numerous conflicts. The Fuchs can be fitted with various role kits depending on its required task. The EloKa “Hummel” (Bumblebee) role fit has a distinctive antenna array on the roof. The corresponding jammer disrupts enemy communications. The NBC reconnaissance role fit is used to detect nuclear and chemical warfare agents. The special shape of the NBC Tail allows sampling from within the vehicle whilst maintaining full NBC protection. (Source: Revell) The kit provides the option of building a TPz 1A1A5 EloKa “Hummel” electronic warfare & reconnaissance vehicle, or a TPz 1A6 NBC reconnaissance vehicle. Revell thoughtfully includes several strands of high-tensile wire (presumably stainless steel) taped to the front of the instructions to provide the material for constructing the Hummel’s antennae. Revell’s kit comes packed in their standard end-opening box with the 167 styrene parts sealed in a cellophane bag. There are total of eight sprues, one being clear with the windscreen, and the remainder dark green. The moulding of the parts is very crisp and clean, with thoughtful ejector pin locations. The instructions use clear and well-drawn diagrams, with guidance regarding alternative parts for the two options covered. There is also a page devoted to the Hummel’s intricate antenna farm mounted on the vehicle’s top decking, which gives the length in mm for each wire. Colours and markings diagrams are fourview monochrome drawings, with a full page devoted to each option, so ensuring the camouflage patterns are easy to discern. The decal sheet is nicely printed and caters for a TPz 1A5 EloKa at Ubung in Munster, 2003; and a TPz 1A6 of 3 Kompanie, ABC-Abwehr Btl.7 (with optional “KFOR” or “ISAF” markings). The kit’s clean moulding is fortunate, particularly as each wheel consists of three parts, each effectively being a vertical slice through the wheel and tyre. There is a centre piece and two outers with the tyre sidewall and wheel-hub included. This is done to enable the blocks of the off-road tyre tread to be moulded realistically. The crisp moulding will hopefully ensure no seams to worry about across the tyre treads. The level of detail is very nice, with some fine parts like windscreen wipers, whilst the suspension and drivetrain are also nicely captured. There is some personal equipment stowage and a recovery hawser to hang on the outside. The two front doors to the “cab” are separate items, but there is unfortunately no interior detail. I would expect the kit to be a straightforward build provided the instructions are closely followed to avoid mixing up the two options, and care is taken with the suspension to get everything aligned and sitting right. This appears to be a very well produced kit. Recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell Mark Davies
A number of hatches are supplied separately and may be posed to taste.
Tools are moulded onto a rack.
Smaller details look great.
Lengths of wire are supplied for the characteristic antenna array.
The large upper hull moulding.
The lower hull is moulded as a single part, simplifying assembly.
A clear part is provided for the windscreen. March 2014 - Model Military International 59
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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases IS BOX ART REALLY ALL THAT IMPORTANT?
W
hat, may I ask in all seriousness, makes you buy a plastic AFV kit? There is a valid argument that the impulses of each are governed by widely different desires. As an impressionable schoolboy I regularly squandered my pocket money on small plastic kits, yet there was no definite pattern to my purchases. I knew I liked tanks, planes and cars but what really prompted me to part with my precious pocketful of money was the box top illustration. For me, it was a little different. My father was an illustrator of some note and I had a keen sense of what I liked in an illustration. The illustrations of the Revell artist Brian Knight were the first to pull at my heartstrings. His artwork was not only beautifully drawn but also exciting to look at. I remember the chequerboard nosed P-47 Thunderbolts hurtling into the air against a yellow sky or the evocative Albatross D-111 study with an enormous Zeppelin looming in the background. These bright interesting examples of aviation artistry stirred the imagination with their bold colours, accuracy and inspired perspective. Airfix artist Roy Cross was another that could
turn a mundane subject into something special. I purchased a 1:32 Triumph TR-4 so enthralled with the illustration depicting car going hell for leather around a corner. The 1:72 illustration of the Sd.Kf. 7 and 88 mm combination in the Western Desert was all the motivation I needed to purchase that kit. The kits were bought on the strength of the box art. No model however can (in my view) at least, possibly measure up to a well painted illustration. We modellers of 1:48 scale armour have been fairly well catered for with the Tamiya artwork in particular being presented well. Maybe it’s a product of age, but I find most current
packaging bland, unimaginative and certainly insufficient to inspire anyone to dig deep into their pockets. Some newer release box art fills all the right boxes like Trumpeter’s E-25 by Vincent Wai. Mr. Wai has really captured the “feel” of a tank in motion and this piece is one of his best. I defy anyone to tell me box art doesn’t sell kits, this piece of art is quite simply motivational! I want more action and more inspiring perspectives and certainly more movement. What do you think?
Until next time Luke Pitt
TANK WORKSHOP
U.S. M6 BOMB SERVICE TRUCK. KIT NO. TWS480059 U.S. M5 BOMB TRAILER. KIT NO. TWS480060
The M6 Bomb Service Truck was produced by Chevrolet during World War II. The M6 is a 1.5 ton 4x4 truck that was used to lift bombs and tow M5 Bomb Trailers on airfields. This was the only open-topped Chevrolet truck. It also featured a short wheel base. Chevrolet produced about 7,000 of these trucks during World War II.* Tank Workshop is one the “True Believers” in 1:48 scale. Along with less than a handful of cottage industry resin manufacturers, they continue to supplement sporadic mainstream releases with their own full multimedia kits, conversions and updates. Tank Workshop has plugged another significant gap in 1:48 scale military vehicles with their full resin kits of the M6 Bomb Service Truck and the M5 Bomb Trailer. These subjects will be of equal interest to aircraft modellers as accompaniment to 1:48 scale US bomber models. Both models are tightly packed into a simple plastic bag, but there was no damage to either of my samples. The M6 Bomb Service Truck kit comprises of just 40 parts in medium grey coloured resin. The resin is well cast but will take some time and care when removing the parts from the casting strips and plugs, and also cleaning up any fine flash. Interior and exterior detail looks very nice, including seats, jib and structural features. The M5 Bomb Trailer is simpler still, with less than 20 resin parts. Once again, some of the chunky casting plus will need time and patience to remove cleanly. Instructions for both kits are offered on a printed paper sheets with text and accompanying photos. These kits will require a bit of time to clean up, patience and experience with limited run resin, but will certainly deliver a unique crossover subject for aircraft and military modellers. Both Recommended. Thanks to Tank Workshop for the review samples www.tankworkshop.com Brett Green
*Historical background adapted from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M6_Bomb_Truck
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Figures
Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.
TAMIYA
1:35 SCALE JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER SET ITEM NO. 35341
CORSAR REX
1:48 GERMAN SOLDIERS ITEM NO. CR48018
These new 1:48 scale Corsar Rex figures have a certain style and finesse that others just can’t seem to match. What’s more, all of these figures are in summer style uniforms which means they are so much more adaptable than many other German resin figures I have come across. Basically, you can use these guys in any period in World War II. All the figures have been rendered in a very crisp style. The all-important facial details on these figure is handled very well and rendered to a very high standard. The casting is first rate. The execution of the uniform detail and folds in the fabric are simply outstanding. One of my pet hates about resin figures in general is that most are labelled 1:48 but are in fact either too large or just very small. These figures however are true 1:48 scale. They all scale out to around 5 foot 9 or 10 inch in the Imperial scale, which makes them slightly above average height for the time period. The poses of these figures lend themselves too many applications. What I like about these figures is the little details like the way the hands are sculpted on the weapons, the separate heads (in most cases) and the uniform details, like separate gas mask containers and bread bags. These figures have set a new benchmark for 1:48 scale resin figures. If you don’t purchase these, you either don’t like figures or are afraid to paint them (which is unfortunate as the detail is so good they will almost paint themselves). I hope this may be the first of many sets from this manufacturer. I would dearly love to see some US troops to the same standard. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Corsar Rex for the sample http://corsarrex.com Luke Pitt
The first figure I ever assembled was from Tamiya, back in the day. I have purchased some of their releases over the years, but generally have been a little let down by their soft detail and in some instances quite ordinary facial detail. There have been a few notable exceptions but my perception was they really were not up to the standard set by Dragon. This new set has changed my perception of Tamiya, and is to a very high standard. The first thing that strikes you is the outstanding box art and presentation of the figures themselves. The artwork is so good that it could be used as a painting guide. Four figures are offered on one medium grey sprue. The facial details are of note. Their features are captured to a very high standard as are the ears, which are often handled poorly in injection moulded figures. Two of the figures sport the distinctive Japanese field caps. The now familiar “pointing figure” sports a helmet while the tank commander has the distinctive Japanese tank crash pad. All the fabric folds on the variations of the type 98 uniforms are done to a high standard. I particularly like the current Tamiya trend of moulding the head separately as it makes painting that much easier. These ones are almost as good as any aftermarket set I have seen. They have character, which can be difficult to achieve in any scale. Two additional sprues supply two tables, four chairs; eight type 92 infantry gun ammunition cases, two type 94 radios, two Type 92 field telephones and two Type 92 telephone cable reels. The set is rounded out with a lovely set of decals that include officer collar bars, markings for the field telephones and ammunition cases. I am very impressed with these figures. In my opinion they are some of the best plastic injection moulded figures I have come across. They are relatively inexpensive and of high quality. With a little work, these could produce a quite outstanding vignette. If you’re looking for some Japanese, these should be on top of your list. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Luke Pitt
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BUYERS GUIDE>>>>>>>>> AVID READER
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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI... ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION
Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland. Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com
ADALBERTUS
Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland adalbertus@adalbertus.com.pl www.adalbertus.com.pl
THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd
Unit 7 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Tel; 08700 660 445 www.airbrushes.com
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ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk
AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)
235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786
ARCHER
(Historex in UK)
PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co
BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email info@badgerairbrush.com (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)
BISON DECALS
Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com
DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk info@deluxematerials.com Tel; 01529 455 0340
DRAGON MODELS
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)
ECHELON FINE DETAILS
Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/
FRIENDSHIP MODELS
12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com
GREAT NORTH ROADS
9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email svfarrugia@yahoo.co.uk
HANNANTS
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk sales@hannants.co.uk
HISTOREX AGENTS
Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk sales@historex-agents.co.uk
HOBBYLINK JAPAN
CAMMETT
(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)
Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; cammettco@btinternet.com www.cammett.co.uk
CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS
Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 midlandbooks@compuserve.com www.classic-publications.com
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(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)
Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk info@creativemodels.co.uk
DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com
C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com
MILICAST MODEL CO.,
9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 milicastmodels@hotmail.com www.milicast.com
MISSION MODELS
(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)
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THE ARMORY; M&MODELS
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ITALERI
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com
JUST BASES
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JUST KITS
Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com
SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK
Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; info@bushwodbooks.co.uk
SCHUMO KITS
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SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz
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No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk
MONROE PERDU
SQUADRON
Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com
ORDNANCE MODELS Via; www.steelmodels.com
PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 info@pacmodels.com www.pacmodels.com
PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com (Creative Models in UK)
Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. plusmodel@plusmodel.cz www.plusmodel.cz
POCKETBOND LTD
(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)
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PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)
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REVELL GmbH & Co. KG
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Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 orders@modeldesignconstruction.com www.modeldesignconstruction.com
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MDC
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SCHATTON BARRELS
MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD
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ICM
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(Creative Models in UK)
HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA
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IAN ALLAN
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http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html
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BLAST MODELS
Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com
MODELING ARTISAN MORI
UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model
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TAMIYA JAPAN
Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com
TAMIYA UK;
THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 enquiries@hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net
TRUMPETER
www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK
VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (Historex in UK)
811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com
VALLEJO
(Creative Models in UK)
Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com
VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)
(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com
WHITE ENSIGN
Unit 5, Cobnash Industrial Estate, HR6 9RW Tel; 0844 415 0914 wem@onetel.com www.whiteensignmodels.com
WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA
PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK RICHARDSBLC@aol.com
12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 ww2prod@optusnet.com.au
SBX MODEL SHOP
ZVEZDA
SBLC
Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia office@zvezda.org.ru www.zvezda.org.ru
■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks!
Luke 1:35
64 Model Military International - March 2015
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Next Issue On sale 5th March, 2015
ISSUE No.107 March 2015, Published February 5th 2015
STING IN THE TAIL
GAZ-AAA and Maxim Quad AA Gun by Chris Leeman
Editor;
Brett Green
Group Editor;
Marcus Nicholls
Publisher;
Alan Harman
Graphic Design;
Alex Hall
Advertising Manager;
Gareth Liddiatt
Advertising Assistant;
Joe Brown
Office Manager;
Paula Gray
Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MMI Website;
ADH Web Team
Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; tim@selectps.com
CENTURION GALLERY
AFV Club’s 1:35 scale kit by Chris Wauchop.
Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; gareth@adhpublishing.com
DINGO
Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Dingo kit by Brett Green with reference by Bruce Culver.
...and much more! Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!
FOR YOUR SAFETY Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask. When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create highspeed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!
Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above. Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.
35 TO A “T”
Luke Pitt builds Bronco’s 1:35 scale Panzer 35(t).
p 64-65 Contact NI 107B.indd 65
© ADH Publishing 2015
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March 2015 - Model Military International 65
20/01/2015 14:12
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NEW YEAR’S I CLEANUP 2014 MODELLING OUTPUT our am in the basement room of spend most days from 7:00 p, photo studio, library, ksho wor e, offic as es serv house that sites, books and magazines. storage and more for the web with newly arrived med cram This space is usually ress and ore. Every now and prog in els mod ing, pack , samples and re I really have to reorganise then it gets to the point whe ects proj g ellin mod new for tidy up in preparation ra corners of my office just afte These photos show the four ! long for this big cleanup. It won’t look like
A
lthough you are probably reading this in March or even later, I am writing in the first week of the New Year. I took the opportunity to revi ew my modelling output for 2014. It turns out that around half of these were military vehicles or figures.
Here is a list of all 19 2014 mod els: 1. Meng Model 1:35 Achzari t and Crew 2. Airfix 1:72 English Electric Lightning 3. Tamiya 1:48 GAZ AAA Truc k and Rest Model Quad Maxim Gun 4. Eduard 1:48 Lavochkin La-5 FN 5. Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 Erla 6. Takom 1:35 Leopard C2A 1 MEXAS 7. Tamiya 1:48 GMC Airfield Fuel Truck 8. Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon (with Chris Wauchop) 9. Italeri 1:35 L6/40 10. Airfix 1:72 Bristol Blenheim Mk.I 11. Trumpeter 1:35 T-64A Mod el 1981 12. Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Infantry 13. Tamiya 1:35 Mark IV Male 14. Airfix + Alley Cat Superm arine Spitfire Mk.Vc 15. Eduard 1:48 Messerschm itt Bf 109 G-6 (finished as a G-14) 16. Tamiya 1:35 Toyota Model AB Phaeton 17. Kinetic 1:48 Sea Harrier FA2 18. Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 19. Revell 1:32 Spitfire Mk.I Con version + Wings Cockpit Figures
66 Model Military International - March 2015
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16/01/2015 14:16
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14/01/2015 10:24
Tamiya Model Magazine International Vol 230