Airfix Dukw 1/76

 

I guess I am on an Airfix kick.  I do like this kit.  It goes together easy. But, it does lack a lot of pizazz. Currently, I don't have loads of extra gear to weight this model down. The only add on's other than the cargo, which is also Airfix, was placing an Airfix US Marine in the machine gun ring and head swapping the drivers head with another Marine. ( The head swap create a Frenchi... see below.) 

The cargo is from the D-Day Battlefront set. 

I did have to cut down the legs of the machine gun ring.  They were modeled for a man 7' 4".  

                                                                    The Free Frenchman!

Airfix M3 Half Track

 

Well, it's been many, many years since I built an Airfix American M3.  To borrow an expression..."it's an oldie, but a goodie." I enjoyed this relatively easy kit.  I didn't recall it being as fiddly as it was.  However, time skews memories... maybe like a bad marriage. (Did I say that? lol)  It went together pretty easy.  The slight issue was getting the under carriage and hull to secure properly.  I used clothes pens to hold them in place. Outside of that, most everything went together well.  This kit was released in 1966! So, not too bad.

The overall detailing is a little weak. I rummaged up a few spare parts to add some detail. The kit packs are from a Fujimi American Jeep and 37mm anti-tank gun set.  The Gerri Cans are from Plastic Toy Soldier. The cargo is from Top Gear.  The crew is from Matchbox, as they too are 1/76 scale.  I tried the "Tank Riders" from Hat, but they were two large.  Airfix Marines were a thought, but the poses would not work. I like to think these guys are a part of the "Kelly's Heroes" platoon fighting their way through the occupied French town on their way through enemy lines. 

Look, I know it is a different version... but it's my blog... If you know the movie, you know what I mean. 

Operation Barbarossa

 

I picked up this gem on Ebay a few weeks ago. It is a pretty good set.  It has tanks, troops and war accessories. However.... I am not sure the choice of tanks for the time period is all that accurate, to be polite. Anyway, the diorama base is one of the better ones.  I think this also comes in the Saigon ESCI set.  Again, I used crushed kitty litter on some acrylic paste and let it set for 24 hours.  

Here is a rough finish.  I still had more work to do. But, this is a good example of always work from dark to light tones.  

I am very pleased with the way this came out.  I added some 1/72 scale brick bits I found on Ebay.  

Now the tanks choices are very odd, indeed.  The Russian T-34 is a the 1943 version. The Wespe is from 1942.  At least the 35(t) was in Operation Barbarossa, but in limited numbers. ESCI could have used their KV1 and given the Germans a PzII or III.   

 

I choose to use the accessories very sparingly. I did not want to overwhelm the diorama with stuff and take away from the brick bits and painted scenery. 

These Germans are from Plastic Soldier Co. 

Now I reequipped the diorama for something like Kharkov 1943...

 

S Model Panzer III Ausf G

 

 I am taking a detour from the vacuum bases with a few items I have stored in my cache'. This Pz III

 S Model kits comes directly from China. This is only my second kit I have built of this brand. The other was the British A13. Both kits come as 1+1 giving you two tanks in a box.  The detail on the Panzer III is a little better than the A13. 

It comes with a few Photo Etched parts and some very good decals. 

I appreciated the Number decals the best.  They have a split in them which helps them lay over the hatches on the turret. 

The picture below shows how the decal lays over the turret. 

The fellow below is from Plastic Soldier Co.

 

Airfix North African Outpost

 

 

When I was a kid, I really wanted this set. However, its days passed me up by a few years or at least the hobby shops I went to in the early 80s never had it.  So, I was super excited to find that Amera Plastic Mouldings Inc. was remaking the Airfix bases and more. Products - Amera Plastic Mouldings However, I was disappointed when I got mine. The ruined house was the Normandy Command Post, not the outpost!  But, I was not going to let that set me back.  I did the best I could with it, so you be the judge.  

Here, I was very pleased with the rock shading.  It came out much better than I anticipated. The grit is my standard kitty litter crushed up into bits of small rock. 

The inside of the house I filled with acrylic paste. The depth of the walls are about 4mm thick.  I tried to fill in the best I could, but I was losing my cool! lol 

The model kit is the standard 1/76 scale German Recon set with 3 soldiers standing, 2 in the Kampfwagon and the 3rd is the from Caesar German Tank Riders. Someone needs to man the machine gun, right?   

I got a little antsy trying to finish this kit, so I did not put as much debris on the floor as I could have.  Just say'in!   

Hans is telling Fritz where to shove it!   

Urban Terrain

I picked up this Miniscenes by Bellona many years ago.  I figured one day I would get to painting it. 

Added Some kitty litter, paste and mod podge. 

Base Coats.

Though it came out reasonable, I am still struggling with the shading of the debris in an urban setting. 

The Germans are 1/72 Pioneers from Revell. 

Desert Terrain

Another BUM base I had for years.  This time I painted it in desert.  I admit I was pleased with the color effect relative to the one posted below, which was more European dirt. 

The gun is a German 50mm Pak 38. (Mfg unknown) The troops are Hat figures from their Anti-Tank Pak 36 set.

Picture from Plastic Soldier Review

Plastic Soldier Review - HaT German PaK 36 Anti-tank Gun