Thursday, November 30, 2023
Egyptian T-122 SPG - Blackdog 1/72 kit review
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Volvo C303 Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil - Gecko Heavy Industries kit review
Volvo C303 Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil
Volvo C303 Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil 1/72 Gecko Resin kitAnother kit review of Gecko Heavy Industries 1/76th scale resin kit. The Volvo C303 Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil 90mm recoiless anti tank gun. The only model of this kit that I am aware of for 20mm wargaming, I needed to purchase this for my Swedes for our Cold War event “Whisky on the Rocks” at French Wargame Holidays from 3rd to 7th May 2024. The kit is resin with four options for the build, a complete clear resin cabin with stowed gun, a half cabin with stowed gun, a windscreen with roll cage mounted or a firing version with folded down screen and roll frame. The resin spruces were simple to remove, do take care though with assembly as the instructions are not that clear, and you will require a few images from the web to fully assemble it correctly, particularly the gun mount. The roll cage will need some work if you are to get close to an actual vehicle, so I opted to fold mine down in the firing version. The clear parts are not that great and I think I will scratch a new windscreen(which will be folded down anyway…. The front seats were also incorrect from what I could see, so I trimmed the kit pieces to suit. Overall a 8.5 out of 10. The kit was €22 from panzerfux and worth the price I think as it is such a rare beast. Looking forward to getting some paint on it and I will possibly convert some S&S miniatures Swedish crew. |
Volvo C303 Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil Layed out |
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Volvo c303 Tbg11 - Gecko Kit Review
Volvo c303 Tbg11 - Gecko Kit Review
Gecko Heavy Industries Volvo C303 TGB11 |
The kit removed from sprue, note the alignment on the chassis |
Note the huge sprue knob on the clear cast resin |
Piece removed, then wet and dry to smooth to level, a good hour of work |
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Praga 53/59/70 30mm AA 1/72 review
Praga 53/59/70 30mm AA Lizard
History Praga 53/59
The Praga M53/59 was developed post ww2 and entered service in 1959, mounted on a armoured cabin, the cabin armour was quite thin 10mm on the front and 6mm on the sides making it small arms fire proof only. The vehicle was the Czech V3S 6 wheel drive truck chassis. The chassis, engine and electronic components were upgraded and improved in 1970, these vehicles became the M53/70. Further electronic additions were added in the eighties so electronic air tracking was available via connection to a battery command vehicle using the M85 Zirafa radar allowing it to remain in service for some time in the Czechoslovakian army until 2003. A large number of both models were exported during the Cold War and quite a number still remain in a number of armies today.
The 30mm cannon was originally designed by Bruno for the kreigsmarine during ww2 as a submarine anti aircraft design. The Czechoslovak designation was the 30mm PLDvk viz.53. The top mounted magazines for the gun held 50 rounds, however weighed a hefty 85 kilos when fully loaded. The guns had a practicable rate of fire of 150-200 rounds per minute, AA effective range was 3500m and on ground targets 2000m. The gunner had optical sights only and manual trigger and hydraulic assisted traverse and elevation, until the 1980s when the upgraded system appeared for targeting. The twin guns could also be dis-mounted from the chassis into a fixed ground position. The vehicle had a crew of five, Commander, driver, two loaders and a gunner, and normally operated in a division of 6 vehicles, plus a command vehicle for the battery of two divisions.
The Praga had the nickname the lizard due to its code name during its development and was widely used in the ground role during the Yom Kippur war and the Yugoslavian wars, where Praga became the nickname for all anti aircraft SP cannons.
Review NB models Praga 53/59
A superb offering of the Praga 53/59 30mm SP AA gun by NB models. This is the 1/72 version, there is also a 1/35th scale available too.Matt
References
AK interactive- vol III Arab revolutions and border wars.
You tube training clip of the Praga 53/59
Praga 53/59 walk around
Yugoslavian wars use
Friday, August 4, 2023
VW 181 Kurierwagen 1/72 Germania Figuren build
As I start to complete my Bundesgrenzschutz units I thought I would find a 1/72nd scale VW181 to complete my command platoon.
The Germania Figuren vehicle is made from resin and upon inspection is a very nicely cast model. Hardly and flash and no bubbles. It comes with two options roof on or folded back, plus driver (which is a bonus) with four head variants. It was a little pricey at €16.50 plus shipping but I added some more pieces to my Swedes which reduced price per unit shipping. I will post the Swedes in the coming weeks after I complete my American ww2 airborne build.
I hope to get it together this weekend and get some paint on it this coming week as we have rest before the next Wargame Holiday tours and Wargaming.
Cheers
Matt
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
WIP Wednesday - Saab Viggen
Saab Viggen WIP
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Belgian Alvis Hefty Chasseur Ardennes
Belgian Alvis-Straussler Hefty truck
The most common image is the trial version, but I believe the Chassuer Ardennes actually purchased the fifty vehicles of the C model. I could find little or no record of how many were built of each type, it seems several different were in production at the same time, all seemed to have the pivot in the chassis though.
I know I started this beast almost 5 years ago but it is now complete and awaiting paint!
The Belgians ordered fifty of these primarily for towing artillery and AT guns for the Chasseur Ardennais as far as I can research only thirty five were delivered before the war commenced.
cheers
Saturday, April 30, 2022
30 day kit build challenge part 3
#30daykitbuildchallenge
M1a1 Shermans for my yanks |
British artillery, cabins left open until crew and vehicle painted |
British trucks, like these a lot |
Steyr heavy cars for my germans |
Thursday, April 28, 2022
30 Day Kit build Challenge week 2
30 Day Kit build Challenge update 2
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
30 Day Kit build challenge, week one
#30daykitbuildchallenge
Saturday, April 2, 2022
30 day Kit build challenge -2022
April 30 day Kit challenge!
So what is the 30 day kit challenge? Well, something I shamelessly copied from Gunbird and his blog "20mm and then some" back in 2017 when we chatted about doing something about our piles of shame.
When I moved to France I found I had a lot of unbuilt kits, particularly modern and ww2, plus some ww1 aircraft make up the majority. I also suffer from half built kit syndrome, as I like to paint the interiors, the pilots or drivers then assemble the kit. So with that in mind I'm starting the 30 day kit build, if you like join me and blog about it, steal the picture below if you like
Join me if you wish on Facebook, Blog and Instagram using the tag
#30daykitchallenge
Or join the fun on the
RULES
Goals are simple, you will build your part built and new kits during the 30 day challenge:- Any material (plastic, resin, metal, wood).
- New in the box or partially built, it matters not.
- Gun, tank, truck, aircraft, ship, figure animal? Your call.
- Kit must be basically finished, based if you prefer that, to qualify as a build.
- The completed kit must be ready for primer.
- Resin and metal upgradesets can be applied after the build.....the goal is to get kits built and ready for primer, not to finish them with paint and varnish etc.
- You decide how many kits/models you want to build in the 30 day period.
- You set the penalty for not meeting your goal (and after that it is the honor system)
My goal is the period from 1/4/2022 up to 30/4/22, each day I plan to work on a kit until I have completed my goal. My goal is grand total of 30 kits, If I can build more kits in the month, then bonus.
My penalty is that if I don't make my target, is not to buy another kit for the rest of the year :(.
So, starting with Day #1 (1st April 2022), I'm starting with some Allied /72 PST kits first then onto some more tanks and aircraft.
Cheers
Matt
Friday, December 31, 2021
Luftstreitkräfte Albatross W4
Luftstreitkräfte Albatross W4
Albatross W4 |
cheers
Matt
Junkers D1 Luftstreitkräfte
Junkers D1 (the furniture van)
The Junk D1 was nicknamed the furniture Van and only flew with the Luftstreitkräfte. The colour schemes are contentious, The Air Ministry report on Junkers D.1 5183/18 found abandoned at Evere, Belgium in January 1919 notes that “The wings are painted a pale green, with irregular patches of light mauve on top, and white underneath”. Close examination of photographic evidence shows that the “light mauve” and “white” were not sprayed on but applied with a brush or perhaps by sponge etc. The fuselage of 5183/18 had been overpainted ...“a chocolate-brown colour, except underneath, where a white pigment has been applied”. It also noted that “pale green” could be seen where the brown paint had come off. Interior duralumin surfaces and frames were left unpainted on the prototype J 7 and may have remained unpainted on the first few aircraft but a photo on page 12 of Datafile 33 shows the interior painted in a reasonably dark colour that was probably grey-green. Interior steel brackets and collars riveted with iron rivets appear to have been painted black or possibly with red-brown primer unless overpainted with grey-green.
cheers
Matt
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Jasta 10 part two lt Hans Klein
Jasta 10 part 2
Lt Hans Klein Jasta 10 |
Lt Hans Klein Jasta 10 |
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Jasta 10 ww1 WIP 1
Jasta 10 1916-18 Part one
It has been a while since I have built any ww1 aircraft for my Flying Circus but during my three week painters block I watched two ww1 films and put together four kits. Two of these will join Jasta 10, the others are for another Luftstreitkräfte posts.In June 1917 Jasta 10 joined the flying circus along and was credited with 118 enemy planes and 33 enemy observation balloons destroyed. In turn, it would lose twenty killed in action, another killed in a flying accident, ten wounded in action, and four held as prisoners of war
First plane off the block is the most famous Pilot of the Jasta, Werner Voss credited with 48 kills, 14 with Jasta 10. I will paint his triplane in the familiar colours of Jasta 10, a yellow nose and tail (as per recorded his shot down aircraft), not sure if I will add the large white field to the cross pattée and yellow tail plane tops (not recorded for Voss)
lt Hans Klein Jasta 10 |
Vizefeldwebel Adam Barth |
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
KV2 build Part 1
KV2 build
Monday, August 9, 2021
JU86 D1 project part 1
Junkers JU86 D1 build
Well a cold wet day kept me from doing external chores so I elected to pull out some kits from the stock and decided upon the Italeri Junkers JU86D1 and four others to assemble over the coming week of predicted wet weather.
Originally I purchased this for SCW aerial dogfights, but as it is a little large I have decided to add it to my Luftwaffe for the invasion of Poland where I believe the JU86D1 flew its only combat missions of ww2 with Kampfgeschwader 1 /III, (I do quite like the 5th Staffel KG254 1937 colours below).
I will paint in the early war pattern I think, and as a wargaming flying model, as very little information exists for the JU86D1 service. JU 86 colour ideas
JU 86 colour ideas |
JU86 colour ideas |
cockpit Interior |
looking at the forward bombardier/gunners position |
The dorsal gunners position; and within a retractable ventral position |
Interior commenced RLM 02 brush painted |