Airfix King Tiger Porsche

I had to get it despite having too many King Tigers already, (four in total, three of them Henshel [2 x Esci and 1 x Fujimi]turrets and one a Porsche [1 x Fujimi]). Seeing as Airfix had gone to all the trouble of making a new one it would be rude not to make one ;)

The new tooling is a dream and 95% of it is a pleasure to make, however they have strayed into the common trap of being too fussy with respect to the German complicated wheel arrangements at the expense of making the prongs that stick out to fit on the wheels too weak when you need strength in them the most (see below).

The issue comes to haunt the model maker when you try to "slip" the track over the running arrangement. I have to say first though that the new tracks are a massive improvement over the old Airfix tracks, better plastic and better connector design (as in, they have finally learnt from their old arch rivals Matchbox how to do it properly some forty years ago - I'm not complaining as they work now!) I found out that I bent one and had to take the precautionary measure of filling the space with Milliput as per below:

Despite this it looks a mean cat (see below), too mean for the venerable old Airfix Sherman and Churchill, plus the newcomer Cromwell which also is waiting in the wings for a chance to be made.

It is definitely a nice acquisition to have but part of me wishes they had gone back and "fixed" the Tiger I (it needs  a stowage bin and mud flaps) and made the mud skirts round the 234 armoured car the correct "late war" variant! I thought for a while they were going to do this as they released a Sherman Crab, a Sherman Calliope, the Matilda Hedgehog, a Crocodile Churchill and a Churchill Bridgelayer. These were effectively an existing kit with a new sprue stuck into it, which I thought made perfectly good sense. So why not the stowage bin on the Tiger and four little mud-flaps?

Airfix King Tiger

OK, OK, I already have enough King Tigers:
2 x Esci Pz VII Ausf B (Henschel)
1 x Fujimi Pz VII Ausf B (Henshel)
1 x Fujimi Pz VII Ausf A (Porsche) 
All made and painted (bar putting the decals on).

Additionally I believe I have a Trumpeter Pz VII Ausf B (Henschel) in the loft somewhere still to make. So there is absolutely NO need for another. But Airfix in their wisdom brought one out  so ...

Looking inside the kit is very well modeled as per all the new Aifix toolings :)

However there is still the typical Airfix gripe on details as from what I can see the version they have given us is the Porsche type (Pz VII Ausf A) tanks and yet on their packaging says Ausf B. Given the Ausf A had such a brief combat career (as its turret had an unhealthy "shot trapping" characteristic) at least a variant for both turrets was hoped for (I'll check closer later but on first inspection I could not see one).

I weakened and got one ... is there a self help therapy group out there I could join (other than Wargamers Ring and the Airfix tribute forum)?

Early war Panzer "Mediums": Panzer IV (Short Barrelled)

To be fair the Germans did not pretend to have any heavies in their early war order of battle (OoB). The Panzer battalion had its two companies of "lights" and one company of "medium" tanks. These latter ones were the short barrelled 75mm Panzer IV's designated as a specialist infantry support (or should I say Panzer Grenadier) role (see below):

These chaps are the classic Airfix kit made up in the early was Panzer Mk IV F1 variant.

These boys were painted "long, long ago" (note, still no decals on them) in the mid-1990's but seem to hold their paint jobs against my more recent stuff.

I still rate the Airfix kit as a classic and I have two kits made (see previous post) ready to paint and a third still in the box of the long barrelled mid-later version to complete (technically the Pz IV F2).

Strangely "as by means of necessity" this initial "infantry support tank" supplanted its cousin the Panzer Mk III in its various 'Ausf' up-gunned and up-armoured guises as the Main Battle Tank (MBT) of the German Army from 1943 onwards. This was down to the virtue of having  a bigger turret ring that could fit the long barrelled 75mm gun that was needed to combat the Soviet tanks (T34's and KVI's)  encountered on the Eastern Front. The poor old Pz III was stuck at the long barrelled 50mm having its 'Kursk swan song' and was finally turned into a "infantry support version" in its end-of-life Ausf N version.

Exciting stuff as I am nearing the end of the early war German Panzers. Next I better sort out mu Orders Of Battle and get them onto the table-top for a bit of Command Decision III action (he says dusting off my copy of the rules).

Red Army on the painting tray

The painting tray:

The chaos that surrounds the painting tray:

A time of general house painting means that this all has to be cleared away soon. But to the little "red" men:

Two packets worth of Revell's Stalingrad Russian Summer Infantry. Some in singles, while some are set up for Command Decision on 20mm square bases.

Some were already started (the black under-coat was universal) but all are getting reverted to a Vallejo Russian Uniform WWII green, Tanned Flesh from Games Workshop (yes I am still using them up) and a green tin hat where appropriate (Vallejo Russian Green).

Then an interesting "brown wash" phase is planned followed by some highlighting (see above and below for some test results).

Washes tried so far include Windsor Peat Brown ink, Anita Acrylics Black Metalic and a Earth Brown watery mix, waiting in the wings is highly recommended Devlan Mud from GW (unused as yet).

Highlights were GW Pale Flesh mixed into the GW Tanned Flesh, another coat (selective dabbing) of Vallejo Russian Uniform WWII and then a Vallejo Khaki. I have to work out the greens and the browns of the Russian sacks and belts. I started out with most of them green but that seems wrong looking at pictures and painting guides. Hmm.

Anyhow I have plenty of old Esci, Revell and Italeri plastics to practise on before I turn my attention to the excellent Plastic Soldier Company and Pegasus acquisitions. My plan is to go on a Russian Army painting splurge.

One possible mistake in the above. I have noy PVA'ed the figures (yet). Thinnish PVA wash then a Matt varnish perhaps?

The Joy of Airfix (5): Purring Panther

Although the Airfix Panther is not substantial in size it still well represents the "Killer Kat" and hence forms a company of the beasts in my WWII late-war German Panther Battalion. Destined to be fourteen tanks strong in the end, these two complete the plastic needed for the Airfix Panther Company.

In addition to the above I have two Esci/Italerli Panthers (the chances of getting a third now seem slim), one old Matchbox kit, three tasty big Hasagawa brutes. The remaining five places are destined to be filled by Hat and Italeri fast builds and the newer more detailed Revell kits.

A slow moving project, I've only been working on and off at it for fifteen years ;)

Pass the black undercoat paint pot and brush :)

The Joy of Airfix (3): The good old Panzer IV F2

Albeit old, albeit basic, albeit heavy on the number of small plastic parts to make up the wheels and track assembly, it still stands the test of time very well. In addition to this it is relatively cheap (£5.99) and still found in the model shop on the high street :)

It also build up quickly and (now) has a carefree track assembly :)

Project wise I plan to build three of these to be a company in a CD III late war Panzer battalion. Other manufacturers contributing the other companies. No great rush on this adventure, just keeping pace with the steady build up of my British and American Sherman CDIII regiments and battalions respectively.

Plastic to be painted when I feel inspired (deep sigh). 

More Airfix Tiger I (completed refurbishment) shots

They just seemed so photogenic so I kept snapping.

Two Tigers far away:

One opened-up with tank commander further away:

Another one of the tank commander opened-up coming closer:

And closer:

The other Tiger close-up:

Airfix Tiger fashion show now over (honest)! Yeah, those pesky decals still to do. In the interest of fairness I should now concentrate on making and painting a couple of Airfix Shermans ;)

Airfix Tiger I refurbishment: Part Four "Then there was two"

One Tiger refurbishment down and so just one to go. Aiming at the target point of duplicating this below, but with a tank commander to boot:

The second Tiger I turret reconstruction was green for go. Here it is taking the basic shape and base coat colour:

Now appearing as the finished product on the left, finished to the same three tone (more stone than base yellow) Camo pattern, and crewman/commander has even been given a lick of paint too.

The only thing outstanding (but not critical IHMO) is to weather and redden the German tank tracks, which I will do across the board on the German armour in a mass production fashion. Oh, yes, of course my Achilles heel, the obligatory German decals to come :)

PS: Hmmm, A pregnant question hanging in the air is, do I return to the "Brown" and "Green" Tigers to add in another stripe of alternating colour (green and brown respectively) to make the batch be of "the same unit". I am tempted, but putting it off for a rainier day than today!

Airfix Tiger I refurbishment: Part Three

I have a problem with the basic Dark Sand Yellow look of mid-war German armour. I just don't think it is interesting enough. I like to fiddle with my painting and add different shades of paint to give a weather beaten effect. 

Hence I followed my Panzer Jagd IV, Tiger I and Royal Tiger (Tiger II) examples. I chose a late-war three part scheme. However I made it slightly more "blocky" than "stripy".

If truth be told the yellow has migrated to more of a pale stone whiter shade, which fits with a late 1944 Ardennes feel to it, but is not something I plan to universally adopt.

Which is fine by me. It breaks up the outline nicely and I don't have to work in the busy "ambush scheme" (may be at a later date).

The tracks were in a mixed up state, paint everywhere. Here I fell back on a recent trick I learn from the Airfix Chieftain that crossed my painting table. Games Workshop Chaos Black, particularly when it goes slightly chunky in the pot, seals the shiny silver Airfix track plastic really well. While the black was out I took the opportunity to blacken the gun barrel/exhausts and highlight with a shade of grey.

Next step is to consult my Flames of War (Art of War) painting tips for German tank tracks. They seem to think there should be a reddish tinge/undertone to them, but I am much happier with my Airfix Tiger I now.

Time to catch up with the second Airfix Tiger I.

Airfix Tiger I refurbishment: Part One

A funny thing happened to me from the Painting Table to the Model Box ...

I had just under-coated the so-called German Wonder Tanks (from Pegasus) Matt Black and had put them to one side (eyeing up the Boulton Paul defiant and Hawker Hurricane) when I thought I should really put the tanks "back in the box" (so I or small child didn't break them)!

Pandora's box of unfinished models was opened and I spied my old pair of Airfix Tigers. Hmm. The comparison (Fujimi v Airfix):

Now this annoys me, all because of the missing back stowage bins (you know the story of the Airfix designers basing their model from a reconstructed Tiger, done in haste without the ubiquitous stowage bins in place, so they never made it to the final Airfix model ). Just think of all those generations of misguided teenage Airfix modellers getting confused with their AFV recognition charts ;)

I had made these two Tigers yonks ago but they were never used as they looked a bit silly next to their Fujimi and Hasagawa cousins (with back bins). Taking inspiration from a certain Tim Marshall's web-site and his Tiger Turret conversion I decided to take the plunge and have a go myself, it looked simple enough.

The basic conversion, a new back:

Starting with glueing two small bits of squarish plasti-card sticking out from the rear turret (using the Fujimi turret as a guide), a third longer piece was bent and rolled over joining the back of the two. Getting it sufficiently curved was rather tricky, so I settled for glueing piece three in place and then sticking a forth bit of rolled/bent plasti-card over it to get the extra curve needed, Finally I carved a rough curve to fit the Tiger turret from a very thin bit of plast-icard and put that over the bin framework. This irregular shape was carved back to conform to turret/bin shape.   

A little extra detail (Two Back Flaps added):

Two small squares of plastic were added as bin flaps and a small square hole was drilled into the middle of the back stowage area (as per the Fujimi model).

A spot of Panzer Yellow (Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow): It looks rough in close-up, but it's good enough from a distance and there is a bit of camo and weathering to follow :)

The refurbishment continues ...

"Brown" and "Green" Tigers

Following hot on the heels of 1/72 Hasagawa "Green Tiger" painting saga comes the 1/76 Fujimi "Brown Tiger" in what I can only say was a comparatively speedy paint job but also giving it a very Eastern Front effect. In the staged scene below we can see "Brown Tiger" to the back halted, covering "Green Tigers" advance:

Note in the background the huge vastness of the Russian Steppes leading off over the horizon. Then note, somewhat spoiling this illusion, top left and the shadow of my window sill. Obviously expecting danger "Green Tiger" halts and now covers "Brown Tiger" as it advances. You will have to excuse my vivid imagination here as I have been painting (or just looking at) these beasts for far too long.

You may also notice that "Green Tiger" looks a little lighter in parts of its base Dark Yellow from previous photographs, I retrofitted lessons from "Brown Tiger's" painting. I am happy with "Green Tiger" now :)

Am I done with German heavy tanks? I must admit I am tiring, but I do have a pair of Airfix Tigers still to do. Yes, this would make-up a heavy (reinforced) German heavy tank company, however the Airfix kits do have a serious flaw. They require a bit of modeling as infamously as the kit designers studied a version that had been reconstructed from an abandoned Tiger (from Tunisia) at a tank museum. The Allies in their haste to fathom the secrets of the Tiger took it apart but broke it (so urban myth has it) and things like stowage bins to the rear of the turret were forgotten about as they tried in vain to get the engine started. Along came the Airfix designers, studied what they though was the real deal and didn't see the difference with war time photographs until the molds had been pressed. I intend to do a job like Tim Marshal (first photo on page, bottom right) did on his, but the plasti-card can wait for a while ;)