A Wonder Weapon that leaves you wondering!

After retrospectively editing my "painting tray" post I remembered what actually set off my latest painting spree of late war German camouflage. While tidying up I came across a model kit that I could not conveniently "hide" away in the "box of unmade stuff", so I ended up making it as it would take up less space. While in the process of making it, just over a dozen pieces, I decided what the heck I'll do the whole hog and paint the thing(s). Out came the Tamiya Dark Yellow (XF-60) and one thing lead to another.

The culprit was the: 1/72 P-245-010 Jaguarundi from Pegasus Hobbies (Note: it is nice that you actually get two to a box) :


Scanning the skies for trouble. A strange piece of kit, with that late war German irrational "make the most of what you have got left, while you can" feel to it. Never got off the drawing board, but yet I have two for my German late (and some) war battlegroups. The main armament (5.5cm) was supposed to have AA capacity as it had a 90 degree arc of vertical fire. Hmmm, how practical a weapon would that be?


Something for the Russians to ponder as they roll over it with a regiment of JSII's or T34/85's.

Danger: KonigTigers on the prowl in the twilight

The king of the jungle in that three tone "ambush" camouflage again! Nasty beasts to come up against even in a JSII. Decals still need doing, will have to wait for the time being at least. I sense a mass decal production line at the end of my painting spree.


These are Esci kits (the molds now released by Italeri), with the same story line as the PanzerJagd IV's mentioned previously in my blog, a long stay in the cupboard before their resurrection :)

Viewed from above in twilight:



Yes seventeen possibly eighteen years old with a long history of being on the "would be nice to do" list, usually at Xmas after The Battle of the Bulge had been on the telly. Inspiration for their camouflage comes from the cover art on the Arms & Armour Press book of Panzer Colours (ISBN 0-85368-450-2)

I will just add as a footnote, yes, honest I do have something other than German tanks! It is just that the urge has taken my this way, for this month anyway.

Top cover for Singapore: Force Z needs you!

Despite already having passed through my inglorious painting tray a couple of weeks a go, here is a retrospective look at my 1/72 Airfix Brewster Buffalo. I enjoyed putting it together immensely and it has painted up rather nicely. Not shown from this angle is the wacky "glass bottom" window beneath the pilot's feet.

My only criticism with the kit being the decals. They had a tendency to disintegrate on (perhaps my excessive) handling. By strange coincidence today, three sheets of replacement decals arrived from Airfix (free of charge). Thank you! I had used their web-site to explain my plight and ask for a replacement. True to their word they arrived (albeit a few weeks later, but heck I'm not complaining). I am now debating whether my touch-up paint job will do or a new decal juggling act is called for.

On the subject of decals I now swear by "Microscale Industries Inc." "Micro Set" and "Micro Sol" combination. The first one (Set) softens and fixes, the second (Sol) melts the decal onto the plastic to achieve a "painted on" look. This has revolutionized a previously very tricky task for my thumbs.

Though a nice kit to make the Buffalo is rather weak top cover for Singapore, out-classed by the Zero for pace, turning ability and armament. You have to admire the guts of the pilots who flew them as the odds were stacked high against them. It's a pity the RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes, post Battle of Britain, were busy flying costly "rhubarb" missions across the English Channel instead of being where they were needed most in 1941.

Oh that this Buffalo be on its way to rendezvous with Force Z? The (BB) HMS Prince of Wales and the old but fast (BC) HMS Repulse would sorely like to have seen it?

JagdPanzer IV Kit Information and Painting Description

As requested (and with a little bit of retrospective updating from other models kits done since)

The JagdPanzer IV's shown in the previous post are actually original Esci kits.
Something I bought "seventeen years" ago! (Ah, the shame of it all)

Since that time they hibernated in a box untouched (shall we call this a gestation period) before seeing the light of day, an instruction manual and plastic (liquid) glue. They then hung about in a draw with other naked plastic kits until about five years ago when the huge pot of black Tamiya matt came their way. Again another period of darkness (in the Pz Mk IV cupboard) until inspired by other WWII 20mm bloggers and a pot of Tamiya dark yellow XF-60 the late war paint scheme project came to life.

The painting went as follows:

Matt Black (Tamiya XF1)


Above kit being a 1/76 Fujimi KonigTiger (Porsche Turret).

Matt Dark Yellow (Tamiya XF60)- leaving lots of dark shady cracks black highlighted in rather an extreme way:


The above kit being a 1/76 Fujimi KoingTiger (Henschel Turret), just being started.


The above kit being a 1/76 Fujimi Tiger, primed yellow. As a footnote to this part, I use a a large (Size 3) brush, so I can be rather rough and ready but cover a lot of area quickly as I essentially wash over the model (and totally repaint it) in the next step.

Metallic Black (Anita's Acrylics) neat on track and tools

The above is the 1/76 Fujimi (Henschel) KonigTiger given base metallic shade to track and tools.

The radical bit: Black oily wash of a watered down Metallic Black, yes you get lots of floaty shiny bits but it suits an oily, dirty panzer look (IMHO). The Hasagawa 1/72 Tiger is starting to look raw, mean and hungry.

Likewise the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger above has lost that parade ground sparkle and starts to look roughly treated.

(Above) Matt Red Brown (Tamiya XF-64) blotches and stripes on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger

(Above) Matt Dark Green (Tamiya XF-61) blotches and stripes on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger

Then came the part Games Workshop can take credit for as I highlighted up a shade with:

(Above) Matt Red Brown (Tamilya XF-64) with Matt Flat Earth (Tamiya XF-54) on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger. As a final highlight the the above mixture with a touch of Yellow (Tamiya XF-3)

(Above) Matt Dark Green (Tamiya XF-61) with a touch of Yellow (Tamiya XF-3) on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger

(Above) Matt Dark Yellow (Tamiya XF-60) with a touch of White (Tamiya XF-2) on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger

(Above) GW Citadel paint "Bolt Gun" to highlight the shiny metal part.on the Fujimi 1/76 (Henschel) KonigTiger

Then the fun bit with the spots (and a bit of touching up after when the blotches go amiss). Cover/leathers we painted initially Matt Red Brown and shaded with GW "Bestial Brown" and "Snakeskin Leather".

The final product with a quick twirl for the audience.


The kit above is one of the Esci 1/72 KonigTigers.

The only thing left is to decal it at some point in the future

;)

Early days on the photography front!

Words are one thing, but pictures are what the public want.
This was the result of me playing around with a scanner :)
I was lucky I did not blind myself!

Prompted by MiniatureZone I thought I could at least share some preliminary results rather than waiting before I got my photography skills together.

See above my three PanzerJagd IV in late war "ambush" camouflage.
Best to click in to enlarge and see the detail as the initial picture is small.
Honest, I don't just have Germans!

The KonigTigers (see "Initial Painting Tray" post) are being painted in a similar scheme.
Some form of Ardennes wargame is formulating in my mind.

Geordie

The Painting Tray: The Initial State of Play

In the beginning ...


There was an organised state of chaos like my mind!

Recently completed projects:

Bottom Left: 1/72 - 3 x (Old Esci kits) PanzerJagd IV
Late war three tone "ambush" camouflage
Done :)

Middle Left: 1/72 - 2 x (Pegsus Hobbies) P-245-010 Tanks "Jaguarundi"
From the "could have been" German design drawing board of 1945+
Late war three tone "ambush" camouflage
Done :)

Top Left: 1/72 - 1 x (Airfix) Brewster Buffalo
A kit that I never had as a kid but I always had a strange interest/notion in doing it "sometime"
Never got round to it until now
Again Done :-D

Follow on project (WIP):
Bottom Right: 1/72 - 2 x (again old Esci kits) KonigTiger VII
Again late war "ambush" camouflage
¦:d

Projects on hold (seeking inspiration):
Top Right: 20mm LOTR HoTT with GW figures
After a heady start with a good head of steam I seem to be
Must do better :(
Watch "The Fellowship of the Ring" for inspiration or something

Alpha

Everything has to have a beginning and this is the start of blogging my adventures in my chosen hobby. Serving if nothing else to be an aide-memoir.

Geordie :)