Collectors Edition

Nineteen

Military Vehicle Special 1st April

2016

From the publishers of

100
PAG
ISSU E
Valentine M
k.II E

us f F
PzKpfw I A

PLUGeS
cko
SA-8

SU-152
4.99

MODELLING GROUP

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 contents
Vol.46 No.4 2016

Published by MyTimeMedia Ltd

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Military Vehicle Special Collectors Edition Nineteen
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EDITORIAL 12 BIG GREEN GECKO! 58 PANZERKAMPFWAGEN I

Editor: Kelvin Barber
PO BOX 6018, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2RS Steve Zaloga builds Trumpeters AUSF F
Email: kelvin.barber@mytimemedia.com Russian SA-8 Gecko in 1:35 scale. Fraser Gray describes how he
Consultant Editor: Ken Jones built and weathered Broncos
26 BE MY VALENTINE! 1:35 scale model that earned him a
PRODUCTION Mark Bannerman finds AFV Clubs Highly Commended award at
Designer: Richard Dyer Valentine Mk.II version to be the best Euro Militaire 2014.
Illustrator: Grahame Chambers of the many 1:35 scale kits available
Retouching Manager: Brian Vickers
Ad Production: Robin Gray for this widely used WW2 tank. 72 SDKFZ 7/2 FLAK 36
WALKAROUND
ADVERTISING 38 BEAST KILLER Robin Buckland takes advantage
Business Manager: David Holden Mario Eens builds and paints of a rare opportunity to
Email: david.holden@mytimemedia.com Broncos 1:48 scale SU-152 kit as a photograph a German half-track
Tel: (0) 1689 869867 vehicle used on the Eastern Front. at Bastogne Barracks.

MANAGEMENT 50 AUSTRALIAN 2PDR 78 SCHNEIDER CA

Group Advertising Manager: Rhona Bolger
ANTI-TANK CARRIER THE INSIDE STORY
Email: rhona.bolger@mytimemedia.com
Publisher: Julie Miller Peter Gillson tests his modelling John Prigent scratchbuilds an
Chief Executive: Owen Davies skills by building an unusual interior for the HobbyBoss 1:35
Chairman: Peter Harkness Carrier variation in 1:35 scale. scale kit of this French WW1 tank.

38
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W
elcome to this Collectors varied selection of model subjects in the
MyTimeMedia Ltd. 2016
All rights reserved ISSN 0026-4083 Edition Military Vehicle most popular modelling scales, and
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Military Modelling, ISSN 0026-4083, is published monthly with an content with some longer and more As usual, the modelling advice,
additional issue in April by MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Enterprise House,
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in-depth articles about building techniques and historical references
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contributors, advertisers and loyal Special together for you, we hope that
readers who have made this annual you like the result!
publication the success it is. With its Kelvin Barber

www.militarymodelling.com

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 BRAND NEW
Set of resin wheels for kits in 1/35 scale.
Our wheels are designed with use of original measurements and pictures. The
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The set contains 14 complete wheels, a spare wheel, a drill and a QuickWheel
painting mask.
FEATURES LIST:
- corrected shape of the steel wheel by adding the grooves inside the rims
- corrected depth of the steel wheel (please note how shallow are the ones
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- added optional stripe in the middle of wheels rubber bandage to imitate
the residue of rubber from vulcanization process, which can be easily
sanded off if not required.
- corrected height and width of the middle hub of the wheel
- added the grease nipples on the middle hub cap and its side (early place
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 AFV special

The model in a scenic setting

via the magic of Photoshop.

Big Green Gecko!

T
Steve Zaloga rumpeter has become the new champion of
Soviet Cold War combat vehicles, and among
builds Trumpeters their recent releases is an excellent new kit of
Russian SA-8 Gecko the SA-8 Gecko air defence missile vehicle. The kit is
quite large and elaborate and has a high price tag. In
air defence missile the United States, the retail price is around $150, but
vehicle in 1:35 scale. I managed to get mine for about $100. While this is
a big bite from the hobby budget, the model is fairly
large and comes with a useful photo-etched sheet.
The original 9A33BM of the initial Osa system had many distinct differences from the 9A33BM2 depicted
in the kit. As can be seen, the vehicle nose is blunter and the window configuration is different.
History
SA-8 Gecko is the NATO intelligence designator for
the Soviet 9K33 Osa (Wasp) air defence missile
system. This was the first Soviet air defence to
include the fire control radars and missile launchers
on a single vehicle. Earlier types such as the Krug
(SA-4 Ganef) and Kub (SA-6 Gainful) had separate
missile launcher vehicles and radar vehicles. The
integration of these features on a single vehicle
proved to be a real challenge and delayed the
deployment of the system.
Development started in October 1960, and a
variety of chassis were considered including the
BTR-60P and MT-LB. These were too small and
the prototype was eventually mounted on the
Obiekt 1040 8x8 wheeled transporter designed by
the Kutai automobile plant. The first missile firing
trials began in 1964-65, and there were sufficient
problems that the experienced Fakel design
bureau was brought in to complete development
of the 9M33 missile. By the late 1960s, it had
become evident that the Obiekt 1040 chassis
was not adequate, and instead the new Briansk
BAZ-5937 amphibious 8x8 vehicle was selected.
The 9K33 Osa system was accepted for service in
October 1971.
The TELAR (transporter-erector-launcher and
radar) was designated as 9A33B, the B suffix
recognizing the change from original Obiekt 1040
to the new BAZ-5937 chassis. The design was still
not very mature, and a string of changes were
recommended including a shift from four to six
missiles per launcher. The early version was built in
relatively modest numbers and was not exported.

12 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

Another obvious difference

of the early 9A33BM is the
exposed missile rails.

The box art for Trumpeters 1:35 scale SA-8 Gecko kit.

A through re-design program began in 1973 as

the Osa-AK. The most visible change on this version
was the use of TPK (transporter-launch containers)
that encased the missiles instead of leaving them
exposed on the launch rails. The BAZ-5937 chassis
had numerous improvements, the most noticeable
of which was the addition of two corner windows
in the front, as well as a redesigned vehicle
bow. When accepted for production in 1975, the
system was designated as 9K33M2, the TELAR
was designated as 9A33BM2, and the missiles as
9M33M2. This became the definitive production
version of the system and is the type depicted in
the Trumpeter kit. This version was widely exported
under the codename Romb (Square) including
most of the Warsaw Pact armies (Czechoslovakia,
East Germany, Hungary, Poland) as well as many
overseas customers including Algeria, Angola, Cuba,
India, Iraq, Jordan, Libya and Syria. The Greek army
later purchased some surplus German systems.
Another modernization programme was
initiated in 1977, the Osa-AKM. The most visible
difference on the TELAR was the addition of a
1L24 identification-friend-or-foe antenna on top of
the existing surveillance antenna. This version was
accepted for production in 1980 as the 9K33M3
Osa-AKM system with the 9A33BM3 TELAR and
9M33M3 missile. In more recent years, the Osa
has undergone various modernization schemes
including the Belorussian Osa-T and the Polish SA-
8P Zadlo (Sting).
ABOVE: The rear of the early 9A33BM
had many small differences, and there
Starting the model were prominent brushguards behind
the missile rails.
I was surprised on receiving the Trumpeter kit as
BELOW: This is a Polish 9A33BM2
the box is a fairly normal size for a vehicle that Osa-AK as depicted in the kit.
is larger than most 1:35 scale types. One of the This is in the older colour and scheme
reasons for this is that Trumpeter has moulded from the Warsaw Pact days.
(Photo: Andrzej Kinski)
the upper and lower hull parts in two large pieces.
These are surprisingly well detailed and they make
the hull construction very simple. After a cursory
examination of the parts, I was very impressed
by the overall design of the complex missile-radar
Text continues on page 18.

www.militarymodelling.com 13
 AFV special

ABOVE: A Russian 9A33BM3 Osa-AKM in Berlin prior to the pull-out. The 9A33BM3 had an additional IFF antenna at the top of the surveillance radar, barely evident here.
This colour scheme was for parade purposes and would not normally be seen on a serving vehicle, especially the painting on the antenna covers. (Photo: Michael Jerchel)

ABOVE LEFT: An Iraqi 9A33BM2 shortly after the 1991 Gulf War with the usual haphazard assortment of painted camouflage. ABOVE RIGHT: Detail views of the air pressure
bottle over the cabin roof.

ABOVE: A detail view of one of

the wheels.

RIGHT: Another view of the Iraqi

9A33BM2 from the rear.

14 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

ABOVE LEFT: A view of the rear end of a 9A33BM3. ABOVE RIGHT: A detail view of the APU exhaust with the door cover open showing the white asbestos panel inside.

ABOVE LEFT: A view of the right side headlight and night driving light. ABOVE RIGHT: A detail view of the forward cabin and windscreen wipers.

ABOVE: A detail view of the right rear side showing some of the small
detail around the hatch cover and blast cover.

ABOVE: A general view of the radar-missile complex from

the right side.

LEFT: The left side missile control antenna module.

Note the white cover on the uplink antenna.

15
 AFV special

ABOVE: An overhead view of the surveillance radar in folded travel position showing details
of the wiring. ABOVE RIGHT: The base of the surveillance radar in folded travel position.

ABOVE: A view of the surveillance radar module with the

radar antenna in the folded travel position.

ABOVE: A detail view of the rear of

the surveillance radar module. On this
vehicle, the radar/missile complex has
been traversed rearward with
the folded surveillance radar
pointing towards the front of
the vehicle.

BELOW: A rear view of

the missile TPK. This is a
9A33BM3 vehicle as can be
determined by the additional
IFF antenna on top of the
surveillance radar.

ABOVE: A detail view of the elaborate signal feed

system in front of the surveillance radar antenna.

16
 AFV special

LEFT: The right side

missile control
antenna module seen
from below.

BELOW: The rear of the

forward fire-control
ABOVE: Another view of a left side missile control module on an Iraqi vehicle module showing the
providing details of the wiring. BELOW: A left side view of the radar-missile core module with
complex with the fire-control module to the left of the photo. camera on top.

LEFT: A detail view of

the 9M33M3 missile.
This one is on display
at an air show and
is more colourfully
painted than usual. In
general, the missile is
left in overall grey with
ABOVE: An overhead view of the rear a green nose cover.
of the fire-control module showing
details of the wiring.

www.militarymodelling.com 17
 AFV special

module on top of the vehicle. Comparing it to

photos I have taken of the Osa over the years, I
noticed that a number of small wires and fittings
could be added to the missile-radar module, but
that the kit was otherwise very complete. I decided
to start on the hull interior first as I wanted to seal
up the hull before proceeding with the small detail
parts. Trumpeter suggests adding all the small detail
parts to the separate hull assemblies, but I generally
want to make sure that hull will go together properly
before adding small and delicate detail.

Interior
ABOVE: I started the model by adding The kit comes with an elaborate interior that
detail to the cabin interior. Some of the includes both the driver/commander compartment
detail is Gizmology since I could not
find detailed photos of the areas on in the front, and the fire control compartment
either side. further to the rear. I decided from the start to skip
BELOW: The cabin interior after
the fire control compartment since it cant be seen
painting with the instrument panel once the model is complete. I actually cut off the
shown in front. walls of this section and put them in the spares box
for some future project. There is a curtain that is
drawn between the rear fire control compartment
and the forward compartments, and I depicted
this with a piece of corrugated sheet plastic. The
driver/commander compartment in the front is
the most part of the interior that can be seen
through the vehicle windows, and the anteroom
with circuit breaker panels between the two main
compartments can be seen if the upper hatch is
left open. I decided to concentrate on the driver/
commander compartment since this can be seen
quite clearly through the windows.
The kit depiction of the driver/commander
compartment is quite spartan. It provides a nice
instrument panel, but the seats and bulkhead
are very plain. I have never had the opportunity
to photograph the interior of one of these
vehicles, but there is quite a bit of material in
the Walk-Arounds section of the Internet site
Dish Models including some useful interior
photos: http://www.dishmodels.ru/wshow.
htm?np=7&p=1080&vmode=T#blockpre
I decided to add some details to the most
obvious areas such as the bulkhead (B10). The areas
BELOW LEFT: The cabin interior after painting from the
on either side of the seats are not well covered in
right side.

RIGHT: The painted cabin interior. To the rear can be

seen the curtain that I added to cover up the deleted
fire control cabin in the rear.

18 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

ABOVE: The surveillance

radar module. The kit depicts
this pointed to the rear, but in
ABOVE: The instrument panel in the 9A33BM2 is painted aluminium as are many of the electronic modules inside the hull. reality this antenna rotates.
The ordinary surfaces are painted a dull blue-grey. BELOW: An illustration of the cabin interior from the manual.

ABOVE: Another view of the

unpainted surveillance radar. Most of
the additional work involved detail to
the antenna feed assembly and the
various added wiring.

photos, and I decided to apply some gizmology

to these areas, adding enough detail bits to create
the impression that something is in there. In
reality, these areas are not especially evident once
the hull is closed up. But its nice to have the hint
that something is in there. I used various bits from
the spares box as well as some HO model railroad
detail parts. I painted the interior in Tamiya Light
Blue XF-23, with the instrument panel and various
electronics panels in Alclad Duraluminum ALC 102.
The Trumpeter kit is well designed with the
window panels attaching from the outside of the
hull. I wish more manufacturers would do this! As
a result, it is possible to assemble the upper and
lower hull halves before attaching the windows.

Hull
With the interior completed I turned to adding the
exterior detail to the hull. In looking over photos,
I could see a few areas where extra detail was ABOVE: The kit antenna lacks the many
lightening holes in the frame which I drilled out.
warranted. I decided to leave open the rear APU
hatch (E1) on the back as it adds some visual LEFT: The aft surveillance radar module prior
to painting. I removed the diagonal reinforcing
interest to this area. The combing around the APU bars to clean up the kit part, and then replaced
opening is very thick so I carefully removed it them with .020 thou. plastic rod.

www.militarymodelling.com 19
 AFV special
ABOVE: This is the central core of the
forward fire control module. Much of
the extra work involved wiring around
the Camera at the top of the module.
ABOVE: This is the side missile control
module prior to assembly, it shows
some of the added wiring. The braided
cable was made from Karaya copper
tank tow cables.
BELOW: The base of the radar/missile
complex. There are a few wires added
to this, but mainly out of the box. The
photo-etch comes from the excellent
sheet included in the kit.
20
BELOW: A view of the completed radar-missile
complex from the front left side. I left the
cassegrain antenna protective covers off since
they will be painted a different colour.
from the hull with a thin razor saw, and thinned it
down with files before re-attaching it. I added a fair
amount of detail to this area, including a new APU
vent as well as the combing on the APU door.
The engine exhaust (E8) is very thick, and so
I rebuilt this with sheet plastic.
The area around the large access
hatch on the right rear corner is overly
simple, and I decided to re-do this area.
The access hatch itself should stand proud
of the surface a bit, so I used a razor saw
to create a bit of separating between the hatch
and the hull. This destroys much of the hinge detail
which I then rebuilt. I also added various small detail
in this area based on photos.
I built most of the remainder of the hull out-of-
the box, adding some small detail here and there.
I substituted .020 thou. brass wire for the various
grab irons on the hull front as the kit parts are a
bit thick. I also cut away the support arms for the
two rear-view mirrors (E3, E11) and replaced these
with .20 thou. brass wire. The kit provides a nice
brushguard over the headlights but I found that it
really does not fit very well as provided. So I had to
fuss with this quite a bit to get a better fit. The area
around the air-pressure bottle (C31, C32) on the
forward vehicle roof can use some additional detail.
I replaced the brushguard (C80) with a length of HO
scale photo-etched ladder which was closer in scale.
I also added the various air lines that run between
the bottles and the vehicle windscreen wipers.
Missile-Radar Module
This is the most complex element of the kit and
certainly the most complicated. Overall, the fit was
good, though modellers should be warned to try dry
fitting various bits before applying glue as I found
that on some of the parts, the locating pins were a
little too snug for the locating holes. Probably the
worst fit on the whole kit are the covers over the
transformers (E4, E5) that required a good deal of
trimming to fit properly.
The main issue with the missile-radar assembly
is the plethora of wires and wiring bundles that
connect various transformers and other bits. I
decided to add the more visible of these since it
gives the model a convincing sense of complexity.
I am not going to list every single one, since there
are dozens, but most are visible on the photos of
my model or in the accompanying reference photos.
For most of the small wire, I used .010 thou. lead
wire from a fly-fishing store. Fisherman who make
their own flies use this material to weigh down the
fly, and it comes in various diameters. The main
advantage of this material is that it is very soft, so
it is easier to bend into shape than copper or other
types of wire. For the thicker wire bundles that had
braided covers, I used lengths of Karaya twisted
copper tank tow cable.
I began this process with the vehicle surveillance
radar (B2). This piece is very simplified. To begin
with, it does not provide the modeller with the
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

ABOVE: A view of the

completed radar-missile
complex from the left
rear side.

RIGHT: A view of the completed radar-

missile complex from the right rear side.

BELOW RIGHT: The right rear hatch

should be separated from the hull below,
so I used a razor saw on the right side
and right rear to create a gap. I replaced
the various hinges and added the wiring
detail in this area.

A view of the completed

radar-missile complex
from the right front side.

option to position the antenna in any location

I substantially rebuilt the
APU exhaust port and the cover.
I also replaced the main engine exhaust port
combining with a new one made from black sheet plastic.
other than pointing backward over the rear of the
vehicle. On the actual vehicle, the radar antenna
rotates a full 360 degrees. It didnt bother me that
the antenna is pointing towards the rear, but for
modellers wanting a different angle, the upper
assembly would have to be sawn off the top of part
A11 before proceeding with assembly.
There are many detail issues with the surveillance
radar antenna (B2). The vertical supports should be
perpendicular to the antenna face, but instead are
parallel to the radar direction. I suppose that each piece
could be cut off and slightly re-positioned, but I wasnt
interested in doing such a complicated correction for
such a modest result. The main problem with part B2
is that the assorted mould lines are difficult to clean
properly with the small reinforcing rods in place. I
removed all the reinforcing rods, and cleaned the
antenna frame using files. This radar frame lacks the
many small lightening holes and reinforcing ribs on the
inner faces. I drilled out the lightening holes and made I replaced the brushguards over the air
reinforcing ribs with plastic strip. I then replaced the pressure bottles on the cabin roof, and
added the hosing that connects to the
reinforcing rods with new ones made from .020 thou. windscreen wiper system. The thick kit
plastic rods. brushguard can be seen to the right.

www.militarymodelling.com 21
 AFV special

LEFT: The forward missile control module on the front of the complex.
The cassegrain antenna covers are missing in this view since they will
be airbrushed a different colour. ABOVE The radar/missile complex
mounted on the hull prior to painting as seen from the rear.

The antenna waveguide assembly (C10) is a bit

thick and chunky. I hollowed it out with the careful
use of my Dremel power tool with some fine burrs.
ABOVE: A view of the front fire There are numerous small details missing from this
complex module after the complex has assembly as well as the assorted wiring. I kept the
been mounted on the hull.
surveillance radar assembly (assembly Step 9 in the
instructions) separate from the rest of the launcher/
radar module until after painting as it is quite
delicate and easy to damage.
BELOW: The finished model The forward fire control radar assembly is
prior to painting from the
left front side. the most complicated module of the entire
kit. It consists of the main fire control radar
(A4) in the centre and the two smaller missile
control antennas (D22) on either side. The
Osa usually fires two missiles at the same
time at the same target, and the two
outboard antenna complexes are used
to guide the individual missiles to their
target. I added many small wires to
this assembly based on photos. From
a painting standpoint, the cassegrain
covers over the radars (parts A2, 2 x
D23) are a different colour than the rest
of the vehicle, so I left these off to
make it easier to paint.
On top of the fire control
radar module is a 9Shch38

ABOVE: The finished

model prior to painting
from the left rear side.

ABOVE: I used Bare Metal Foil to mask the windows.

ABOVE: The finished model
prior to painting from the
right front side.

22 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

electro-optical tracker (E21, E22). I decided to

depict this with the forward cover (B14)
open. This meant hollowing out the front a
bit so that a lens could be inserted at the
front of the camera later after painting.
The instructions recommend
assembling the missile TPK
transport-launcher
containers on
to the launcher
frames (assembly
Steps 7 and 8) I
would recommend
against this since the
TPK boxes are often in a
different colour. In addition, it
is important to make sure that
the launcher frames are perfectly
level, and the joint between these
frames and the central module are by no means
foolproof. So I glued the launcher frames to the
central module without the TPK, and aligned them
on my workbench to make certain that they were
properly aligned.
my decal spares for these,

mainly from old aircraft
Painting and markings model projects. On the actual
The kit provides a variety of painting options, but vehicles, these are mostly in black
I thought the selections were a bit boring. After paint lithographed on to light metal plaques. There
joining NATO, Poland repainted its Osa in NATO are a few that are red.
3-colour camouflage which strikes me as a more The Polish vehicles have some additional reflectors The kit provides a
variety of painting
attractive option. The Polish colours are not identical and warning lights. The Polish Army uses an orange
to the Tamiya NATO colours, so I changed the mixes a circle with a black triangle as a wide load road
bit. For the basic green, I used RAF Green XF-81 and
Yellow Green XF-4 in roughly a 6:4 mix. For the brown,
marking, and on current vehicles, this seems to
be an orange reflective disc with an opaque black
options, but I thought
I used NATO Brown XF-68 brightened up a bit with triangle. To replicate this, I sprayed Tamiya Clear the selections were a
orange. I used the NATO Black XF-69 unchanged. Orange X-26 on a suitable circular aluminium colour
For the field drab colour of the cassegrain covers disc with the triangle made from black decal sheet. bit boring.
over the fire control antennas, I used a mix of The orange reflector lights were made by spraying
Tamiya Brown JSGDF XF-72, Orange X-6 and Light the Clear Orange on reflective lenses. The orange
Green X-15 in a ratio of four parts: two parts: two
parts. The missile TPK come in different colours
depending on their role. The tactical containers
A view overlooking
are normal Russian camouflage green, but export the radar-missile
containers to the Mid-East were often in sand. complex. I opened
up the camera port
The training containers were usually in silver/ and put a reflective
aluminium. I decided to paint mine as training lens inside.
containers to add a different colour to the model
and I used Alclad Duraluminum.
To paint the narrow rubber gasket around the
front windscreens, I used Bare Metal Foil. This
is used by aircraft modellers to re-create metal
finishes and is basically a very thin sheet of
aluminium foil with an adhesive backing. I find that
it is a very useful tool for masking certain delicate
jobs since it conforms better to the surface than any
masking tape. It sticks very well when airbrushing,
and it comes off easily.
For markings, I raided my spare decal box and
found a Polish szachownica insignia (checkerboard)
of the appropriate size and the white tactical
numbers came from the Microscale Condensed
Gothic-White decal sheet.
One of the odder features of the kit is that the
decal sheet has dozens of small decals for the
stencilling inside the fire control cabin, none of
which can be seen on the finished model. On the
other hand, none of the numerous small placards
on the missile/radar module are provided. I raided

www.militarymodelling.com 23
 AFV special

Views of the authors

completed model.

A view of the completed surveillance

radar. Notice that the cover on the feed
horn in front of the antenna is white.

24 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

manoeuvre light on the roof was made from a piece

of transparent acrylic rod turned on a lathe and
airbrushed with Clear Orange. Trumpeter provides
the two rear light covers (J1) in clear plastic but on
the Osa I have seen these are usually transparent
orange/red. I started by airbrushing the clear parts
with Clear Orange, then masking off the upper
section and airbrushing it with Clear Red X-27.

Weathering
These missile vehicles are
very expensive and
so not subjected
to much heavy
cross-country
use in peacetime.
So I decided to finish
mine in a very lightly
weathered condition, almost
parade-ground standards. I applied a
weathering glaze over most of the model
consisting of Winsor & Newton original
Liquin as the medium, a bit of Sepia oil paint,
and mineral spirits (white spirits) as the solvent.
Once dry, I flattened the finishing by airbrushing
on a few coats of Testors Dullcote. I added some
highlights by dry-brushing. About the only parts with
any noticeable weathering were the wheels where I
applied a light dust wash to accent the wheel detail.

Conclusion
Overall, the Trumpeter SA-8 Gecko is an extremely
nice model. It does not go together as easily as a
Tamiya kit, but it is not difficult to assemble with
a little care. Most of my added work was due to
the sort of delicate details such as wiring that are
impossible to mould into a kit.

Availability
Trumpeters Russian SA-8 Gecko kit
(item TM05597) is imported into ABOVE: A detail view of the rear
the UK by Bachmann Europe showing the added detail of the APU
exhaust port, main engine exhaust
PLC, 13 Moat Way, Barwell, port and the transparent painting on
Leicester LE9 8EY and the rear light plastic covers.
retails at 79.99.

www.militarymodelling.com 25
 AFV special
Be my Valentine!
Mark Bannerman finds AFV Clubs Valentine Mk.II
version to be the best of the many 1:35 scale kits
available for this widely used WW2 tank.
TOP: Valentine Mk.II of the 50th
Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment,
23rd Armoured Brigade as it might
have appeared in Tunisia 1943.
(Courtesy of Photoshop)
RIGHT: A rare photo of a desert Valentine
with the spoked wheels as per the kit
offering. (Photo source unknown)
26
but different in that the hull was lowered and a
T
here is no question that volumes could be
written on the British Infantry Tank Mk.III
(Valentine) and there are many excellent
books and references on the development, design
and service of this tank. The Valentine was a cousin
to the A9 and A10 Cruiser Tank design. Most of
the features on these early cruiser designs were
carried over to the Valentine such as the engine,
transmission, drivetrain, steering, and suspension,
better protected silhouetted turret was designed.
The Valentine was the most widely produced British
tank of WW2 (approximately 6,000 were produced in
the UK from 1940 until 1944 and Canada produced
an additional 2,300 for the war effort). The production
of the 16-ton Valentine accounts for almost 25%
of wartime British tank production. The Valentine
served on all fronts including the Eastern Front and
the Pacific. There were 10 mark types and can be
categorized by main armament, turret and different
engines: 2pdr gun with two-man turrets on Mk.I, II,
IV, VI and VII, the 2pdr gun with three-man turrets on
the Mk.III and V with either British AEC or American
GMC engines, and 6pdr on Mk.IX and X and 75mm
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

on the Mk.XI which were all GMC powered.

The Mk.VIII never entered service.
The Valentine was also converted into specialized
vehicles such as the Duplex Drive, mine-flail
versions and bridgelayers. Derivative vehicles based
on the Valentine include the Bishop and Archer
self-propelled guns. The tank first saw combat in
Operation Crusader in North Africa and served as a
replacement to the Matilda Infantry tank. Although
it proved to be a reliable vehicle, the Valentines 2pdr
gun lacked firepower. While the Valentine did see
other guns fitted to increase its firepower over the
course of the next several years, the Valentine was
replaced by the Infantry Tank IV Churchill and the
US-made Sherman.

ABOVE: Crew mounting a Valentine. (Photo source unknown)

The model
This is my seventh Valentine model purchase but
the first one to be built. I had purchased models
from Bronco (Mk.IX and Mk.XI), MiniArt (Mk.I,
Mk.III, and Mk.IV), Alan (Mk.III), and AFV Club
(Mk.II). While all of these look quite good in their
boxes (with the exception of the Alan Hobbies
model which is in a class of its own), the AFV Club
British Infantry Tank Mk.III Valentine Mk.II (item
AF35185) model looked to be the most detailed,
devoid of flash, and its moulding appears to be
sharper (the definition of the nuts and bolts are
good indicators). But more detail also means
many more small parts. My reading of various
reviews by more knowledgeable modellers on all
things Valentine is that the AFV Club offering is
dimensionally more accurate and captures the many
details and characteristics of the Valentine. This
particular release of the Valentine Mk.II by AFV Club
is their second in a series the Valentine Mk.I (item
AF35178) having been released the year before.
Most recently, AFV Club have released a Mk.IV in
Russian service (item AF35199) and a Valentine
Mk.III w/Rotatrailer (item AF35201). aluminium barrel and some spare resin individual ABOVE: Box art for the superbly
crafted AFV Club British Infantry Tank
The contents of the AFV Club Valentine track links. There are also clear parts and a decal Mk.III Valentine Mk.II (item AF35185).
Mk.II provides 10 sprues in a dark green plastic sheet for six different tanks.
(approximately 360 parts) and are, by-and-large, While the Mk.I and Mk.II (and the Mk.IV) all
sprues from the first Valentine Mk.I kit (item appear very similar, there are some subtle visual
AF35178). Also included is a 20-page instruction clues to look for to differentiate between the Mark

booklet, a one-piece lower hull body, rubber type types. Aside from a few exceptions (and there are
tracks, a photo-etched sheet, a superbly turned always exceptions with British tanks), the main

Although it proved to
be a reliable vehicle, the
Valentines 2pdr gun
lacked firepower.

LEFT: A Valentine belonging to

the 50th RTR, Tunisia March 1943.
(Photo source unknown)

www.militarymodelling.com 27
 AFV special

LEFT: A knocked out Valentine with German hand-painted

markings, presumably captured and pushed into service
then knocked out of service. (Photo source unknown)

BELOW: Valentine tanks into battle! (Photo source unknown)

It appears that all

manufacturers have
made a few mistakes
on this particular
part of the tank.

BELOW: A Valentine from 50th RTR laden
with troops. (Photo source unknown)
external visual difference between the Mk.I and
Mk.II is that the Mk.II had two grab handles on
both left and right-hand radiator louvres at the back,
and there are hinges on both louvers. On the Mk.I,
these small details only exist on the left louvre. And
AFV Club has captured these important details on
this Mk.II release. While none of the 300+ Valentine
Mk.Is served in North Africa, many of the 700
Valentines Mk.IIs did.
The issue which has come up in various reviews
of the recent releases of the early type Valentine is
the lower suspension and roadwheels. It appears
that all manufacturers have made a few mistakes
on this particular part of the tank. While the AFV
Club roadwheel dimensions, idler, and the spacing
of the wheels are accurate, the spoked roadwheels
included with the AFV Club Valentine Mk.II kit
were more common to the Valentine Mk.I and
only seen in limited numbers on the early batch of
Mk.IIs in the desert. While this is not an immediate
problem, it would mean that the markings on the
decal sheet included in the kit are not applicable

28 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

because the tanks with the markings per the decals

were all fitted with the later style oval-shaped
wheels (according to wartime image references).
The majority of the 700 Mk.IIs produced used the
later style roadwheels which were oval shaped.
Some purists would recommend using the correct
oval-shaped roadwheels included in the AFV
Club Valentine IV in Red Army service but then
rendering the Valentine IV redundant without proper
wheels. Alternatively, the AFV Club Valentine Mk.II
model can be built as instructed with the early
style spoke wheels but then one would have to
find a photo of a Valentine Mk.II with early style
wheels and paint/mark accordingly. A few such
photos did surface on the Internet of a Valentine II
in North Africa with what appears to be early style
roadwheels. I did write to AFV Club about this and
suggested that perhaps adding the roadwheel set ABOVE: A Valentine named Respond belonging to 50th RTR in Tunisia, 1943. (Photo source unknown)
included with the Mk.IV be inserted in the Mk.II
release. I received a prompt response indicating
they would look into this further.

Assembly
Instead of running through the actual
assembly of the model, I thought I
would point some of the challenges that
I ran into, mistakes that I made and some
suggestions on making the construction
process as glitch-free as possible. The model is
quite comprehensive and there are a number of
very small parts which is impressive and perhaps
a little daunting as well. The level of detail on the
engine deck, the rear sloping rear hull, the front
hull and turret are superbly rendered. Also, the
model provides a few optional features such as
differing side skirts (either extended or shortened
versions), articulated suspension system, and Bren
gun mounting on the turret. Ideally, it becomes a
question of finding a reference photo of a specific
Valentine Mk.II and modelling it per the photo as
much as possible. I made the mistake of starting
in on the build, attaching parts and bits which then
narrowed my field of options when I reached for my
reference photos for those last assembly details.
The construction of the hull was quite clear in the
directions but I made the mistake of assuming
that parts on the sprue that look like the instruction
images was the actual part to use double-check
to ensure the numbers of the parts. My typical
method of snipping off three or four parts then
gluing was quickly switched to snipping one piece
and gluing one piece at a time. I made a few
ABOVE: The hull of the model built. Overall, the model has exquisite detail and void of any flash which
makes the assembly a joy.
mistakes along the way most adjustable and
repairable, some not in which case I had to resort
to sheet styrene to fix my mistakes! A lovely model
but one needs to pay particular attention to the
instruction directives.
After the frame of the hull was put together,
I started in with the suspension system. The
suspension was not a difficult build and does
provide the modeller with the option of allowing
for fully workable suspension meaning one could
partially perch the tank on a hill or a mound and
the suspension will adjust itself. The road wheels,
idler and sprocket are superbly rendered and idler
and sprocket also have separate hubcaps with a
vinyl washer which sits behind the caps. The vinyl
ABOVE: A small sheet of etched-metal
washers are attached to the vinyl track sprue. This is provided and very easy to use.
is particularly nice feature as it allows the modeller If you have an aversion for etched-metal
parts, the model offering keeps the
to remove the wheels and paint separately really attachment of the etch relatively simple.

LEFT: The main visual difference between BELOW: Surface detail is very well done
the Mk.I and Mk.II is that the Mk.II had with crisply moulded nuts and bolts.
two grab handles on both left and
right-hand radiator louvres on
the engine hatches.

www.militarymodelling.com 29
 AFV special
ABOVE LEFT: For the two straps that
wrap around the fuel drum, etch is
provided but I used thin strips of
Tamiya Masking Tape which worked
very well.
ABOVE RIGHT: The drivers hatch
can be positioned in an open or
closed position.
RIGHT: Tools and fire extinguisher
come with latches already moulded
on. These could be detailed further but
I opted to build the model essentially
out of the box.
RIGHT: Super glue was used to affix all
of the etched-metal parts.
BELOW: The Mk.II turret is made up of
six parts and the turned 2pdr barrel
included with the AFV Club model
represents the stepped type barrel.
30
handy when getting to painting the rubber tyres. The
problem that I did encounter is that the plates which
hold two roadwheels could not be aligned properly
with the adjacent wheels. So this meant that I would
eventually have to glue these permanently and skip
trying to make the suspension system moveable.
What I was really impressed with were the plastic
coil springs which are flexible. This is an incredible
piece of plastic engineering and had never seen
this before. Of course, this is only an advantage
if you plan on having a fully workable suspension
system. The one bit of caution when assembling
the suspension: careful study of the instructions
when attaching parts. Sometimes the image in the
instructions is viewed from under the tank then
another illustration will show the assembly from the
top of the vehicle. It is far too easy to make a mistake
and end up putting a part or parts in backwards or
wrong side up. The suspension is a superb piece of
work and even though I plan on cementing the entire
suspension and wheels into place, some pretty neat
positioning effects can be created depending on a
base or diorama.
The AFV Club vinyl tracks are superbly done with
open guide horn holes. AFV Club also offer individual
tracks as a separate after-market item but I was quite
pleased with the vinyl offering. A friend who had
already built the Mk.II mentioned that cementing
the suspension into place was far more logical
regardless of tracks you decide to use otherwise
you will end up with the problem of bogies not all
firmly resting on the surface and the tension on the
tracks potentially skewing the roadwheels.
The only feature of the model that I did not follow
and thought it was too much work was the drilling
of holes into the trackguards to accommodate detail
parts. Instead, I removed the locator pip under each
part that would have been inserted into the drilled
holes and simply glued the smooth and sanded flat
underside of the part with liquid glue right to the
fender. This worked a charm and I hoped that in
the weathering process, none of the parts would
fall off. I did reinforce each part with super glue so
I felt comfortable that the parts were secure. The
trackguards take on considerable detailing including
some photo-etch. The instructions are quite clear
and provide good illustrations on where parts are
supposed to be placed. The extra fuel drum carried
on the left side of the Valentine comes in two pieces.
Unfortunately when the two halves were attached,
there is a very evident seam. I used copious amounts
of glue to fill the gap. Once dry, I ran a blunt blade
along the seam to smooth out the area. This was
repeated several times until the seam was smooth
and void of any line or gap. I dont recommend using
sandpaper to file the seam because itll flatten the
contour shape. For the two straps that wrap around
the fuel drum, etch is provided in the model but
instead, I used thin strips of Tamiya Masking Tape.
I could not get the photo etch to wrap around the
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

drum and adhere (even with super glue!) so Tamiya

Masking Tape to the rescue. The Mk.II turret is
made up of six parts and the fit of these parts was
absolutely perfect. I used the turret ring as my guide
and just worked my way around.
The one-piece roof dropped in without any gaps
or voids around the edges. AFV Club has added a
texture to the turret and adds a really nice touch
of realism to the overall appearance of the turret.
Unfortunately, there is very little turret interior detail
with the exception of the QF 2pdr gun breech
which is superbly rendered but missing the guard
which caught the shell. The turned 2pdr barrel
included with the AFV Club model represents the
stepped type barrel. At the rear of the turret is the ABOVE & BELOW: The model ready for primer and paint. I did resort to sheet styrene where I messed up
placement of the wireless. AFV Club have done the build, mostly due to my inattention to the instructions!
a very nice job with these (they have included an
option either No.11 or No.19). Early Mk.IIs were
fitted with the No.11 wireless and subsequently
replaced with the No.19 set. If you use the No.11, a
single wide antenna was used whereas the No.19
used two thin antennas with different bases. If
using the No.19, one antenna should be fitted at the
rear of the turret roof and the other on a bracket at
the rear left side. The bracket for the No.11 is not
included in the model. Wartime photos are helpful
for this detail.
One last point on the turret, there is the option
of adding a vision port on the left-hand side of the
turret. AFV Club provides two alternate left side
turret walls with and without the small port.
Early Mk.IIs did not have this port while mid to late
Mk.IIs did. Itll be up to the modeller to determine
which specific tank to model. If you decide to
use the port, it can be displayed open or closed. For the base, I used a combination
The pistol port on the other side of the turret has of Tamiya Desert Yellow XF-59,
a two alternate designs and itll be important to Tamiya Buff XF-57 and copious
amounts of Tamiya White XF-2
study photos to determine which to use. Anyhow, mixed in a 40/30/30 ratio.
I did find a few photos that appear to be Valentine
Mk.IIs without the vision port. But again, there
are always exceptions to the rules. The really neat
feature of the turret detail is the addition of a
Lakeman machine gun mount in the AFV Club
offering. I could not locate a wartime photo of
a Valentine Mk.II in North Africa sporting the
Lakeman machine gun mount. On the other hand,
I can think of a slew of other vehicles that used the
Lakeman mount so this will be for a future project.
The detailing of the model took the better part
of a few evenings. This is a relatively complete
model and I cannot think of any reason why an
BELOW: A liberal amount of Tamiya Clear X-22 was mixed into the base colour and was also applied
after-market etch set would be necessary. The AFV neat after the base was dry.
Club model is a superbly designed and engineered
model. Along the way, I did leave some of the
smaller bits off of the model and took an evening
to place these as per the instructions. I also spend
some time going back in with super glue on those
details attached to the trackguards and reinforcing
any areas prone to breakage (i.e. front light fixtures).
All in all, it was a relatively involved build but the
results paid off.

Painting and finishing

My biggest mistake was completing three-
quarters of the model before deciding on
researching possible schemes and finish. As
mentioned earlier, the earlier style roadwheels
become the primary obstacle. Finding a photo

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 AFV special
The camouflage was painted on with a
brush. It is important to mix the Vallejo
paint with a few drops of water to
keep it wet as it helps the paint adhere
smoothly to the surface of the model.

ABOVE: For the camouflage, I used
a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Black Grey and
Vallejo Black.
of a North African Valentine Mk.II with the earlier
spoked wheels realized just one photo and three
possibles. The one still image was sourced from a
PATHE film which depicts a knocked-out Valentine
with the name Rosemary on the side of the skirt. It
is finished in a solid sand colour with no Lakeman
mount visible, short front trackguard, extended
trackguard at rear and no idea whether the vision
port on left side of turret is apparent. Aside from the
tanks name, the photo does not show any other
markings. Just at that point, the postman delivered
my order of the newly released AFV Club Valentine
Mk.III w/Rotatrailer (item AF35201) which includes
three sets of optional roadwheels including the
oval-shaped roadwheels more prevalent on the
Mk.II and this was perfect timing indeed! I decided
that I would use the more commonly seen oval-
shaped roadwheels on the Mk.II and be able to
use some of the decals from the AFV Club offering.
To start the painting, the model was cleaned up
in soap and water and allowed to dry overnight.
The model was then primed in two light coats of
Tamiya Grey Primer. My readings suggest that most
vehicles sent to North Africa arrived in their factory
non-desert colours and were then repainted in the
theatre of operation. However, I have seen photos
of British vehicles being unloaded in Alexandria
already in desert colours. I am uncertain about this
though, and I expect that there may have been a
combination of the two painted in the field and
factory painted. Either way, I decided to paint the
Valentine in a one-tone desert sand colour. For this,
I used a combination of Tamiya Desert Yellow XF-59,
Tamiya Buff XF-57 and copious amounts of Tamiya
Flat White XF-2 mixed in a 40/30/30 ratio. Once well
mixed, I added some Tamiya Clear X-22 (20%) and
this was further mixed with 30% Tamiya Thinners.
I applied the paint in two even applications to the
entire model. I added another 20% Tamiya White
XF-2 to the mix and misted the model with a fine
translucent layer from the top of the model to allow
the paint to hit the highlight points.
I found a set of photos I had taken at Bovington
Tank Museum a few years ago of a restored
Valentine in a two-tone scheme sand base with
black camouflage. I opted to try my hand at applying
the camouflage scheme using Vallejo acrylic paints.
I mixed a 50/50 combination of Black Grey and

ABOVE: Once the base was completely dry, I applied a thin wash of
Rembrandt Sepia oil paints mixed with Testors Thinners. I used other
oil paints in very limited amounts in some areas on the tank. I like
Raw Umber and Vandyke Brown from the Winton Series as these are
inexpensive and neutral enough to be used on any base colour.

BELOW: Two applications of the camouflage were necessary to ensure

the darker colour was opaque and even.

32
 AFV special

ABOVE: The markings were applied using Walthers Solvaset

a really great product!

RIGHT: The model was lightly misted with

a combination of Buff XF-57 and
White XF-2 highly diluted with Tamiya Thinners.

LEFT: A few local washes using Burnt Sienna provided another subtle effect.

BELOW: I applied two filters using Humbrol Enamels No.93 followed by

No.94. This really provided a very nice overall toning effect that does not
necessarily come through well in photos.

Black (the Black is far too stark on its own so

it was important to even it out a bit with some
Black Grey). I mixed the paint with a bit of tap
water and painted in the camouflage scheme
following as closely as possible the reference
photos I had on hand. The camouflage scheme
was, by-and-large, applied by hand in the field so
getting the perfect lines and smooth transitions
over details was not critical. I re-applied a second
coat over the first dry coat to ensure that scheme
was opaque. Once completely dry, I applied

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 AFV special

a thin wash of Rembrandt Sepia oil paints mixed

with Testors Thinners and allowed this to dry for
a few hours.
A few chips were added using a make-up
sponge and Humbrol enamel paint. I kept this
very subtle and constrained adding the chips in
areas where stones, rocks and dings would occur
and keeping the size of the chips quite small.
Although the chips are small and very few, these
do make a tremendous difference in the overall
used appearance of the model. I added two
filters using Humbrol Enamels No.93 followed
by No.94 by mixing the paint with 95% Testors
Thinners and brushing onto the model with a very
ABOVE: Some chips were added and where the scratches and chips were too large, I would blend these wide brush. This only takes a minute to apply and
out with a thinner-moistened brush.
I allowed this to dry for an hour before applying
the second filter (Humbrol Brown Yellow 94). The
filter should be applied as a damp application
rather than a soaked application.
I then turned my attention to the tracks. The AFV
Club full-length vinyl tracks are quite well rendered
with nice details. Because half of the tracks will
eventually sit hidden under the trackguards, I opted
to concentrate my weathering efforts on the length

ABOVE: The model with

local washes, filters and
minimal chips ready for
the next weathering step.

BELOW: Tools for

weathering oil paints
and various pastels
shaved down to a powder.

34 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

ABOVE: The rubber on the tyres was painted in using Vallejo

Grey Black 70862. I rarely use black neat as it is too stark and
this particular colour is an excellent substitute.

BELOW: The headlights were painted in using a Tamiya

Silver Paint Marker and I would eventually fill in the pots
with 5-minute epoxy.

of track that will be exposed once these are glued

into place. The tracks were primed in grey primer
and then airbrushed in a black and brown mix using
Tamiya paints. Once dry, I added a heavy wash of
Rembrandt Sepia oil paints. A few hours of drying
time is required. The tracks were then attached to
the model and the two ends were secured using
5-minute epoxy and the connection point hidden
under the trackguards (on the sprockets and idlers).
Before moving in with the next weathering steps, I
opted to add the markings. I chose to mark this tank
with an assortment of various decals from other

ABOVE: I apply the pastels repeatedly then spray Tamiya Thinners to help
the pastels adhere to the surface of the model.

LEFT: I use artist dry pastels these days. I tend to find ready-made
pigments far too strong and sometimes so strong that one cannot
reverse an application. I purchase different ochre and earth coloured
pastel sticks and scrape the sticks with an X-Acto knife down to a powder.

35
 AFV special

TOP: Valentines over-running a models and decided to finish it as one of the 50th
deserted Italian trench line.
(Courtesy of Photoshop) Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment which belonged to
the 23rd Armoured Brigade serving in Tunisia.
Typically, I like to use
ABOVE LEFT: I will finish up the model
by adding pastels in dry form directly
to the surface working the pastels into
all of the nooks and crannies. Weathering the wet technique by
With the model completely dry, and tracks secured,
repeatedly applying
ABOVE RIGHT: Pastels are really
effective for covering up any surface I moved in with pastels using the dry method. I
blemishes. What is important is to
keep the surface void of any finger
marks while moving the model!
think this is the one step that will really make the
Tamiya thinners to
RIGHT: Note the light pots which were secure the pastels.
filled with 5-minute epoxy.

36 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016


Valentine on the move! (Courtesy of Photoshop)
model change its appearance. It is a very easy,
risk-free process and can be corrected. I use a soft
round brush and gently brush the surface with a
mix of different ochre and earth coloured powdered
pastels that I concocted using a variety of artist
pastel chalks sanded down to a powder. Typically, I
like to use the wet technique by repeatedly applying
Tamiya thinners to secure the pastels. However,
for this project, I wanted a more dusty look rather
than grime and dirt. A small note: pastels applied
dry generally adhere much better on a matt surface.
I added various applications of pastels until I was
satisfied with the overall results. Remember that a
little goes a long way.
Conclusion
This has to be one of the more enjoyable projects
I have built in a while. I did not resort to any after-
market bits, the model was flawless to assemble
The completed model with
the vinyl tracks included
with the model.
www.militarymodelling.com
AFV special
(no need for putty), the clean-up process was
minimal and the model quite accurate. What more
could a modeller ask? This is actually my first non-
Churchill AFV Club project and I would say that
it was certainly consistent with their excellent
Churchill offerings.
References
Into The Vally The Valentine Tank and Derivatives
1938-1960 by Dick Taylor,
MMP Books ISBN 978-83-61421-26-8.
Valentine Tank Walk Around by David Doyle,
Squadron Signal Publications
ISBN 978-0-89747-621-8.
ABOVE: British Infantry Tank Mk.III
Valentine by Dick Taylor an excellent
source of information and inspiration.
37
 AFV special
Beast Killer
H
Mario Eens aving enjoyed previous excursions to 1:48
scale my interest was drawn by Broncos
builds and paints recent release of the SU-152 in quarter
Broncos 1:48 scale scale. A kit review showed it had perfectly
moulded mesh covers on the rear deck, a feature
SU-152 kit as a that usually needs replacing with an after-market
vehicle used on the update set, but all that seemed to be needed here
was a good paint job! Although I do enjoy adding
Eastern Front in further details, this would be another quick build to
Winter 1943. get to the painting stages.
Based on the heavy KV tank chassis, the SU-
152 was a self-propelled assault gun-howitzer.
TOP: The authors completed model
placed into a winter scene courtesy Its success in destroying Tiger and Panther tanks
of Photoshop. earned it the nickname Beast Killer (Zveroboy).
BELOW: The box art for Bronco Models Production ran from January to December 1943,
1:48 scale SU-152 kit. when it was replaced with the improved ISU-152.
38
Construction
An initial inspection of the kit revealed a detailed
model, with well-shaped and ejector-pin-mark free
link and length tracks and a small photo-etched fret.
The kit seems quite complete and just needs some
basic fine-tuning here and there.
The hull was prepared to accept a handle which will
facilitate holding the model during the painting stages
later on, as well as drilling a couple of holes to mount
the model on a base once its finished. It is best to
do this from the outset before any fragile details are
added. The hole for the handle is, of course, drilled in
the centre of the base, while the two holes to take
the mounting pins are drilled diagonally, hiding them
behind the roadwheels. As the hull floor is rather thin,
some plastic strips were glued inside to give the pins
more to grip to. A short metal tube formed the base
for the handle and for this I used a holder for small
drill bits. To keep the metal tube in place a piece of
copper wire was soldered to the top, giving it a square
appearance. After the metal tube was inserted and
glued in the hull, pieces of plastic strip were glued
around the square top to prevent it from twisting
during handling.
It soon became apparent when I commenced
work on the suspension that there was a bit of
leeway between the suspension arms and their
location pins and care must be taken aligning all the
arms should you wish to display your model on a
flat surface, as otherwise some of the wheels may
not touch the floor. I glued the four corner arms
first, making sure the model was sitting parallel to
the floor, then added the remainder always making
sure they touched the floor and thus lined up. The
axles are all very short and all wheels will need to
be firmly glued in place. Another option would be
to add longer axles made from plastic rod, but I did
this for only the drive sprockets, as that would make
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

LEFT: From the beginning the hull was

prepared to take a handle to facilitate
holding the model during the painting
stages. Two further holes to mount the
model on a base were drilled at the
same time.

BELOW: On the inside of the hull

plastic strip was used to give the
mounting pins extra thickness and
support to grip to.

it easier to keep them in place during dry fitting. All

of the wheels were temporarily fixed in place with
Blu-Tack to determine the lengths of the tracks.
Although the link and length tracks provided in the
kit look very good and are easy to clean up I still
decided to replace them with Friulmodel metal links
because I find workable tracks easier to paint.
Refining details to bring them to scale goes a
long way when building a model (almost) from the
box, and sanding the rear guard is one of them.
Although no interior is provided the gun breech is
nicely detailed and could be viewed through the open
hatches if you so desire. The gun housing and mantlet
look a bit too smooth so some texturing could be
added here. First they were stippled with liquid cement
causing the plastic to melt adding a rougher, more
random appearance. Then, using a small round drill bit ABOVE: Copper wire was soldered to
the top of a piece of metal tubing.
in a slow turning motor tool more pitting was added.
Dont forget to study some photos of the real thing
before you get to work. A second thin coat of liquid

BELOW: To make sure the model sits level, the four corner
suspension arms are glued on first.

ABOVE: The tubing is inserted and

glued in the hole and later serves as a
grip for the handle.

BELOW: Testing with the wheels on.

BELOW: The remaining suspension arms in between are ABOVE: Plastic strip was glued around
added, always making sure they sit parallel. the square copper rim to prevent the
tube from twisting during handling.

39
 AFV special
ABOVE: Axles on the suspension arms
are very short to say the least, and
wheels will need to be glued on firmly.
Both axles for the drive sprockets were
lengthened with plastic rod.
ABOVE: Photo-etched bolts supplied in
the kit were glued in place with a little
liquid cement.
RIGHT: The surface of the mantlet is
worked with some liquid cement adding
a more random and rough cast effect.
BELOW: Torch cutting marks on the side
of the mantlet were made by using the
sharp edge of a triangular file.
RIGHT: Texture on the upper
hull looks very unrealistic.
Pitting is overly large and
evenly spaced.
40
BELOW: Although nicely detailed, the link and length
tracks from the kit were replaced with
Friulmodel metal items.
ABOVE:Texture on the gun housing and mantlet looks a bit
too smooth.
ABOVE: More pitting was added with a small round drill bit
in a slow turning motor tool.
ABOVE: The completed gun assembly ready to
be installed in the hull.
cement will take care of any remaining plastic dust
and sharp edges that need softening. To reproduce
the typical torch cutting on the side of the mantlet, it
was gently sanded with one of the sharp edges of a
triangular file.
What struck me as odd in an otherwise very
nicely detailed kit, was the unrealistic texturing of
the upper hull. Not only is the pitting rather large
scale, it is also very evenly spaced and not at all
random and quite the opposite of what it should
look like. Using Tamiya Putty all existing texturing
was filled and sanded down. Again, using a small
round drill bit in a slow turning motor tool more to
scale random texturing was added. A thin layer of
liquid cement sealed the work. In fact, all surfaces
received the liquid cement treatment giving them
a steel appearance. Only thin metal surfaces, like
the trackguards, were exempt, but here and there
extra pitting was added using the motor tool.
Leaving off some sections of the trackguards
always adds character to a model, so I decided
to leave off both fronts, as well as the entire rear
section of the left trackguard and these unwanted
parts were cut off using a scalpel. Typical of
moulded on plastic trackguards is that they are too
thick in scale and need sanding down and simply
bevelling the edge with a file does the job. The next
series of actions were to refine moulded details and
lift hooks were carefully drilled out, tie downs were
hollowed out with the tip of a scalpel and tubular
shapes were undercut to make them look round
and less heavy.
With the rear deck mated to the lower hull the
seams near the tops of each hull side need to be
obscured as the deck rests between, rather than
on top of them. The upper sides, all the way to
the front and rear, require torch-cutting simulation.
Moulded detail was softened with liquid cement
and after a few moments the effect was recreated
with a scribing tool. Further detailing of the lower
hull again consisted of refining moulded detail on
the front of the hull by scraping it with a scalpel.
The overall fit of parts is very good. I used only two
plastic strips to fill small gaps: one on the lower hull
area where the mesh is situated and one where the
rear deck meets the upper hull compartment.
To obtain a neat, clean look it is often better to
remove the larger location pins present on the
arms that hold the trackguards. The corresponding
locating holes in the trackguard are again filled with
plastic strip and sanded smooth. Although I could
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

LEFT: Tamiya Putty was used to fill the pitting and create an even surface.

BELOW: As on the gun housing and mantlet, the upper hull was then
worked with the small round drill bit in a slow turning motor tool to
create a more realistic and in scale effect.

have reworked the kit part I again used plastic

strip to replace one of the arms of the missing
left trackguard. I wanted to portray a damaged
headlight, leaving out the glass, so the edge of the
lamp needed to be brought to scale by thinning
it. Using a larger round drill bit in a slow turning
motor tool with the emphasis on slow the lamp
was carefully hollowed out. The same was done
with the exhausts, as they also looked too heavy.
Also, where necessary, all onboard equipment and
holders were drilled out and refined.
To emphasise the used look of the vehicle I opted
to add only one of the fuel cans strapped to the
trackguards. Cutting out the middle sections then
replacing them with thin plastic strips producing
a hollow appearance reworked the moulded-on
handles on the can. The weld seam was worked
over after softening it with liquid cement and then
scribing it with the tip of a scalpel.
ABOVE: Note the difference between the original and reworked trackguard.

Painting
I was going to use acrylic paints for airbrushing, so
the model first needed a good primer for the paint
to adhere to. Although it is a Russian model, I went
for Vallejos UK Bronze Green surface primer 607
instead of its Russian 4BO counterpart, as the latter
looks very dark and quite different from the colour
I was going to use as base colour. Not that the
darker primer colour wouldnt have worked, but after
a test I preferred the base colour as it showed up
over the Bronze Green primer. After putting on the
primer I masked all around the excellent moulded
ABOVE: Detail on the front of the hull
mesh covers and airbrushed them with Vallejo Black is brought into scale by scraping it
surface primer 602 to create depth and shadow. with a scalpel.
The mesh covers were masked off and left until all LEFT: Plastic strip is used to close the
airbrush work would be finished. odd gap.

BELOW: The seam where the rear deck meets the hull sides needs to be
obscured as the deck is supposed to sit between the hull sides.

ABOVE: Pitting was added on all heavily armoured parts of the model.

www.militarymodelling.com 41
 AFV special
Refining small details can make the
model look much more crisp. Here a
clamp on the trackguard was drilled
out and brought to scale thickness.
For the same purpose moulded
handles on the fuel can were cut to
remove the bulk from the middle
and a small strip was used as a
replacement for the handle making it
appear hollow.
The spare track link is bolted down
with some plastic strip and the wing
nuts from the original kit part.
42
The moulded mesh covers on the rear deck were primed
with Vallejo Black Surface Primer 602.
For the base colour I resorted to MIG
Productions 4BO Russian Green 019, which is the
colour that would have been used for a Russian
vehicle of that era. To make the paint flow better I
added some Vallejo new formula Airbrush thinner
061; the usual ratio is one drop of thinner for every
three drops of paint, but you can thin according to
your own discretion. The fuel can received a slightly
different colour basecoat, as I added a few drops of
Vallejo Air Camouflage Light Green 006 to the MIG
4BO Russian Green 019 for variation. The model
was then sealed with Vallejo Air Gloss varnish 058,
ABOVE: Overall view of the model ready for painting.
BELOW: Although dealing with a Russian vehicle, the model
was primed using Vallejo UK Bronze Green Surface Primer 607.
which was then mostly over-sprayed with Vallejo Air
Satin varnish 060, except the barrel, the dome on
the engine deck hatch and the fuel can, which were
left glossy. The spare track on the other hand was
airbrushed with Vallejo Air Matte Varnish 059.
The kit instructions sheet suggests two overall
green vehicles one overall whitewashed and one
partly whitewashed vehicle. In my mind there had
never been any doubt about the paint scheme I was
going for, a faded whitewash. Not only is painting
faded whitewash schemes a lot of fun, it also gives
you plenty of choice on what the final result will
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

ABOVE: Masking tape was used to

protect the black areas from the next
airbrushing stages.

LEFT: MIG Productions 4BO Russian

Green 019 was airbrushed on to serve
as the base colour. A little thinning
with Vallejo New Formula Airbrush
Thinner 061 makes sure the paint
flows well.

BELOW: To help create the faded

look like, as there can be many variations of the whitewash I next put on a couple
of layers of AK Interactive Heavy
faded white finish, either overall or only partially Chipping fluid 089. Only the areas
covering the vehicle. In this case I was going for a that were to receive a coat of white
were treated.
whitewash effect that mainly concentrated on the
front of the vehicle, with the rest mostly whitewash
free. Incidentally, the partly whitewashed finish
suggested in the instructions also concentrates on
the front of the vehicle.
There are several ways to go about recreating a
whitewash finish. A popular method to get good
results is the ubiquitous hairspray technique. Having
used this technique before, I wanted to revisit it
and readily available chipping products now make
the search for a good working hairspray product

LEFT: Tamiya Flat White XF-2 diluted

with tap water was misted onto
selected areas.

BELOW: Overall view of the model

after the whitewash had been
airbrushed on.

www.militarymodelling.com 43
 AFV special

ABOVE: Close-ups of the left and right sides of the hull. BELOW LEFT: After wetting an area, a moist brush is put to work to remove parts of the whitewash. Here, on the
hull sides, Im working in a downward motion, mostly disturbing the edges of the white areas. BELOW RIGHT: As rain tends to wash off the whitewash over time in a
downward motion, it looks best if you go about distressing the paint in the same way.

ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: I tend to stay
away from the middle of the white areas
and mainly concentrate on distressing
the edges. A small round slightly blunt
brush gives me a lot of control.
unnecessary. Having said that, you still have the
option of mixing the regular and heavy chipping
fluids to your own needs, as different mixes, put
on in more or less layers, give different results.
After some tests I went for two straight layers of
AK Interactive Heavy chipping acrylic fluid 089, as I
wanted the paint to come off rather easily. The fluid
was airbrushed on over the areas that would receive
the whitewash later, whereas areas that were to
remain green were not touched. Next was a thin coat
of Tamiya Flat White XF-2 diluted with water; using
water to dilute the paint makes it easier to remove
later on. Also, using Tamiya paint means that you will
be able to remove the paint even weeks after it was
airbrushed on. No need to hurry there!
When putting on the white you should already
have some idea about how the whitewash ought
to look and have a rough idea which areas will be
covered and those that wont. Covering everything
with white, assuming you are going to take away
the paint where it is not wanted afterwards anyway,
might not give a satisfactory result. Using the paint
in selected areas adds to the faded look as this
way you get soft borders of white, while an opaque
layer will not. So, thinking about composition at this
stage is important.
For removing the white paint I used different size
brushes ranging from small round ones to larger flat
ones. Also a scribing tool can be a good choice in
case you want to draw scuffmarks along the side
of the vehicle where the paint got damaged when
travelling through shrubs, etc. Removing the paint
is done by first gently moistening the area you want
to work on with water, and then use a moist brush
to work the surface. Depending on which, and how
much, chipping fluid you use the paint will come off
more or less easily.
To disturb the paint on the large sides of the
model I worked mainly in a downward motion, as
over time rain tends to run down removing the
whitewash. For the most part I just disarranged
the edges of the white areas, only sometimes

44 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016


taking away some paint inside the larger surfaces.
Remember, less is more. Dont get carried away
when removing white paint, it is easier to take away
some more paint later, than having to get out the
airbrush again to touch up the white in case too
much was removed. Once satisfied with the result
so far I added a new coat of varnish to seal the
whitewash for further weathering.
Weathering
General weathering
Before actually starting the weathering process I
first dealt with the mesh covers on the rear deck.
During the airbrushing stage they received a coat of
black creating depth and shadow. Now it was time
to give them some colour. Using the 4BO Russian
Green base colour I gently dry-brushed them lifting
out the mesh structure. The rest of the model was
also carefully dry-brushed with the base colour
mixed with some MIG RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb 011, to
www.militarymodelling.com
AFV special
ABOVE: Overall view of the model;
note how the whitewash has
changed since the previous step. It
now looks much more realistic.
LEFT: When happy with the result
the whitewash was sealed with
varnish to protect it from the next
weathering stages.
lift out some detail and create a first variety in the ABOVE LEFT: Close-up of the mesh
covers on the rear deck after shading.
base colour.
To further add tonal differences in the overall ABOVE RIGHT: With a wide flat brush
green appearance of the model I added local filters the base colour was carefully dry-
brushed over the mesh covers lifting
with Lifecolor RAL 6003 Olivegrn UA206 and out the detail.
picked out more details highlighting them with
Lifecolor Olive Drab Green Tone UA427. With a
first variety of base colour present, the next step
was to begin the shading process. Vandyke Brown
oil paint was thinned with odourless white spirit
and run along all details and into all nooks and
crannies creating depth. After the first outlining
session I always give a model a quick dry-brush
run with the base colour to freshen up its overall
appearance and remove any unwanted remains
of the outlining. Next, I started chipping with
Lifecolor RAL 7008 GrauGrn/KhakiBraun UA212,
concentrating mostly on edges, small details and
well-worn places. Here and there I added further
highlights to the chipping by using the Lifecolor
Olive Drab Green Tone UA427.
45
 AFV special
ABOVE LEFT: Some larger panels were picked out with Olivegrn. ABOVE RIGHT: The smaller details where highlighted with Olive Drab Green Tone.
BELOW LEFT: After the initial outlining I always give the model a quick dry-brushing with the base colour to revive colours and clean up any unwanted remains.
BELOW RIGHT: Rear view close-up of the hull. Note how details stand out due to highlighting.
ABOVE: A fine-tipped brush and Vandyke
Brown oil paint thinned with odourless white
spirit were used to outline all details and fill
all nooks and crannies to add depth.
ABOVE: To paint the exhausts I turned to
Lifecolors Dust & Rust set. The colours were
used from dark to light, sometimes going
back and forth to get to the desired result.
46
The process of highlighting and shading can go
back and forth adding several layers until the desired
result is reached. There is no hard and fast rule
dictating how many layers you should add. Its up to
you! In my case it was time for a second outlining.
Again all details, nooks and crannies received the
Vandyke Brown oil paint treatment. A second
outlining will create more depth, more variation and
will thus add more life to the model.
So far, apart from outlining, the faded whitewash
received no further attention. The initial chipping using
the hairspray technique can create great effects, but
there is always room for some fine-tuning. Small detail
chipping on the whitewash was carried out with a
brush and the 4BO Green base colour. Subsequent
chipping was carried out on the rest of the model with
a mix of Vallejo Model Color German Camouflage
Black Brown 822 and Chocolate Brown 872. I would
usually opt for straight German Camouflage Black
Brown for chipping, but here the colour seemed a bit
too dark and unnatural looking, hence the mix with
the lighter Chocolate Brown. As before I concentrated
on well-worn areas. Although I knew it would probably
get lost during the final weathering stages, I still
went ahead to create a visual reminder of where
the missing trackguard was once located. To do this
I taped off the surrounding area and painted on the
brown chipping mix. Immediately after that I used
Vallejo Airbrush thinner 061 and a brush to distress the
brown paint. The result is a faint reminder of where
the trackguard used to sit.
Attention now returned to the whitewash. The
gun mantled needed further variation in colour and
therefore Vallejo Panzer Aces White 344 was applied
to create some interest. The same colour can be
used to add small remains of whitewash around
details like bolts and suchlike. In some areas I
opted to use Titanium White oil paint, as this can be
worked for a longer time.
For the exhausts I resorted to the trustworthy
Lifecolor Dust and Rust set (item CS-10). Starting
with the darkest colour first I then proceeded until
I was happy with the result. For a final darker tone
on the base of the exhausts I used Vallejo German
Camouflage Black Brown 822. The insides were
given a dark soot colour with Lifecolors Smoke
TSC 208. In the final stages soot deposit will be
reproduced on the rear deck using MIG Productions
Black Smoke pigments P023.
Dusting
Although I wanted the model to look muddy from
travelling through the wet winter landscape, it
needed more than just the dark mud. When dirt
dries it turns to dust, so the first move was to add
some dusting to go underneath the fresh mud
that would follow later. To create the dust colour I
combined AK Interactive Dust Effects 015 with Dark
Mud 023. Using a wide flat brush several filters
were put on the lower hull, building up the dust
gradually. With a small round brush I added more
dust in specific areas creating a more interesting
look. Oil spills were then recreated around
suspension parts using Vandyke Brown oil paint. The
dusting was carried through over other parts of the
model concentrating it in logical places such as the
rear trackguard, certain parts of the rear deck and
the hull top where the crew would drag up dirt on
their boots. Always keep composition in mind trying
to make it visually interesting.
Wet spots, oil spills and run offs
The dusty areas on the rear deck were carefully
chosen as I wanted to add some oil spills in
particular places and as we know oil spills attract
dust. So the dust spots from before, or at least
some of them, would now receive some Vandyke
Brown oil paint simulating oil spills. Some smaller oil
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

ABOVE LEFT: Detail chipping on the whitewash was carried out with a fine tipped brush and the 4BO Green base colour. ABOVE RIGHT: The rest of the model was chipped with a
mix of Vallejo Model Color German Camouflage Black Brown 822 and Chocolate Brown 872, mostly concentrating on well-worn places. BELOW LEFT: Simulating soot on the inside
of the pipes was done with Lifecolor Smoke TSC 208. BELOW RIGHT: The tracks were basecoated with a mix of Vallejo US Olive Drab 608 and Black 602 surface primer.
spills were created with Lamp Black oil paint, while
further wet spots, be it oil spills or otherwise, were
imitated by mixing gloss varnish with a little Vandyke
Brown oil paint. I used Revell Gloss varnish 01 as
well as MIG Productions Wet Effects and Damp
Earth Mixture P409, as both gave good results.
Basically any gloss varnish could be used and tinted
with an appropriate colour.
Dirt and stains running down the sides of the
hull were again simulated with Vandyke Brown oil
paint. For any remaining areas of whitewash I used
Titanium White oil paint.
Wet mud
With the dust in place I could proceed with adding the
wet mud. I had decided on smaller speckling on the
lower hull and running gear, and more accumulated
thick mud on the hull front and rear, left side where
the trackguards were missing and mud would get
thrown up by the tracks. For the speckling I mixed
MIG Productions Russian Earth pigments P034 with
AK Interactive Fresh Mud 016. This was then picked
up with a brush and flicked onto the lower half of the
model by pulling the brush along a wooden stick. Make
sure you flick the mix in the right direction - normally
towards the rear for a forward moving vehicle as
otherwise the effect may look a bit odd.
To build up the wet mud on the trackguards and
rear left hull I added the grainy pigments dry from
the jar and then carefully fixed them in place with
a little white spirit. Using too much liquid will make
the grainy structure that imitate chunks of mud
disappear. The mud needs to be the same colour as
the speckling on the lower hull so it needed painting
with Fresh Mud 016. However, touching the fixed
pigments with diluted paint trying to cover it from
all angles made the chunky structure disappear. To
solve the problem I needed to fix the pigments more
permanently. A little white glue diluted with water
www.militarymodelling.com
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did the trick and when carefully applied it shouldnt
disturb the chunky structure. However, as surface
tension of water will prevent it to flow as freely as
white spirit, I also added some washing up liquid,
which took care of that. With the pigments now
firmly fixed in place it was no trouble painting them.
On the left rear hull the pigments were more
dispersed, still revealing parts of the hull, therefore I
first repainted that area with the AK Dust mix 015 +
023 used on the rest of the model, after which the
muddy chunks were picked out with Fresh Mud 016.
Clean parts of the hull where then repainted with the
4BO Green base colour. The mud splashes on the
front upper hull were carefully built up with a rather
dry Russian Earth pigments P034 and Fresh Mud 016
mixture. No need to get out the white glue!
Wheels and tracks ABOVE: Note the different finish on the
Like the lower hull the wheels received the same drive sprockets. Variation adds interest.
dust and mud treatment. A little variation was brought
into play by finishing the two drive sprockets in
different ways, both in colour and in weathering. Its BELOW: Running surfaces
always good to put variety into your model, as this of the roadwheels were
touched up with a soft
will keep the viewer interested. Running surfaces of lead pencil.
the roadwheels, return rollers and idler wheels were
coloured with a soft lead pencil imitating bare metal,
while the teeth of the drive sprockets were buffed up
with a Karismacolor silver pencil 949.
The metal tracks were given a sound basecoat
with a Vallejo US Olive Drab 608 and Black 602
surface primer mixture overspray.
I began weathering by filtering the tracks with the
AK Dust mix 015 + 023, then dry-brushed both sides
with Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown 822 to
bring out the details. Where the wheels and tracks BELOW: Edges where given a metal
meet, the metal gets polished and to simulate this shine with a propelling pencil.
bare metal look I used a soft lead pencil. To make sure
I was working in a straight line I used a ruler and a fine
tipped propelling pencil to mark the outsides, cleaning
47
 AFV special
ABOVE & OPPOSITE: Views of the finished model.
ABOVE LEFT: Mud splashes on the off superfluous deposits from the pencil with a cotton
front upper hull were brush painted on.
swab. Next the outsides were muddied up with the
ABOVE RIGHT: Note the damaged Russian Earth pigment P034 and AK Interactive Fresh
headlight visible in this front view. Mud 016 mix. Running surfaces where then restored
to bare metal with a soft lead pencil. On the inside I
added some mud splashes by flicking the mud mix
with a brush and wooden stick. (I should have done
this before adding the bare metal look!) After touching
Weathering on the up the bare metal areas, again a cotton swab was used
for clean up. When the tracks were mounted on the
fuel can was done model more mud build up was added. Dabbing the
mud with MIG Productions Wet Effects and Damp
in much the same Earth mixture produced a wet look.
way as the rest of Finishing touches
the model. Remaining work to be done on the hull was finishing
the headlight, fuel can and accessories. The interior
of the broken headlight was first brush-painted with
48
Vallejo Air Chrome 064. Then, with the aid of a punch
and die set, a disk was made from black paper to
simulate the hole in the rear of the light through
which the wire to feed it would enter. The electric
wire was made from very thin copper wire.
Weathering on the fuel can was done in much
the same way as the rest of the model. It only
received a few extra rust streaks with Burnt Umber
oil paint and AK Interactive Rust Streaks 013. For
more interest some handwritten chalk markings
were added using a white pencil.
Metal parts on the pickaxe and the gun
cleaning rods were given a basecoat of Vallejo
Model Color Black 950. The gun cleaning rods
were then dry-brushed with German Camouflage
Black Brown 822 mixed with some Panzer Aces
Highlight German Black 337. Gradually less of the
Black Brown was used, finishing up with pure
Highlight German Black. Shadows in between
the rods and around tool holders where then
produced using Lamp Black oil paint. By gently
tapping with the side of a propelling pencil a
metal shine was recreated. Subsequently
some chipping was carried out with the
German Camouflage Black Brown
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

ABOVE LEFT: The fuel can was finished in a slightly different green colour and received its fair share of weathering. ABOVE RIGHT: The missing trackguard caused mud
build up on the upper hull side.

822 and Chocolate Brown 872 mix. To add

further interest a bit of rust tone was added with
Lifecolor Rust Base UA702 and a little Rust Light
Shadow UA703. Final metal highlights were
added with a Karismacolor silver pencil 949.
The wooden pickaxe handle first received a
basecoat of Vallejo Model Color Buff 976, after
which the wood grain was created using Raw
Umber oil paint. I use the paint straight from the
tube and paint on a wood grain pattern with a
fine pointed brush. Small corrections can easily
be made with a brush moistened with white
spirit. Here the metal part in selected places was
touched up with a German Camouflage Black
Brown 822 and Chocolate Brown 872 mix. Same
as on the gun cleaning rods where a bit of rust
colour was added, this time using only Lifecolor
Rust Base UA702. Again final metal highlights
were added with a silver pencil.
The spare track link was airbrushed with a
basecoat of Vallejo Black surface primer 602 and
Lifecolor Rust Dark Shadow UA701. As previously
mentioned it was matt varnished with Vallejo Air Rear view of the completed model showing the wet tracks and splashed mud effects.
Matte Varnish 059. Further local filters of Lifecolor
Rust Base UA702 and Rust Light Shadow 1 UA703
completed the oxidised look. A little dusting and References
touching up of some edges with a propelling pencil Photos found on the Internet.
completed the effect. In fact, selected edges and
details all over the model were given a bare metal
shine with the propelling pencil. Items used
Bronco 1:48 scale Russian Self-Propelled Gun SU-152 (April, 1943 Production)
item ZB-48004.
Conclusion
Broncos 1:48 scale SU-152 is a very enjoyable kit to Friulmodel KV-1/KV-2 tracks item ATL-4803.
build, easily built from the box and one that can easily
be improved with a few refinements. The classic Plastic strip, plastic rod, copper wire, punch and die set.
faded whitewash finish is always fun to paint.

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Australian 2pdr
anti-tank Carrier
ABOVE: The authors completed model placed into a scene setting courtesy of Photoshop.
BELOW: Two illustrations from a contemporary workshop manual. Peter Gillson tests his
modelling skills by building
an unusual Carrier variation
in 1:35 scale.

D
uring 1939 a British Carrier (Bren No.2
Mk.1) was purchased for evaluation by
the Australian army, this vehicle was
the basis for the Australian Variant Carrier, the
Carrier MG (Aust) No.1, also known as the LP1,
(Local Pattern 1) which was made using locally
sourced components. There were problems with
the first design and it displayed many faults,
including serious engine overheating and brake
wear. After approximately 160 of these vehicles
had been built the Army called for an improved
design. This was the LP2 and 2A and these
versions corrected the faults found in the LP1
by incorporating improved steering, brakes and
other modifications.
These Carriers saw service with the Australian
Army both at home and abroad in the Middle East,
Malaya, New Guinea and the islands of the South-
West Pacific. For those interested in the Korean War,
some were used in the early stages of that conflict.
Australia was closely aligned to Britain in terms
of military doctrine and like Britain had mounted
the anti-tank gun onto a lorry, the classic portee
arrangement, but found the cross-country capability
to be limited. What was needed was for it to be
mounted on a tracked vehicle. A specification for
the gun to be mounted onto a modified Carrier
was given to the Directorate of Armoured Fighting
Vehicle Production.
Unlike the Canadian and British versions, the
Australian solution was not to just mount the gun
onto the existing Carrier, but to virtually completely
redesign the vehicle. To this end the vehicle was

50 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016


lengthened by 8.75, the engine moved to alongside
the driver and a complete redesign of everything
behind the drivers compartment to carry the gun,
crew of three and ammunition.
The first vehicles produced by the Metropolitan
Gas Company were delivered in May 1942, total
production was 200 with the final being completed
during October 1942. Unfortunately as Axis armour
developed it became clear that the 2pdr was not a
suitable anti-tank gun any more, and this coupled
with the change of emphasis for the Australian
army towards combating the Japanese in the Pacific
Theatre meant that this carrier, which was unsuitable
for jungle warfare, was obsolete as soon as it
entered service. The Carrier never saw active service,
being used mainly for training within Australia.
www.militarymodelling.com
AFV special
TOP LEFT: Reference books.
ABOVE: Australian Military Equipment
Profiles Vol.2 an excellent resource
for this project.
LEFT: My reference prints from the
website photos.
BELOW: Detail of the drivers position
in the full-sized vehicle, just two of the
useful images found on the website.
The conversion
Building this would be more of a scratchbuilding
exercise than a conversion because the only part of
the kit I could use would be the running gear and
hull, and even this needs to be extended. The model
utilises the Riich Models kit of the Universal Carrier
and the Vulcan kit of the 2pdr anti-tank gun.
Research
Although I could find no plans of the vehicle,
there is a lot of information available. The booklet
Australian Military Equipment Profiles Vol.2 Local
Pattern Carriers 1939-1945, provides some photos
and an excellent commentary on the vehicle,
including many technical details.
51
 AFV special
RIGHT: Tracing over the George Bradford
drawings taped to a drawing board, note
the gap at the front of the plans.
ABOVE: Box art for one of the Riich
Models 1:35 scale Carrier kits.
BELOW: The hull with the 6.35mm
extension pieces in place.
52
The website www.toadmanstankpictures.com/
australian_2pdr_carrier.htm contains 77 photos of
a vehicle in an Australian museum, which together
with the book and a couple of other websites and a
YouTube video provided enough information to draw
the plans and build the vehicle.
Drawing the plans
I do not really enjoy drawing plans, it is a necessity
rather than a pleasure so I cheated by using a set of
plans for the Universal Carrier produced by George
Bradford, (the link is: http://www.oocities.org/
firefly1002000). These were placed on my drawing
board and a sheet of tracing paper laid over the
top, in this way I can draw only the modifications
onto the tracing paper without having to re-draw
most of the vehicle. The actual vehicle was 8.75
longer than the standard Carrier so I cut the plans
and placed the two sections 6.35mm (8.75 =
222.25mm, in 1:35 scale = 6.35mm) apart on the
drawing board.
Most of my time at this stage is spent just
looking at all of the references to really gain an
understanding of the vehicle, where everything
goes, how it was constructed and how it will be
constructed how many sub-assemblies would
I need?
I used my usual method of ratios to estimate the
lengths. For instance from the front view photo I could
measure the width of the vehicle and the width of
the engine housing, from these two measurements I
could calculate that the engine housing was 54.285%
of the width of the vehicle. The kit vehicle is 35mm
wide, so the scale width of the engine housing would
be 19mm, 54.285% of 35mm.
This is a slow process but with care, lots
of crosschecking measurements and
calculations, a reasonable set of
drawings can be produced.
Elongation
The actual vehicle was 8.75 longer than the
standard Carrier, this was achieved on the model
by extending the sides. To do this they were cut
between the front wheel and the first roadwheel,
and a 6.35mm piece of plastic card was glued
between the two pieces. The floor was also cut and
a similar piece of plastic card used to lengthen it.
Plastic card was used to build the drivers
compartment and engine housing.
The structure is square so it is not too
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special
The drivers compartment and engine
housing completed, ready for the
external details to be added.

difficult, especially
using a lot of small
pieces of plastic to brace
the construction and keep
is nice and square. Fortunately
the photos of the museum
vehicle include many clear photos
of the drivers compartment, details of
which were added with plastic card and
thin lead wire.
Additional details such as the air intakes
and filters were added to the front of the
vehicle, based on the photos.
With the driving compartment complete
I turned my attention to the rear, fighting
compartment. One impact of relocating the
engine is a change in the location of the rear
differential housing which necessitated the need
to scratchbuild two new driveshafts from the
differential to each drive wheel, as well as a new
driveshaft running from the engine along the length
of the vehicle. The change also resulted in having to
build a new rear bulkhead. Before this was in place
I added the strengthening cross beams in the hull
and the storage box on the floor behind the drivers
compartment. was time to tackle
Behind this storage box is a row of hatches the rear fighting
which, when open form a line of seats for the three platform and at this point
crewmembers, I was inclined to have at least one I noticed a mistake. In the
of them open. vehicle the section where the
Behind the drivers/engine compartment is an rear bulkhead joins the horizontal
open storage box, below this is a metal grille which rear fighting platform is curved.
would be visible if the hatches were open so one I had fitted in place a rear bulkhead
was made from a combination of plastic card and which would have resulted in a square
etched-brass. Before this was put in place, the area join. The bulkhead was removed and a
behind it was painted in olive drab because it would new bulkhead was made, which included
be impossible to do so when the grille is in place. the curved portion which was the rear part of
The next step is a cautionary example of not the crews fighting platform. But what diameter
having looked at the references closely enough. It would the curve be?

ABOVE: The converted transmission

in place along with the incorrect
rear bulkhead.

LEFT: The interesting clamps

being used to hold the rear fighting
platform in place, the vertical
bulkhead portion having been glued
in place the evening before.

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 AFV special

3 6, centred on the pivot point of the

ABOVE: Main items
added to the front glacis
plate plus the fitted out
fighting compartment.
Circular
fighting platform
On each side of the vehicle is a segment
shaped platform which could be raised for
travelling and lowered when needed, which
combined with the rear plate would form a circular
fighting platform for the crew. The booklet refers to
this circular fighting platform as having a radius of
RIGHT: The three forward hatches, for over the crew seats,
completed ready for trimming and fixing.
BELOW: Completed vehicle, without any running gear added.
gun, providing a fighting platform
for the gun which could turn
through the full 360-deg.
Armed with a pair of
compasses with the metal
point set in the centre of the
vehicle I set them to 30mm, and
drew the circle. We can clearly see
from the photos where the front and rear
end of the side platforms should be and I
was really pleased when the circle I had drawn
passed within a fraction of where I had estimated
these points to be. I had to make a very small
adjustment, moving the location of the centre point
back a little and I was happy with the drawing.
With the size of the platform determined I was
able to draw and cut out the rear bulkhead with
the correct diameter curve for the rear part of the
fighting platform.
Since there is a 90-deg bend in the bulkhead/platform
the plastic part was bent over a metal rod to replicate
the curve. To ensure the plastic did not split this was
done very slowly and even then it
would not keep the 90-deg bend.
The bulkhead section of this part
was glued in place and left overnight
to fully cure. With these joins fully
cured and secure, the next evening
the top cover was bent into place,
glued and held in place using various
tools to clamp it in place.

Fighting compartment
The fittings in the fighting compartment are
reasonably simple, a mounting structure for the gun
which was made from H section plastic beams,
the photos show an ammunition box fixed to the
front of the supporting leg, one from the Vulcan kit
was added in place.
Two further lengths of plastic beam were added to
form the supports for the hatches and cover plates
just behind the drivers compartment. A few other
boxes and fittings which I could see from the photos

54 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

were added, these either being from the spares

box or made from more card. My intention was to
have at least one of the hatches open, showing a
seat. However, time constraints meant that I had to
change my plans and opt for closed hatches which
were made from thin plastic card, my trusty punch
and die set being used to punch out the hand holds.
The two segments which form the fold down
parts of the fighting platform along each side of
the vehicle were made from plastic card and fitted
in place, more thin strips of card were used to add
the strengthening supports on their underside,
and to form the edging strip. The basic vehicle was
constructed so it was time to add details like the
lights, tools, hinges etc. Fortunately the vehicle was
welded together so there were very few rivets.

Running gear
The wheels were added next but no tracks as yet
because photos show the camouflage being applied
behind the running gear and it would be impossible
to paint this with them in place. The tracks were
painted grey black while still on the sprues.

ABOVE: Completed vehicle, the running gear yet to be added.

The gun
The Vulcan gun was built as per the kit without
any modification apart from having to build a new
ammunition rack, which is clearly shown in the photos.
I think that a modeller who is skilled with etched-brass
could build the frame and slip ammunition boxes into
like the real thing. Unfortunately, I am not that skilled
so I decided to cheat. I glued two cases together, using
thinly rolled putty I made the rolled blankets, glued
these on top and added the third ammunition box.
Gluing strips of thin plastic card around this unit I was
able to fabricate the frame. The whole unit was glued
onto the inside of the gunshield.

Painting
According to references the first few vehicles
produced were finished in a two colour scheme
of Khaki Green and a camouflage pattern of Light

ABOVE: Box top for the Vulcan 2pdr gun kit.

LEFT: The completed gun ready for painting, note the scratchbuilt
ammunition rack.

The Vulcan gun

was built as per
the kit without any

modification apart from
having to build a new
ammunition rack...

Stone, this is like the version in the

museum and the scheme I decided to
represent. However, there is another option, as
from July 1942 they would have been in a base of
Khaki Green with a Light Earth pattern.

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 AFV special
Basecoat of acrylic
stone colour.
RIGHT: After a coat of
Khaki Green, note the
Panzer Putty to mask the
camouflage pattern.
BELOW: View of the model with
the Panzer Putty removed.
RIGHT: Fixing the tracks, the 12 brown
track links are the ModelKasten links.
The white points on the tracks are
where they were joined to the sprues,
these were painted grey black.
56
After priming, the model was airbrushed with a
pale cream colour that looked close to the photos.
Panzer Putty was used to mask the camouflage
pattern after which the green was applied, again
by airbrush. The superstructure was given a very
light misting of the cream basecoat, just enough
to harmonise the green and beige. Dry-brushing
may be out of fashion these days but I still find
it a useful technique, so using a -inch soft hair
paintbrush the vehicle was dry-brushed, again using
the base colour. All of the strokes were applied
vertically downwards so that the top edges would
be highlighted and any streaks would look like rain
marks. Vallejo colours were used to detail items
such as the seats and tools etc.
Time to make tracks!
Since this version of the Carrier was 8.75 longer,
an additional six links were added to each side,
which is a bit of a problem since the kit does not
include spare links. Fortunately though, a few years
ago I had bought a set of ModelKasten tracks. These
are single link tracks which I had decided were too
small and fiddly to use, but were perfect for this.
ABOVE: Fully painted with the running gear added but
before any weathering.
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

Because they are a very slightly different size I

added all 12 to one side. The Resicast tracks would
also be suitable. Fitting the tracks is very fiddly on
the Riich kit, and even more so on this conversion. It
took me four evenings to do both sides! On the first
evening I fitted the tracks running around the drive
sprocket and under the roadwheels, left these to
set and the next evening fitted the remainder of that
side, repeating the process for the other side over
the following two evenings. When dry, they were
touched up with the Vallejo Grey Black.
Weathering
A coat of Tamiya Flat Brown XF-10 mixed with
Tamiya Flat Earth XF-52 was applied to the running
gear and the lower part of the Carrier, followed
by a light misting of pure Tamiya Flat Earth. My
homemade filter made of very diluted Vandyke
Brown oil paint was applied to the whole vehicle
including the running gear and tracks, as with the
dry-brushing, all strokes were vertical. Having left it
to dry overnight, a little more of the filter was added
in places to further emphasis the details.
Conclusion ABOVE: The sub-structure with a
dusting of Tamiya Flat Brown XF-10
This was quite a time-consuming model to and Flat Earth XF-52 to represent
accumulated dust.
build. Drawing plans from photos is frustrating
but it does at least enable me to build models
which I would otherwise not be able to do.
With hindsight I should have changed my mind
about showing a seat as the model would BELOW: The finished vehicle mounted
have looked a lot better with a seat on show. on a simple wooden base.
Apart from that, I am quite happy with the
build. It is quite complicated in that it is almost
a complete scratchbuild, but none of the
modelling techniques are really advanced as
long as you can cut plastic card square you can
build this model!

Finishing touches
These included such as the lenses for the lights,
painting the rolled blankets in the ammunition
storage, and highlighting the tracks with Vallejo
metal colour. The model was then glued to a
wooden base with a suitable nameplate applied.

Websites
www.toadmanstankpictures.com/australian_2pdr_carrier.htm 77 photos of a preserved vehicle.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk5XDSx7h0s video of a preserved vehicle.

http://auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LC14&ID=r0022 details including photos of a vehicle which recently

sold for $96,000. I think this is the one in the video.

www.aussiemodeller.com.au/pages/History/Vehicle/Boucher_BrenGun.html
18 photos of a preserved vehicle.

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 AFV special
Panzerkampfwagen I
Ausf F
ABOVE: The authors completed
model placed somewhere on the
Eastern Front courtesy of Photoshop.
BELOW: The box art for Broncos
PzKpfw I Ausf F kit.
58
Fraser Gray describes how he built and weathered
Broncos 1:35 scale model that earned him a
Highly Commended award at Euro Militaire 2014.
B
ronco has produced an excellent kit of the
PzKpfw I Ausf F developed by Germany in
the 1930s as a reconnaissance and infantry
support tank (item CB35143). The kit is well
presented with a colour instruction booklet giving
a concise history of the tanks development and its
participation in the Battle of Kursk.
The painting annotations in the assembly
instructions are poor and none are provided for the
interior. I therefore referred to Mario Eens article
Panzer One Inside-Out published in the MM Military
Vehicle Special Vol.40 No.3, for the most probable
interior colours. The instruction booklet seems to
have created a few headaches for Bronco, as there
are a couple of stick-on patches to correct errors.
A printing mistake has also gone unnoticed at stage 5.
The drawing shows part 43 reversed, although it
is intuitively obvious how the part should be fitted.
I also have my suspicion that the illustration at
stage 20 showing the gunners eyeshade and face
buffer (part B37) is inverted, although I have no
reference to confirm this. As a bonus, however,
there is a poster of the box top, printed without a
manufacturers logo or annotations.
The model is injection-moulded in a sand coloured
plastic, except for the superb articulated tracks,
which are moulded in a contrasting brown plastic.
The moulding is crisp and finely detailed although
paradoxically, as a state-of-the-art kit, it is reminiscent
of an East European kit of the 1990s the modeller
has to build the hull from flat plates, rather than a cast
hull tub that is usually supplied with most modern kits.
Construction
Care and attention are required to make sure
everything is square when building the hull tub, and
to check the plates remain true while the adhesive
dries. I certainly found building the hull time-
consuming and disappointing for such a modern kit.
The rest of the models assembly almost follows
construction of the full-sized vehicle, even the parts
to make the trackguard toolbox have the individual
dovetails faithfully reproduced in styrene.
The kit is supplied with a superbly detailed and
complete interior, although the engine is not included
in the kit. In stage 10 of the instructions Bronco has
illustrated the engine ventilation grilles in the open
position, drawing attention to the empty engine bay!
I found some aspects of the model over-engineered
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

The NIIBT Armoured Vehicle Collection located at Kubinka Russia, has one of the only two Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf F that survived the war. The other example is on display at the
Military Museum Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade, Serbia, and its in a very poor condition. The Kubinka tank has been preserved under cover and is in excellent condition, although
various fittings are missing. The tanks massive construction is evident from its frontal armour of 80mm. The driver was protected with bullet resistant glass in his direct vision and
twin vision ports when the 80mm armoured visor was lowered. The horn, Notek light and trackguard headlamps are missing and replaced with non-standard Soviet fittings.
and unnecessary complex. The crews gasmask
canisters have finely detail photo-etched straps and
are almost invisible when the model is completed. I
also had difficulty assembling the tiny photo-etched
and plastic components for the rear convoy light and
reflector. The multi-media parts have to be super-glued
with little opportunity to align them before the adhesive
sets. After spending some time carefully assembling
the rear reflector the super glue holding the rear
reflector to the trackguard fractured, and I lost the
part! I had to poach a reflector from a Tamiya Panzer II
Ausf A kit and replace the bracket with one made from
aluminium cut from a takeaway food container.
The model was built virtually out of the box, the
only modifications I made were to add a backing plate
to the radio at stage 2, because it noticeably absent
when viewed through the open hatch. I also made a
cradle from Microstrip to support the large box on the
left trackguard that mysteriously floats above the wire
cutters. I replaced the tool clamps with Aber AB48A2
German Clamps and Clasp in 1:48 scale, as the
companys 1:35 scale tool clamps look oversized when
used on a small 1:35 scale model.
Whilst I was weathering the model I realised I had
missed Broncos omission of the tow hawser retaining
post above the circular crew entry hatch, part 2. I built
the missing post with plastic rod and scrap plastic,
using the adjacent post for reference.
Painting
The model is time-consuming to paint because of
the interior detail of the hull and turret. Any surface
where adhesive has to be applied must be masked
or carefully cleaned of any excess paint to ensure all
interior parts are secure, as any parts that become
detached will be very difficult to glue once the hull is
www.militarymodelling.com
AFV special
sealed. I painted the model using Adam Wilders Colour
Modulation technique. The model was finished in the 1
markings of Polizei-Panzer-Kompanie (neu) Eastern
Front, Spring 1944, using the decals supplied in the kit.
Photo 1. The model is supplied with a complete
interior. Construction begins by cleaning up the
numerous ammunition bags and super-gluing them
to cocktail sticks for priming and painting.
Photo 2. Broncos instructions lack any information
or suggestions concerning the colour of the interior.
I painted the bags a canvas colour from a blend of
Humbrol Enamels - Matt Sand 63, Matt White 34
and Matt Dark Earth 29. Shading and highlights
were created by adding a greater proportion of the
white or Dark Earth to the blend. The covers of the
canvas bags were painted Humbrol Matt Grass
Green. In hindsight, I believe Humbrol Matt Tank
Grey 67 (representing a scale black) would have 2
been more accurate.
Photo 3. The interior was assembled into sub-
assemblies to ease painting. The smaller parts,
such as the steering levers, were cleaned up and
left attached to a section of sprue so they could be
easily held for airbrushing.
Photo 4. The transmission housing was masked
using Tamiya Masking Tape and Humbrol Maskol.
The housing was airbrushed in a blend of Humbrol
Gloss Ivory 41 and Satin Oak 71. 4
Photo 5. The crews gasmask canisters are finely
detailed and have separate photo-etched straps.
Appreciate the detail, once the hull is assembled
they cannot be seen!
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6
7

12

13

9 Photo 6. Further examples of fine detail provided by

Bronco. The fire extinguishers notation is from the
Archer set AR35266.

Photo 7. The hull sides are prepared for airbrushing.

The contact surfaces for the floor plate and
bulkheads have been masked with Blu-Tack and
Tamiya Masking Tape, as any paint on surfaces to be
10 glued will reduce the efficiency of the cement.

Photo 8. The hull sides were primed in preparation

for airbrushing using Halfords White Primer.

Photo 9. Several light coats of Elfenbein (RAL 1001)

mixed from Humbrol Gloss Ivory 41 and Satin Oak
71 were airbrushed onto the hull interior.

Photo 10. The lower part of the hull interior was

painted RAL 7009 a grey-green colour, so I used
Tamiya Light Blue XF-23 as the nearest visual match
11 I could find in my paint stock.

Photo 11. The rest of the hull sides were airbrushed

in Tamiya Flat Red XF-7 and NATO Black XF-69 to
represent red primer.

Photo 12. Following my references all workable

parts in the hull interior, like machine-gun mounts,
handles, vision ports and handwheels were painted
Humbrol Matt Tank Grey 67 which represents a
scale black.

Photo 13. Work continues airbrushing the hull sides.

60 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special
14

15

Photo 14. The masking tape is removed and various

items of the crews equipment are glued into 16
position with polystyrene cement.

Photo 15. The transmission housing and rear

fighting compartment bulkhead are attached to the
floor plate with polystyrene cement.

Photo 16. The roof, glacis plates and hull sides have
been painted and prepared ready to be glued together.

Photo 17. I added a set of headphones and a

connecting cable. The container below the hinge for
the circular hatch contains a set of signal flags.

Photo 18. The drivers vision port and instruments

have been faithfully reproduced. Unfortunately
the detail and the work required to paint the
components is hidden on the assembled model.

Photo 19. The floor plate is prepared for attachment

to the hull sides. Paint has yet to be removed from
the floor plate location pegs.

17

19

18

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AFV special

20

21

Photos 20. Revell

Contacta polystyrene
cement has the perfect
viscosity for gluing
the hull sides to the
floor plate, having enough
strength to hold the components
in position while the glue dries.
Liquid cement should be avoided here,
as it leaches out of the contact seam
liquefying and damaging the paintwork.
22
Photo 21. Use of draftsmans tape to support the
hull while the cement cures. Viscose polystyrene
cement has a tendency to contract during the
drying process, so the hull was constantly checked
for alignment.

Photos 22 & 23. Before gluing the roof plate into 26

position I prepared the areas that would be difficult to
paint, such as the rear engine ventilation aperture and
the backs of the drive sprockets and gear housings.
Photos 24. Once the exhaust system was in
position, it would be difficult to paint the ventilation
aperture using the colour modulation technique.
The interior was given an undercoat of Tamiya Semi
Gloss Black X-18 and colour modulated using Tamiya
Field Blue XF-50, Medium Blue XF-18 and Flat White
XF-2. The bolt detail was highlighted with a blend of
Humbrol Medium Blue and Flat White Enamels.

Photo 25. Draftsmans tape was used to protect the

interior of the engine ventilation aperture and the
rear plate was airbrushed in a basecoat of Tamiya
23
Semi Gloss Black X-28 and a vignette of Tamiya Field
Blue XF-50, Medium Blue XF-18 and Flat White XF-2,
applied with an airbrush.

Photo 26. The exhaust silencer, pipe and heat shield

were undercoated in Halfords Grey Plastic Primer.
Lifecolor Rust Dark Shadow UA701, Rust Base
24 Color UA702, and Rust Light Shadow 1 UA703 were
progressively applied in thin washes diluted with tap
water and washing-up liquid. I allowed each wash
to dry, gradually building up the opacity from the
25 darkest to the lightest colour.

Photo 27. The exhaust in position.

27

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 AFV special
28

29

Photo 28. The complete painted work masked to

prevent damage during construction of the model.

Photo 29. Bronco offers a choice of front

trackguards. I made my selection and assembled
the parts, and set them aside for the adhesive to dry.

Photo 30. Before the roof plate was cemented into

position low-tack Tamiya Masking Tape is used to
seal the crew entry hatch apertures and turret race,
30
to prevent overspray from damaging the completed
interior paintwork.

Photo 31. The interior of the turret is supplied with

the commanders sighting optics, detailed machine
guns and their respective mountings.

Photo 32. The turret interior was undercoated in

Halfords White Primer in preparation for a coat of
Elfenbein. 31
Photo 33. The partially assembled turret and the
aperture for the machine gun mantlet airbrushed in
Tamiya Field Blue XF-50 and Clear X-22.

Photo 34. The mantlet interior airbrushed in

Elfenbein, and the machine guns and gunners sight
painted in Humbrol Matt Tank Grey 67 (representing
scale black) When the paint had dried on the
machine guns, they were metallised using
graphite powder applied with a cotton bud. The
leather buffer above the gunners sighting optics
was painted in Humbrol 62 Leather, and shaded by
adding Matt Tank Grey 67 to the base colour. The
base of the turret was airbrushed in Elfenbein with
the traversing wheels painted in Matt Tank Grey 67. 32

Photo 35.The basic sub-assembles for the turret

painted and set aside for the paint to cure.

33

34

35

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 AFV special

ABOVE LEFT: The rim of the spoked tyre is marked Continental a detail omitted by Bronco, possibly because of current licensing and copyright legislation.
ABOVE RIGHT: The first, third, and fifth roadwheels were spoked while the second and fourth wheels were dished.

Photo 36. Broncos attention to detail is a treat for

36 the modeller. The periscopes are moulded in clear 41
plastic so the lenses were masked in preparation for
a basecoat of Tamiya Semi Gloss Black X-18 and a
coat of Matt Tank Grey 67.

Photo 37. The trackguard stowage boxes follow

the construction of the original wooden stowage
boxes of the real tank and Bronco have moulded the
dovetailed joints that fit perfectly.

37 Photo 38. Although time-consuming to construct,

the jack is a marvel of injection-moulding.

Photo 39. The spoked roadwheels require time and

patience to assemble as they lack a positive fit. Take
care not to remove or damage the very fine seam
42
on the top of each spoke as this was present on the
full-sized tank.

Photo 40. Once assembly of the roadwheels was

completed they were mounted on cocktail sticks
and secured with White-Tack. This was not a good
idea, as I wasted time digging out the impacted Blu-
38 Tack White from the axle mounts!

Photo 41. The tracks are excellent and fully

articulated. They have been injection-moulded as
belts, which reduces the time of cutting each track
link from the sprue. 43
Photo 42. Bronco provides a jig to assemble short
lengths of track.

39 Photo 43. For easy handling of tiny parts, I left the

track pins on small segments of sprue. There are two
types of track pin; one each for the inner and outer
location holes of each link. Each pin was secured
with Revell Contacta polystyrene cement carefully
applied to ensure the articulation of each track link.

Photo 44. When sufficient links had been

assembled, the waste sprue was carefully removed
with a craft knife.

44
40

64 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special
45

46 47

48 49

Photo 45. The separate sections of assembled track

links are assembled into one length of track, using 50
Broncos track jig to perfectly align the securing
track pins.

Photos 46 & 47. All the models components were

dry-fitted using small amounts of PVA wood glue
that can be easily removed with warm water. Photo-
etched details, such as the tow hawser stowage
lugs and front track detail, were left on the fret to
avoid loss or damage.

Photo 48. The model was disassembled and

carefully cleaned to remove grease and debris and
undercoated with Halfords Grey Primer for plastic.

Photo 49. I selected Tamiya acrylic paint to airbrush

my model, thinned with Tamiya X-20A Thinner.

Photo 50. All the models components were airbrushed
with a coat of Tamiya Semi Gloss Black X-18.
Photo 51. A second coat of Tamiya Field Blue XF-50
and Clear X-22 was lightly airbrushed allowing the
Semi Gloss Black base colour to remain in areas of
deep shadow.
Photo 52. The rear plate was isolated from the
rest of the models paintwork with Tamiya low-tack
Masking Tape, which can be safely used on a touch
dry coat of Tamiya acrylics. To economise, I have
used a strip of drafting tape to prevent overspray
on the lower hull, because it does not come into
contact with the paintwork.

51 52

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AFV special
53 54
56 57
59 60
62 63
Photo 53. I used the colour modulation technique to
paint my model and began by airbrushing the highlight
at the top of the rear plate by adding a substantial
amount of Flat White XF-2 to the second base colour
of Field Blue XF-50. Once the highlight was touch-dry a
greater portion of Field Blue was added to the airbrush
reservoir and airbrushed on to create a soft vignette
between the highlight and shadow.
Photo 54. Moving to the upper hull, a panel has
been isolated from the rest of the model for
airbrushing.
Photo 55. The same airbrushing technique used to
create a vignette on the plate.
Photo 56. The model was systematically airbrushed,
methodically moving from plate to plate, and it
isnt vital to get an exact match of paint colour on
each plate. Slight variation all adds to the interest
and breaks up the flat appearance of the tanks
monochrome camouflage.
66
55
58
61
Photo 57. Even at this early stage
of painting, the volume and interest
created by the colour modulation
technique can be appreciated in
comparison to the as yet unpainted
portions of the model.
Photo 58. The upper hull plate
was airbrushed, with the lighter shade at the
bow graduating to the darker shade at the rear,
anticipating any shaded areas that would result with
the turret in position.
Photo 59. The flat expanse of paint that covers the
glacis plate is isolated from the rest of the model.
Photo 60. An airbrushed graduated vignette effect
on the glacis plate.
Photo 61. The drivers visor masked off and another
section of the model isolated and prepared for
airbrushing.
Photo 62. Drafting tape is used to prevent any
overspray damaging the completed paintwork.
Photo 63. The junction between the lower and
upper glacis plate is an interesting feature, and
is separated and prepared for airbrushing with a
contrasting vignette.
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
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64

67

66

69

68

Photo 64. Although the colour modulation

technique seems laborious it is possible to
complete the airbrushing of the larger plates quickly.

Photo 65. The centre portion of the model has been

painted and protected from overspray with drafting tape.

Photo 66. The colour modulated lower glacis and 70

rear plates.

Photo 67. The curved upper portions of the front

trackguards were airbrushed with a blend of Tamiya Flat
White XF-2 and Medium Blue XF-18 to emphasise the
bright highlights that would naturally occur.
Photo 68. Vignettes were airbrushed from the tops
of the upper trackguards progressing to darker
shades at the junction points of the bright highlights
on the upper portions of the curved trackguards.
These separate the detail and create interest to the
overall monochrome Panzer Grey.
Photo 69. Completed paintwork was protected with
Tamiya Masking Tape and ordinary drafting tape.
Any awkward areas of masking can be dealt with
an application of Humbrol Maskol, although use this
with care as it is quite difficult to remove. The hull
sides can now be colour modulated.
Photo 70. A medium tone was first airbrushed and
the paint blended with greater proportions of Tamiya
Flat White XF-2 and Medium Blue XF-18 added to
Field Blue XF-50. The lower portion of the hull, by
the drivetrain suspension arms, has been kept a
darker colour to represent the shadows that would
naturally occur.

www.militarymodelling.com 67
 AFV special

Photo 71. The larger plates are comparatively easier

to paint and mask and the finer detail can now 76
be airbrushed. Patience is rewarded here when
masking the smaller components such as the
deck ventilation hinges, as it cuts down the time
retouching any overspray.

Photo 72. The highlight is airbrushed, but the

demarcation line is a bit too harsh. The straight edge
of some wastepaper held slightly above the harsh
line, and lightly misted with the airbrush will reduce
any stark contrast.

71 Photo 73. The protective masking tape has

been removed from the turret splash rail and the
periscope brushguard in preparation for airbrushing.

Photo 74. A bright highlight was airbrushed onto

the splashguard emphasising this interesting
component against the shadowed area under the
turret mantlet, which has yet to be painted.

Photo 75. The same bright highlight blend

of Tamiya acrylic paint was airbrushed
onto the periscope brushguard.
72
Photo 76. Very fine work can be achieved with careful
masking. The stamped reinforcement marks on the
front trackguards have been isolated and airbrushed.

Photo 77. Broncos kit has some superb detail 77

such as the photo-etched mesh provided for the
engine ventilation covers, and its worth the effort
to carefully mask and airbrush these components.
Make sure small parts are secured to avoid any loss 78

73

when airbrushing, as the airflow can blow away any

small, etched parts not firmly secured to scrap card
for painting.

Photo 78. The lower portions of the engine

ventilation covers are colour modulated to contrast
with the lifting lugs.

Photo 79. The crews hull entry

hatches are secured to scrap
74
cardboard and airbrushed.

75

79

68
 80
Photo 80. The centre portion of the hatch vignette is
masked using a compass circle cutter.
Photo 81. Colour modulation of the turret begins by
airbrushing a light coat of Tamiya Field Blue XF-50
and Clear X-22, diluted with Tamiyas X-20A Thinner.
Photo 82. The first highlight is airbrushed around
the upper circumference of the turret.
Photo 83. The various segments that form the
turrets spaced armour can be emphasised by
carefully masking them and airbrushing with a
contrasting vignette.
Photo 84. Colour modulation of the turret and
commanders hatch complete. The leather padding on
the hatch interior is Humbrol Matt Leather 62, shaded
with Matt Tank Grey 67 for the shadows and Matt
Leather highlighted with Matt 24 Trainer Yellow. When
the paint was touch dry the demarcation line between
shadows and highlights was blended with a fine
paintbrush moistened with white spirit.
Photo 85. Roadwheels basecoated in Tamiya Semi
Gloss Black X-18, then over sprayed in Field Blue XF-50,
Medium Blue XF-18, Flat White XF-2 and Clear X-22,
allowing some of the Semi Gloss Black to remain
unpainted for shading. I have tried to colour modulate
roadwheels, but have been disappointed with the
results. I would expect colour modulation would be, for
85
87
AFV special
81
82
example, more effective on larger Panther roadwheels
than the spoked variety fitted to this model. The tyres
were painted using Humbrol Matt Tank Grey 67.
Photo 86. Tracks primed with Halfords Grey Plastic
Primer, and washes of Lifecolor Rust diluted with
tap water and washing up detergent to improve
flow. I began with the darkest colour and when dry,
progressively added each successive coat when it had
dried, finishing with the lightest colour.
Photo 87. Guide horns and drive sprocket apertures
were sprayed with an old can of Humbrol Metalcote
Gunmetal 27004 found in my paint stock. When
applied the paint has a dull grey appearance, but can
be buffed to a very realistic steel appearance. 83
Photo 88. Broncos decals are excellent and even
include annotations for the various stowage boxes,
something often forgotten by other manufacturers.
The decals were given a coat of Micro Sol solution
to prevent any silvering and give a painted
on. However, Bronco dont provide a plan view 84
for the camouflage and marking illustration on
their instruction sheet and I was confused at the
placement of the glacis plate national marking
because of the foreshortened effect of perspective,
so I assumed the cross was centrally placed.
With all decals in place further light coats of
Tamiya Clear X-22 are airbrushed to protect them
from the weathering process.
86
88
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AFV special
89 90
91 92
Photo 89. To recreate a patina of weathering across
93 the model, small points of Winsor & Newton French
Ultramarine oil colour and 502 Abteilung Snow
White oil colour were painted onto the model in
a random fashion. Using a medium sized brush
dampened with white spirit, the oil colour was
blended with vertical strokes, to recreate a streaked
pattern following the natural flow of any effluent
rain-washed from the tanks hull.
Photo 90. A light coat of Tamiya Clear X-22 protects
the oil paint weathering. I decided to try out the 3D
chipping technique on my model using a dish scouring
cloth with the filaments teased out and dipped in a
blend of Humbrol Matt White 34 and Matt Middle
Blue 89, held in forceps wiped almost dry on paper
kitchen towel. The scouring pad was lightly dabbed and
drawn across the model producing a series of chips
and scratches. The same chipping technique was then
repeated, but replacing the scouring pad with a portion
of bathroom sponge to produce a varied and random
pattern to the chipping.
94
70
Photo 91. When the sponge and scouring pad-applied
chipping was touch dry the centre of each chip band
scratch was painted in with a fine paintbrush loaded
with Humbrol Matt Tank Grey 67 and Matt German
Camouflage Red Brown to represent corroded bare
metal. While I was working on the 3D chipping I used
the same blend with a greater proportion of Humbrol
Matt Tank Grey 67 along the edges of the armour plate.
Photos 92. When the chipping had thoroughly dried
MIG productions Dark Wash, diluted when necessary
with white spirit, was washed, worked and feathered
into and around the detail and recessed panel lines
with various gauges of paintbrush. MIGs Dark Wash
applied to the right trackguard has yet to be blended
with a fine paintbrush, dampened with white spirit.
When the chipping and weathering processes were
complete, several light coats of Vallejo Acrylic Matt
Varnish diluted with tap water were airbrushed over
the model to restore the matt finish.
Photo 93. I made a freestyle blend of MIG
Productions pigments Russian Earth P034, Dry
Mud P232 and Gulf War Sand P037, coarsely mixed
and applied by tapping the ferrule of a paintbrush
dipped into the pigments. After application, it
was fixed into position with an application of MIG
Productions Pigment Fixer.
Photo 94. Washes of Lifecolor Rust Dark Shadow
UA 701, Rust Base Color UA 702 and Rust Light
Shadow 1 UA 703 all heavily diluted with tap water
and washing-up detergent randomly applied to the
drivetrain and lower hull.
Photo 95. Further weathering effects were applied.
Here an oil stain was carefully built up from the
ventilation cover hinges to the trackguard using Humbrol
Matt Tank Grey 67 ending in a puddle of oil by over
painting AK interactive AK084 Engine Oil glossy finish.
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016
 AFV special

95 96

98

97
Photo 96. Rust streaks were applied using AK023
Rust Streaks, together with paintbrush applied
MIG pigments used for the undersides of the
trackguards. The pigments easily adhere to the matt
surface and can be manipulated and feathered with
a dry paintbrush.

Photo 97. Various desiccated plant matter and grass

seedpods can be collected from the garden and
placed around the model. The vegetation was fixed
to the model with a solution of PVA wood glue
and a small amount of MIG pigments used on the
drivetrain heavily thinned with tap water. The lightly
pigmented adhesive prevents the plant debris Photo 100. Wooden parts of the tools were 99
assuming a stuck-on appearance. painted with Humbrol Matt Sand 63, highlighted by
adding Matt White 34 with the grain represented
Photo 98. Dont forget to weather the aerial where by adding Matt Brown 186. Humbrol Matt Tank
the aerial deflectors of the twin machine guns have Grey 67 and Matt Brick Red were used for the
come into contact with it when the turret traversed. metal components the shovel blade and track pin
hammer, buffed with a light application of graphite
Photo 99. Close-up detail of the bow. Further powder, obtained by grinding the lead of a
application of the MIG pigments used on the lower hull pencil onto fine emery paper.
and drivetrain and mixed with MIG Productions
Acrylic Resin to form a glutinous paste Photos 101 & 102 The completed model.
were applied with a cocktail stick.
The clear lenses complete with
prismatic reflectors were
supplied in the kit.

100

References
101
Military Modelling Military Vehicle
Special Vol.40 No.3 (5th March 2010),
Panzer One Inside-Out by Mario Eens.

102 F.A.Q. Vol.2 Modulation Style

by Adam Wilder. Night Vision Creations.
Colour modulation techniques are
described in detail in Adam Wilders DVD.

Art of Modelling magazine issue 04,

Painting and weathering Panzer Grey
by Adam Wilder. Both Available from
Historex Agents, Dover.

Panzer I The Beginning of a dynasty

by Lucas Molina Franco.
AF Editions ISBN 84-87314-43-0.

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SdKfz 7/2 FlaK 36

Robin Buckland
I
n September 2014 I made a return visit to the
Bastogne Barracks Museum in Belgium. Holding
takes advantage of part of the Belgian Army Museum collection, in
a rare opportunity addition to their main museum site in Brussels, this
is very well worth seeing. It had been home to an
to photograph a artillery unit of the Belgian Army until they were
German half-track at moved out and it became home to the Bastogne
Barracks museum in 2010. Having first visited in
Bastogne Barracks. September 2013 (see MM Vol.45 No.4), this was
my second trip to see the collection while on the
way further south to Grenoble to bring our daughter
home after her year working abroad as part of her
university course.
In visiting the large workshops on site I was
treated with a chance to see a vehicle I had not
seen before other than as a model or in wartime
photos. I understand that it is part of the Belgian
Army Museum collection which had been in

TOP: Inside the workshop at the

Bastogne Barracks, their SdKfz 7/1 sits on
one of the ramps. This one is a runner.

RIGHT: Front view with lights in place

and Luftwaffe number plates.

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 AFV special

Walkaround
TOP LEFT: Detail showing the flexible
covering between the main bonnet and
the firewall, plus lights and hand hold.

TOP RIGHT: Grab handle and non slip

plate by the drivers position, as well as
the vehicle battery.

ABOVE: Instrument panel detail.

LEFT: Looking down into the drivers

position and controls.

BELOW: Looking up to see the detail

underneath the instrument panel, and
on the rear face of the engine firewall.

storage, but which had to be moved out of the

building due to them finding asbestos in it, and
fortunately they had chosen to move it to the facility
at Bastogne Barracks. The vehicle is a runner, and
was sitting on a ramp within the workshop building.
If you visit the Bastogne Barracks Facebook page on
the Internet there is a clip of film of it driving round
the workshop building.
The SdKfz 7 8-ton half-track was a successful Flak
vehicle used throughout the war, mounting either
the 4 x 20mm Flakvierling, or with a 3.7mm FlaK
36. In 1944 they switched the gun to the FlaK 43.

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ABOVE: Left-hand side running gear and mesh side to the gun platform.

Detail view of the road wheels, and showing where one of the hard rubber
tyres has come off.

ABOVE: Detail of the aged track links and the worn rubber track pads.

ABOVE LEFT: Left-hand side drive sprocket and roadwheels. ABOVE RIGHT: Detail of the front wheel.

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 AFV special

TOP: The rear panel is dropped showing the crew platform and with the
folding steps down to enable you to climb on board.

ABOVE: Detail of the fastenings and heavy mesh of the drop sides.

ABOVE: Looking under the space below the

gun platform and the winch cable drum.

RIGHT & BELOW: Detail view of the rear

tow hook and the end of the winch cable.

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 AFV special

TOP: Right side view of the complete

gun mounting.

ABOVE LEFT: Loaders platform to

stand on as the gun traverses.

ABOVE RIGHT: Gunners seat.

RIGHT: Detail showing the rubber

protective head pad for the gunner.

BELOW: Perforated flash hider.

76

Made with an open cab as in this example, some
were fitted with an armoured cab. The rear body
associated with the standard artillery tractor was
removed from behind the drivers seat, and the
flat rear deck then had sides which folded down to
create a working platform for the gun crew when
in action, or simply folded up for travel. Those side
panels had a stout metal grid to provide a solid
platform, but without the weight of a completely
solid piece.
Largely intact, this example does have a few
signs of age such as a couple of the solid rubber
tyres that have come off the roadwheels and
the paintwork particularly on the gun itself
AFV special
showing significant wear. However, it did offer TOP: Back end of the gun, the gunners
sight and seat on the right and
an opportunity to get a lot of close-up reference ammunition loading tray on the left.
photos that will afford modellers a good close-up
view of the equipment and to see where they may
be able to add extra detail to their model builds. ABOVE LEFT: Front of the gun sight.
Some fine models of these Flak vehicles are
available in 1:35 scale from Tamiya, Trumpeter and
Dragon so you have some choice to go for, while ABOVE RIGHT: Gunners control wheels.
Revell have recently produced the armoured cab
and 2cm Flakvierling armed SdKfz 7/1 in the smaller
BELOW LEFT: Gunners armoured shield.
scale of 1:72 as well. Beyond that brief background,
Ill leave it for the photos to tell the rest. My thanks
to our Belgian Army guide during the visit, BELOW RIGHT: Detail of the gun and
Jean-Claude Clement, who was very helpful. recoil cylinders.
 AFV special

This is pre-production Schneider 31001 undergoing tests at Fort du Trou

denfer on 1st December 1916 and showing the camouflage pattern
applied to the first six tanks built. It also shows just how low the body
was the officers are standing on the rear floor, so you can imagine
how hard it was to move around inside. (NARA via Steve Zaloga)

Schneider CA
John Prigent scratchbuilds an interior for the
H
obbyBoss has produced a good kit of the
Schneider CA to follow up their earlier one
HobbyBoss 1:35 scale kit of this French WW1 tank. of the Schneider without the external fuel
tanks (Steve Zalogas article about that kit in the
last Military Vehicle Special Vol.45 No.4 adds
those and details the suspension so my model
lacks those upgrades). The box holds nine sprues
and several individual parts for a total of 97 body
parts, 126 for the suspension and 96 for the track
links, plus a small etched-metal fret with another
seven and a decal sheet covering two examples.
That suspension and track count may sound
daunting, but its actually quite easy to assemble
that area. Ill state now that Ive chosen a specific
tank to model, Fee Kaput (Broken Fairy) of AS
2. There are several photos of this tank online
(see References at end) and the kit has decals
for most of its markings. Fee Kaput had the
uparmouring plates, but not the added left-side
door nor the rear fuel tanks, and I needed to
make some minor changes to the kits parts such
as adding rivets that arent there because it also
lacks the follow me plate of the kit and they
havent been moulded under where it would be.

On with the build

The instructions start with building the suspension, and
repay careful study because quite a few bogie parts are
handed and must go on the correct bogie and pointing in
The box top artwork, here minus text and logos, shows one possible camouflage scheme. the correct direction. Ive included a photo showing one

78 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016


The authors completed model.
The inside story
of them assembled to help you. Note also that the real
bogie housings were single pieces so you do need
to eliminate the seam between the kits halves,
and that there is supposed to be a gap between
the front and rear sections of each bogie theyre
only joined by the C26 parts. Youll also need to be
careful fitting the return rollers and their support
brackets, I had to take mine apart when I built them
too quickly and got them the wrong way around!
With those complete and added to the lower hull
its time for the final drive housings. HobbyBoss has
simplified them a lot, giving two pyramids with an
axle between them instead of the real quite complex
affair. But since theyre almost invisible behind the tail
and under the hull I preferred to backdate mine to an
earlier version. Steve Zalogas previously mentioned
article shows how to do it if you want to.
Now you reach the tracks links, with exactly
the correct number provided on the T sprues
www.militarymodelling.com
AFV special
no spares. But it isnt a disaster if you lose or ABOVE: Heres a view of the insides of the
suspension units, one without the return
break a few because six links are also provided roller assembly so you can see more
on the C sprues for stowage as spares, though clearly how the bits fit. Note that there is
not mentioned in the instructions. Each has supposed to be a gap between the two
bogies, theyre pivoted at the centre.
three parts, the link plate and two side pieces.
They do click together when built if you get the
three parts positions right, but I made mine
differently after having problems. I made them
instead by gluing one side piece T1 to each T2
plate, about 10 at a time. Then I pushed them
together in line and added the T3 other sides,
making sure each ones pips were fully engaged
in their recesses on the previous link. It doesnt
take long to complete each 32-link track like this,
and they can then be added to the suspension.
Do note that the instructions show the tracks
fitted to their sprockets before the sprockets and
their axles are attached to the chassis, they wont
fit around the wheels if the sprockets are fixed
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 AFV special
ABOVE: Here is number 31006 at the same test on the same day, with similar but not identical camouflage. (NARA via Steve Zaloga)
ABOVE: The outside of the suspension
with tracks attached. Theyre quite
simple to put together, despite stories
you may have heard, but do need to
be assembled one by one so you can
line up the upright sections before
their glue sets.
80
first. I strongly recommend that you leave off the
sprocket hubs C33/34 until the tracks are fitted
and the sprockets axles cemented solid; that
makes it simple to put them with their horns
vertical as shown by the instructions, a position
confirmed by all the period photos that show that
area. The instructions now move on to adding
parts to the hull exterior dont, if youre going
to do anything to the interior like me! My photos
will show that I did follow Stage 6 first, and the
added parts suffered a lot later.
Hull interior
Having decided that enough reference was available
to provide an interior, I set to work. First targets were
the floors and bulkheads, for which I used 1mm plastic
sheet. The dimensions that I worked out are shown
in the captions to the photo here, so I need not go
into detail about those. Note, though, that A, C and E
were planked, not metal sheet like the others, youll
need to scribe the lines into them. The hole in E is for
the exhaust pipe and had to be cut after the engine
was built. Note, too, that riveted strips go round
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

ABOVE: This is the basic hull with my added floors and
bulkheads. Knockout pin marks had to be filled, too. A, B, C,
E, and F are level with the sponsons, D is raised 2mm from
the floor, and G extends the front floor. I made all these from
1mm sheet, with their bulkheads and some hidden supports
inside them to keep them horizontal. A is 35mm long and
29.25 wide, to fit between the sponsons. B is 30mm long and
3mm wide, C is 30mm long and 7mm wide, D down in the
hole is also 30mm long but only 8mm wide, E is 11mm long
and 19mm wide, and F is 23mm long and 10mm wide. The
extra floor section G is 29.25mm by 11mm, and bulkhead H
is 23.5mm high with additions at its sides in case they can
be seen when the model is finished. Note that H needs to fit
under the front of the body, dont make it too high or youll
need to cut it down for the body to fit!
www.militarymodelling.com
most of that central hole the only place where the ABOVE: The ammunition bins, most
crews legs could go and there were unriveted strips
securing the ends of the planks.
With those done I could tackle the interior fittings.
I could simplify them a lot, because I only needed to
show what would be visible through the doors and
the drivers top hatch, plus what might be seen if I
managed to make the side plates detachable from
the MG positions. I started with the drivers seat.
There seem to have been at least two types, one a
simple pad with a low back fixed to it and the other
with its back raised on a stalk. I decided on the first,
and mounted it on a bit of sprue to be cemented to
the bulkhead under the main guns mount.
The engine cylinder housing was built from
a 6mm plastic tube split in half to produce its
rounded ends 10mm high, with sides 20mm long
from sheet. I added a top from 1mm sheet and
rounded its edges, then fixed the whole thing to a
sheet base 25mm long, 10mm wide and 6mm high
AFV special
12.5mm high including their 1mm lids.
The shells were stowed vertically in
the early Schneider, not horizontally
like the preserved tank at Saumur. At
top left is the bin for 20 shells, 23mm
long and 8mm deep, with centred on
its front one for 90 fuses that is 12 x
5mm but only 8mm high. Top right
are two separate bins that go beside
the door, one 6mm square with six
shells and the other 6 x 13mm with 10
shells. All of these have riveted L-strips
around their bases. Bottom right is
the bin for 24 shells at port beside the
door, actually four separate bins but
easier to make as a single unit with
scribed lines to show the divisions.
It is 20 x 9mm. Last is the bin for 32
shells that goes by the engine, again
actually four separate bins and 19 x
9mm. These left-hand side bins are not
fixed down, they fit into racks on the
sponson for easy removal. Note that
the hinges are not all the same, some
with hinges at the top of the lid and
others at its bottom to allow the lid to
open freely.
The lower hull additions: clockwise
from top left are the engine, the
radiator front with its fan, the main
fuel tank that goes beside the radiator,
the steering brake levers, the control
pedals, and the gear lever, and at
centre is the radiator shroud for the fan.
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 AFV special

ABOVE: A view inside the preserved Schneider while it was still at Aberdeen Proving Ground shows how the MG counterbalance was fitted to late production tanks.
Note also the fuel feed can on a plate beside the original fuel tank; it was fed by tubes running inside the roof from the new rear tanks. (Photo: Steve Zaloga)

to represent the block, which wont be visible so

needs no details. Two rounded tops, each covering
two cylinders, need to go on next with small round
caps on top of them, and then you should add four
blocks on the port side for the exhaust outlets. My
exhaust pipe is bent copper wire, like the thinner
pipe along the engine top and the one on the side
(no, I dont know what either of those was for), and
the linkage above that was made from plastic rod.
At least some Schneiders had added sleeves around
the exhaust as heat shields. I made mine from two
sections of aluminium tube and filled in their visible
ends with super glue. A thick disc at the engines
bottom front for the fanbelt drive finishes the
assembly, but you cant do more than attach a strip
for its belt until engine and radiator are in place.
The radiator came next, 16mm wide and 17
high with a slant each side of its top. Mine sits on
a base 8mm high with a 5mm side to keep the

ABOVE: Heres the lower body with its

lengthwise struts that go across the
MG positions so need to be shown if
the side plate is detached. The planking
has been scribed in where needed.

RIGHT: Here Ive added the roof and

body side internal braces at the left.

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ABOVE: Another look inside the tank at APG shows that the floors were mostly wooden planks, easily removable for access to the control runs and rear-mounted
differential. (Photo: Steve Zaloga)

two together and straight. I drilled a hole into the

radiator centre to hold its fan later. Its shroud is also
16mm by 17mm, but with a 12mm disc cut out of it
and 3mm sides. I used the disc to make the actual
fan, drilling a hole in its centre and cutting it into
eight blades to match period photos, and dry-fitted
it on a plastic rod as its spindle with a small thick
disc from sheet as the pulley. Dont cement the fan
in place yet, youll need to adjust its position on the LEFT: The fuel tank
is now in place.
spindle later.
The main fuel tank sits on the bulkhead in front of BELOW: Here are
the body and roof
the driver, but it isnt clear from photos whether it struts on the right-
stretched down to the floor. I chose to assume that hand side.

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 AFV special

ABOVE: Heres the completed lower body with all the ammunition bins in
their positions. Nobody knows what was stored on the shelves behind the
left rear bin maybe it was for MG ammunition belts.

INSET: This is the interior of a vision port. The hardest part of making it is
scraping out the plastic to show its recess in the side.

BELOW: All the interior additions are in place here: engine, controls, and
ammunition bins.

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there was space under it for his pedals so made
it 19mm high and 13mm wide to fit between the
radiator and the body side. It only needs one side,
19mm high and but slanting down to 15mm to fit
under the sloping glacis. My pedals are simple,
because I found no evidence of what they looked
like and theyll be almost invisible anyway: just
oblongs from sheet mounted on a single spindle
that will disappear under the radiator. I also made a
simple handbrake lever from rod on a shaped base
of sheet and added an actuating rod running to the
rear; there is evidence that its top was angled so
I shaped mine accordingly. The last fittings are the
steering levers, from brass rod with double bends
and masking tape wrapped around them for the
grips, again mounted on a simple base from bits of
sheet but with two actuating rods that vanish under
the seat.
that a power drill, while quicker The ventilator took a bit of extra
work to get rid of the locations
and easier, should be avoided for for the signal plate. Here
this unless you are very certain that it is still in progress, with
rivets to be added where
you can hold it straight and still, with no none are moulded.
skidding to the wrong side of your lines).
Cement the roof in place before you trim
the slots edges, so you can cut them right up
to its edge.
With that done its time to deal with the interior
framework. I used 0.5mm strip, 1.5mm wide, to
make the sections that go under each edge of the
roof and 1mm wide to make the strips that butt
up to those. I used two different widths because
these frames were L-sections and both side need
to be the same width when finished. For those

Upper hull
With the lower interior detail parts made I set them
aside to be fitted later and started on the hull top.
Hobby Boss has moulded it as a single piece with
good detail, but compromised for greater strength
by not including the long slit in its roof that let
fumes escape through the separate roof over it.
Its rather obvious through the open rear door, so
needs to be added. The roof has locating pegs, but
only three to avoid any chance of the unwary fitting
it the wrong way round. That allows you to mark a
line between the pair on one side, but youll need to
measure the gap between the sides and make your
own mark to guide the line for the second one. I
scribed my lines, but thats because I didnt think of
using narrow masking tape which would be simpler
if you have any. Mark across the front between
them, too, and then cut out the slot. This is easiest
to do by drilling holes close together just inside
your marked lines, cutting between them, and then
straightening up the edges (its worth mentioning

ABOVE: Here Ive added the roof

support pillar by the drivers cab,
27mm high, and the thicker fuel tube
from the tank, 22mm high. No photo
shows exactly how that one ran in the
original configuration, but its bottom is
hidden anyway. It seems that the tank
was converted to hold water when the
fuel tanks were moved to the rear, with
this tube truncated and a side pipe
fixed to it to lead to the radiator.

LEFT: A close-up of the engine and the

drivers controls.

85
AFV special

ABOVE: This is 31006 again, showing its

other side. Conditions were vey muddy
for those tests! (NARA via Steve Zaloga)

The guns are dry-fitted here. I used

artillery grey for the main gun
because it seemed unlikely that
tank guns were painted differently
to those for use in bunkers.

86 Military Modelling Vol.46 No.4 2016

 AFV special

along the sponsons I used the 1mm strips just TOP LEFT: This shows how the tail
should fit, with its uprights on top of
inside each edge and butted 1.5mm strips up to the crosspiece not inside it.
them. Both areas need rivets punched into them
and the Brach Models punch set is designed exactly
for that job. The drawback of punching rivets into
plastic strip is that each one distorts the strip a bit,
and it took me longer to straighten out my frames
than it did to make and fit them, so you may prefer
to simply have plain frames without rivets. Quite a
few of the other frame sections have flat-headed or
countersunk rivets that dont show anyway.
The vision ports need some work too. Check their
positions and chisel out 5 x 4mm recesses inside
the hull, just enough to show that they are not part ABOVE & LEFT: This is the reshaped
exhaust pipe. Note where it needs an
of it. Each one then needs a 4mm length of 30 thou. added bracket at its top.
strip at its bottom, in which you ideally need to put
two holes with 1mm of rod by each hole. Those
are the curved slides for bolt heads to open and
close the ports slits, and the same arrangement is
needed for the slit beside the left MG that doesnt
have a hinged port cover. By each port is a sliding
bolt on a small plate to lock it.
The final interior work is the fuel tank hung from
the roof. Its 26mm long and 6mm front-to-back,
and tapers down from 8mm high at its inboard
end to 6mm against the hull wall, as well as from
its middle down. The result is a rather awkward BELOW: The unpainted model.

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 AFV special

ABOVE: A final view of 31006 on test.

The camouflage even extends to the
insides of the roof hatches.
(NARA via Steve Zaloga)

RIGHT: Detail of the completed model

from the right-hand side. The absence
of the side panel affords a view inside.

BELOW: The authors completed model

seen from above.

shape to make. I started with a bottom 26mm long

and 2mm wide, and the flat back 8mm high. Then
I made the ends; the high one is 8mm high and
7mm front-to-back, and it tapers down from a point
4mm from the front top. The short one is 6.5mm
high and the taper starts at 2mm from its top. I
cemented both into place on the back and bottom,
leaving a 0.5mm overhang at the inboard end to
represent the way the real one was made. A single
length went against the bottom to fill the taper, and
another as a top to keep it in shape. The final length
filled in the top front, with its joint with the lower
front rounded because the real part was a bent
plate. All these dimensions are for the outside size,
so adjust your own plate sizes for the thickness of
sheet that you use to make it! Two straps of 1mm
strip hang it from the roof, the outboard one 1mm

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from the end and the inboard one 8mm from the
other end. It didnt fit flush, so leave a bit sticking up
above the tank and trim to fit. Under the fuel filler
cap is a short bit of tube to represent the almost
invisible filler funnel.
Ordnance
With both hull sections done its time to tackle
the guns, their mounts, and the rear doors. The
best to cement one pivot to the ball, then dry-fit
the other to the gun and wriggle it into place before
cementing it to the ball. The MG grips, by the way,
were metal so dont paint them as leather or wood.
Doors
The commander/drivers hatch seems not to have
had any latch or handle, which saves one job, but
the rear doors need some work. Check the rivet
The number and unit of this tank are
unknown, but it gives a very good
view of the uparmouring including the
round hole type of vision port. It also
shows one version of the movable
plate on the roof, as well as how
things were stowed on the hull rear.
The crew has added a rack at one side
to stop them slipping. This tank has
camouflaged door interiors, and you
can also see the interior handle and
latch. (NARA via Steve Zaloga)

Blockhaus cannon is quite nicely done but seems to
be based on a fortress mount example. I havent
found any photos showing the barrels curious
curved side-piece on a tank in service, as seen
on the preserved tank at Saumur, so dont look at
photos of that and think that Hobby Boss left it out.
What they have got wrong is the location of one
control wheel, which fits to a flat on one side of
the pedestal. If built as shown by the instructions
it would be almost inaccessible to the gunner!
Instead, turn the pedestal round so the flat is on its
left and reverse the wheel which photos show is
exactly what Schneider did to make the gun usable
in their tank. Note that the bent breech lever is
correct, although fortress guns had a different one.
The breechblock is moulded closed, so the lever
must go at a 45-degree angle to the left as the
instructions show it. It seems likely that guns for the
tanks were painted in the standard French artillery
grey-blue, so I used Ammo by MIGs A.MIG-063 for
mine with a bare steel breech. Dont cement the
gun in place yet as the instructions show, which
will make it difficult to fit the hull top; it can easily
be fitted with tweezers through the open left side
before the MG ball mount and its side plate.
The machine guns are also very nice, but beware
when you clean them up: the pip at the front of
each barrel is the sight, not a bit of surplus flash!
Their ball mounts are the early version, without the
counterbalance fitted to late tanks, but fitting the
actual mounts to the balls is a bit tricky. I found it
pattern on the outside of each door and youll see
the marks of rivets at their tops to hold interior grab
handles; I made mine with thin wire. At the bottom
is a pattern of four bolts. These hold the pivot for a
simple swivelling latch on each door, simple to make
with plastic strip. Last for attention are the rivets It seems likely that
guns for the tanks
between those two sets. The ones at the edge of
the left door held the staple of an ordinary hold-
open, which can be seen hanging down in some
photos that show the doors open. The other two
were painted in the
pairs are a bit of a mystery, because I havent found standard French
any photos showing whats behind them inside the
doors. I fitted mine with simple rests to accept the artillery grey-blue...
hold-open, but this is just my guess.
Working on the outside
You might think the model is almost finished now
with the body ready to be fitted to the chassis
but unfortunately it isnt! There are exterior detail
differences between the uparmoured Schneiders, so
a close inspection of reference photos is needed for
any specific tank. I modelled Fee Kaput, so most of
my following comments are only applicable to that
tank. First, of course, is that the rear fuel tanks arent
fitted so you should leave intact the rivets marked
to be removed in stage 6 of the instructions. The
bridging planks were also not carried on each side, so
fill their locating holes, and the moveable plate above
the ventilator wasnt carried so you need to fill its
holes as well as adding missing rivets in that area.

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AFV special

Stage 7 has a couple of points too. The horizontal

Views of the authors completed model.
braces of the tail should fit with their vertical part
on top of the side beam, not inside it as HobbyBoss
shows them. And Fee Kaput didnt have the door in
the left-side added armour, so you need to cement
the two parts together and fill their joint after
removing the door hinges. Plate D9 is provided with
a round vision hole, but most Schneiders seem
to have had an oblong one slightly larger than the
vision port behind it, so I measured its size and
placement and cut out the new hole its rear edge
is right on the edge of the round version, which
helps to get its position right. In stage 8 you fit
the cab armour, and youll see on the A sprue that
theres a part to fit there too. Ignore it, I havent
yet found a photo showing that type in use and
Fee Kaput had the D12/D13 multi-plate version.
Incidentally, those are not on the D sprue but
bagged separately.
At stage 9 the front lamp is fitted, but Fee Kaput
didnt have it in place so I just fitted its etched
mount. And heres a confession the carpet
monster managed to run off with my rear lamp so
I had to use the front lamp at the rear; my model is
inaccurate there! At stage 11 youre told to fit extra
plates D3 and D11 to the chassis, but Fee Kaput
didnt have them and in fact very few tanks show
them in photos. Youre also told to fit the main gun
now, before the body. If you prefer, you can easily fit
it with tweezers through the open left side before
the MGs are emplaced and the plates round them
fitted. I actually left the right-side one loose, to allow
viewing my added interior. Next come the MGs and
their ball mounts. Theyre okay though simplified,
but note that the counterbalances seen in the tank
at Saumur were only fitted to late tanks so not
needed for Fee Kaput.
Now youre on the final lap, with just the nose
underbody, exhaust pipe and cannon armour to be
fitted. Part D2 was fitted to my subject, but doesnt
show up on most Schneider photos. The exhaust
pipe, however, is moulded to fit over the later rear
fuel tanks so needs to be modified. Its plastic takes
bends quite well so was easy to reshape as you can
see in my photos. A pair of spades are given in the
kit, though not mentioned in the instructions, so

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the final addition if you want to make it, is a pair of

brackets by the top hinge of each rear door for them
to be slipped into. Otherwise you can just put them
in one of the roof racks, with the spare track links if
you think them also likely to be kept up there.

Colours and markings

The basic interior colour was white, as youll have
seen from my in-progress photos. Some tanks
had their hatch and door interiors in white too,
others seen in photos appear to be camouflaged.
Theres some evidence that the white rear doors
were deliberately painted thus before at least
one battle, to make it easier for following infantry
to see where the tanks were. Ive assumed that
it was done rather sloppily with a bit left out and
white paint where it wasnt supposed to go. The registration number to go on the glacis if you want; ABOVE: A view inside the tank via
the rear doors. The detailing work
restored Schneider at Saumur was the basis for other tanks of AS2 carried one there, but theres no undertaken by the author adds extra
my engine and interior detail painting, so check evidence whether my subject had it or not so I left it interest and realism to the model.
the references at the end for that web address or off. As a bonus it gives markings for a typical WW1
just copy my model. French fuel drum, which I used, and a lattice grid
Camouflage is a bit of a problem, because the to cut to size and depict the grids used to confuse
colours are hard to tell apart in period monochrome gunners trying to aim at the vision slits.
photos. Fortunately colour photography existed
during WW1 and the Chars-Francais website has
some of Schneiders showing their colours. There Acknowledgement
are also old colour photos and comments on WW1 Special thanks to my friend Steve Zaloga for the use
tank colours in Peintures de Guerre. My chosen of his photos.
subject, Fee Kaput, was therefore finished in
patches of Humbrol Olive Green H150, Chocolate
H98, Light Earth H119 and Leather H62 as the References
closest to the colours I found in photos. Its worth Photos of my subject can be found at http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.
mentioning that century-old colour photos are not php/156-classement-individuel/schneider-ca1/1762-61024, and that website has
guaranteed to show the true colours thanks to the a good history of the CA1 at http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/
variable conditions in which they were processed, liste-chronologique/des-origines-a-1930?task=view&id=57 if you can read French
and book-printing inks that may not be chosen for the online Google Translate function will help you otherwise. It also has schematic
accurate colour reproduction. Thats why I settled drawings of the interior layout, showing the different configurations of early Schneider
for close approximations straight from the tins and those built with rear fuel tanks.
instead of spending time attempting to make mixes
for perfect matches. I added markings from a new Peintures de Guerre by P. Danjou and T. Seignon, Editions du Barbotin,
decal sheet produced by Histopic of France ISBN 978-2-917661-17-8, is bilingual French/English and describes the camouflage of
French equipment from 1900 to 2013 with a lot of detail about WW1 tank colours.
(http://www.histopic.net/) which matches photos
The French Armys Tank Force and Armoured Warfare in the Great War by Time Gale,
of the real Fee Kaput better than HobbyBosss
Ashgate Publishing Ltd, ISBN 978-1-4094-6661-1, has a great deal of information about
version and includes markings left out of the kit plus
the first French tanks and their battles.
some for two other Schneiders. It includes an extra

www.militarymodelling.com 91
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98 Military Modelling Vol.46 No. 4 2016