1/16 Panzer IB

 From the Takom kits a few years back. This is my first attempt at 1/16 scale because it was of a small enough subject. I haven't tried putting in the case yet. 

Of course the kit is well made and has individual link working tracks. There is a trick to sliding in the plastic pins, which I figured out toward the end after breaking several of them. This allows for realistic sag on the return rollers and articulation when on ground work.

I only had one comment about the attachment of the running gear. The insertion pin into the hull has tiny 'C' clip washers which break easily, if you don't lose them first. I ended up gluing in place anyway. 

I managed to get the Value Gear set in time to complete the work.  If you haven't tried these resin add ons you should. I painted the pieces separately and glued on after completing my weathering of the tank. Then I tied up with string and re-weathered to blend in. 

Vince B.  6-25-21

Mad Maxine: Girls Just Want to Have Fun

 Just in time for Father's Day. Finally the girls got together, rolling hard through the ruins of St. Petersburg. Its June 2025, the end of the Pipeline wars. The remaining Russian cities are in chaos, with rioting, and looting of the local Hobby Stores. In St. Petersburg, these young ladies are keeping the streets safe. Oh Yeah, Please Help Me!!!

This was both a pleasure and a pain to build.  It started out as a Trumpeter, Russian Rocket Launcher Truck from the 80s. I had lots of problems with it, mostly my own mistakes which I wasn't able to fix. So.. what else to do but to re-purpose it in a Sci Fi way. 

In the spirit of MAD MAX Thunder Road, I began to modify the vehicle. The ideas grew, compounding the need for more stuff, Gatling gun, Flame Thrower, Plow Blades and a wacky engine. 

Then I saw those Master Box sets of GIRLS. Bought a few and started mixing and matching.  As they developed, so did the story behind the vehicle. Thus the need for the Graffiti and Tattoo decal sheets. 

And now for the details on the girls: 

Maxine: Former Russian Army Tank Driver and Mechanic. Lost her eye in the war of 2024.

Annika: Former Russian Spetsnaz Sniper.  You'll never hear the shot.

Irina:  Former Russian Special Weapons designer graduated from Kazan University.  Loves to pull your trigger.

Khristina: Former Lingerie model. Disfigured in the firebombing of St. Petersburg in 2024. Still hates wearing cloths.

Marisha: Former Petroleum Engineer from USPTU turned saboteur for the GRU. She'll light your fire. 

Vince B. 6-20-21

Stug III Ausf. G

 This is the TAKOM BLITZ kit that came out last year. Really good fitting model. Just enough detail (photo etch) to make it interesting. 

I did have to drill out the antennae mounts and make my own from K & S wire.

It was a pleasure to work on weathering and wear techniques with a bit of sponge. This was in combination with the oil washes. 

I was going to add stowage to the rear deck but decided not to cover up the nice details I worked on. 

Vince B. 6-16-21

1/35 Scale Achzarit

 

This is Meng's 1/35 scale IDF Achzarit. It is part of the recent IDF kick that I have been on and basically built this one on a whim.

The Achzarit is a T-55 rebuilt as a heavy APC. This particular kit is the early version. The rear access hatches open but I chose to leave them closed.

The kit construction is pretty straightforward and was done right out of the box with zero modifications. I may put stowage on later, and perhaps some cree figures as well.

I used Mission Models IDF Sand Grey #1 which is supposed to have a green tint, but it doesn't. This paint sprays on well and does not require thinning for airbrushing, although I put about 5 drops of their thinner in the mix. Be careful is use this paint, as it doesn't take well to using tape for masking. It also doesn't take heavily thinned Tamiya paint being painted over it with a hand brush.

She was given a pin wash and I used Vallejo pigments for the dust and sand.

The kit comes with minimal phot-etch. The two side screens on the rear are PE as well as the mounting bracket covers. It also came with a number of very nice PE license plates, which I will be saving for future use.

This is a good kit and easy to build. I caught it on sale on Spruebrothers so it was quite affordable.