AFV Modeller 76

Issue 76 cover_Issue 26 cover 11/04/2014 11:18 Page 1
76
MAY / JUNE 2014 • £6.50 UK $14.95
www.mengafvmodeller.com
March / April 2014
Meng AFV Modeller
MENG BEHAVING BRADLEY

PART ONE of our M2A3 Bradley Build
AFV-76 May June 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/04/2014 16:32 Page 222
CONTENTS
2 Meng’s M2A3 BUSK III Bradley
Mark Neville gets stuck into the stunning new 1:35 Bradley with part one
looking at the interior and the build.
12 Syrian T-72 Model 1975

Master of the miniature, Alex Clark reworks the 1:72 Revell kit.
20 Man with a Dream

Radek Pituch talks to Roberto Aguilera about his extraordinary scale model collection.
24 “Jerry got His”

Radek Pituch describes his Italian campaign diorama.
34 “In der Falle” Part Four

Robert Doepp concludes his feature on how he built his 1:24 vignette
with the Tasca Zündapp KS 750m
42 Keeping Track
More new releases
54 Sd.Kfz. 234/3 Achtrad

Antonio Martin Tello builds the Dragon kit and a dedicated scenic base.
Meng Models Sponsors AFV Modeller

You may have noticed our new look cover and that’s because MENG and AFV Modeller
are delighted to announce an exciting new collaboration with MENG becoming the
exclusive title sponsor of AFV Modeller and AIR Modeller Magazines. This will mean
more in depth coverage of the exciting new Meng releases and interesting modelling
activities organized by both parties. We begin this by looking at the new Bradley kit
from Meng with photos of the real vehicle as well.
Meng AFV Modeller is published Bimonthly by

AFV Modeller ltd
Old Stables
East Moor
Stannington We are now on Facebook, ‘Like’ us to
Northumberland follow what we are doing and follow our
NE61 6ES build projects.
Tel: 01670 823648
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AFV Modeller welcomes contributions from interested parties, but cannot accept any
Editor and Designer: David Parker
responsibility for unsolicited material.
email: david@mengafvmodeller.com
Deputy Editor: Mark Neville The contents of this publication including all articles, drawings and photographs
email: mark@mengafvmodeller.com originated by AFV Modeller ltd become the publishers copyright under copyright law.
Sales Director: Keith Smith Reproduction in any form requires the written consent of the publisher. Whilst every
email: keith@mengafvmodeller.com care is taken to avoid mistakes AFV Modeller ltd. cannot be liable in any way for errors
or ommissions.
ISSN 1747-4183
1
u.s.infantry fighting vehicle with ‘b u s k III’ upgrade kit

As far back as 1967 the seed was sown for the rear mounted fuel cells on late M113s), Failing that, there's TOW Anti-tank missile
the development of a replacement for the namely internal fuel and ammunition system with a range of four kilometres with
M113. No longer was an Armoured storage. Also the use of aluminium armour protective armoured hatches to allow the
Personnel Carrier sufficient with the arrival hasn't proven the safest defence hence the crew to reload in hostile situations.
of the Russian BMP-1, an Infantry Fighting continued upgrades in external add-on It's no wonder the Bradley has long been a
Vehicle should not only carry and protect protection, the ultimate being the latest popular project with modellers of modern
troops, but should be able to engage hard Bradley Urban Survivability Kits (BUSK) machinery, Tamiya and Academy providing
and soft targets and keep pace with tank depicted by the kit. Also on-board the A3 various kits in 1:35 with a wealth of
operations. Finally in 1980 the new IFV was version is the latest vision and sighting aftermarket upgrades available to bring the
named after the five-star General Omar technology with improved safety seating standards of detail up to contemporary
Bradley and the first production models and fire control safety systems. Bradley's levels that many modellers strive for. So
were delivered in May of the following year M242 25mm 'Bushmaster' chain gun has a what if you could pack everything you could
with sixty per month produced to replace duel feed mechanism, ammo choice at the want to build the latest M2A3 into one box?
the M113. Now I'm no expert or engineer, flick of a switch and a rate of two hundred Full interior, engine compartment, working
but a few fundamental issues that came to rounds per minute in multiple shot mode suspension and track links, photoetch…you
light with the M113 appear unchanged (and means the M2A3 can, and has, would need a pretty big box...
were addressed to a degree - think back to successfully engaged enemy tanks. and here it is.
1:35
rt one
pa erior
int ild
& bu
2
We've been increasingly impressed with Meng's

products and approach to the hobby, so much so
you'll have noticed they're now our official
sponsor here at AFV modeller, but I think it's safe
to say the Bradley is their most ambitious and
spectacular production to date. This is THE kit of
the Bradley in 1:35, perhaps one of the most
comprehensive and attractive 1:35 kits ever?
Sure there are lots of 'full interior' kits on the
market with all the bells and whistles but
absolutely everything about this kit has been
handled with the same level of detail and quality,
from the outer box through to the flexible seat
belts.
A kit with so many parts of a complex nature usually

terrifies me! I’m the first to admit I like to get to the
painting stage as quickly as possible. I figured the
project would be broken into building and painting
combined with the full internal detail.
big ol’ box o’ bits

The size of the box is surprizing, around twice the depth you’d
normally expect but with twenty sprues plus tracks, upper and
lower hulls, photoetch and accessories it needs to be. What at
first looked to be a bit of a gimmick (thinking back to Matchbox
kits of the ‘70s) are coloured sprues. This has actually proved
very useful due to the large number of sprues when working, the
engine bay is largely grey and the interior parts in a very closely
matched green. The clear parts have been moulded with a very
pleasing tint of blue/green.
Assembly starts, as you’d expect, with the lower hull and running
gear. Wheels are fitted via poly-caps giving a solid fix whilst
being able to rotate. The single piece ‘tub’ provides a sound
base with alignments being a key point at later stages of the
build. The working suspension is crying out to be articulated on
some rough terrain or rubble; fit is excellent and assembly swift.
The separate motor units have a detailed bell housing and

splined input shaft, good news if you fancy creating a
maintenance scene. After an airbrushed basecoat of AK704
dark grey and AK705 Graugrün (which I found a good
match to the interior green) I used a graphite powder to buff
the grey to a subtle metallic sheen followed by ‘Warm
White’ wash from Mig Productions and various dark and
dust coloured pin-washes. The photos I’d gathered from the
‘net showed quite heavy dust in the engine bay which I’ve
used AK pigment powders to replicate.
Next I had the itch to do some painting so I

jumped to the drive train. With around fifty parts
the big 600bhp diesel V8 and automatic
transmission are well detailed, certainly more than
adequate for what’s viewed through the hatches.
Metal tubes are provided
to create working shock
absorbers, torsion bars
work as the real thing
being fixed inside the hull
with the trailing arms
attached as a single piece
giving us fully working
suspension.
Individual link tracks
click together and
remain workable
3
an inside job...
With the engine and gearbox set aside, it was time for
some more painting. I’d left the interior in sub-components
to make the airbrushing of the base colour easier, namely
the driver’s compartment wall, air intake unit and turret
basket surround. The fit is so good very little cement is
needed for final fitting. As with the drive-train units,
restraint is the key with wear and tear. I limited myself to
some dark washes to add depth and contrast along with
some highlights brushed with a lighter mix of the green.
Detail painting is quite limited to some black and grey
units with the light fittings in white and fire extinguishers
adding a touch of colour.
A dusty floor and engine bay appear quite there’s an effect of fine cracking which is I was looking forward to fitting the engine
common from the photos I had to hand so enhanced with a slight sheen achieved by and gearbox, I’d suggest fitting everything
a simple application of pigment powder first rubbing a finger across your forehead dry as it’s a fiddle to line everything up.
(AK’s North Africa Dust) went into the and then buffing across the seats. So Once you’re happily with the alignment a
nooks and crannies with a fine brush. On there’s some ‘sweat’ gone into the model few dots of liquid cement is all it takes.
the floor areas where the crew would be but so far no ‘tears’ and probably ‘blood’ at Steering arms, gear selectors and various
active I’ve scratched the powder away in some point as I’ve just put a fresh scalpel pieces of plumbing are added next adding
places with a damp cocktail stick, blade in... to the busy appearance of the engine bay.
enhancing the lived-in look in the rear I Another effect I found to work well was on As with any kit or aftermarket engine more
rubbed over the floor tread-plate with a the vision blocks which looking at wiring and pipework could be added if you
finger and added some restrained paint reference have a particular purple/red have good reference, it really depends on
wear with a soft pencil here and there. To appearance. An old tin of Humbrol enamel your finished display; you could in theory
get a slight cracked and creased look to I keep in reserve for red tail lights did the leave out all of the internals from this kit if
the seats (as you see with these heavy trick once painted on the reverse of the showing your Bradley all buttoned-up...but
modern vinyl coverings) I used the thick periscope clear parts. The colour is what a waste!
paint from inside the lid of a bottle of number ‘30’ a gloss burgundy, worth With all of the decals applied to the interior
Lifecolor UA530 and applied it in one heavy digging around your old paint box for, I’m it was getting close to closing time...
coat with a stippling action. Once dry, not sure if it’s still available.
Further texture was added

to the seat covers with
thick acrylic colour and a
quick buff with a finger.
The anti-blast floor plate
4 could also be finished in
grey for a little more
interest.
A full set of internal

markings is provided on
the decal sheet which add
a nice touch of finesse.
I found a dry fit of all of the
major components in the
engine bay was the way to
go, when everything is
lined up
a few dots of liquid
cement is all you need.
I certainly had my doubts

when fitting the upper hull.
I was expecting something
out of all of the interior
components to snag or
require adjustment...In
fact I needn’t have
worried!
A small, but commendable little detail

with the kit are the flexible, soft plastic
seat belts. These are fixed to the hull
roof before joining to the lower hull and
can be positioned with a natural
looking drape around the seating. I
fully expected to have to make a few
tweaks here and there when finally
fixing the hull top into position, there’s
a lot of interior parts, bulkheads etc
but thankfully a nice reassuring push-fit
was all it took with very little cement
required. With the excellent design, fit
and instructions don’t be put off this kit
by the amount of parts and complexed
detail. It may look like one for the
advanced modeller but anyone with a
grasp of the basics should be able to
produce something to be proud of with
this kit in a reasonable time scale.
5
With the upper hull in place the complex on the hinge which holds an accurate open sprues, the styrene is a nice quality and
shapes of the armour and hatches position with full internal detail and delicate cleans up well where necessary. I found
progresses quite swiftly with the layers of cast texture. The rear compartment roof where the small ‘nodes’ were added to
armour accurately replicated showing some hatch also has a very pleasing hinge set up edges of components to avoid any marks
very sharp bolt detail. Starting up front, the to allow free movement and show off the on the parts themselves, it was preferable
engine bay hatch can be posed open with interior work. Tools and fittings are delicate to clean these up before removing the part,
the optional struts. The driver’s hatch can and like many of the finely detailed the sprue able to safely hold the parts more
be left to open or close with a clever cam components need careful removal from the safely than my sausage-like fingers!
The side armour units are

held in place by large
locating pegs, a good push
The photoetch provided is nice quality, the fit which can be done
without cement. There are
mesh is excellent but take time to remove some hidden ejector pin
the holding tabs accurately as the fit into the marks on the inside, be
frames is perfect and any excess around the sure to clean these flush to
obtain a tight fit.
edge hinders this. MENG have made a
successful attempt at the anti-slip areas
which is very fine and should respond well
to careful painting. Before the fenders and
BUSK armour can be finally placed the
tracks need adding. I was really impressed
by the design of the tracks. Two links are If you want to show
some missing ERA
joined by a small sprue on the hidden edge blocks or maintenance,
and simply click together remaining fully the fittings are all there
and nicely detailed as
workable and pretty robust. With no pin
are the fixings on the
marks to clean up around half an hour sees blocks and subtle anti-
the eighty links to complete one side slip texture.
assembled. The instructions suggest the
track and idler be joined and added but I
found the drive sprocket also removed with
the track attached was easier, all of the
wheels are attached with soft poly-caps and
free to rotate helping the fitting.
The side armour is built up in layers as per
the actual vehicle and can be left as
separate units to aid painting. This will also
help if you want to show missing sections or
different armour configurations.
6
The tail gate can be opened and closed with a

reassuring ‘click’ from the clever hinges and
fasteners. The rear hatch is built-up in layers for
accuracy. Air-Con units have excellent depth of
detail with multiple photoetch parts.
time for the turret...

And you’ll need plenty of time! this is a
complicated beast as you’d expect, with
again, full internal detail with nothing
simplified. Some lovely touches include a
flexible ammo feed to allow the gun to elevate
up and down and etched mesh for the drum.
Everything goes together beautifully, the only
extra work was a few ejector marks on the
inside of the drum to which I dropped some
Mr Dissolved Putty into. It really feels a shame
to hide any of the work which is inevitable on
armoured vehicle interiors...but it’s satisfying
to know it’s all there!
The decals really lift the

detail inside, even down to
the keyboard and monitor
screen. Some washes to
enhance details and some
reserved scuffs and dust
to the floor
of the drum bring it
all to life.
The turret exterior is as busy and complex

as it gets! The hatches, CITV unit TOW
launcher and gun are all positionable and
fully detailed. Note the flexible mantlet
cover and beautifully detailed frames
of the commander’s protection
screens.
I’m really going to

stick my neck-out
here and say that
this is certainly one
of the most
impressive kits I’ve
ever built, the
next
quality and detail
straight out of the
box is staggering...
issuieng
I can’t wait to get
some paint on it...
paint 7
in
etail In this first part of a ‘Walk
Around’ the M2A3 we’ll have a
d look at the interior and engine

components for those looking to
super-detail the new MENG kit.
A view under the passenger seats on the left side with the floor Note the metallic silver padded vinyl sleeve (presumably housing
plate removed, note the fixing pins wiring and plumbing) This runs under the turret basket
8
View towards the right rear corner, note the improvised hanging grab- Complex wiring to the monitor on the right
handle and the anodized finish on the armour bolts and washers of the turret basket door
The roof hatch

viewed from the
passenger
compartment.
Note the
external colour
finish, the heavy
rubber bump
strip / seal and
the handle
detail.
View of the tight space leading to the 9

drivers compartment
A view around the turret showing the high-tech 25mm M242 Bushmaster ‘Chain Gun’ system (referring to the roller chain that drives the
bolt back and forth) Note the toothed turret ring and travel lock.
Views to either side of the driver. Note the folding seat

The driver’s back to allow access to the rear of the vehicle and the
view with high- height adjuster at the left rear corner of the seat base.
tech monitor
and controls
The panels
removed to the
right of the
driver exposing
the engine bay-
a noisy place to
be I imagine!
10
in
tail
Diesel power! The Cummings
de
VTA-903T produces 600 bhp from it’s eight
cylinders with the help of intercooled
turbocharged induction.
Note the finish on the manifolds and the heat

wrap encasing the pipework to the turbo unit.
Much of the engine is hidden when installed
due to the top-mounted cooler.
Close-up of the turbocharger unit to

the rear of the engine
Details of the automatic transmission. Note the

sliding brackets that mount the filter cartridges
which can be extended up to allow access
when fitted in the vehicle
11
1:72 SYRIAN
model 1975
The T-72 tank was developed in the late 1960s and first entered service with the Russian
army in the early 1970s. Since then it has been developed into many different variants
and it is still used by many countries today, including Russia. The best small-scale kit is
Revell's M1 export version (Model 1982). This is equivalent in most respects to the
Russian T-72A and is used by many Middle-Eastern countries. I'd previously built one as
used in Libyan service after seeing footage of these during the Libyan civil war in 2011.
More recently the uprising in Syria generated a lot of news coverage and several T-72
variants can now be seen in photos and on film footage. Prior to this there had been very
little information available on the T-72 in Syrian service. With the new information
available I decided to build one of the earlier export versions, the Model 1975.
12
modelled by Alex Clark
13
The kit
Overall, the Revell kit is quite good with some excellent upper hard plastic link and length and are reasonably done, but the
hull detail. The turret is probably the weakest part of the kit, guide teeth are much too short and really need replacing.
being poorly shaped for any version of the T-72. The tracks are
Lower Hull an outer wheel and modified it to fit the suspension axles. I then
The kit's bow plate is correct for an export version, having fewer cast copies in resin. For previous T-72 models I'd improved the
engineering equipment attachment points than Russian versions. kit's link and length track by taking a single link and replacing the
However the relief on the engineering blade that is situated below guide tooth with a taller one. I'd also drilled the track pin ends out
these is too shallow so I replaced the whole plate and cast a resin and thinned the overly thick track edges. I cast a pile of single
copy. I actually made a Russian version of this with the extra links and to save a bit of assembly time some 4 link segments.
attachment points in order to use these for other builds but then Although a tedious job, along with the clean-up and assembly, I
removed these on the resin copy. The hull sides lack some detail - felt it worthwhile. This approach also gave better definition
not a problem with the kit version that has side skirts fitted but between each link as the length sections provided in the kit don't
noticeable for the earlier versions. I added this missing detail, represent this particularly well.
including triangular, bolted mounts for the return rollers and the
mud scrapers that fit just behind the sprockets. The outer road- Upper Hull
wheels are good and the kit even includes early and late types, The Revell upper hull is provided as a single piece and does have
but the inner ones are completely smooth with no detail a lot of well represented detail. This is probably the best part of
whatsoever. Although mostly hidden on the finished model, the the kit, but can still benefit from some tweaks. A number of fuel
front and rear ones can be seen to some degree. To fix this I took cells sit along the right side fender. Along the left side are some
The kit’s inner road wheels (left) are smooth with no detail at all. I modified an
outer wheel and cast copies (right). After modifying one of the kit’s single The assembled lower hull. I’d replaced the bow
track links to more accurately depict the guide teeth, I cast a mix of single plate with better relief on the engineering blade.
links and lengths of 4 link sections. The four rods that attach via hinges to the hull can
also be seen here.
14
The Revell M1 upper hull modified to represent the earlier type. The M1 has a several models of early T-72 variants, so I decided to have several copies of
layer of applique armour on the glacis that shouldn’t be present on the earlier the hull professionally cast. Seen here is one of those copies with the smaller
versions, along with some other small differences. I replaced the whole glacis details added.
with a scratch-built version and cast a resin copy. I planned on building
stowage boxes (also referred to as zip boxes). The top edges on This tool includes various sized metal punches that are used to
these are a little sharp so I rounded them off. The straps that punch out the bolts from thick metal foil. Although I've cast a
attach these to the fenders lack end detail so I added this too. For number of parts myself, I don't have the facilities to get high
later versions that include the side skirts, the sides of the fuel cells quality casts of items as large as the hull. So I turned to a
and zip boxes are mostly hidden. As these areas are visible on professional casting service to make a number of copies for both
this version, I improved these areas too (the sides are flat and this and future projects, Gwylan Models, http://www.gwylanmodels.co.uk
don't represent the fact that the fuel cells and zip boxes sit on top This version the vehicle was fitted with hinged "Gill" armour. These
of the fenders). I also removed the up-armoured glacis and being small rectangular panels that swing out and an angle to
replaced it with a version without the appliqué armour. The last prematurely detonate shaped-charge (or hollow-charge)
major bit of work for the upper hull involved adding the thin mud projectiles. These were probably found to be ineffective as
flaps that run along the hull sides. I made these from plastic strip, subsequent versions of the T-72 can all be found with full length
with bolt detail created using a rivet / bolt tool called "The Nutter". side skirts instead. I scratch-built the hinges and supports and
Left The various turret fittings along with the

modified turret. I took a resin copy I’d previously
cast of a corrected T-72A / M1 turret and further
modified it to represent the early type.
The front section of the gunner’s main sight, again

this differs in shape and size from that found on
later turrets. Early T-72 versions had a stereoscopic
/ coincidence rangefinder that was removed on
later turrets. I created one from plastic strip.
made some resin copies. For the panels themselves I considered gunner's sight and various periscopes. The kit gun barrel is slightly
using foil, with the strengthening ribs embossed through, but I too short and thin in diameter so I used a turned metal
wasn't happy with the effects so made them from thin plastic replacement from a Russian company, Zedval http://www.model-
sheet instead. To reproduce the effects of the ribs I scribed lines point.ru. This is spot on in all dimensions and looks much better
on both sides of the panels and glued in sections of stretched than the kit barrel. It also meant I avoided the quite fiddly cleanup
sprue on the indents on one side of the plastic version.
Turret Final Details

The turret requires the most attention due to it being both a To complete the build I worked on the smaller items such as the
different version and having some major inaccuracies in its shape. IR turret light, stowage boxes, and machine gun with its mount
The rear should be more pointed in both plan and profile view, amongst other things. As I ended up improving many of these
with a slight incline down towards the turret ring (rather than parts, I cast copies of them in resin. I also used a few items from
perfectly vertical as in the kit). I'd made generic improvements to photo-etched sets, notably the glacis headlight guards from an
the M1 turret to account for these, and previously cast resin Extratech set. These would be fiddly to make from scratch and
copies. I took one of these and reshaped the front to model the the etched parts are well done although I trimmed them slightly
earlier version. The main difference is that the front needs to slope as they sit a bit too tall.
at more of an angle, giving it a more streamlined appearance. I 15
also made some other improvements, such as opening up the
The completed model with the sub-assemblies,

turret, upper hull, lower hull and outer wheels
all test fitted together.
I painted the desert yellow colour using a mix of Tamiya White (XF-2), Buff I masked the areas that were to remain in the desert yellow colour with Blu-
(XF-57), and Yellow (XF-3) in a 6 : 3 : 1 ratio. This was over an initial base coat Tac household putty.The green is a mix of Dark Green (XF-73) and Nato
of Humbrol light grey enamel. Green (XF-67) in a 2: 1 ratio.
Painting and Weathering added some green chips and scratches using a fine brush.
Syrian T-72s come in a variety of schemes. Many are green, Following this I sprayed Klear acrylic floor varnish over the entire
usually with additional camouflage colours. For the early version I model to seal the marking and give a tough, shiny surface for the
was modelling I'd seen some with a light desert yellow applied in next stages.
disruptive patterns. The nature of these patterns seemed to vary I created some depth and a slightly grimy look to the finish by
from vehicle to vehicle. applying a wash of Humbrol Dark Earth (29). I used this fairly
I applied an enamel base coat first by spraying a couple of thin concentrated and applied it to small areas at a time. Once touch-
coats of Humbrol Light grey enamel (64). Over this I sprayed a mix dry I used a clean brush dipped in thinners to remove any excess
of Tamiya acrylics, White (XF-2), Buff (XF-57), and Yellow (XF-3) in and to work the wash into the corners. I then set this to one side
a 6 : 3 : 1 ratio. Once dry I masked this with Blu-Tac and sprayed to thoroughly dry before moving on.
over the green colour mixed from Dark Green (XF-73) and Nato At this stage the model still looks quite flat so I mixed a wash of
Green (XF-67) in a 2: 1 ratio. After removing the Blu-Tac I painted Humbrol Satin Black and applied it as a pin wash around all the
the markings on the hull front and rear using some stencils I hand small details to create depth and shadow. As with the overall
cut out of thin plastic. The white Arabic turret numerals are from a wash, I kept a clean brush to hand to help removed any excess
16 generic set of Archer Dry Transfers. To add some wear and tear I paint.
I painted the hull markings using some hand cut plastic stencils. I then A moderately thick wash of Humbrol Dark Earth was applied to a section of
painted green chips and scratches over the desert yellow using a fine brush. the model at a time. As soon as it was touch dry I worked it into the edges
and crevices using a clean brush dipped in thinner.
I mixed a dilute wash of Humbrol Satin Black and applied this with a fine I used Tamiya diorama texture paint to give a muddy finish to the lower hull
brush around all the details. and running gear.
Some photos I’d found online showed the lower hull quite muddy with pure thinner resulting in a slightly dusty appearance.
and I reproduced this using Tamiya diorama texture paint applied I enhanced the dusty, grimy finish by flicking dilute Humbrol mixes
with an old brush. This dries quickly with a nice to-scale gritty around most areas of the vehicle. I used a variety of colours for
effect. this, ranging from a very dark brown to pure white. Keeping it
dilute ensures the effect isn't overly strong and unrealistic.
I created a dilute mix of Humbrol Dark Earth, lighted with a little To create dark, fresh scratches I used a very sharp black pencil. I
Pale Stone and lightly airbrushed this over selected horizontal kept this effect to a minimum to avoid overdoing it and along with
areas of the model. Once done I immediately flooded these areas some very fine scratches I ran it along sharp edges, such as 17
A dilute mix of Humbrol Dark Earth and Pale Stone was lightly airbrushed over I flicked dilute mixes of a number of colours over the model. These ranged
horizontal areas of the model. As soon as it was touch-dry I flooded the area from pure white to dark brown. It’s important to keep this step subtle
with pure thinner. otherwise it can spoil the finish.
A sharp black pencil is good for adding fresh scratches and wear to the Another step that should be done in moderation is the addition of fuel and oil
edges. stains. A mix of gloss enamel varnish, black enamel and a small amount of
Burnt Umber oil paints is good for this. Fresh spills are best done with a
concentrated mix whereas faded older ones can be done with a more dilute
mix.
around the crew hatches and where differently angled armour some of the wheels hubs. Diluting it to varying degrees gives
plates joined. some control over how fresh the effect is.
The weathering was nearly complete by the end of this stage but I
Fuel and oil spills and stains can be represented using a mix of do tend to revisit certain steps again, particularly applying further
gloss enamel varnish, black enamel and a small amount of Burnt pin washes. After this I painted up all the small details and
Umber oil paints. This gives a nicely translucent, shiny mix. I assembled the smaller sub-assemblies to complete the model.
sparingly applied this around the fuel tank filler caps and around
18
19
MAN with a dream
Radek Pituch talks to Roberto Aguilera

about his extraordinary scale model collection
It was early 2013 when after logging into my Face
Book profile I noticed a message from a unknown
contact in Mexico City. His name was Roberto
Aguilera and he went on to invite me to visit him on
the other side of the globe (I live in Warsaw, Poland),
bring my models and spend some time with him in
the city. I was rather surprised and suspicious of this
tempting offer, but some quick enquiries with my
friends David Parker and Adam Wilder reassured me
as both had visited Roberto recently. Time passed
and couple of months later, in November 2013, I was
flying to Paris to get from there to Mexico City,
carrying a custom-made box containing 3 of my
most recent dioramas (yes, it’s possible) having had
sent the first one via international mail in a secured
box. After a 13 hour flight, early in the morning, I
arrived at Aeroporto Benito Juarez in Mexico City D.F.
where Robert was already waiting to greet me.
During the next few days I was able to fully enjoy the
warm sunny weather, good food and Roberto’s
company sightseeing in the city. We also visited
Roberto’s Gallery which is housed in a separate
apartment and where he keeps his collections of Star
Wars, (which he is a huge fan of), and of course,
20 This is an example of team work: Adam Wilder’s uparmored M4A1, figures painted by Sang
Eon Lee and base done by Per Olav Lund.
Mike Rinaldi’s D9 Caterpillar dozer and Murat Ozgul’s Lanz Bulldog. The Star Wars collection, here you can find a large number
of figures, models and many other items SW related items.
what interests us here the most – scale models, most of them exquisite models from around the world.
being of WW2 era. In his remarkable collection he has managed
to gather so far examples of work from such names as Adam “Everything started because I found a model on ebay from a very well
Wilder, Beto Barba, Brett Green, Darryl Dancik, David Parker, Man known modeller, Mike Rinaldi, which he was selling on ebay, a Panzer IV E,
Jin Kim, Miguel Jimenez, Mike Rinaldi, Murat Ozgul, M Workshop a desert one, the one from the Lifecolor box art...”
artists i.e. Chef Lim, Per Olav Lund, Sang Eon Lee, Staf Snyers
and Tony Greenland. Latest addition to the collection are the Roberto turns back and shows me the model now standing on a
works I brought with me from Poland. During my stay in Mexico I base made by Per Olav Lund accompanied with figures painted
convinced Roberto to do an interview with him, here are some by Man Jin Kim, that were used for the Alpine Miniatures boxart.
parts of the interview that in full version should be soon available
on youtube. “I was surprised by the quality of the work so I purchased the model –
says Roberto – and it was the starting point. In the beginning I was
By profession Roberto is a film director, with 20 year long career, thinking of collecting only few pieces because I had so many science-
working with many companies from North America, Mexico and fiction models and I wanted some military, like 10 nice tanks. Then I went
Europe. Modelling is his passion for many years now but just to Euromilitaire and saw Staf’s (Staf Snyers) 3.7 Panther (Bergepanther
recently he had this idea to assemble a collection of the most with 37mm Flak) and I was just amazed by the model and I said to myself I
Staf Snyer’s winterized Pzkpfw II Asuf. L “Luchs” Roberto’s Schwimmwagen accompanying Rinaldi’s Tiger II Ausf. B
This is the diorama I asked Roberto to show me for a closer inspection, it was Sit back, relax and watch the details. 21
also done together with several talented people i.e. Mike Rinaldi (the panzer),
Per Olav Lund (the base) and Man Jin Kim (the figures)
have to have that one! I admire the artistry – modellers are artists in many Kim. It’s all very nice to have it here, but it’s not what I want it to be, it’s
ways, tears fall from my eyes when I see this and I’m not exaggerating, this about sharing with everybody, it’s about setting up a Museum, I was
is the truth.” thinking that New York would be the place because NY has a lot of visitors.
I will keep on building this collection, Roger Hurkmans is coming in March
Later on Roberto invited Staf Snyers to become a judge in the 2014, than later that year Ivan Cocker, they are both bringing their
annual IPMS Mexico show. collections. Then Franck Oudin (Contributor to Air Modeller) he’s
bringing some planes since I’m planning to expand this collection to
“At that point I realized that I can buy more models. By now I have pretty planes. I’m also planning to acquire works from some Spanish Modellers
much most works done by Michael Rinaldi, I also acquired Spencer and Japanese Modellers too. I want this collection to grow up to a point
Pollard’s works among them the Workshop diorama but I haven’t got them where I can say ok I have 10 times more than I have here now. Then I will
yet here. I decided to set up this place” – Roberto takes a look around gather all the information about the modelers, all the profile pictures,
in the room where we’re sitting that shelves filled up with various reference materials. In the museum when the people will walk in they will
models from different artists from around the globe – “and now I see the flags from each country where the modellers come from. I want to
feel responsible for the people and their works that they bring here.” place a room there where people will be able to follow the whole process
-Robert had a dream – says Roberto laughing – after the response of of model making, because people not familiar with the hobby don’t know
the community I said to myself, you know what Robert, this is all about what it is – when you see a finished model most people think it comes like
sharing, and life’s all about sharing and love is about sharing too, about this. People don’t have a clue. So we will show them not only the process
not being selfish. I want to turn this gallery into a modeling museum, the of building and painting a model but also the whole industrial process that
first one ever, and I will do this. This is very nice to have this collection at is involved in creating the kits. I also want to show where modelers find the
home but I want to share. I’m proud to being able to collect all this. I have inspiration from their works to show people how it works. I just have a
pretty much all works from David Parker, Brett Green, Adam Wilder, Mig dream of a great modelling museum that we don’t have now because I’ve
Jimenez, the guys from M Workshop and Radek Pituch – Roberto turns to seen modelers just passing away, they do incredible work and they die,
me and smiles. - I also have most of the works of Staf Snyers, Per Olav many times their families don’t know what to do with their work, they just
Lund, Sang Eon Lee, all the Alpine Miniatures boxart, also done by Man Jin throw the models away!”
David Parker’s classic, and one of my personal all time favorites, the mighty This is Staf Snyers’ extremely beautiful Jagdpanther in 1:35 scale.
Tiger I portrayed as a vehicle of the sPzAbt. 503 Operating during operation
Zitadelle.
Roberto posing next to one of his dioramas!
Left hand side section of the WW 2 scale models room
22
There is still room for more works in the Gallery, here are mine!
Roberto owns many of the Alpine box art figures

painted by Sang Eon Lee from Korea.
David Parker’s 1:16 Tiger II Ausf. B The best of the best, van Goghs of modeling – the works of Adam Wilder and
Mig Jimenez,
I also asked Roberto about other eras, are community and so he did: modelling society in Mexico the opportunity
they of interest and does he want to “I would like to invite you to participate in this to meet with the most talented people
include them in the museum? endeavor which is time-consuming but delightful from around the globe in the hobby and to
as well – Roberto smiles – not to mention the take part in their lectures. Having the
“We will begin this museum with World War II – investment you have to put to make this real.” support of his friends I am sure he can
says Roberto - and hopefully we will expand it to achieve his goal in a few years and that
Medieval, Napoleonic era, Ancient times, The collection now totals around 100 one day we will all be travelling to see the
whatever, even modern warfare too. We’ll pieces including figures. After reading this first ever modeling Museum. For me my
probably get there very soon but now I’m article I hope you can understand why I stay in Mexico was an unforgettable
concentrated on World War II subject because choose the title. experience. Seeing all those astounding
it’s very, very extended. - People outside think works in one place gives you the
these are just toys and I want to elevate it to art Roberto is not only a collector that builds a impression there’s nothing more a
level.” gallery of internationally renowned modeller can dream of, just to sit back,
modellers’ works that he’s going to turn sipping a drink and enjoying surely the
In the last words of the interview I asked into a Museum of Modelling Art. He is also most impressive collection of models in
Roberto to give a message to the an active IPMS Mexico member, giving the the World. 23
24
“JERRY GOT HIS!” KO’d StuG III Ausf.G, 26 Pz.Div., Battle for Cassino, Italy, 1944
Modelled by Radek Pituch
The Battle for Cassino, and the important strategic

area in the Gustav Line lasted from mid-January to
late May 1944. In May the Allies transferred the 8th
Army to take part in the expected final attack on the
Cassino area. There were 14 allied Divisions
Committed for the attack. As we know the famous
Abbey of Monte Cassino was held by the elite 1.
Falschirmjager Division but it got orders to fall back
before the Abbey was bombed to ruins. Before all
this happened General von Vietinghoff ordered two
german divisions, 26th Panzer and 29th Panzer
Grenadier to break off contact with advancing British
8th Army and to pull back to the Northern area,
towards Rome. The 26th Panzer Division was
stationed in Cassino area and it was the only German
armoured unit to be committed in the battles in May
in this area.
I found my inspiration photo of a destroyed StuG III

Ausf.G in a Militaria volume about the StuG III/40
family. It was described as being taken after the
Cassino battles in May. When I started to dig for
more information I realized that the most probable
unit operating with StuGs in that area would be the
26th Panzer Division. It was my starting point and
having the photo as inspiration I planned the scenery
of my diorama in an abandoned vineyard. I wanted to
show the StuG as it was slowly advancing in the
shelter of buildings when it broke down and the crew
had to sabotage it’s gun, finally being spotted by
allied tank crews it took two direct hits on the glacis
plate that penetrated it causing an internal explosion
of the ammunition. The most visible damage to the
vehicle were the blown off collar on the mantlet,
blown off right appliqué armour from the
superstructure and damaged suspension. Careful
study of the photo revealed that the vehicle sits close
to the ground, having it’s torsion bars most likely
broken. Further analysis of the photo shows that
there is light visible through the bolt holes in the
superstructure so most likely the whole roof of the
fighting compartment was blown off too. It was even
more probable because the vehicles ammunition
storage was located on the right hand side of the
gearbox and judging by the hit marks on the glacis at
least one of the rounds penetrated deeper into the
fighting compartment causing the ammunition cook
off. Having all this in mind I decided to put it in
slightly changed scenery.
25
STUG
Breakdown of the part of the build, the scratchbuilt
elements of the interior are visible here
For the model of the StuG I decided but I needed to add details to the
to go for the Dragon offering – StuG recuperators because these were
III G early version. The most visible due to the damage inflicted to
important change was to convert the the box style mantlet cover. I also
bow of the vehicle to the later solid wanted the gun to be fully recoiled
80mm plates instead of the early representing the damage inflicted by
style 50mm+30mm appliqué. This the crew after the breakdown of the
was done with sheet styrene. The vehicle - a common practice was to
next important thing was to convert drain the liquid from the
the superstructure front by drilling recuperators and fire a round so the
holes for the appliqué armour plate gun couldn’t return to it’s correct
that was blown off. The gun of the position rendering it useless. The
model offers nearly a complete Dragon kit offers a basic interior so I
recreation of the 7.5 cm StuK 40 gun was forced to use some aftermarket.
26
I choose CMK’s resin Driver’s and fighting

compartment sets. These are nice but still
need much attention when you want to
build a vehicle with destroyed interior. The
blown up ammunition stowage bins were
scratchbuilt from sheet plastic as well as
the housing for the damaged radio. After
having the vehicle built I proceeded with
painting. This was done with Tamiya
paints. I started by covering the interior in
red primer colours then applying hairspray
and white flat paint all over it. When it was
dry I gently started removing the white superstructure sides being made of added Highlighting and shading different panels
paint with a stiff brush soaked in warm track lengths. These were weathered with and surfaces of the model in different
water. For the tracks I used Friul set ATL 04 Vallejo paints – light mud colour from the shades of the same base colour creates a
(hollow horn), the early type of 40 cm Panzer Aces range The decals - only interesting overall look to the vehicle.
tracks used in that period on German Pz german national Balkenkreuz, were applied Adding further filters help to tone down the
IV/Pz III/StuG vehicles. These were with the Micro Set and Sol solutions. paintjob but still leaves much diversity in
blackened with the new Uschi van der The vehicle depicted on the wartime the shades of the base colour. For German
Rosten blackening liquid agent. These photograph has a monotone paint scheme vehicles I mostly paint them using Tamiya
were then weathered with a mixture of of dunkelgelb, typical for German vehicles Buff for the basis, modifying it using Deck
light sand pigments composed of Vallejo operating in Italy. It is not an easy thing to Tan and JGDSF Brown colours when it
range pigments with addition of water and do to create a interesting look on a vehicle comes to highlighting and shading. This
plaster. One of the features of my StuG painted only in one colour. To remedy this I model was no exception to this method.
was additional armour of the used the Colour Modulation process.
27
FIGURES
Having the overall layout of the scene prepared I started on the

figures. These were sculpted using Magic Sculp. The wartime
photo shows two British troopers in casual uniforms. The leaning
one seems to be wearing tropical clothes while the other is
outfitted with a standard battledress. Both figures are now
available in resin from the Adalbertus range. I used the castings
for my dio. Both figures were painted using acrylics from Vallejo.
28
The building was to be one of the most important

BUILDINGS
parts of the whole build. As usual in my projects I

wanted originality. That was the reason I decided to
scratchbuild my own. First I cast plaster plates and
then when it was still soft I carved windows and
doorways in it. The idea was to build a typical one
floor Italian farm house – ‘casolare’ as the Italians
call it. Distinctive features of these buildings are the
use of sandstone as the basis for the walls with
addition of bricks around the doorways and windows
to reinforce these areas. I carved the stonewalls in
the prefabricated castings and bricks here and there
in random places (mostly around the holes for
windows and doors). For this purpose I used a thick
sewing needle. To add 3D effect to the stone walls I
gently carved them further with a sharp blade. Then
to join the sidewalls I drilled holes in the edges of the
castings, glued plastic rods into them and joined the
walls together with wood glue. To create the stucco I
mixed some plaster along with water and applied it
with a spatula. I repeated the process to give a
more scruffy surface. Then using different thickness
balsa wood I created roof trusses. The stairway was
created using plaster for the side wall and foam
board plates for the stairs. I cut them unevenly to
represent a well used look. They were then covered
with acrylic plastic putty to add texture and hide the
texture of the foam. The door and window frames
were made using balsa as well. The doors and
windows itself were made using thin plastic strips.
Finally to reinforce the structure of the stucco
applied to both the building and the small cellar I
sprayed a layer of Tamiya deck tan colour. The roof
tiles are from Model Victoria The building was now
ready for further painting.
29
The side and rear of the building was covered with

plastic sheet that was painted flat black later on to
blank the back The rafters for the roof tiles were
made using balsa wood
30
The Doors were made of

thinned balsa strips and
painted with a brush.
SCENERY
The house was painted with a mix of deck tan and buff paint lightened with
flat white. This was done both with airbrush and paintbrush, the process was
repeated many times until achieving a satisfactory effect. For the groundwork
I mixed pigments of light sand colour (Vallejo light ochre, green earth and
titanium white) together with plaster. This was the first layer that was later
covered again with pigments only and fixed with pigment fixer. I wanted to
achieve a scorched and burnt by the sun effect of a hot Summer day. To add
some diversity to the colours I glued some grass tufts too. The tufts were
made using a simple method. First, with a toothpick, I applied some wood
glue onto plastic card. then, using tweezers I started applying tufts of static
grass to each spot of wood glue. While the glue was drying you can shape
the tufts as you desire. When dried I painted the whole thing with an airbrush
using a khaki green colour. After the paint was dry I simply detached the tufts
from the plastic card (wood glue doesn’t stick permanently to plastic but it
31
lets you to work with it on it in a comfortable way).
Above Applying tufts of static grass with tweezers

onto dots of white glue, I shaped them later on to
make them more pointy and green paint was then
sprayed over the tufts.
32
Above Some litter lying around the cellar.
Below Pigments used for colouring the

groundwork.
Since I like Italy I wanted to build a scene from the combat there for
a long time. The archive photo gave me inspiration and motivation to
start this project. This was also a good exercise in painting a scene in
different shades of the same colour too and to depict the famous
StuG assault gun which I haven’t built before. My thanks goes to
Model Victoria and Uschi van der Rosten for providing me with their
products for this build.
33
"In der Falle?"

Tasca’s 1:24 Zündapp KS 750 m.
BW43 ("Kriegselefant")
PART FOUR • Modelled by Robert Doepp
Diorama: The Trapped Elephant
I was deeply impressed by Jean Paul Pallud´ s great book on the German retreat from
Normandy showing the atmosphere amongst the German soldiers when trying to
escape from the Falaise pocket. Obviously combat units increasingly disintegrated and
the retreat turned into the escape of more or less organized small groups of soldiers.
One aspect was a fascinating mixture between a rather composed impression and the
lack of commitment represented by the often non-standard and mixed up uniform-style
on the one hand and the ever present fear of the Allied air threat on the other. This
atmosphere I have tried to depict with the basic idea of my little dio: A destroyed minor
bridge makes some soldiers search desperately for an alternative way to escape from
the pocket.
Beside this main idea my ambitiousness was fired by two technical aspects: Firstly to
make a convincing tree and secondly to create a completely flat outer surface of the
turned wooden base socket.
34
1 2 3
4 5
Bridge Section and Base

To be sure about the dimensions of the
scene and at the same time of the
handmade wooden base that I would have
to order I started with a rough construction
from Balsa-wood. My aim was to keep the
bridge section removable for as long as
possible in order to be able to work on it
separately. That is why I chose to make a
basic construction from square Balsa-
wood and plastic card, which could be
exactly adapted to the prepared base and
was at the same time stiff enough to be 6 7
handled alone. Home made brick sections
from air drying natural clay were glued to
the brick-wall parts while the sections of
natural stone were represented by Magic
Sculp.
Pic 1&2: Balsa wood was used to create the basic

structure of the base and faced with plastic card
for the brickwork areas.
Pic 3: I glued plastic frames of varying thickness to

pieces of plastic card and pressed the clay into it
with a hobby knife.
Pic 4: While it was rather easy to make the flat

brick representations it proved impossible to press
the air out of the thick frame I had made for the
complete bricks. So I made another version and
did not glue it to the plastic backing card so I could
turn it around before the material had dried
completely and add clay from the other side as
8
well.
Pic 5&6: The grouting on the natural stone

sections was done with Andrea Sculp which
already had a perfect colour.
Pic 7: The natural clay bricks already had varying

shades but this could be enhanced easily by using
thin wash applications of enamels.
Pic 8: The raw hollowed base was at first roughly

adapted to the prepared base. I had ordered the
base from a friendly wood turner with the edges to
be as thin as possible to simplify the adaption
work.
35
9 10
11 12
I was aware that it would be necessary to

glue the bridge section as soon as it came
13 14
to adapting the edge of the wooden base.
On the one hand working on the bridge
section would be significantly complicated
afterwards, which encouraged me to push
it near to completion before gluing it, whilst
on the other hand the delicate finish had to
be protected while working on the base.
Pic 9: I used plaster as grouting for the brick areas

and some retouching of the bricks was required.
Magic Sculp was used for the stone areas and
coloured with transparent layers of thinned
enamels of varying mixtures.
Pic 10: Once the bridge section had been glued

the rest of the stone covered area was added
along with the cobble stone street (also made from
Magic Sculp).
Pic 11: The cobble stones were painted with

enamels and again plaster was used for the
grouting. This step had to be done as late as the Pic 13&14: For the same reason I had to be sure about the trees position and therefore prepared a tree
wooden bases edges were sealed. "Water" stump from Magic Sculp applied to a plastic tube/rod structure.
application was prepared as well.
Pic 15&16: While I used plaster to smooth the balsa wood landscape I dropped the plan to use it for the
Pic 12: Before I could start with the groundwork final groundwork as well. The plaster’s advantage of extremely fine grain is offset by the lack of
the position of the motorcycle and the figures was colouration. Instead I tinted the plaster and added sand of varying grain with a material called "stone
fixed by pressing them into small portions of Magic paste", which is actually a mixture of white lime and sand. This meant I avoided the need to paint the
Sculp. Copper rods were added for extra strength. ground, especially in the sandy areas around the partly shattered bricks.
16
15
36
17 18
19
Water
While I tried to fix the dioramas dimensions I
thought of several opportunities to represent the
water. Of course it would have been a nice
addition to make it from clear material of
adequate thickness. But to work with my little
scene the water had definitely to be deep
enough not permit crossing without a bridge, it
would have pushed the height of the base out of
the limits of a balanced appearance. So I
decided to choose a flat solution.
Pic 17&18: Making the vegetation started with grass of

varying lengths and colour. The longest versions were cut
from pre-coloured large decorating paint brushes made
of natural hair.
Pic 19: As late as groundwork and basic vegetation

were done I weathered the bridge section and the
cobble stone street. Instead of the heavy "washes" and
numerous "dry-brushing" runs I once had been used to I
tried to preserve the original colours and only applied
subtle local washings from varying enamel tones.
Pic 20: To give the idea of depth and reddish rubble

shining through the deep water I employed oils, which
were applied wet-on-wet to create irregular smooth
transitions.
Pic 21: The "water effects" from Noch can be

manipulated to an uneven wavy surface for at least 20
minutes. A few leaves and dead branches were added
to float on the water and collect around the large bits of
rubble lying close to the waters edge.
20
21
37
23 22
Pic 22: The photo shows approximately the amount of copper wire, which
was used to make the tree. 0.8mm wire was employed for the basic
structure. This was refined with 0.4mm wire and later on with 0.25mm. The
latter was taken from an electric cable.
Pic 23 & 24: The increasingly complex structure becomes more and more
difficult to work on. To minimize this effect I made two main subunits, which
were kept separated until the thicker branches were covered with Magic
Sculp.
Pic 25: In order to create smooth transitions to the Magic Sculp and hide the
drilled structure of the delicate outer branches these were treated with brush
applied thinned putty.
Pic 26: Starting from a medium grey layer of Tamiya acrylics the tree was
weathered in particular with several "washes" from enamels. The light-green
type of moss(?) was dabbed on with oils and a sponge.
Pic 26: The flat leaves were shaped on the mouse-pad by the help of a
rounded party stick. The image shows the content of the first package of
leaves I used. Unfortunately the packages content extremely varied in quality,
colour and number.
24 25
26 27
Expensive Adventure: The Tree

I had little experience with vegetation and making a tree in
particular. But I had done a single branch once to add it to a 1:35
scale "Tiger" as additional camouflage. I had used "Plus Model"
oak leaves glued to a structure from copper wire and found the
result rather convincing except for the leaves appearing to be too
large. I thought that this technique maybe would in the larger
scale and give an even more satisfying result.
The problems started when Plus Model changed the production
methods of their leaves along with the overall quality while I had
already added a few hundred leaves to my tree, planning to
38 order more packages as soon as I would be able to estimate the
28 29 30
Pic 28-30: A cat playing with its helpless prey
31 serves as an allegory for the hopeless situation of

the German soldiers against Allied superiority in
32
the Falaise pocket. The cat was made from
Magic Sculp applied to a structure from copper
wire and painted with oils.
Pic 31&32: Due to the extraordinary scale all

additional equipment had to be made from
scratch. A 1/35 scale canteen was used for the
jar.
Pic 33: The captured pack of American

cigarettes was painted with oils. This proved
really challenging even though I had done the
same job in 1/16 scale before.
33
necessary amount. In particular the new type

of leaves did not show the fine lines on one
side, which I was after to create a more
refined impression.
In the end I had to order remaining stock of
the old type leaves from just all over the
world and I was finally saved by the discovery
that "Model Scene" had produced just the
same things for railroad models (and
changed production likewise). Fortunately the
German supplier "Langmesser-Modellwelt"
convinced the Model Scene company to
reproduce the required leaves of the
structured type.
In addition I had to beg several friends for
their remaining items as well. I am very
grateful that they supported me with
additional leaves. Finally I had used about 29
packages with about 3300 leaves coming
from Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Japan,
Australia, England, Russia, Czech Republic,
Austria, Belgium, ...did I forget any country?
Oh yes: ...and Germany. Fortunately I have no
clear idea about the cost anymore!
Several lengthy periods of waiting were

caused by the lack of leaves. This on the one
hand was frustrating but on the other it gave
me the time to work on the details of the
scene: I made the allegorical cat and mouse,
added more bricks and rubble, a can and
additional plants to the vegetation including a
dead branch. The frustration eventually
turned into the satisfaction of a more refined
finished result.
Acknowledgement
I am very grateful for the support of (in
alphabetical order): Paul Alderton, Hansi
Gieseler, Heiner Sander, Shigehito Takeuchi,
Norman Uschkureit.
39
SUPERKING
BUILDING TRUMPETER’S 1:16TH SCALE KING TIGER DAVID PARKER
The step by step story of David Parker’s

remarkable award-winning 1:16 scale
replica. Bringing together the three and
a half year coverage from AFV Modeller
with additional unpublished material and
combining archive photographs with
walkaround photography of the real
vehicle in over 300 pages for the ultimate
guide to modelling the King Tiger.
Keep up to date with AFV Modeller’s new releases by liking our

Facebook page and visiting www.afvmodeller.com where you
will also find our range of accessories, books and back issues
in our web shop.
new releases
KEEPING TRACK
Takom 1:35 Leopard C2 Mexas

Another exciting subject choice by new boys Takom for their latest turret, turret bustle and plating on top of the hull MEXAS armour,
1:35 scale release. Possibly the coolest-looking version of the Mk 1 but this is something I would rather add myself because the
Leopard the Canadian MEXAS upgraded C2 has seen active texture is especially fine. The kit allows you to model some of the
service in Afghanistan where it got very dusty and dirty making for turret panels removed and provides the mounting lugs on the
instant modelling appeal. The kit is moulded in three colours of turret but these are not the correct shape, but with the armour all
plastic if you include the tracks and the overall level of detail is right in place this is not a real issue. The Individual link track is made by
up with what we have seen with Takom’s other releases. There is a Orochi and the separate teeth and softer plastic end connectors
small photoetched fret for the engine deck grilles, stowage rack will allow for accurate articulation. The small decal sheet provides
grille periscope guards and other details. working torsion bar markings for four vehicles but you will need to check your
suspension is provided and with most of the suspension parts references as they are a mix of vehicles or depict vehicles fitted
moulded onto the hull assembly of the running gear is pleasingly with a dozer blade. Only scheme A is correct. A local Afghan figure
quick. Moving to the hull and the rear exhaust grilles have been is included depicted taking a quick ‘selfie’ on his phone. He is nice
well handled but in common with most Leopard kits the hull is enough but I would have preferred a Canadian crewman. If all the
missing some weld detail, although the MEXAS armour will cover fault finding sounds critical its not meant to be because its really
most of this the rear hull will need attention. Small handles on the very well done and as I am mid way through assembling it I can
engine deck are moulded as solid bars but these are an easy fix. confirm that it falls together. A few tweaks and additional detail will
The MEXAS panels assemble easily although it is worth dry fitting pay dividends and then its on to one of those great dusty paint
the turret ones to be sure you understand as the instructions are finishes. Takom kits are available in the UK from Inside the Armour
not totally clear. Areas of anti-slip are missing from the top of the who kindly supplied our sample. www.insidethearmour.com
AFV Modeller 1:16 King Tiger Interior

markings decals & Open Gurtsacks
Those who have taken on the challenge of building
Trumpeter’s 1:16 King Tiger will be aware that no
markings are provided for the interior of the tank. Due to
popular demand we have finally got around to putting
together a small decal sheet to fix this. The sheet
provides the various interior stencils with a choice of
black or white for some of them where appropriate.
Warning labels for the instrument panel and automatic
fire extinguisher are included along with a dial for the
gyrocompass and we have also included the labels for
the signal flare cartridges. The set comes with a small
photo-based positioning guide to help locate everything.
Another addition is a set of open gurtsack ammo bags
42 required for the hull and co-ax MG positions. Both can
be ordered from our web shop at:
www.mengafvmodeller.com
Revell 1:72 LKW 5t.mil gl

Adding to their range of modern German / NATO equipment in cutting following the diagram - could be tricky but will look more
small scale Revell have released this 5ton 4x4 version of the MAN to scale when in place. A rear tarpaulin cover is an optional part
truck. The four dark green sprues appear to have hit a good which has a bit of a rigid appearance and the wheels may have a
balance of a simple build with good levels of detail, moulding is few modellers waiting for some aftermarket resin parts to raise
crisp as with all of Revell's recent tooling. A ladder-bar the detail levels and cure the problem of a join seam around the
arrangement starts the build of the chassis with separate diffs and treads. A nice kit well up to the high standard of small scale Revell
good detail all-round, the cab contains some basic details which kits. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model
would be more than adequate seen through the glazing. Clear retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or
parts are supplied as an acetate sheet which will need careful facebook.com/Revell
Als Panzermann in Afrika und Italien 1942-45

Panzer Regiment 8 und Schwere Panzer-Abt.508
By Axel Urbanke / Hans Becker Published by Luftfahrtverlag-Start
Hardback format, 248 pages German/English text
ISBN 978-3-941437-19-7 www.luftfahrtverlag-start.de
Just when you thought you had seen every archive image in Tobruk by the massive BV 222 flying boat. There are some
existence along comes a superb publication like this with a excellent pictures of various vehicles in service and even the odd
massive selection of images including a good number of very aircraft too. Hans Becker was a very accomplished photographer
impressive colour images. This substantial book draws exclusively and the quality of the images is stunning with plenty of pin sharp
from the photo archive of Panzerman Hans Becker who as a detail for the modeller. After being wounded he was evacuated and
member of the Headquarter staff with various Panzer units in North reassigned to the newly formed Pz.Abt.508. Here there are some
Africa and later with Pz.Abt. 508 in Italy documented his frontline great images of Tiger 1 training turrets mounted on concrete
service. In fact during his time with 508 he was actually tasked with pedestals, and the units new Tiger’s being entrained to move to
recording the battalions experiences. The book combines these Italy. There are some excellent shots of the combat around
excellent photographs with extracts from Hans Becker’s diarys and Cisterna in wet and muddy conditions and plenty of other shots for
letters and maps of the various engagements he documented to Tiger fans. An all round stunning book packed with all sorts of 43
make a fascinating study. The book begins with a small section of modelling inspiration and highly recommended.
pre-war and training photos and then onto shots of the journey to
new releases
The Men Inside the Metal

The British AFV Crewman in WW2
By Dick Taylor
Published by Mushroom Model Publications
Softback format, 112 pages
ISBN 978-8389450-66-1
www.mmpbooks.biz
Essential reference for anyone with an interest in British WWII tank side arms along with map cases and even the enamel mug!
crew and something that has been long overdue. In this first Goggles, gas masks and watches are also covered. The section
volume the items of uniform are covered in considerable detail on Radio equipment gives some great details on the headphones
with footwear, headgear, and helmets. The uniform section deals and intercom equipment and all the variations of small arms are
with the battledress, shirts, jersey, greatcoat, overalls and Pixie also illustrated. The book interweaves photos of preserved
Suit. The peculiarities of the desert campaign and the Far East are equipment with illustrations, archive photos and first hand crew
also examined. Chapter 2 looks at badges and insignia and experiences to make a superb comprehensive modelling
chapter 3 covers personal equipment. This covers webbing and reference and an essential addition to your library - superb!
Nürnberg’s Panzer Factory

By Roddy MacDougall & Darren Neely
Published by Panzerwrecks
Hardback format 224 pages
ISBN 978-1-908032-06-5
www.panzerwrecks.com
It's incredible that after almost seventy years information and page sequence of interior shots of a factory fresh steel wheeled
photographs on the subject of Germany's armour can still be Ausf G. and test vehicles for the IR equipment. The picture
discovered, this new release from the Panzerwrecks guys is one content of the book is rightly the main focus with the text providing
of the most amazing collections of mostly unpublished shots you detailed captions and introductions to the chapters. There is a
could wish to see. The M.A.N factory history is covered from it's useful map of the whole plant and some fascinating pictures
late 1930s truck production up to it's wartime destruction. The showing the devastation caused by Allied bombing and the make
majority of the photographs are by the factories official shift repairs made to allow production to continue. Looking at the
photographer so the quality is excellent and presented in large pictures it is easy to see why many of the planned Panther
format the detail remains pin sharp. Prototype tanks are featured developments never materialised. Certainly one of the most
briefly but the main interest to modellers are the Panzer Is and IIs, exciting books on German armour we've seen in a long time,
44 Marders and the real jewels, the Panthers. Panther assembly, highly recommended to any German vehicle enthusiast and
prototypes, testing and repairs are featured with a fantastic 14 unmissable for Panther fans.
Hauler
A couple of handy generic sets for 1:72 modellers from Hauler are HLU35071 is a nice little 1:35 conversion for Meng's Renault FT-17
out now, HLH72024 are a mix of rear view mirrors for cars and to create the TSF command vehicle consisting of some nicely
soft-skins as is set HLH72025 containing a good selection of cast resin (the main part being the box superstructure replacing
photoetched steering wheels which will add some nice delicate the turret) and a photoetched fret, very nice yet very ugly at the
detail. In 1:35 is a set to detail Italeri's modern steel shipping same time! Its a simple little conversion on the Meng chassis and
container including clamps, locks and an ID plate. all you need to add are the antenna cables. www.hauler.cz
AMMO of Mig Jimenez - Acrylic Paints
Some dedicated boxed sets of colours and finishing effects from dedicated colour sets at last. in contrast 7115 offers the three
Ammo. The acrylic colours are ready to airbrush or brush in the main IDF sand grey and green colours. Colours are produced with
familiar bottles with a 'dropper' nozzle. 7100 should prove very a scaled effect to make them ready to use presumably in 1:35.
popular, as it is set of German colours 1939-'45 (including RAL Set 7401 'Summer Dust' is two jars of enamel wash and pigment
9001 interior cream) and a good generic set 7112 'Tool colours' powder, 7411 'Winter Camo' contains white acrylic, chipping fluid
with wood and metal tones. 7113 is a great idea to feature six and streaking effect. Handy project sets. Keep up with the rapid
colours of Egyptian and Syrian vehicles from the Yom Kippur War rate of releases at www.migjiminez.com.
to present day and it is great to see subjects like this getting
45
E35-204
E35-180
E35-208 E35-188
E35-199
E.T. Model
all the hatches, a new set of front hull doors, new tail skid and
replacement tool box. Superb Renault manufacturer’s name
plates are also provided. More up to date machinery with E35-204
for Tamiya's recent JGSDF Type 10, a big set of five frets plus tow
E.T. are always busy and have sent some samples to suit some cable including some incredibly fine mesh intake screens, hatch
recent releases out on the market. Where tow cable is included, latches, turret tie down loops, tool clasps, crew boom
E.T. are now using a nice soft copper cable which has a nice scale microphones and replacement rubber mudflaps and side skirts.
appearance. E35-180 is for Dragon's L/70 (A) and E35-188 for the Finally set E35-208 which is for Trumpeter's cast turret T90, a
same vehicle providing a full set of the mesh 'Thoma' side skirts bumper set of five etch frets, resin smoke candles and antennae
which would be a challenge to build (soldering would be a big base. The etched parts give you new straps for all the fuel cells,
advantage) but will look superb, the three dimensional weave mounting brackets and straps for the rear fuel drums, engine deck
effect of the mesh looks very good. E35-199 is designed to grilles, stowage bin clasps, details for the machine gun and ring
enhance Meng's lovely little FT-17 with plenty of fine external detail clamps for the gun barrel. Great quality as always, check out the
46 and complete new internal ammo stowage racks for cannon massive range at www.etmodeller.com
ammo and MG ammo. New latches and hinges are included for
Israeli Wild and Cruel Cats World-recognized expert on Israeli military white shots of both factory fresh and
Vol.3 Achzarit Heavy APC vehicles (and modeller himself),Dr Robert vehicles in action coupled with detailed 1:35
Dr Robert Manasherob Manasherob, brings us a third volume on plans explaining production variants. A walk
Published by SabIngaMartin Publications IDF APCs namely the sleek looking Achzarit around section focuses on all the right areas
Sotback A4 format, 80 pages (a Hebrew word meaning 'Cruel Female') (from a modelling perspective) in close-up
ISBN 978 0 9841437 2 6 derived from T54 /55 chassis in true Israeli detail and the icing on the cake are the
www.SabIngaMartin.com customisation to suit specific needs. The excellent colour profiles including details of
tried and tested format of 'The Israeli Way' markings. A superb comprehensive
series of reference books is adhered to with reference for IDF enthusiasts which
an introduction and development of the coincides nicely with Meng's release in 1:35.
Achzarit , prototypes and production mark I Our thanks to www.aviationbookcentre.com
(variant A and B) we have a wealth of for our sample copy.
previously unpublished colour and black and
Sturmgeschütz III on the

Battlefield 2
Mátyás Pánczél
Published by PeKo Publishing
Hardback landscape format, 112 pages
Polish / English Text
www.panzerwrecks.com
The second volume on StuG III is available now, the format and knocked out hulks from Allied archives (including the photo
remains the same which will please modellers as we've again that inspired Radek's diorama that we have the pleasure of
fresh and inspirational images presented in large (full page) format showing in this issue). Detailed photo captions and some
covering all models from Bs to StuH.42 at the end of the War. introductory text are in dual language Polish / English. A great
Image quality varies but the majority are excellent (similar to the visual reference and very good value. Our thanks to Panzerwrecks 47
Panzerwrecks series) and StuGs serving on all fronts are shown who are the UK distributors.
both operational vehicles with the photos from German sources
Dragon 1:35 Jagdpanther G2
The Jagdpanther ranks high on many German armour modeller's the photoetched fret and beautifully done weld beads and cast
'favourites' list so this recent release of the G2 version should textures. Love 'em or hate 'em this one comes with DS tracks
prove popular with the proven track record of Dragon's G1 and which will speed up assembly, in fact, the simple nature of the
Panther G providing a bulk of the parts. No cop-outs with vehicle should prove quite a swift build from the box. Gun breech
accuracy from Dragon who have a completely new-tooled upper detail and simple 'plug-in' radiator and fan assemblies should
hull with amended angles and engine deck (along with smaller prove sufficient when peeking through the hatches and holes
details, ball mount, tow cable brackets etc) suitable for the G2 leaving only the decision of which cool late war colour scheme to
version. Fantastic detail again throughout this kit, the finesse of choose. Another lovely Dragon Panther to add to the wish list!
moulding second to none including engine deck mesh screens on
Dragon 1:35 Tiger 1 Mid-production

Another Tiger to add to Dragon's popular series of zimmerit engine deck mesh and even a pre-formed metal conduit for the
coated vehicles, this one fills a gap and should prove extremely front lamp. In the past to build a Tiger to this kind of standard
popular. As expected the kit relies heavily on previous releases would take a tremendous amount of time not to mention money.
but at first glance we look to have new roadwheels which are Some well photographed vehicles are included in the eight
superb, a new upper hull plate and I think, the turret. The DS track schemes offered (all 1944) three from the Eastern front and three
is included in this release, along with the zimmerit finish this Pz.Abt.101 involved in the Normandy battles, spare track links
should prove a quicker build than our efforts in the past to and details of their placement are given for each option. So there
produce this particular Tiger. The shape and definition of the may be sighs from many thinking 'another Tiger...' but if you can't
zimmerit paste is really nice and beautifully moulded as is the get enough of the German 'big cats' this one is a must-have.
48 whole kit showing what Dragon really are capable of, these Tigers Beautiful kit Dragon!
are superbly detailed models built from the box with photoetched
Dragon 1:35 PaK40/4 auf RSO mit Allwetterverdeck

Following on from the original release of this vehicle a few years including a new sprue of parts improving the brake drums, seating
back we've a new boxing from Dragon of the RSO PaK-ing a and the configuration of the floor with ammo storage. The PaK 40
punch! As the 'Allwetterverdeck' on the box art suggests there is is the later of DML's kits with a single piece barrel, a choice of
the inclusion this time of the tarpaulin cover, the main difference muzzle brakes and nicely rendered gun shield. The delicate de-
between the two kits. So starting with that, the large one piece sprued Magic Track is still present as is Dragon's superbly
moulding is well sculpted with a natural look although the roof detailed sharp moulding throughout the kit and the inclusion of
section a little too crumpled for my liking. The moulded part also two small photoetched frets promising a very detailed build from
differs from the box-art in that it has both sides fastened down. the box.
Looking over the other sprues there's credit to Dragon for
Dragon 1:35 Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A with Interior

Dragon add another Panzer II to the range with the early round- will really help the finished look of such a tiny vehicle, the detail is
nosed Ausf.A with the bonus of a full interior (minus the engine superb. The turret detail is very comprehensive with vision blocks
bay). If you're familiar with Dragon kits you'll not be scared off by and gun breech, toothed ring and MG34 which should all remain
the monumental amount of parts crammed into the box as many largely visible through the large roof hatches and with the vision
aren't used with a compilation of sprues from previous Panzer IIs blocks open some extra light will help (although the lower hull will
and their Marder II kit (providing much of the interior. So along with be difficult to see still) A flick back through some of the
the grey sprues there's a clear sprue, a sizable photoetched fret, Panzerwrecks volumes will give you some great diorama ideas for
tiny de-sprued track links, some pre-formed metal grab handles a KO'd Panzer II, this kit is the ideal candidate with all that interior
and a decal sheet of six options featuring early dark grey vehicles. detail! Another high quality kit from Dragon, our thanks to The 49
DML's precise delicate detail is present across the whole kit which Hobby Company for our Dragon samples.
new releases
35097
35097 35099
35097 / 35099
35095 72005 72004
72006
35090 72004 / 72005 / 72006
35094
Inside the Armour

Inside the Armour now offer the small scale detailer an expanding range with
'ITA72' some new releases are photoetched mesh sheets, 72004 square mesh,
72005 diamond mesh and 72006 chain link fence for dioramas. The same fine
mesh is available in is also replicated in 1:35 with three new products. 35093
is another handy detailing fret of generic letters and numbers in various sizes
(some minute!) suitable for foundry markings and manufacturer's marks. More
specific new sets in 1:35 are 35090, a set of detailed idler horn plates for a
quick fix to add the missing detail to your Churchill project in photoetch and
35095 is an upgrade for AFV Club's new Churchill Gun Carrier including fine
detail and stowage boxes in photoetch and full upper front mudguards in resin.
www.insidethearmour.com has more details and an on-line shop for their
range of quality upgrades.
Stalingrad 1:35 Figures

The much respected range of 1:35 resin figures from Stalingrad and their sculptor
Alexander Zelenkov is always worth keeping an eye on, the quality is amongst the best on
the market with great historical atmosphere and accuracy. These three recent releases
would look great together in an Eastern front scene depicting an MG34 team. S-3063 are
the gunners themselves with a natural looking stance, assembly is a fiddle but everything
eventually slots into place with excellent realism. S-3064 is an NCO peering through
binoculars with a convincing lean with his weight on one leg. A final complement to the
scene is S-3065 a crouching ammo carrier, can in one hand and rifle in the other.
50 Personal equipment is all included and cast to the same high standards- superb figures
always from Stalingrad. www.stalingrad.diorama.ru
Airfix 1:72 Diorama accessories

A new range from Airfix which is aimed probably at the wargamer are some thick areas on the damaged areas which could be
market but will certainly be of interest to the small scale diorama improved on easily and the surface can be scribed to add more
modeller. These buildings are cast in a lightweight resin material finesse. The range in Airfix's latest catalogue is very good
and even include photoetched details such as window frames and including bridges, churches and commercial buildings, some are
clear glazing, with minimal assembly these buildings are pretty stated as 1:76 but the difference appears minimal. A very speedy
much ready to paint. Surface detail and casting is good but there way to a large diorama, well worth a look www.airfix.com.
Master Box 1:35 German Elite Infantry

Master Box 1:35 'Jungle Patrol' Another imaginative set from MB with these Waffen SS troops happy in
the fact that they're going to eat like kings tonight! A common generic
'Nam figures are always welcome additions to any range
German equipment sprue as we've seen before is impressive with a wide
and MB produce some of the best injection moulded figure
choice of weapons including MG 34s and 42s, PPSH, handguns, grenades
sets on the market. These four U.S. Army figures are
and ammo boxes much of which can be used elsewhere. The detail and
offered with optional arms and heads allowing a variety of
proportions are excellent throughout. The five figures work really well
poses but all looking to be alerted by some movement and
together and are reminiscent of a number of war-time photographs with
about to open fire. Moulding is very crisp with exceptionally
the guy holding the chickens very well done, the gripping hands moulded
good facial expressions and uniform details with loads of
to the unlucky bird’s necks. A helmet of eggs and a discrepancy between
equipment and weapons (blooper, M60, M16s, M1 and
the moulding and box art where the art shows a melon and the moulded
shotgun) options along with headgear leaving you plenty
piece is a cabbage, not to worry - sour kraut it is then! Another cracking
spare to clutter a vehicle with. A great set for any Jungle
set of figures to build a scene around. www.mbltd.info is the place to visit
action scene.
on-line
MK35 Militar's Kits 1:35 figures

Who better than the long running French manufacturer MK35 to where F243 appears a little less animated. All are weighed down
tackle some French infantry? With not a great deal to choose with gear which is all nicely sculpted and moulded as are the
from on the market these four French infantrymen in action should uniforms including 'movement' with the greatcoats to good effect. 51
prove popular with anyone modelling the early-war period on the Good characters to bring life to a diorama. www.mk35.com has
Western Front. F241, F242 and F244 are all running at a pace more details.
54
Dragon’s 1:35 kit modelled and described by

Achtrad
Antonio Martin Tello
The SdKfz 234 series of eight wheeled vehicles was the final
incarnation of the family of heavy recon armoured cars developed by
the Germans during WWII. They entered service in 1944 and were built
in four versions, two “light” and two “heavy” regarding their
armament. The SdKfz 234/1 and /2 (the famous “Puma”) mounted 2
cm and 5 cm guns respectively, and the /3 and /4 carried 7.5 cm,
short and long barrelled guns respectively. The mission of these latter
two, especially of the SdKfz 234/3, was to support the /1 and /2 in
their recon duties with their more powerful 7.5 cm guns, dealing with
enemy infantry, machine gun nests, antitank emplacements or soft
skins or light armoured enemy vehicles.
The 234 family has always been among noticeable in the finished model. The kit
my favourite vehicles. I love their modern comes with a full set of “all terrain” wheels,
and aggressive look, and all the four have and also includes several “civilian pattern”
been in my “to do” modelling list. as a bonus, which I did not use in my
Fortunately, Dragon models kitted all of the model.
versions in the late 2000s making an I built the kit more or less out from the box.
excellent job. In fact, their series of the The main extra work was the detailing of
SdKfz 234 family are fantastic kits, plentiful the tool’s holders and clamps. These are
of detail, (ah, this running gear…) and their form a very convenient set from Hauler.
construction runs relatively smoothly. The Photoetched leftovers were used here and
SdKfz 234/3 version (ref 6257) featured in there, especially in the jack holders, since
this article is no an exception. The kit box the plastic ones supplied in the kit were
is filled with parts, including a small photo too thick. Tie loops were added on the
etched sheet, a clear sprue, and some upper sides and rear, made of thin wire. In
metallic parts, such as the width indicator retrospective, I think that the jerrycan
poles. The interior provided is quite holders would have also benefitted from a
complete, despite it is not very visible once replacement with some photoetched parts,
the model is done. Nevertheless, it has but at the time I built the model I had not a
been pointed out that the batteries are source at hand for them and I did not want
missing, but, as I said, this is barely to complicate further the building process.
55
“their series
of the SdKfz 234 family
are fantastic kits”
In this kind of vehicles, with a somewhat much of all this is visible once the model masking tape. The base coat colour was
visible interior, it is necessary to paint this is completed. a mix of XF60 dark yellow and XF55 buff.
part before the two main halves of the Then, I airbrushed freehand the green
body are glued together. For the airbrush With the interior painted, then I finished (XF58 olive green + XF21 sky) and brown
work I used the good old Tamiya acrylics the assembly of the model, and moved to (XF64 red brown + base colour) stripes.
diluted with Gaianotes lacquer thinner. I the painting. The scheme chosen for my Finally, I sealed this base with a coat of
painted the inner walls in mix of XF60 model was a fairly common three tone diluted X22 clear varnish.
dark yellow and XF55 buff and the floor in camouflage, as it can frequently be seen
a “red primer” tone obtained by mixing in German vehicles during the Normandy As I said, the decals used are some of
XF64 red brown and XF7 flat red. Steering campaign. Since I wanted to use the one the supplied by Dragon in the box. They
wheels, pedals and levers were brush of the decal options provided by Dragon are of excellent quality and were fixed
painted in black, and some details here in the box and mark my 234/3 as a 116. with the aid of Microsol and Microset
and there in green (both Vallejo). Then, I PzDiv. Vehicle, I just followed the liquids. Once dry, I applied some ochre
applied the usual weathering procedure instructions and took the profiles depicted and tan filters in order to start to integrate
that will be described later for the in them as a guide. Before starting the the camo colours and the decals.
exterior. Anyway, as I said before, not painting, I closed the hull opening with
56
Oil pin washes add more tonal richness and add a faded look to the base coat, especially
when using light tones or white. I used many colours and applied them randomly, is mall
dots, blending them randomly with the aid of some thinner.
The oil pin washes are an easy way to start

the weathering of the model. They add more
tonal richness and add a faded look to the
base coat, especially when using light tones
or white. I used many colours and applied
them randomly, in small dots, blending them
randomly with the aid of some thinner.
The chipping was made with a sharp small

pencil and in three colours, trying to simulate
the damage in the successive layers of paint:
Superficial scratches in lightened dark yellow
representing light damage in the camouflage
and base colours, red primer scratches that
revealed the primer coat, and dark brown
chipping, representing deep scratches that
exposed the metal. Most of the times, these
scratches are painted one over the other,
following the logical sequence. There were
some areas were I wanted to represent a
more severe damage, due to a more
persistent rubbing. These are mainly the front
bumper, the spare wheel holder, and the
lower front and rear area. Here the dark
brown colour was dry brushed or tapped with
a hard bristle old brush.
Then I came back to the oils and painted

some subtle streaks trying to simulate both
grime and rust starting from the deeper
chips. For this purpose I used a reddish
brown colours, quite diluted and blended with
thinner. In the more damaged areas (bumper,
wheel holder…) I made a sort of diluted wash
with this colour.
57
At this point, I also painted the tools and accumulation would be logical, and more
other details such as the fire extinguisher, heavily in the lower portions. The pigments
padlocks or exhausts. For the rusty look of were retouched with wet effects (MIG
these latter, I used track rust pigment Productions) and earth effects (AK
(AK085) fixed with track wash (AK083), Interactive) in order to increase the
both form AK Interactive, applied with a intensity of the tones and create some
thin brush in a more or less random effect of humidity in the dust. The wheels
pattern, and slightly retouched later with were treated in a similar way that the rest
tiny points of rust coloured pigments of of the model, maybe with a little heavier
different tones. weathering effects in some cases. The
hubs were painted in the lightened mixture
In order to enhance the details, a pinwash of dark yellow (see above, no camouflage)
of dark wash (MIG Productions) was and the tyres in black. After some oil
applied around the details and recessed washes, I painted the chipping. I applied a
lines. It is important to remove the excess dark pinwash, which is particularly suited
of this dark wash from flat areas, in order here in order to highlight the different bolts installation for the gun in its place, some
not to darken the model. Finally, I dirtied Finally, I dirtied them with pigments, and transparent bottles from Plus Models, and
the model with pigments. I used a couple cleaned the threads by rubbing them with footprints made with the Calibre 35 foot
of tones: Europe dust (P028) from MIG the finger.The wheels were ready to be stamps, an aerial from RB… The 234/4 was
Productions and European earth (AK042) installed in the model.The final touches done and ready for its scenic base.
from AK Interactive. These were applied in were the addition of fuel and grease stains
the horizontal surfaces, where an in the wheel hubs and engine deck, the
58
“for the first time I

used the airbrush to
paint figures”
The figures- a most important feature of any vignette

To crew my SdKfz 234/3 I chose three resin figures from two (the head, a shirt, the trousers…)
top quality brands. The first one is from the Russian maker you paint the base colour, and then airbrush a lighter colour
Evolution and is “German tank crewman #2” (ref 35071). from above, and a darker colour from below. It is just as if
When I saw it in the net, I was captivated by his casual pose you “paint the light”.
and nice detail, and I was not disappointed when I finally had
it in my hands, since it is superb. Afterwards, you retouch the figure with a brush as usual.
“only brush” work, and it is also easier, since the light and
The other two guys came from the US and are from Alpine, shadows areas are naturally marked. Also, you can use your
arguably the “standard setter” in the current world of 1/35 Vallejo or similar for the airbrush, diluting them with alcohol
military resin figures. They are the reference 35101 “German or their specific brand solvent, and so, for the subsequent
Panzer Crew in summer” and, no surprise here, they are brush work you can use the very same colour. Of course, for
gorgeous. For the first time I used the airbrush to paint the small details, or camouflaged clothes this approach does
figures. If you have an area that is only or mainly one colour not work.
59
Normandy, August 1944...creating a moment in time
For the time-space location of my models, Mortain on August 6 or 7, 1944. A quick sand and small pebbles and applied it on
I usually decide first, and then, I build and look via Google’s street view allowed me to the embankment, and later, I added some
paint the model in a suitable way to fit it. get an idea about the appearance of the small “stones” made of smashed chalk.
This time, the process was quite the countryside by the local “départementales” The road pavement was made with thin
opposite. As I said, I wanted to depict a roads near this town, and I tried to coat of plaster, mixed with some white
more or less typical German vehicle from recreate this look in my scene. The layout glue. When it dried, it cracked; this was not
the Normandy campaign, and the best is simple, a portion of a local road, a small intentional, but I think the road looked
option given by Dragon in their decal sheet ditch, an embankment, a fence, plenty of more realistic this way, so I was lucky.
was a car from the Panzer-Aufklärungs- green vegetation, flowers (remember, we Once dry, the ground was painted with
Abteilung 116, 116. Panzer Division, the are in August), a tree, a road sign… suitable acrylic colours and received some
famous “greyhound” division. Doing a little As usual, I started with the basic shape dark brown (embankment) or grey (road)
of research on this unit I found that it made with two pieces of insulating foam, a washes, and some pigments.
participated in Operation Lüttich, the big light and easy to cut material, glued
counter offensive launched by the together, with a classic diagonal
Germans the 6th of August 1944 near composition. Then, I cut the excess foam
Mortain with the aim to cut the advances “modelling” the embankment and the
of the allies in Brittany and re-take ditch. For the rough texture of the ground, I
Avranches. The German forces eventually made a mixture of plaster, white glue,
failed in their objectives and they were
pushed back and nearly destroyed in the
Falaise pocket a couple of weeks later,
practically ending the battle for Normandy.
Thus, my 234/4 would be located near
Over this basic ground I added two wash. Then, the leaves were glued one by
elements: The fence and the tree. The one. They are laser cut paper made by
fence helps to close the background of the Kamizukuri from Japan which requires to
scene, while the tree, almost in a corner, be painted. The specific reference is
enhances the vertical dimension of the “horse chestnut tree leaves” (ref A14), and
diorama. The fence was made with balsa I used four sheets, which represent more
wood, and to give it an old and worn out than 1200 leaves… Once glued to the tree,
look, I engraved it with a wire brush and the leaves received some random washes
dented the ends. I painted it in acrylics, of a couple of greens, and ochre.
applied a dark wash to enhance the
texture and finally add a hint of green to I decided from the beginning that the
simulate mould. For the tree, the trunk and vegetation has to play a very important
basic branches came from a dry bonsai. role in the scene. Many times I see
On these branches, finer ones were dioramas or vignettes in which the
simulated gluing wire and natural sticks, modeller has put a great deal of attention
which were painted to match the overall in the vehicles and figures but then the
tone of the trunk. At this point, the vegetation is not at the same level, being,
60
branches and trunk received a dark brown unreal, repetitive or boring.
Here, I tried to make abundant, One of the elements that help to

realistic and varied vegetation, with locate the place where the scene
several kinds of bushes, weeds, takes place is the road sign. It is a
flowers… even butterflies. In fact, is typical French “borne d’angle
not so difficult, the main trick is the Michelin”, a kind of sign made of
variety and dedication. I spent lots of concrete, very popular in the 1930s
hours planting weeds and flowers; and 1940s and a symbol of the rural
lots. The list of material used includes France of the time
some natural things, such as fine (http://panneauxenbeton.perso.sfr.fr/en
sticks of dry Mediterranean tape weed glish_index.html). The sign is a resin
(posidonia oceanica), synthetic reference from Plus Models (ref 392)
diorama stuff, laser cut leaves and with custom made signs. The base
flowers (Plus Models and Kamizukuri) colour is a grey primer from AK
and photo etched flowers and plants interactive, which serves as a good
(and butterflies) (Eduard). The concrete colour. On this base, I
medium bushes were made from a brushed “heavy chipping fluid” from
skeleton of plaited wire, covered with AK Interactive (ref 089). Then, I
putty and painted in a suitable greyish applied a coat of acrylic white (Vallejo)
brown colour, and then I glued once dry, I rubbed the paint with a
Kamizukuri leaves in the same way as hard bristle brush moistened in water.
for the big tree.
The more you rub, the more distressed the

white paint you get. Once happy with the look,
I let all the paint to settle, and then I applied a
wash of a brownish grey. I add the signs that
also received a light wash and some chips,
and put the element in place, were it received
a hint of green to simulate mould.
61
I am certainly not a quick modeller, but this

time the model itself has not been the
most time-consuming part of the work. I
spent lot of hours working in the ground,
mainly in the vegetation, since I wanted to
do my best here, and try to find out how
far I could go. I recognize that sometimes
it has been somewhat boring and
repetitive, and, despite I am quite satisfied
with the final result, in retrospective I think
it was too much work. I still think that the
use of suitable figures and the placement
of a model in a good scenic setting add a
considerable amount of value to the model
itself, and thus, I will keep doing that in my
future projects. However, I think that my
groundwork will be much simpler, at least
in the near future, and I will focus in the
vehicle, that is really where we modellers
have fun, don’t we?.
62
63

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Issue 76 cover_Issue 26 cover 11/04/2014 11:18 Page 1

MENG BEHAVING BRADLEY

12 Syrian T-72 Model 1975

20 Man with a Dream

24 “Jerry got His”

34 “In der Falle” Part Four

54 Sd.Kfz. 234/3 Achtrad

Meng Models Sponsors AFV Modeller

Meng AFV Modeller is published Bimonthly by

u.s.infantry fighting vehicle with ‘b u s k III’ upgrade kit

We've been increasingly impressed with Meng's

A kit with so many parts of a complex nature usually

big ol’ box o’ bits

The separate motor units have a detailed bell housing and

Next I had the itch to do some painting so I

Further texture was added

A full set of internal

I certainly had my doubts

A small, but commendable little detail

The side armour units are

The tail gate can be opened and closed with a

time for the turret...

The decals really lift the

The turret exterior is as busy and complex

I’m really going to

d look at the interior and engine

The roof hatch

View of the tight space leading to the 9

Views to either side of the driver. Note the folding seat

Note the finish on the manifolds and the heat

Close-up of the turbocharger unit to

Details of the automatic transmission. Note the

Left The various turret fittings along with the

The front section of the gunner’s main sight, again

Turret Final Details

The completed model with the sub-assemblies,

MAN with a dream

Radek Pituch talks to Roberto Aguilera

Roberto owns many of the Alpine box art figures

Modelled by Radek Pituch

The Battle for Cassino, and the important strategic

I found my inspiration photo of a destroyed StuG III

I choose CMK’s resin Driver’s and fighting

Having the overall layout of the scene prepared I started on the

The building was to be one of the most important

parts of the whole build. As usual in my projects I

The side and rear of the building was covered with

The Doors were made of

Above Applying tufts of static grass with tweezers

Above Some litter lying around the cellar.

Below Pigments used for colouring the

"In der Falle?"

Bridge Section and Base

Pic 1&2: Balsa wood was used to create the basic

Pic 3: I glued plastic frames of varying thickness to

Pic 4: While it was rather easy to make the flat

Pic 5&6: The grouting on the natural stone

Pic 7: The natural clay bricks already had varying

Pic 8: The raw hollowed base was at first roughly

I was aware that it would be necessary to