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Mike

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  1. D8511 Tractor Mod.1936 German Industrial Tractor (24005) 1:24 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd Tractors were a boon to farmers when they were introduced after the reliability of the motor car was proven, as they were especially useful for lugging heavy equipment around the farm, as well as the typical ploughing, sowing, reaping and transporting of crops. They also had power take-off points that could be used to drive other stationary machinery, further expanding their usefulness to that of a portable power-plant. Lanz were the leading maker of farm machinery in Germany, and their Bulldog range were the “hoover” of the tractor world in their country for many years. They were good quality and reliable, which led to them being copied by several countries, and as the initial 1921 model was improved the model number was increased until well into the 9,000s. One of the primary selling points of the vehicle was the simple “hot-bulb” single-cylinder engine that could be run on a variety of fuels and had very few moving parts, which made it easy to repair and maintain. They started off as 6L and grew to 10L engines, and their slow turnover high-torque output suited the tractor’s work very well. In 1956 they were sold to John Deere, and the name slowly fell out of use. There are still many working examples to be seen at county fairs and historic events, kept in splendid working condition by their loving (some may say obsessed) owners. The Kit This is new edition of MiniArt’s D8500 range of kits but in the larger de facto vehicle scale of 1:24, and you can still expect more to come if their 1:35 release schedule of this series is repeated, which seems to be happening. The kit arrives in a standard top-opening box, and inside are eight sprues of various sizes in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a small decal sheet and the instruction booklet that has colour profiles of the decal options on the rear pages. Construction begins with the large cast metal chassis that is made up from two halves each end around a cylindrical centre-plate, with lots of parts used to create its distinctive shape. The superstructure above the chassis where the engine and ancillaries are found is roughly rectangular, having various filler caps on the top, radiator panels and louvres on the sides, plus a Lanz Bulldog name-plate on the front. The driver’s foot pedals are long curved linkages to the underside of the chassis, and with these in place the driver’s tread-plated floor is installed and a big handbrake is fitted to the deck, plus a stowage box under the rear left lip. The large cylindrical assembly in the centre of the chassis is filled with the clutch and drive-shaft on one side, and on the floor plate the driver’s seat is mounted on a sturdy spring, a couple of hand controls are inserted into depressions in the deck in front, then the large drive housing is mounted on the left side of the chassis, with a bell-housing and fly-wheel on the opposite side over the clutch, and two large fenders/sidewalls over where the rear wheels will be that have additional nuts applied, plus a sturdy bumper-bar at the rear on diagonal cross-braces. The rear hubs have two additional layers inside for the drum brakes, ready to receive the large back wheels. The front axle has the hubs fitted on pivots, adding the steering arms, anti-roll bars and the linkage to the column, which is installed on the front underframe on a single pivot in preparation for the tyres. The wheels on this tractor have heavy tread to plough through mud, which are built up by layering four parts together to make a twin tyre-sandwich at the rear, and a two-part layer for the smaller front wheels, all with crisp and chunky tread on the rolling surfaces. The tyres have their hub fronts moulded-in, while the rears have an additional rear hub spacer ring added between the wheels and rear axles before both are installed on the axles. Two large exhausts are made up from various odd-shaped parts attaching to the left side of the chassis either side of the bell-housing, with a pair of clear-lensed headlamps on an oversized cross-member on the topside. You have a choice of installing the steering wheel on the column in the cab with a cover over the power take-off point, or cut the column tip away in the cab, gluing the steering wheel on a rod that inserts into the centre of the take-off, with the cover flipped down for access. I understand this was for manually starting the engine, but don’t quote me on that. Markings There are three decal options on the sheet, and the suggested paint schemes vary from garish yellow via green to a dull grey, with plenty of options for weathering. From the box you can build one of the following: Deutsche Reichbahn, Germany, 1939-45 Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG, Germany 1939-45 Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD), Germany, 1939-45 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Another variation on a tractor that was once ubiquitous in and around German farms, and this early variant takes it back to basics without sacrificing detail. These kits are also great to show off your weathering skills, or test them out, and if you're a car modeller, they'll be in scale with the rest of your cabinet. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. Having fixed the decals with a few from the stash, and don't berate me for the size of the fuselage roundels, they were all I had You usually see black aircraft with light washes to highlight panels, and I have to admit that I don't always like the effect. I use Ultimate washes, so I know they're washable for any undoing that I might have decided to do. I did a quick test of Concrete on one of the wings, upper and lower. Here's how it came out: I decided I wasn't averse to it, so pressed ahead with the process, whilst fiddling about with the ancillaries. I also did a bit of touching up of any marks, plus adding new marks to simulate a bit of light weathering. After I'd double- and triple-checked the wash for any bit I'd missed, I threw a bit of matt varnish on it and the pylons, adding a few bits of silver pencil scratching and chipping around panels, again not wanting to overdo it. It's a made-up situation, but if it had happened, they wouldn't have time to touch-up paint or clean exhaust residue off the underside of the fuselage, which is why the latter is a bit mucky looking in the pic above right I wish it has occurred to me earlier to mark and pin the pylons under the wings, but I'm going to have to do that next, trying not to remove any paint or leave any marks from the measuring process. I've already inserted brass rod pins in the pylons, so I'm going to have to get 'er done
  3. Where are you based then? It's boringly normal at 10c outdoors here. Keep up the good work
  4. Supermoo-rine Spitfire. Moos-serschmitt Beef.109
  5. Then we'll arrange for them to get the appropriate care from medical professionals
  6. T-90M ‘Breakthrough’ Main Battle Tank Acrylic Paint Set (02.124) Jim-Scale via Hobby Colours Jim Scale is a Russian-based brand of modelling supplies that concentrates heavily on painting and finishing, with a great many products aimed at the modeller of Russian Federation or Soviet subjects, but with a broad range that will suit almost any genre. Their location might cause concerns for some of our members at the moment, but these products have come to us via Hobby Colours from Greece, and might appeal to some of our members around the world, providing that supply doesn’t eventually become a problem. The range contains products that are water-based and alcohol-based, the water-based product codes beginning with 01., and with the colour or product number after the full-stop. This is good to know, as the packaging is written almost entirely in Russian, which isn’t a language many native English speakers are familiar with. Fortunately, our mobile (cell/handy) phones are becoming more competent with every generation, and translation from one language to another is the work of moments, simply aiming your phone’s camera at the text and tapping translate. This set is for painting the T-90M Breakthrough, an uprated variant of the T-90 tank, and arrives in a bubble package with a cardboard backing card, a clear vacformed front holding the paint bottles in place until you slide the card out from behind. Each bottle contains 18ml of paint, and is topped off with a dropper tip and yellow cap that screws onto the nozzle, preventing leakage. There is also a shaker ball inside each bottle to assist with mixing the paint before use, and we are told that the paints can be sprayed or brushed just as easily. The 01. code tells us that this is a water-based acrylic, and there is little to no aroma from the bottles, unless you place the nozzle just under your nose. The three colours are as follows: 01.138 Syrian Sand 01.258 HU-1200 01.274L Old Tires The old Tires bottle is slightly different from the others, having a different cap and sticker around the bottle, but otherwise the product is identical in use, other than the colour of course! As is usual with my tests, I used plastic spoons that had been prepared by a light roughening with a very fine sanding stick, and the outer face of the bowl was sprayed with Tamiya primer from a rattle can for purely practical reasons. The inside of the spoon’s bowl wasn’t primed to give those that don’t usually prime their models an indication of how well the paint sticks to bare plastic. Spraying was carried out by first laying down a light exploratory mist coat, which was given a few seconds to dry before adding another heavier layer, repeating extra layers as necessary. The paint went down very well with no spluttering, stoppages, or other issues, and as it dried the surface became very smooth with a slight sheen visible from some angle after initial drying had occurred. The inner face of the bowl sprayed similarly well, but with a slight patina during the early stage due to static charge lingering on the un-primed surface, which disappeared under subsequent coats. After several hours of drying, the paint had taken on a matt sheen that is pleasing to the eye, across all colours in the set. Sprayed on a Primed Surface Sprayed on a un-Primed Surface Two days after spraying paint on both sides, Tamiya tape was applied to all six surfaces, burnished down firmly, and torn off 20 minutes later, with absolutely no care whatsoever. This paint is as tough as old boots, and there wasn’t any lifting of the tape, regardless of priming or not, so you can paint and mask this paint to your heart’s delight and it won’t let you down if you prepare your model’s surfaces. In fact, if I had thought of it at the time, I’d have sprayed it onto an un-prepared spoon, and I suspect it would have stuck to that too. That’s for the next set though, so keep an eye out. Conclusion The paint is very tough, and results in a smooth matt surface, with the trade-off being that it takes a little longer to cure than some more delicate brands. If you’re not a modeller in a hurry, this shouldn’t be an issue. I’m impressed. Highly recommended. This set is currently out of stock, but a new batch is inbound this month, so check back soon Review sample courtesy of
  7. Lovely job. Muddier than a muddier thing in the mud.
  8. Peter, I've removed all the excess from your initial post to save duplication. Good luck with finding what you need
  9. Admin bump for a reminder to all those miscreants that can't help themselves
  10. That's better than the vinyl stuff they used to use. vinyl isn't great for masking curved shapes, so I was glad when they started using Kabuki tape. Good luck with the renovation - I hope you get it sorted
  11. Chooseday Where am I moving it to? A URL would be useful, as it's late and I've switched to decaf for the evening
  12. From my experience with Eduard masks, they're usually first-rate. I'm talking about their masks that are kabuki tape based, the yellow ones that look like Tamiya tape. I can't speak for their old (and I mean old) vinyl masks though, and this kit is old enough to be of the vinyl vintage if you've had them in the stash for a few years. Also, what type of paint were you spraying? I regularly use acrylics with Ultimate thinners, and Gunze with Mr Leveling Thinner, which is a cellulose based thinner, although not as hot as some. Could you have perhaps sprayed something a bit too hot, and a bit too wet that got into the adhesive? I've never experienced it myself, and I've left masks on for literal years before now. One of the good things about dipping your canopies in Klear/Future is that if things go wrong, you can sacrifice a small cupful of the stuff and dump the offending canopy into it. Over a few hours it'll melt the old layer of Klear and all the paint will be brought off too. If you dip your canopies, you could try that. Otherwise, you'll have to be careful to choose a solvent for the paint that won't affect the clarity of the clear parts. It's a tricky one, but you could always request a replacement canopy from Tamiya or their agents if it doesn't go well? there are also replacement vacformed canopies available as aftermarket, unless you're phobic?
  13. If you'd seen my stash, you'd understand why I can only do one of anything, unless it's an Me.262
  14. I'd be up for one if you do, especially if you pattern it on the new HK kit
  15. US T34 Heavy Tank (84513) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd Toward the end of WWII, when Allied tanks were encountering German heavy tanks such as the King Tiger and Jagdtiger, the American military put projects in motion that would be capable of matching them and dealing with German heavy armour (or Soviet for that matter), whilst remaining safe thanks to their own thick frontal and side armour. The designs were designated T29 and T30, both of which were almost identical save for the guns mounted in their turrets, sporting 105mm and 155mm main guns respectively. A further development, possibly inspired by the Nazis using their 88mm anti-aircraft gun in heavy tanks, was to see the high velocity 120mm M1 Anti-Aircraft gun reconfigured into an adapted turret. The gun could fire on aircraft up to 60,000ft, and consequently its armour penetrating power was devastating, far outstripping the other two guns that suffered from lighter-weight shells and with slower muzzle velocity respectively. It took until 1947 for the prototypes to be delivered to the proving ground in the US, and to balance the enormous barrel a sizeable chunk of armour was fitted on the bustle of the turret, possibly 99% redundant, but useful if the crew were caught napping. At a startling sixty-five tons, it was a weighty beast, and the US Army felt that it would be difficult to find a use for it thinking its weight could cause problems with bogging down on softer ground, and crossing bridges, in much the same manner that the Germans experienced with their heavy tanks during WWII. There was also an issue with fumes from the gun entering the turret, which was fixed by using an aspirator, but this came too late, and no production orders were made, the prototypes going into storage, and eventually finding their way into museums. The work wasn’t a total waste however, as a year later a lightened version of the T34 was designated as the T43, and was to enter service later as the M103 Heavy Tank, by which time its weight had ballooned up to the same 65 tons that had doomed the T34, using the same M1 gun, which was re-designated as M58 due to changes that had been made to it in the interim, including higher barrel pressure and quick-change capability. The M103 served with US forces until retired in the mid-70s, by which time Main Battle Tank doctrine had rendered the Heavy Tank a historic dead-end of tank design. The Kit Unsurprisingly, this kit is based upon the 2016 tooling of the US T29 tank that the T34 was based on, in a case of modelling production mirroring history. It has since had new parts added to turn it into a later T29 variant, a T30 and now a T34. The kit arrives in a typical Hobby Boss top-opening box with a slight corrugated surface to the lid, which has a dramatic painting of a T34 in the process of firing its main gun, with the muzzle-flash rebounding from the mantlet and turret. Inside the box is a cardboard divider glued to the tray to keep the large hull and turret parts from moving around the box and causing damage, plus most of the sprues are individually bagged, with additional foam strapping taped around various areas of the sprues and the front of the upper hull to further protect them during shipping and storage. There are ten sprues, two hull parts and the upper turret in grey styrene, eight sprues of track-links in brown styrene, two small frets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a tiny decal sheet. The package is completed by the black & white instruction booklet that has a glossy, full-colour painting and markings sheet loosely inserted between the pages. Detail is good, and includes weld-beads, sand-casting and rolled-steel armour textures, plus individual track links and PE grab-handles/tie-downs for the sides of the many stowage boxes on the hull deck. Construction begins with preparing the lower hull for its road wheels by adding bump-stops, swing-arms and other suspension parts to the sides of the hull, including the idler and drive axles, with some wheel stations having additional dampers moulded-in to improve the ride for the crew. Massive final-drive housings are inserted into gaps in the rear bulkhead, along with a pair of hinged armoured panels, first fitting the seven paired idler wheels all along the upper run of each track, then building paired road wheels with a loose washer trapped between them, doing the same with the four-part drive sprockets, all of which can be carefully glued to the axles with the hope that they will remain mobile once the glue has cured, which might work, or might not, depending on how dainty you are with the glue. Each track run consists of 113 links, which are joined together by fitting the figure-eight pivots to the track pins, the outer edge having additional plates to widen the track that spreads ground pressure. A jig is included to assist you with production, and you’ll be pleased to hear that there are no ejector-pin marks on the inner faces of the tracks. Each of the track links has three sprue gates, while the pivots have just one each, all of which are sensibly placed to minimise clean-up, so whilst it will take some time to create the tracks, it shouldn’t drive you crazy in the process. With the lower hull looking good, attention turns to the upper hull where all the detail is. The upper deck is started by building two banks of stowage boxes around the base of the turret, which have separate lids, rails with eyes, and eight PE handles running along the outer sides. These assemblies are installed either side of the turret aperture, adding various small parts, including headlights, side-facing vision slots for the front crew, and a pair of two-part exhausts that mount at the rear of both fenders. A short run of track is bracketed to the glacis opposite the bow machine gun housing, and a few pioneer tool are fitted onto the fenders. On the engine deck, six louvred panels are inserted into holes, fixing a C-shaped exhaust pipe to the backs of the mufflers on the fenders, with an armoured cover protecting the straight central section. More pioneer tools are glued to the fenders, and these are joined by more PE handles along the edges, with cages mounted over the headlamps and the bow gun made from three parts including the barrel, sliding into the armoured shroud moulded into the glacis. The front crew hatches have rotating 360° vision blocks inserted into holes in the surfaces, then they are fitted into the hull, adding a grab-handle next to each one for egress purposes. At the rear, a small section of bulkhead is inserted into the remaining space, adding rear lights and other small parts once installed. The turret of the T34 is as large as some early WWII tanks, and is built from upper and lower halves, with a seam running along the side of the deep bustle, along the swage-line where the vertical side sweeps underneath. A machine gun is flex-fitted in a pintle-mount, adding twin grips, an ammo box made from three parts, and a two-part post into which the mount slides. The mantlet is also prepared from two layers of styrene, adding caps over the pivot pins so the gun can elevate, plus a pair of lifting eyes on the upper surface, making the commander’s cupola with a separate hatch, then fitting this and the mantlet to the turret, which has some very nice texture moulded-in, including weld-beads and casting roughness. The bustle receives an armoured panel to balance the barrel weight, inserting four parts into holes in the lower edge, plus brackets around the bustle sides, a shell-ejection port on the right side, stowage basket on the same side, a pair of aerial bases at the rear of the bustle, and the other two hatches either side of the keel that is moulded into the roof of the turret. The machine gun fits in front of the left hatch, and behind the commander’s cupola, a fairing sweeps around the side of the deck. The last parts for the turret include a choice of two styles of barrel, both of which are made from two halves that are split vertically, inserting your choice into the mantlet with a circular PE washer trapped between them. The turret locks in place on the hull by its bayonet lugs, and you have a choice of finishing the build with the travel lock in the stowed position flat against the engine deck, or vertically, supporting the barrel of the turret, which must be turned to the rear. Markings There is just one option on the decal sheet, and four white decals on the front fenders and the rear bulkhead, denoting T34 and 1949 on opposite sides. You might have already guessed that it’s a green tank, so pat yourself on the back if you did. Hobby Boss decals can be a little scant, but that’s what’s needed for this prototype, and as there is no registration to worry about, they’re perfect for the job in hand. Conclusion The T34, not to be confused with the Soviet T-34, was a monster of a tank, and it’s the first thing that hits you on opening the box. Detail is good, especially the textures moulded into the surface, resulting in a good-looking model that can be a canvas for your weathering techniques. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  16. 3D Printed WWII Small Arms (P35026//7/8/9) 1:35 Special Hobby 3D Print Guns are a central component in any military engagement. They’re everywhere, especially where there’s fighting. Special Hobby have taken to printing many of their upgrade and detail sets in attractive orange resin, and the detail is phenomenal. They’re bringing out a series of small arms sets as part of their range, for use in dioramas, to increase the detail of figures, or as personal items in or around AFVs and softskins. Each set arrives in a clear bubble pack with a cardboard header and instruction sheet at the rear. In many packs, the 3D printed parts are secured in foam inserts that are cut to suit their shape, although some don’t need this assistance. This collection of sets is spread over different combatants during WWII, and should be chosen for their suitability to the models you are making, not just because they look great, although it is tempting. Vickers Machine Gun WWII (P35026) The Vickers Machine Gun was a development of the original Maxim, the company Vickers had bought in the late 1800s, lightened and with an inverted breech to improve operation, which entered into British service at the outbreak of WWI in insufficient numbers due partly to the price being asked for each one, which was soon rectified by accusations of profiteering that led to a huge price cut per unit. It was used first by the infantry, then by the newly formed Machine Gun Corps when the lighter Lewis gun arrived on the scene, and remained in service throughout WWI and WWII, until it was finally replaced by the General-Purpose Machine Gun in the late 60s. Quite a service run. This set is supplied on a single print base with a printed cage over the top that protects the parts, but makes photography difficult, so it was nipped off beforehand. The parts are closely spaced, with a total of nineteen 3D printed parts in their signature orange resin. There are three barrel choices on the block, one un-jacketed, the other two with a different jacket, one having a different style of muzzle too. Your chosen barrel is glued to the breech, which has a sighting mechanism added to the top rear, then the tripod is built from a core and three individual legs, mating the two main assemblies by making the gun’s mount from three separate parts that fit in the top of the tripod. The gun is lowered into position, and you can then string a length of ammunition between the breech and a choice of two styles of ammo box, each one having open and closed box choices. Finally, you will need to source a short length of wire to pose as the water feed for the cooling jacket, which ends in a re-purposed Shell Motor Spirit can that has those exact words engraved on the sides. PPSh-41 Soviet Submachine Gun (P35027) The PPSh was a Soviet era submachine gun that was used extensively by their troops through WWII. It was cheap to produce, with a high rate of fire, a choice of stick or plate magazine, totalling over 6 million made, some of which found their way into German hands, as it was a weapon they coveted, as long as they could find ammo, triggering a project to convert the gun to German standard cartridge size as the MP41(r). This set provides three individual PPSh-41s, two with a moulded-in stick mag, while the third gun has a drum magazine as a separate part on the print base. The detail is exceptional, extending to tiny aspects of the weapon, and the stamped heat shield around the barrel. Again, a protective shroud is printed around the parts, and was nipped off before photography. You can see it to one side in the photo. Type 92 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun (P35028) The Type 92 was related to an early Hotchkiss machine gun design that was initially license built by Japan, with a family resemblance to the lighter Type 3, but chambering a 7.7mm round for improved hitting power and greater reliability. It was air-cooled and was fed by strips of ammunition, which proved to be an inefficient method, resulting in relatively short bursts at a low rate of fire, followed by silence during changing of the strip, which allowed their enemies to make progress closer to their positions. The US troops nicknamed it the ‘Woodpecker’ because of this. Arriving on three separate print bases, there are nineteen parts that includes ammo strips and boxes to pose near your model, and a choice of straight and flared muzzle styles. Brace yourself here though, as the resin is boring, ordinary grey. Hopefully, they’ll go back to the orange, as I prefer it because it is unusual, and combines strength and flexibility. The gun is made from four parts plus a flared or straight muzzle, adding a strip of ammo if you want to portray it as ready to fire. The low-slung tripod is a single part that is detailed with an adjustment wheel and locking lever before the two assemblies are joined. There are two boxed ammo strips, an unboxed strip and two large boxes of ammo, one with the lid removed to pose nearby. Additionally, three extra parts are included to build the gun in transport mode, with a U-shaped handle fitted to the long leg of the tripod, and two straight rods fixed to the other two, which allows between two and four soldiers to carry the weapon between them. Type 3 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun (P35029) If this set looks similar to the Type 92, that’s because the Type 92 is a scaled-up, larger calibre version of this gun. It fires 6.5mm rounds that are fed in strips like its larger compatriot with all the same foibles, and is also based upon an early Hotchkiss design. It shares most of its parts with its sibling, with only the breech slightly different, and no sighting equipment near the rear of the weapon, just iron sights. It builds in an otherwise identical manner, and includes the same transport equipment to allow easy carriage by troops. Conclusion These weapons are perfect for use as background equipment in AFV models or dioramas, and would fulfil that role whether crewed or otherwise. The detail is stunning, and with sympathetic painting, they will be the pinnacle of realism. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Boy, does that sound familiar
  18. It's great that there's another of these gorgeous machines in the air, but we seriously need one back in the UK. I miss hearing those twin Merlins on the regular
  19. Could be, but I think there was another one. I don't seem to remember the resin being translucent though. I might be wrong though
  20. If the figures come out as well as the rest of it, you'd better set up a production line for all the orders you're going to get I love the original Aliens space suits. They're stupid and impractical, but they look cool. One of the hang-overs from Jean Giraud's (Mobius) involvement at the start of production
  21. I'm pretty sure that there's a highly-detailed 3D printed kit out there somewhere. Have a search of the forum, as I think it was discussed once-upon-a-time.
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