ExiledFish

I know I just added a “Yes me too” to the original post, but just wanted to say Thankyou and another Thankyou to Stef N and Harry Lime - it’s like being shown a clear path through all the fog. Superb info, really very helpful 😀

I was just searching around to ask basically the exact same question. What are the chances? I did read somewhere that acrylic varnish on top of enamel is a nasty combo, but then I've also seen that contradicted so I too would be very grateful for some pointers. (The enamel/acrylic business causes me no end of confusion. Some places say spirit-based filters or oil dot filters like a matt surface, then a wash likes a gloss surface, and some pigments use enamel fixers and some mud weathering effects are water-based and trying to figure out an order for it all while not causing your previous work to boil off and bubble... It all seems so seamless when I read WIP's elsewhere 🥴)

😀 You could cut out little speech bubbles and attach them to the figures. And scratch build a trumpet for one of them...

Yes, I think I’ll do that. I’ll put this one on the very back-burner for when I get round to the Östfront in a year or so... Thankyou!

Bah, yes. Also the Feifel (?) tubes on the rear deck. Looks like an eBay job tbh as an aftermarket buyfest will likely miss something and end up just as costly. Curses. Lesson to be learned for me here in not making spontaneous model purchases next time... Thankyou! Also, thankyou for the links.

I just today got a Dragon Tiger I that I pounced on in my local art shop. It’s Dragon kit no. 6730 Early Production Mk VI Ausf E, “Wittman’s Command Tiger”. But on getting home and doing some swift googling I realise I’ve made an error and bought the wrong type of Tiger I’m looking to do a set of 1/35 ‘British Army in Normandy’ AFVs, incl one’s they faced on the battlefield. I’m just polishing off a Firefly and have designs on a Cromwell, Achilles, Mk IV and Panther as well as a Tiger (I don’t care for Wittmann, so aim to do another type at Totalize). By Normandy, 101 were using the Mid/Late Production and consequently I have the wrong one. Does anyone know how easy it is to convert the Early into a Late, in the Dragon world? I spy a lot of spare parts in this kit which may allow for it, but not sure if I should try converting it or just buy the other version and go through the palaver of ebaying this one. Also, does anyone know the actual differences between Early and Late Tiger I’s? I can’t find them anywhere. Are they glaringly obvious or internal?

THANK YOU! I wondered what that might be at the very front. Though a Fascine has a large wooden sloped structure mounted that would really stand out next to the turret (unless it varied from unit to unit). Post #23 HERE contains an excellent number of points that suggest it could be a Log Carpet AVRE, like a cross between a Fascine and a Bobbin. I'm still undecided whether the "three tubular lengths...on the top of the front mudguards" in that post aren't infact Bangalore torpedoes though - but the picture of the AVRE at Bernieres (first image in #23 does show a frame between those two front prongs after the logs have been dropped, like the Sword Beach picture. Hmm There's an colour cine still HERE in Post #2, tanks 1D and 1F, showing the early version of the Log Carpet. Excellent stills too. So many of these adaptions were carried out in-squadron with a fair degree of improvisation rather than a standardised model, and the Log Carpet is a particularly rare beast to find a variety of photos and documentation on so idea how to scratch build one THANKYOU! That's it, post 21. Fantastic. There's even an aerial emerging from it too.

Thankyou! A handcart? I like that idea - I see a wheel and a mudguard, yes. Most of the pictures of WW2 handcarts are all simple trolleys with one long arm, never a shape like that though - I wonder whether they were standard issue, or something that varied from unit to unit? 🤔 I need to pore over more photos of loading to see if anything jumps out. I thought ‘jeep trailer’ for a bit, but the wheel is tiny compared to the jeep even allowing for perspective. The jeep doesn’t seem to have a unit insignia or AoS visible so can’t check. Bah. Thankyou! 🙂

Hello folks, I was wondering if I could borrow pool some collective knowledge and solve a few things that are puzzling me. This AVRE: Original version HERE It's a well known picture, possibly a Log Carpet AVRE (logs dropped), 3rd Troop, 79th Assault Squadron RE on D-Day, Lane 2, Sword Queen Red. There's another AVRE (part of the same well-known photo set), an SBG AVRE, on the other side of the jeep. The one here is possibly tank 3C, the tank of the troop commander. I'm hoping to build this tank, and am trying to ID some of the apparel on the tank and surrounding area. I've reached a point where my brain and the internet has hit the wall. I was hoping there might be folks here who could offer an opinion of the following: 1) The round item (with handle) on the top of the turret, to the left of the left-hand open turret hatch. Is this a very small winch? Or a small reel of cable or det cord? 2) Still on the turret, the taller mast, directly behind the right-hand open hatch door. 3) Just above the manifold and infront of the spare bogie, there's what looks like a reel (det cord or signal cable) on it's side? 4) The two poles hanging down from the rear mudguard, with a striped something at the top of them. I've seen colour pictures of another Assault Bde loading for D-Day and they all carry orange and white bundles (best word to describe it) behind the turret. Could these be an aerial recognition flag? A lane marker or windsock? I've read of tripod lane markers, but have never seen one - anyone any idea? 5) Finally, off the tank, in the lee of the jeep there is a shell scrape. In other shots of this series, a man is in it digging - I think he's in this shot, his back to the camera, huddled over a wireless as you can see an aerial emerging from that hole. What's bugging me in the curved, tubular frame right there. Has anyone see one of these before, or know what it is? It's quite a distinctive shape. I thought it might be a manpack frame, but the shape is very odd. I read the RE are always identifiable on D-Day by their large rucksacks, so could this be a frame of one, minus bags? There's even a circluar shape at the base of said frame, so maybe it's actually a trolley or something? Anyway - I'd really be grateful if anyone can shed any light in these, or have spotted something on the tank of interest. I'm trying to get some resin to outfit the tank exterior with when I get there, bundles, blankets etc so have been poring over this photo! I'm seeing B&W AVREs when I close my eyes.

Looks great - I’m also doing this build (on hold while I get replacement for N-9 gunsight from Tamiya). Your ammunition looks superb, and the wear&tear you’ve added to the engine. I don’t have the nerve to try NMF on this kit but I hope yours goes well, it’ll be interesting to see how it’s done.

Googled around, found a few sites mentioning olive oil as a solution(!?) Thought ‘what the heck, why not’ so brushed olive oil over the mist. Seems to have worked...? Just can’t get the W&N Matt on without the whiteness. I’ll try the Vallejo spray next and if that screws up I’m glossing the thing and ordering some enamel XDFF.

I went with the W&N Matt in the end, but rather unsuccessfully - anyone have any tips on removing the dreaded white mist?

Thankyou! I might have a look-see for the Galeria in Satin as their Matt is very good. Final varnish coat so don’t want to melt all the work

Sorry to bump this (decided against a whole new topic...). Has the W&N rattle can varnish got a good rep? The “Professional” range (irony abounds...). Using the Satin on various acrylic paints, an acrylic gloss coat and a few oil washes. Can says “Protects oil and acrylic paintings”. Removable etc. Detailed blurb on the can (ingredients) are utterly illegible. Worth a test on a sacrificial spare part first?

Thankyou for those answers/comments, chaps! VHF? Hooray! Scratched the itch. It does look a bit like the R/T aerial on a Spitfire, now I think on it. Thankyou for that - I shall have to dig around the aircraft history to see if I can find a specific reason. I wonder if a certain number of aircraft per sqn were outfitted with one, judging by the paucity of photos of it? I know for sure the Phantom had the flat window on the port side, so I’ll play it safe and leave the stbd window flat too. After chewing it over I think as she was an early B.III, the windows hadn’t been modified yet - and no H2S so wouldn’t have had one removed for that purpose. Flats it is :) I will probably leave the dipole. I did read somewhere that it was unnecessary if the aircraft had the two Rebecca aerials on the nose, and as EE139 didn’t have those and I don’t have a picture clearly showing it, I’ll leave it on. Window chute - Yes, I mocked one up yesterday which I think is okay from a few bits of poly sheet, though could have much been better. Judging lengths/depths at different angles on a b&w picture is a bit fraught, but it will do the job. Boxy and v-shaped, ish. I’ll have to skip the Z-gear. No spare bubble and don’t want to blob paint inside my nice Klear-ed blister. Alas... Thankyou for your help/comments, guys. Jure - have you seen the limited edition 1/32 Lancaster by HK Models? Rather expensive but released Sept/Oct time? ;) (Sadly I’d need a new house to keep a model that size).