Aerosan in the snow

[Jabberwocky]

Along with my Trafalgar Class sub, this was another trial of using Precision Ice and Snow to see what I could do with it. I have to say I am very impressed with it.

The model is Trumpeter's Aerosan, with the rivets scraped off, (the real ones were built of plywood), and an exhaust pipe added to the engine. Various stains were added after finding some interesting pictures of these things on the interweb. I thought I'd have a play with a prop blur as well, to see how it looked. I've never been certain about their effect but I think it sort of works in this case, the kit prop looked too static. (I suppose I could motorise another one and use it as a fan when sitting behind a BritModeller table on the upper floor of an overheated model show.)

Apparently these were used to tow ski troops cross-country. Not sure I'd want to be pulled along behind a large, unguarded propeller blowing snow in my face by a sledge with brakes, albeit crude ones, when skis don't have any.

Something a bit different for me. Hope you like it.

Cheers,

Paul

[oz!]

superb.........just superb.

regards oz!.

[Hamden]

Very very nice - a totally unusual subject

Roger

[batcode]

very nice work, ive got the same kit in my stash, nice little dio

[Mr Grumpylee]

Yep...I like that a lot

Lee

[Vally G]

Neat!

Would love to see some photos with a white background instead of blue.

Kind regards,

Adam

[tommy1drop]

Really like what you have done with the prop, nice build and finish

Tom

[Jabberwocky]

Thanks for all the comments guys, it's greatly appreciated.

"Would love to see some photos with a white background instead of blue."

I know what you mean Adam, I was looking for a suitable background to set it against but had no luck. It was a bit of a faff as it was to get a reasonable exposure with all that whiteness. If I shoot it in camera RAW I can adjust it so the subtle textures in the snow aren't lost, but the files are huge. Small .jpg files suitable for the interweb lose a lot of detail.

It will probably always look better to the eye than in pictures. I might take it to the Coventry show on Sunday and see what the reaction is.

As an aside though, I bought this kit to practise with the Precision Ice and Snow and weathering a white vehicle in preparation for a diorama with a UN Scimitar. In the process I discovered a lot of info about these early Russian snowmobiles that I had never heard about before. This hobby always finds ways to teach you something new!

Cheers,

Paul

[Will Vale]

If you shoot in raw you can generally export the pics as smaller JPGs after you're done processing them. Best of both worlds

I like the aerosan, there was a run of these in the modelling magazines when the kits came out and they've caught my interest ever since. Great snow effects again, can you tell us a bit about the Precision Ice and Snow? What is it, how do you apply it, tips etc.

Thanks!

Will

[Jabberwocky]

If you shoot in raw you can generally export the pics as smaller JPGs after you're done processing them. Best of both worlds

I like the aerosan, there was a run of these in the modelling magazines when the kits came out and they've caught my interest ever since. Great snow effects again, can you tell us a bit about the Precision Ice and Snow? What is it, how do you apply it, tips etc.

Thanks!

Will

There's another diorama I'm trying to finish in time for the Coventry show on Sunday, but afterwards I'll have a play with the camera and see if I can put a decent background to it.

Here's the website for the material I used: http://www.precisioniceandsnow.com/

There are guides on the site showing how to create various effects, so I've been trying a few out. The aerosan is sitting on a thin layer of bathroom silicon sealant which was imprinted with parallel tracks using a straight-edge to represent previous vehicles passing by. Layers of snow were built up on the ground and trees by spraying hairspray lightly from above, and from one side to give the appearance of wind-driven snow onto the trunks, (bits of root from the garden), then sprinkling the material onto the model.

One tip: to avoid mess and wastage, as the snow is a very fine powder it will adhere to anything sticky that it touches, so I sprayed the hairspray over the model on the floor and then lifted it onto the bench to do the sprinkling. That way, any material that overshot the model could be swept back into the jar for re-use and didn't create a snowy layer on my cutting mat. Aerosol hairsprays broadcast over a wide area, so spraying over a model can also cover a few inches all around it.

I'm wondering now how to make convincing icicles. Stretched clear sprue perhaps?

Glad you like aerosan!

Paul

[Ozzy]

Simple yet very effective, the prop looks really good, I've always wondered how this is done, i'll give it a google.

[Ozzy]

I've had a google, found a page that showed this black magic, will try it the next I build somthing with props.

[robvulcan]

Thats very nice indeed, I like the wind driven effect you have on the trees.

Good job

[Precision Ice & Snow]

Very nice and as Rob says, nice directional snowfall.

Here are some images of hairspray applied directional snowfall at 1/76th to show you what happens with more coats usiong hairspray as an adhesive.

Well done Jabberwocky, in future and exclusively we are offering discounts for Britmodellers on all of our products!