f matthews

Here is a pic of the actual tank being modeled. I didn’t have a photo of the whole vehicle, but was happy to have found this at least.

Yep-the Ausf. B and the StuG O, share the same chassis/hull as did the real thing. five of the original fifteen Pz III Ausf. Bs were pulled from production for the StuG program. The Ausf. B turrets slated for those five and not used resurfaced again in 1940 and were added to refitted Ausf. Ds after Poland as the Ausf. D/Bs.

I use Lifecolor paints as much as possible straight out of the jar, rarely thinned actually. They dry nice and flat and tight and are my favorite acrylics to spray. On this one, I’m using their panzer grey, because it isn’t bluish like so many others (which I don’t like at all). No blue filters either.

Superb work!! Extremely realistic worn whitewash finish. Mastery-level stuff!

A mix of pigments and ground oil pastels (ones that I’ve had for 25+ years!).

I spread white/PVC glue on the base, then sprinkle fine soil (usually with a nice little assortment of small rocks) onto the glue to set. I used to never paint at all, just using the natural colours, but I now airbrush most of the time then go back over when dry and pick out random rocks/pebbles/etc. I’d go mad painting them first!

Done!

I have finally completed this build. It has taken quite a while, but it is probably the most complex kit I’ve ever actually finished. The kit includes a full interior with fighting compartment, engine and transmission bay, turret-even fuel tanks. While it is complex, Miniart has done a superb job with engineering and fit is excellent all around. Detail is spectacular and this is a cool, early variant that you don’t see a lot. I highly recommend this kit! A little peek at what‘s inside:

Finishing up the last bits on the tank, I started with adding dirt and mud to the lower hull and then weathered the tracks and installed the roadwheels and tracks. There were a couple little (literally) details that were bothering me that I could not leave well enough alone. The first was the taillight: Finally, the turret hatches needed some extra detailing. The strap/handles on the inner faces are pretty flat and unconvincing (see last photo in my last set of pics above), so I made my own and am far happier with the result. At this point, the tank is completely finished and just needs to be mounted on a base.

That I am not sure about, but it would be simple to fabricate (unlike the sand shields!).

As I recall, that the parts are present in the follow-up Balkans kit to build a MkI. The mantlet (C22) and shield (C50) are included and the same 2pdr barrel gets used.

Looking good-the Caunter camo has me scared off of one of these!

I keep going back and running through this thread every time I think about building a Miniart T-54/55. I’m very close to caving and breaking one open, although I might start off with a non-interior one first… Fantastic work!

I have this one as well. I’ve built two of Miniart’s Grant kits (MkI and MkII-no interior versions) and they are outstanding kits. Looking forward to your build!

Other than weathering, mud and dust, this one is pretty much done from the build end. I’ll put a base together next… (Replaced originally-posted pics with some that had better lighting)

Slowly winding this one up-added most of the last of the parts (just need an antenna) as well as a tarp roll for the fender and fixed the turret weld seam. The weld seam: Weld seam painted and blended.

Looks great! I liked this kit-it is VERY small-like 1/72 scale small. I will build another (at least) at some point as it was an enjoyable build. The figures are very nice too!

VERY nice! I was never a fan of postwar armour until Miniart released their first T-44 kit. Since then, I’ve researched a lot and picked up several of their T-44/54/55 kits, I just need to start one. Your’s looks really good.

G3 is a brownish green. OP’s photos are also in bright sunlight, which makes the G3 look lighter and more “tan” than I suspect it actually is. I mixed Tamiya paints to Mike Starmer’s formula (or as close as my eyedropper mix could get) and got this, which may be less brown than the actual G3, but looked “more accurate” to my eye, which means nothing!

I built a Bronco A10 and while it was a little fiddly here and there, it was much more straightforward than the Gecko A10, which was more detailed and had more of an interior. You did a great job on the Bronco-can’t tell you had any issues!

It is indeed a worthy pursuit!

Thanks guys!!

This one is largely complete at this point. I’ve got a few details left-ice cleats, tow cable, headlight lens, weathering, and mounting on a base. That’s all downhill now!

My current Panzer III odyssey-Ausf. B, D and F (I just realized that I set the Ausf. B’s mantlet on upside-down in the photo-the turret isn’t assembled yet!). I think it is an interesting study to see how these changed so much after only a small handful of tanks (just 10 or 15 sometimes in the early marks) were built. I built an early Ausf. J for the GB here last spring and it sort of fed the monster a bit. I have an Ausf. A in line next as well as an Ausf. C on the way from Ukraine now, which I’ll likely start when it arrives. The Ausf. J:

I definitely will be getting that one! They just released a Finnish captured/converted T-26 as well that looks very nice.