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Hello folks Before the GB starts I would like to introduce you to my model. A lot of small parts in a full package made a lot of work, but the real nightmare are the 3 PE sets. As always there is also a small vignette, this time it goes to Omaha Beach, a few days after D-Day. Looking forward to many nice models, see you! MD There are 3 variants with many details

Hi folks 🥳 Now that the M3/4 GB is finished, I would like to continue with my work here. As you can read in the title, it's about the M12 GMC from Academy, which I finished building after a lot of work, but I couldn't paint it in time. As usual, I had also planned a vignette, so I still have a long way to go. Some of you already know my model from the GB, for all those interested I would like to present a few pictures with the most important milestones of the project. In the coming months I will be painting figures, pouring water, creating decals and weathering the M12. I would be happy if you join me in this process. MD The figures were more expensive than the kit😁 The wall to the engine compartment was revised The bogies have been reworked to show the weight The drive housing has been improved The air filters were redesigned and printed The spade was also redesigned and printed The details of the bogies have been improved The gun socket was improved... also the fuel filler caps The complete rear section was rebuilt... and provided with missing rivets and weld seams Missing details of the gun were attached The drive for the height adjustment was added The trackguards were ground thinner The front trackguards were rebuilt Adding new details to the hatches The gun support revised and made movable The ammunition rack newly created Missing weld seams and holes added Casting markings applied The protective shield improved The drive wheels modified... for new AFV Club tracks (here you can see the weight distribution well) new seats The complete new winch is a model in itself The finished model with some accessories is ready for the last steps before painting When I look at the pictures again, I realise why I didn't finish them completely 😁 See you!

I was gifted this for my birthday late last year. A fabulous (mostly) trouble free build. Brush painted with Vallejo Model Air for the main scheme, weathered using various Vallejo Model Washes. Finished with the markings for “The Saint”, which I think is a tank from the 10th Royal Hussars, 1st Armoured Division in North Africa. Build thread can be found here: Now sorely tempted by the Mk III… While I was taking photos in the morning sun, an inquisitive bee came along to inspect my work. And finally one in black and white:

A kind friend in the USA bought me this old Academy kit. I won't build it quite 'OOB' - I'll definitely add the Eduard brass set - or part of it - and i need to move the crane, which is in the wrong place. I may also decide to use the 'late' bin-fit, rather than the early as on the picture here - but to begin with it doesn't make any difference to the build. So here we go. Out of order, of course - who needs instructions?

Hello. I'm happy to present my newest project. It is the Scammell from Thunder Model with US Tractor D7 (dozer version) from Miniart. All in 1:35 scale. Cheers

CMP F 15A Water Truck Mirror Models 1:35 The Ford built F 15A trucks were 4x4 versions of the ubiquitous CMP designed series of trucks. They had a wheelbase of 101” and could carry ¾ of a ton. There were a number of different bodies used, with the kit example being that of the water tanker. The kit comes in a very attractive, full colour box with a representation of the vehicle in use. The kit is contained on fourteen sprues of light grey styrene, plus two with a slightly mauve tint, although there are quite a few parts that are only destined for the spares box, as they are not used in this build. There is a single sprue of clear styrene, two sheets of etched copper, a length of rubber tubing, a length of copper wire, a length of steel wire, five rubber tyres and a medium sized decal sheet. All the parts are very nicely moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few moulding pips, but be aware of the sprue gates as they are quite large, even for the smaller parts. The build process is quite complex with lots of detail in and around the chassis, as for most truck models, so this won’t be a quick and easy build, but one that will need time, patience, and care to assemble, certainly not for a beginner. The instructions are very clear and easy to read, but not always logical, particularly with the way the sub-assemblies are used, although they use the CAD/Photo style of drawings. Before beginning assembly the modeller will have to make a choice of whether they are going to build a CMP F 15 or F 15A, as there are optional parts for both vehicles and each has different bonnets, and running gear, the F 15 being a 4 x 2 while the F 15A is 4 x 4. I’ve concentrated on the build of the F 15A. Construction begins with a load of sub assemblies. These include the rear cross member spring unit, which includes the tow hook, associated clamps and the anti-swing bars, front bumper frame, exhaust/silencer, fuel tank and gearbox. The assembly of the very nicely detailed engine is then started. The two block halves are glued together, followed by the lower block plate and sump, cylinder heads, front, which includes the auxiliary drive points plus the starter motor and air filter unit. The drive belt needs to be made of tape from the modellers stock. The water tank is assembled next. But before construction begins, you need to assemble the two pump assemblies, each made from five plastic, one PE part and a length of steel wire. The tank itself is in two halves, top and bottom. To these, the top access hatch, two lifting eyes and the vent mast are all attached. Four cradles are glued to the underside of the tank, followed by two longitudinal rails. To the rear of the tank the control cupboard is fitted, made from a single piece unit to which the water levels are fitted, along with the two doors and locking mechanism. The doors can be posed open if the modeller wishes. Two walkways are then attached, one per side of the tank, as are two, three piece stowage boxes and one two piece box. To the rear, two mudguard support beams are attached, followed by the mudguards and another stowage bin. The cab is assembled from the floor pan to which is fitted the scuttle, gearbox/engine cover, bonnet, wheel arches, windscreen, instrument binnacle, front end, grille and bonnet side panels. The four part seats, gear sticks, PE window hinges and pedals are then fitted. The two piece rear bulkhead is then attached, followed by the roof, rear window, two doors, wing mirrors and PE radiator grille. Finally we get to the chassis, which is normally one of the first things assembled in a truck kit. Each of the chassis rails is fitted with the single leaf springs and their supports at the front, whilst at the rear there are double leaf springs fitted, along with the tow bumper beams and their brackets. Each rail is then joined together by the front bumper, five cross members and the rear end beam with tow hook assembled earlier. With the chassis assembled, all the sub assemblies can now be fitted to it, the engine, exhaust, the front and rear differentials, transfer box, all joined together by the various drive shafts, truck fuel tanks, water tank assembly, cab and access steps, and the five piece wheels, which at this point you will have a completed model. Well, almost. You will then add eh rubber hoses above and below the front of the tank, joining the pumps with the outlets. Decals The decal sheet provides decals for seven different trucks, with various placards for around the truck, plain stars for the cab doors. The decals look like they have been printed in house and appear to be very well printed, with good opacity and very thin carrier film. Ford 15A with Cab 11 in Canadian service Ford F 15A with Cab 11 in Italian service Ford F 15 with Cab 13 in Canadian service Ford F15 with Cab 13 in British service There are also decals for other vehicles, well, their registration numbers, but not shown on the painting guide, as well as three German crosses for a captured vehicle, again, not mentioned on the guide. Conclusion It’s great to see another version of the well recognised CMP truck released as an injection moulded kit. Whilst it is certainly not for the beginner, with care, patience and a bit of skill the average modeller should be able to produce a great looking model. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the mouldings and will certainly be looking forward to their future releases. UK Distributors for

After many weeks of researching the Land Rover TACR1 fire truck, I feel able to attempt a part scratchbuild of one, or two. Over that time I have received lots of helpful advice and contributions from fellow BMrs, to whom I am very grateful. I must admit that I would not be able to attempt this without such help and I shall acknowledge their input within the relevant stages of my build. The donor kit will be an Italeri [6508] Land Rover series III Starting off with basic chassis from the kit. No changes need to be made at this stage. I would like make two TACR1s, one in Royal Naval livery and the other in Royal Air Force colours. Herewith the two kits in progress, note the different chassis rear ends, I think the lower vehicle had late series IIa chassis, similar to the one on the right in this view. The chassis front for both should be the same To make the TACR1 coachwork, I first need to cut back the kits rear side panels. Only the front 6mm will be used as part of the cab rear. The doors were tacked into place with GS-Hypo gel, in order to line up the cutdown rear panel sections. This conversion make take a fair bit of time, mainly as I am still trying to get the design right for the upper sections of the cab. I am attempting to draw that complex shape in CAD, with the intention of making 3D prints. Whether I will be successful only time will tell! Cheers, Mike

I present my first Sherman in 1:35 scale. It’s the RFM kit of the Firefly Vc built straight out of the box with the markings of the 2nd Armoured Battalion, Grenadier Guards, 5 Guards Armoured Brigade in the Netherlands, September 1944 (so I assume involved with Market Garden). I got the hankering to build a larger scale Firefly after reading Brothers in Arms by James Holland over Christmas. Build thread can be found here: A bit fiddly in places, but all in all a very satisfying build. Brush painted with Vallejo acrylic for the main colour, details in Tamiya acrylics and finished with various Vallejo washes. Hope I did it justice.

So, new day, new project. Since i'm still waiting on aftermarket parts for my Tiger project i decided i want to do something completly different. A Sherman.... I got this kit from Tamiya for a very good price and i thought i could give it a go. The M4 early type is a tank i know little about. After reading the build guide i decided to get me some information. So i downloaded a couple of usefull photo's on details. i know there are a lot of experts here that can provide me with additional tips on building this model. Also i want to state that this will be a ootb build, no PE or aftermarket parts. This means that there will be historical inacuracies regarding some bolts, hinges, thickness of certain parts etc. For me this is no problem. That beeing said, i want to do this iconic tank justice so i'll take it slow going over every step. No heavily damaged tank this time. I want to tone it down, focussing on a good and tidy build, work on my airbrush and paint skills and do some very light chipping and weathering. Can't blame a guy for trying 😁😉 The kit comes with figures and they look fairly descent so i might add them ( the KV2 project was a real eye opener regarding figures ) On to the build itself. Beeing a Tamiya kit i expect no major issues, however, the fit of the front hull plate seems a bit off Also, i need to close the gaps above the tracks because otherwise it will be a see trough model. Nothing that can't be solved with plasticard. the lower back plate is finnished and fitted, no issues there. I'm off to a good start. Enjoying myself wich is the most important part of modeling. I want to thank you guys in advancement for all the tips, tricks, technical details and words of encouragement. Feel free to tag along. I'll keep you guys posted. Cheers! 👍👍👍

1/35 scale Tiger I Late Production Full Interior CAD & Zimmerit from Ryfield Model. http://www.ryefield-model.com/thread-3828-1.html https://hobbyzero.com/news/135-tiger-i-late-production-by-ryefield-model/

I think i call this one done. It's the Tiger 1 "late" from Airfix. I used this model to learn about the Tiger since i want to build the 222. That Tiger was supposedly "borowed" by Michael Wittmann during the battle at Villers-Bocage. This Airfix model went together without any major issues in the build itself. The problem i have with this kit is that Airfix provides so much "wrong" parts in this kit that you have to really be carefull and study the instructions, dry fit everything and then realise that you still glued the wrong parts together. I made my own zimmerit from Tamiya epoxy putty. It's a skill in itself and i don't know yet if i will do it with the next Tiger build. That beeing said, i managed to pull of a descent looking heavily damaged zimmerit on this one. In the end i have to say i didn't "feel" this kit.... so lot's of mistakes in painting and weathering. Note to self: when no mojo, just put the kit aside 😉 This one i pushed across the finishline to be done with it. So there are many flaws. It is not my best work. Not all is bad though. This was a great subject to learn a few new tricks. Anyhow, here are the photo's. Any critique is more than welcome. Thanks for watching. Also a big shoutout to the guys on the Tiger 1 tread! They really know their stuff and they are a great help!!! Tnx guys!!!! 🙏🙏🙏 and in color.....

Howdy, Here is my latest armor build. This is Takom's M46 Patton done up in gaudy tiger markings, as seen on several USMC and US Army units during the Korean War. The kit is typical Takom in that fit is good, but it is touch over-engineered, and many parts required a good deal of cleanup. The stowage is mixed and matched from a few EXCELLENT Value Gear sets, some Tamiya, and some home made.Paint is Mr. Color, but the tiger stripes were done by hand with Vallejo black primer and off white colors. The paws, maw, and eyes are from Takom's amazing decal sheet. I kept the weathering very simple and organic on this one; just dark brown oil paint washes, with paint strategically moved around as it dried. This was followed by some very subtle dry brushing, and some paint chipping done with a dark brownish black color from Vallejo. A little bit of dark earth pigment on the undercarriage tied things together. Sometimes simple is the best. I'm very proud of this one. It isn't perfect, but its as close as I can probably manage. This is probably my favorite model I have ever built. I hope you enjoy the pictures. https://photos.smugmug.com/M46-Patton/i-BsDM2vN/1/2d8a84f0/XL/PXL_20221002_191217565-XL.jpg

Kit - Tamiya Paint - All acrylics. Decals - Spares Extras - Stowage from spares. RB Models turned aluminium barrel. ISU-152 Unknown Assault Company Konigsburg Pocket Spring 1945 First started in December, then back to the bench about a month ago ahead of a competition over in Hamilton in September. Tamiya's well known ISU-152 really does fall together with only the link-and-length tracks giving [me] a challenge (I'm terrible at building & installing tracks). I chose to replace the kit barrel with an RB turned aluminium one, which is so heavy, I had to add a counterbalance of garden pebbles & Miliput in the rear of the hull ! - regardless it's well worth the investment IMHO. Other than that, the seated crewman and the couple of items of stowage, this is an OoB build. Paint is all acrylics mixed using the Mk.I eyeball method. Followed by the usual chipping, pin wash, oil-dot filter and then pastels (my least favourite aspect of weathering). For this I wanted the vehicle to look used but not abused - the 'duelling scar' on the front cheek is an experiment - never done that before. The rubble was a last-minute decision, again an experiment, but I love the look - the relatively clean topsides imply the crew has cleaned-off the worst of the dirt and it's collected on the fenders. Not sure if it's worked, would appreciate your thoughts on that. Nothing else to say for now, to the folks who followed the WiP thread here, thanks guys, really appreciate your encouragement along the way. Please criticise, question and comment. All the best from NZ. Ian.

This one is finally over the finish line. Build log can be found here: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235106243-matilda-ii/ Cheers! Kristjan

Kicking the next one down the road. This time it is British Matilda II. Even though I don't have fond memories of Tamiya, it is the only manufacturer that makes Matilda, so no choice there. I have a lots of goodies to add to this one though, many of them TMD resin add-ons. These aren't outright necessity but I guess provide some variation of other Matilda builds out there. There are also a Voyager PE set, a MasterClub track set, an Aber barrel and an Echelon decals to get the markings correct. And it will be painted in Caunter scheme of course. So far the running gear is completed, hull has been glued together and both tracks have been assembled as well. Cheers! Kristjan

I’ve got some leave coming up, and casting around for my next project I’ve decided on the RFM Sherman Firefly, which I picked up only a couple of months ago. Going to be a straight from the box build, rather fancy the Grenadier Guards markings. Paint scheme I gather is pretty straight forward - SCC 15, but there looks like lots of optional parts in the box… I’m no Sherman expert so any advice gratefully received! I’ve picked up some bits and pieces, such being careful to choose the correct sprocket ⚙️. For the SCC15 I have some Mig AMMO paint, but was considering Vallejo Model Air 71.020 as per this link: http://www.plasticpanzers.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1023

Contents of Meng's 1/35 scale jeep: \ Some after market, Passion Models PE (designed for Tamiya) and resin tires from Trex. The subject will be a HQ vehicle. General Harry Crerar was often pictured at the wheel of the jeep. He was Canada's highest ranked field commander during the war in NWE. regards, Jack

Here is the last of my recently finished armor models. I don't know why we don't see this kit built more often, as it was a blast to work on. The only part I disliked were the "working" tracks. I found them fragile and they broke several times during construction. Fixing was a pain as pinning one end often caused a break elsewhere on the run. My only additions to the kit were the tissue tarps and Tamiya tape, which was used to augment the leather belt harnesses on the side stowage bins. The belts now actually loop around the rods over and under the bins. Painting was done with Tamiya colors. The slightly different shades on the turret and hull are intentional, and are supposed to represent the French army's use of different factories to build different components of their tanks, in the late 1930s. Weathering is a mix of heavy umber and black oil washes, some very light dry-brusghing, dark brown paint "chipping" and scratching and some light pigment work. Of the batch of recent tanks that I posted. I think I like this one the best.

So The StuG III...... I think this vehicle does not need an introduction so i'm not going to entertain you guys with a history lecture 😉 I bought the RFM version with full interior. And yes..... there are a lot of sprues!!! And by a lot, i mean a LOT! A first glance over the sprues show a lot of detail on the parts. On the bigger parts there is some excess sprue and there are a lot of ejector pinmarks. The plastic itself is quite soft. On the smaller parts that means i have to be very carefull. The hull is assembled, no issues there. Lot of small parts so i took my time, dryfitting every part to make sure the fit was right. As with all my builds i will show the progress in this build log. Feel free to tag along. As always your time, comments and tips are much appriciated. I'll keep you guys posted 👍👍👍

In the post Christmas sales I picked up the Miniart Dingo Mk II. The boxing I have has a captured example on the outside, but also has some Allied markings available as well. The one that caught my eye was a for one serving with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, mostly as it has an RAF roundel on the back. Now, there appears to be some uncertainty in the actual colour, see the following thread for the discussion: I’ve decided to go with overall SCC2, with with an RAF roundel on the rear deck. The project was delayed due a missing sprues, which in some great customer service the guys at Miniart got to me just a few short weeks before the tragic events of the last fortnight. I hope they are keeping safe 😥. This will be my first attempt at doing an interior on a 1:35 scale kit. So first the box top: Here is the example I am going to build (just imagine it’s brown): Oh oh - photoetch. The printing of roundel looks a bit out of register, so I may use the spare I have. So I started on the cabin interior (cockpit?). Lots of little bits, but went together well. Will need to leave some parts as sub-assemblies to be able to do the detail painting. I managed to use some of the photo etch, however there was some really tiny bits that defeated me. Painting underway, with the main colour being Vallejo 70826 German Camo Medium Brown. Detail painting with various Tamiya and Italeri acrylics.

So this will be 1/35 scale based on the Asuka M4A2 kit, along with their back date set of the initial suspension. I've done a mock up in paper card for the bottom portion of the wading trunks. Still need to design the fittings and send it off to be made into photo etch. Once that is done hopefully can get a good portion of the build completed. regards, Jack

Hello folks 🥳 I am ready 😎 MD See you soon ☮️

Kit - Tamiya 1:35 Paint - Mig, AK & Tamiya acrylics. Decals - Kit Extras - Value Gear kit-specific resin stowage, Other stowage from spares. M10 'Gun Motor Carriage' 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion Late August 1943 Yep a second finish within a few days, not sure how that happened ! - I began this project in early September, (coincidentally this is the timeframe of the actual vehicle). The M10 GMC is my favourite allied AFV from the Second World War, so I was determined to build this one 'right' and not just to 'that'll do' standard. Not sure if I succeeded, but I gave it my very best. I've tried to depict it just before embarking for the invasion of Italy, so with fairly neat stowage including the obligatory captured German jerry cans. Weathering is restricted to baked-on dust & mud, a few splashes and a scratch or two - the 601st's M10's didn't see too much action in North Africa, but did later in Italy & Southern France. It's a relatively recent Tamiya kit so therefore the assembly is straight-forward and fuss-free, alongside my Academy M10 that I finished about eighteen months ago, it does look a little 'undernourished' so I'm not certain who got their scaling / measurements slightly off ?. Nothing much more to say, please feel free to make any comments or ask any questions. Best from NZ. Ian.

My son bought me this kit for Christmas: Completed out of the box as “Dido” , C Squadron, 4 RTR in Berlin in the early 1960s. Rather unusual in being painted olive drab, with the mantlet cover painted black. While looking for images and information I found this rather nice bit of newsreel: https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVA807GJXZU80R6MMI89H8J3QVSD-GERMANY-BRITISH-ARMOURED-EXERCISE-IN-WEST-BERLIN/query/CENTURION Brush painted with Tamiya acrylics, build thread can be found here. Quite a challenging kit for me, rather more complex than the Tamiya AFV kits I have built previously, but very enjoyable. Back to work next week! Thanks for looking. Looks rather good on the shelf with the Comet and Centaur I built at the beginning of last year.

We are having a bit of a heat wave here in Perth in Western Australia, so just too hot to do any work on my almost complete Airfix M3 Grant. Thought I would make a start taking a look at my Christmas present from my son. It’s a re-boxing of the previously released Mk 5, an overview of which can be found here: https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/afv/kit_afv_35122.shtml However there are slight modifications. There is no turned aluminium main gun, but there is the mantlet cover, in a soft vinyl type plastic. Another difference is that the road wheels are provided in hard polystyrene and vinyl. I know which ones I’ll be using- the hard ones. Much easier to handle. At the bottom of the box is a rather nice print of the tank on the box top. The included tracks are vinyl, however while visiting the local shop for their Boxing Day sale I picked up these quick assembly link and length tracks. They appear to be a very new release (the box lid says 2021, and I can’t find any online reviews). They look rather nice, hopefully they will be straightforward to use. The kit has several different options from C Squadron, 4 RTR stationed in Berlin in 1960 to 1963 (about the time my Dad was first serving in Germany). The instructions are very specific that the overall colour was olive drab, which surprised me as I assumed it would be deep bronze green. A bit of searching around and I found a few mentions that they were painted OD, with the mantlet cover being painted black. The few photos I could find seemed to confirm this. This is going to be an interesting challenge!