IBG Models Otter 1/35

[Jasper dog]

Thought I'd try something different, doesn't look too awkward just as well or I wouldn't be giving it a go!

 

Really fancy one of the big 6 wheeled Scammels so I thought this might be a good trial of both my ability and the brand, as it was cheap 2nd hand, before spending real money.

 

Nice little photo etch fret inc and three options re decals, two Italy 43/44, (one Light stone camo and the other O/D) and one Normandy 44 O/D.

 

Never even heard of an Otter before now, bet the crew felt secure behind that anti tank rifle! 

 Which due to the reflection can't be seen! Doooooh.

 

Cheers

Darryl 

[Redcoat2966]

Tell you what.......we Brits really designed some “odd” looking vehicles.....😬 They always look like someone described the thing over the telephone to the factory foreman......😳

 

But still looking forward to seeing this one come together Darryl....😄👍

 

Simon

[Jasper dog]

Hi Simon, you aren't wrong, it is a little oddball, something only its mother could love...

 

However looking at the V shape of its hull with the wheels and suspension outboard, I assume by design, it's almost quite modern. Puts me in mind of some of the armoured vehicles to come out of the recent Iraq and Afghan conflicts designed to protect the crew from roadside mines and IEDs.

 

I've no idea how good or otherwise this will turn out, it's a trial as much as owt.🤞

 

Cheers 

Darryl 

[Jasper dog]

Slow progress,  

 

Chassis assembled, along with leaf springs, sub assemblys of axles, engine and gearbox ready to go.

 

 

Axles, prop shafts and transfer box all fitted. Small amount of etch used for diff shields and transfer box mount.  Location for diff shields a bit flimsy, butt jointed to diff casing on short plastic struts.

 

Thought cutting the front hubs off to reset at an angle was just asking for trouble so it will be pointing straight ahead.

 

 

All I can say so far is, whilst it's no Tamiya product, it's ok. Instructions are clear and so far, in general, has proper location points for the major items, it is early days though. 

 

However, it is quite delicate and flexible and I'll be amazed if all four wheels touch the ground at once!

 

My take on this build is;  as the underside, engine etc won't be visable I won't worry about detailed painting. My models are not designed to be picked up and turned over, anyone found doing so will be scrubbed off the Christmas card list....

 

Thanks for looking. 

Darryl 

[Tiger]

Darryl you have made a great start, it looks to be coming together nicely. I will be watching as your build progresses.

[FrancisGL]

Hi Darryl,

Good progress, the instructions that I see, seem great, a priori, very clear and well detailed.
I've never done anything about this brand ...
Cheers mate.👍

[Redcoat2966]

Hi Darryl, couldn’t agree with u more. I have the same issues with a Miniart bus. Extensive under carriage detail.......but not the attention to fit as with Tamiya. So, same here.......no intention of seeing underneath
 

keep up the good work👍

[Jasper dog]

On 21/11/2019 at 20:53, Kurt Knispel said:

Darryl you have made a great start, it looks to be coming together nicely. I will be watching as your build progresses.

Hi Kurt, nice to have you along, thanks for looking in.

 

Darryl 

 

6 hours ago, FrancisGL said:

Hi Darryl,

Good progress, the instructions that I see, seem great, a priori, very clear and well detailed.
I've never done anything about this brand ...
Cheers mate.👍

Hi Francis, the brand is a first for me too but the reviews have been good and I picked it up relatively cheaply. Really fancy one of the 6 wheel Scammel Pioneers so thought I'd have a go with this first just to see how this came out, as a trial really.

 

Your right the instructions are quite good, clear and easy to follow. So far fingers crossed it would appear to go together ok, not exactly Tamiya but quite buildable. 👍

 

Cheers 

 

5 hours ago, Redcoat2966 said:

Hi Darryl, couldn’t agree with u more. I have the same issues with a Miniart bus. Extensive under carriage detail.......but not the attention to fit as with Tamiya. So, same here.......no intention of seeing underneath
 

keep up the good work👍

Hi Simon, I'd forgotten all about your Miniart bus, that was a little while ago. I remember looking at one of there kits and deciding discretion was the better part of valour!

Overly complicated I seem to recall.

I know it's good to challenge yourself but....

 

Thanks, hope to get a little more done asap.

[ijs302]

Hi darryl i think i need to watch this one looking good so far , i postman just delivered one which i hope to turn into an raf regiment machine 

          cheers ian

[Jasper dog]

Hi Ian.

 

Doubt it'll be a quick build, but good to have you along. Afraid I don't know much about the vehicle so any input you want to through in feel free.

 

Be interesting to see an RAF Reg version too.

 

Cheers

Darryl 

[Jasper dog]

Short update.

 

 

Essentially chassis complete, engine, gearbox and radiator fitted, wheels tacked on with clear fix as a test.

 

All four wheels touch the ground  ....... if placed on a slightly uneven surface 

Sure with a little adjust/persuasion it'll behave.

 

I'll prime and basic paint the chassis then continue with the body, hopefully mating the two near the end...

 

Cheers.

[clive_t]

I shall follow your progress if I may, on the basis that I have  my own build of this exact kit in my 'current' WIP thread list, stalled since July last year! It's highly likely you will finish yours before I finish mine

 

[FrancisGL]

It is a detailed set, I hope that the engine and other parts can be seen later, because it is something that once finished is very real ...

Cheers Darryl 👍

 

[Jasper dog]

13 hours ago, clive_t said:

I shall follow your progress if I may, on the basis that I have  my own build of this exact kit in my 'current' WIP thread list, stalled since July last year! It's highly likely you will finish yours before I finish mine

 

Nice to have you along Clive,  I wouldn't be to sure about finishing first though.

 

I'm not planning on spending to much time on areas that won't be seen though.

 

Cheers

Darryl 

[Jasper dog]

10 hours ago, FrancisGL said:

It is a detailed set, I hope that the engine and other parts can be seen later, because it is something that once finished is very real ...

Cheers Darryl 👍

 

Hi Francis, it's pretty well detailed oob, however I don't think much will be visible though once built up.

 

Sure someone could go to town on it if they wished and open the bonnet and leave all the doors etc open.

 

Just about to start getting the main body together with all the associated internals. 

 

Cheers

[Kingsman]

Watching in as I have one of these in the stash and plans for another.  One to be RAF a/c Company with 20mm Hispano and the other to be Haganah with MG34 turret.

 

I read elsewhere that the kit's wheels are undersized.  The straight bar cleat tread pattern is more typical of US tyres, perhaps not unreasonable as this was a Canadian-built vehicle.  Panzer Art have replacements in 2 styles.

 

 

[Jasper dog]

6 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

Watching in as I have one of these in the stash and plans for another.  One to be RAF a/c Company with 20mm Hispano and the other to be Haganah with MG34 turret.

 

I read elsewhere that the kit's wheels are undersized.  The straight bar cleat tread pattern is more typical of US tyres, perhaps not unreasonable as this was a Canadian-built vehicle.  Panzer Art have replacements in 2 styles.

 

 

Thanks for looking in. I'll wait and see how it turns out before making a call on replacement wheels. The idea had been to use this a test job, picked it up cheap 2nd hand, prior to having a go at one of the Scammels.

 

Do like your idea for an RAF one though.

 

Not a bad kit so far, a few flimsy butt joints here and there but nothing to serious, as yet.

 

Thanks again for the tip on the wheels.

 

Darryl 

 

 

[Kingsman]

Nos 1 & 2 RAF Armoured Car Companies had them in Tunisia & then Palestine.  RAF Regt had them in NWE.  RAF colour schemes as per Army, but different markings.  Light Mud over factory SCC2 in N Africa and Palestine, black over SCC2 or SCC15 in NWE.  The Armoured Car Companies continued their tradition of improving their armament, as they were often tasked to operate with little or no heavy support.  Additional .303 Browning, .50 AN/M2 Browning and 20mm Hispano were used.  Boys .55 went in the bin..................  RAF Regt seemed to use them unmodified.

 

I believe some Canadian units replaced the tiny turret with a 0.50 M2 Browning on an open pintle mount with shield.  Not sure if it rotated on the turret race. Mirror/LZ Models do, or did, that conversion for their (best avoided) Otter.  But easily scratchbuilt.  Photos online.

 

If you want something more out of the ordinary, one of the RAF Armoured Car Companies operated a pair of captured Sd.Kfz 222 through N Africa and into Palestine.  Thinking of extra firepower..........

[Jasper dog]

Still undecided re' scheme. Italy, light mud or NW Europe, OD. Does anyone do a Light Mud or something close to? 

 

OD quite simple as AK does one, once it's been played around it appears quite passible, to me anyway. But Light Mud, I've no idea on...

 

Thinking of colour etc, am I right to assume white inside the cab and O/D or L/S depending upon exterior colour inside turret?

 

Like the idea of the Sd.Kfz 222, repainted or left in the original Africa Korps sand?

 

Cheers

Darryl

[fatfingers]

Aye up Darryl.

 

Nice going so far. I would imagine white for the cab interior etc. As for the turret, i reakon the interior of it would be the original colour of the exterior eg Olive Drab or SCC2. The light mud colour may have been applied in theatre and would be on the outside only. I'm sure someone with greater knowledge than me will be along with better and more accurate info! 

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[Kingsman]

Hard to tell on the 222s.  Photos all monochrome.  However, repainting in a friendly scheme would have been an aid to avoiding blue-on-blue mishaps.  Irrelevant in Palestine.

 

Hull interior would have been white or silver, most probably white at that time.  Certainly white with an SCC2 exterior but possibly silver with an SCC15 exterior.  Door and hatch interior surfaces that were visible when open would have been the exterior colour - but not necessarily repainted when the exterior was repainted.  I believe the turret interior was the exterior colour on the Otter.

 

Beware of "OD".  The UK equivalent colour was SCC15, introduced mid-44.  Although called Olive Drab in BS987C it is a very different colour to any of the US OD shades: much greener and heading towards the earlier Green G3.  Several paint companies offer an "SCC15".  Last one I used was Hataka: looks OK to me and I chose it over others after sample testing.

 

Otters were initially produced in SCC2 Brown, later in SCC15.  As the change was authorised in mid-44 it is unlikely that any appeared in NWE or Italy much before 1945 by the time they'd been built, shipped and through the depot system.

 

Those arriving in Tunisia and much of the Italian campaign would have been finished in SCC2.  Initially, a disruptive overpaint of Light Mud was authorised and this stuck until a change to darker shades was authorised in mid-'44 as the advance progressed up through Italy.  SCC15 was authorised for repainting, with or without blue-black SCC14 disruptive pattern.  Essentially the same scheme as in NWE.  However, some armoured cars in Italy were painted in SCC1A dark brown over SCC2 brown.  I don't know if any Otters were pained thus.  Some Humbers and AECs certainly were.

 

LifeColour have a Light Mud, UA272.  That's the only one I have, but there are others.  Vallejo have it in their Panzer Aces and Model Air ranges, AK Interactive in their Real (but often suspect!) Colours.

 

For D Day, all AFV were mandated to be re-finished in SCC15.  Armoured cars could have blue-black disruptive patterns.

[binglee]

Hi, Your build is looking great. I painted my Canadian version in SCC.2. I wanted to depict a Canadian vehicle in Sicily. General info I found was SCC.2, perhaps with some kind of camo.

Cheers

Bill Inglee

 

[Jasper dog]

Thank you all, a fairly unanimous decision on SCCC2 or SCCC15, depending upon time frame. 

 

Thanks Steve, I think you're quite right with white inside and turret being the exterior colour.

 

Particular thank you to DA for a tremendously comprehensive answer. I struggle to get on with Life Colour, used them a lot for aeroplanes until finding Vallejo etc. They always seemed to dry up quickly and clog up when being sprayed, where as Vallejo and Ak tend to work better for me.

 

Might have to try some of the Vallejo light mud then, its suggested for the potential Sherman III project I have been contemplating. 

 

Absolutely right re' the US v UK Olive D btw, completely different. 

 

(Interesting idea of doing an RAF Sd.Kfz 222 btw to, as I've nothing else to do...)

 

Thanks Bill, interested to know how yours came out, anything I need to be cautious of or look out for during construction?

 

Cheers 

Darryl 

 

 

 

[binglee]

Hi Darryl,

The hood is a challenge. go slow and let the cement dry. rear deck was also an issue as I recall. I just went slow and used Tamiya extra thin cement.

Cheers

Bill

 

_P3A0040

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by binglee
picture coding

[Jasper dog]

Thanks Bill, I've got something to aim for now! 

 

Great job, btw, ungainly little fella ain't it?

 

Thanks for the heads up re' rear deck and hood, I'll watch out for that. Haven't decided upon leaving a hatch open yet, depends how well the interior turns out!

 

Cheers

Darryl