Stef N. Posted June 1, 2021 Author Share Posted June 1, 2021 Good point. The 501 was destroyed at Kursk, which was mid-summer, so I am assuming it was more dusty than muddy around that time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 I vaguely recall reading somewhere that it rained during the battle of Kursk. I'll see if I can find the reference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Haven't had a chance to go through my book on Kursk but a quick DuckDuck search found the following. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/09/02/the-battle-of-kursk-showdown-at-prokhorovka-and-oboian/ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 Only judging from the photos it looks neither one or t'other. Quite solid and perfect fighting conditions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Perhaps the photos don't show the bbc in the distance? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 4 hours ago, echen said: Haven't had a chance to go through my book on Kursk but a quick DuckDuck search found the following. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/09/02/the-battle-of-kursk-showdown-at-prokhorovka-and-oboian/ You were right. I managed to give it a proper read and heavy rain was mentioned a couple of times so a re-evaluation of my weathering is necessary. Luckily the dust hasn't been fixed and will wash off (and I wasn't overly happy with it either.) Cheers.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 From memory the Russian weather is very hot in summer. The landscape would probably dry out between spells of rain so the combatants would have been alternately soaked and covered in dust. Don't know which would be worse - other than trying to fight in very sub-zero temperatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 Remembering the German film Stalingrad I think the Russian winter tops all the terrible weather they went through. Almost feel sympathy for them.😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 You have to remember that most of the blokes, on all sides, never wanted to be there in the first place ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 An update on the main body. This has taken a bit longer than I expected as, although not a complicated kit, it has lots of little pieces that need cleaning up and careful placing. Everything I must say fits very well and I haven't had many problems, except the odd carpet monster moments and Sprue C. This was from their first earlier Elefant kit and it isn't very good on the whole. Vague and lacking detail, luckily most is for the interior, but the gun barrel was rubbish so I had to veer down the Aber barrel route (this is superb btw.) I also used some of the MJ Miniatures clamps and clasps. Very nicely detailed but not easy to got off their backing and I broke a couple until I got used to them. Just need to finish up the side guards, adding the tools, spare tracks etc and then painting should start. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Its looking good Stef, nice work.. Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Great progress on this; coming on really well. 👍 E Edited June 8, 2021 by echen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 A small piece of advice please. The kit doesn't come with any tow ropes, some of the photos show it without them, although most of these are after the battle but all the colour profiles I have show them with and I am of the belief that the factory would have installed them. Should I put them on or did some Ferdinands never have them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) The book Panzer Battalion 507 has a pic of a Ferdinand with 2 cables secured on the glacis. Just double checked. It was an Elephant - not a Ferdinand...........sorry. Edited June 8, 2021 by echen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Thanks for that. I have found some good photos with them still attached, before the Russians "borrowed" them. Not sure why Dragon have left them off?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Saving the planet and minimising plastic? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Very nice work @Stef N. I especially like the picture where the barrel has a blue reflection - a Ferdinand with a light sabre would be something else! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) The problem is when a company leaves something off you think there must be a good reason, so you go through all your books, bookmarks, internet gallery and ask silly questions only to find out they've made a small mistake. A good way of learning more about a tank I suppose. I hope I still have some Tamiya tow hooks in the spares box.🤔 And I do. That's a reminder of why I've kept the spares box.👍 Edited June 8, 2021 by Stef N. Small update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Lummox said: Very nice work @Stef N. I especially like the picture where the barrel has a blue reflection - a Ferdinand with a light sabre would be something else! I bet those crafty German scientists were actually working on one already.. ! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 On 6/8/2021 at 1:16 PM, Stef N. said: Should I put them on or did some Ferdinands never have them? I've had a quick scan through 'Ferdinand and Elefant' by Thomas Anderson and there are a few examples of non-wreak Ferdinands seemingly without tow cables. In a happy segue to your 'dust or mud' conversation, there is a picture of a cableless Ferdinand of sPzJgAbt 653 barreling up to the front in a cloud of dust! So there seems to be some apocryphal evidence that they weren't always fitted, which may have been a valid option before your spares box came to the rescue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 Cheers for that. I found a similar one online to what you say and the dust effects would have been perfect. This photo finally made up my mind of what I am going to (attempt) to do. This is just after the battle but before the Russians had stripped it and carted it off the field. (I won't be damaged like this though.) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 I was wondering what paint scheme you were going to go for... presume a fairly crude spray job like the pic above ? ( and lots of luvly dust ! ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 It's basically a chunkier version of the cobweb pattern. It's more an attempt to see how good my airbrushing skills are. It could get cruder than the one in the photo. 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Luckily it's historically accurate to be fairly crude ! In many ways a lot of model paint jobs are too well done... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 That's good to know. I was originally going to use a lot of masking but that would have been too precise so I will do it purely freehand. Any mistakes can be covered up later on.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now