Military_modelling_v48_n05_2017.pdf

‘Mickey Mouse’ T-34/76

‘The finest tank in the world’

‘Hunting Panther’ Dragon’s 1/35 Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther kit

Coldstream Guard

Amphibious Jeep

A 54mm figure from the Battle of Waterloo

Building Tamiya’s model of the Ford G.P.A. 1/4ton 4x4 truck 28th April 2017

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PRODUCTION

Designer: Richard Dyer Illustrator: Grahame Chambers Retouching Manager: Brian Vickers Ad Production: Robin Gray

Features 10 ‘The finest tank in the world’

Ivan Momcilovic Momcha presents his 1/35 ICM T-34/76 (early 1943 production)

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16 The ‘Hunting Panther’

The Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther Smart Kit (6393) by Andy King Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

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All rights reserved ISSN 0026-4083 The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, including photocopiers, and information retrieval systems. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of the magazine contents, but the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the contents of this magazine or for any loss however arising from such errors, including loss resulting from negligence of our staff. Reliance placed upon the contents of this magazine is at reader’s own risk. Military Modelling, ISSN 0026-4083, is published monthly with an additional issue in April by MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is 59.40GBP (equivalent to approximately 99USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Military Modelling, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at dsb.net 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.

22 Bayonets at Hougoumont

Private Centre Company Coldstream Guards, 1815 by Ian Succamore

26 Scratch one Mk.IV Male

Inspired by Military Modelling, Keith Sharples presents his scratchbuilt Mk.IV

32 More free and easy buildings: 32 concrete, brick and wood A range of building materials, once again on a budget by Roger Merry

Vol.47 No.5 2017

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Stand Easy... 40 36 The Engineer Volunteers of 1859-1908 Part 2 – Counties D to H by Ray Westlake

40 ‘Hooker’ Nose Art

Canadian CH-147D Chinook Nose Art in Afghanistan by Ed Storey

46 ‘Fordin’ the Water!’ Ford Truck, Amphibian, GPA, 1/4 ton, 4x4 by Mark Bannerman

46 52 52 Let’s design a drum!

Marcel Von Hobe steers us through the wonderful world of 3D printing

Regular Features 5 ‘Stand Easy’

A message from the Contributing Editor

58 MAFVA

Regimental Museums by Chairman Jon Ham

60 On Parade

Recommended books for military modellers

62 Atten-Shun!

Products review section

72 Next Issue

What’s coming up in your favourite modelling magazine!

Cover Story... MAIN IMAGE: 1/35 ICM T-34/76 by Ivan Momcilovic Momcha LEFT INSET: Andy King’s 1/35 Dragon Jagdpanther CENTRE INSET: 54mm Coldstream Guard at Hougoumont by Ian Succamore

W

elcome to Military Modelling Volume 47, Issue 5 which is already my thirteenth issue! Twelve month’s-worth of mags have come and gone in the blink of an eye and I only now feel like I’m getting the hang of where we should be going. As I said when I took over, this was intended to be a period of experimentation – some new subjects were introduced, some old subjects were re-introduced and these changes were combined with a different internal layout all of which should, by now, be presenting the reader with an increased range of subjects. The latter, in part, has been achieved by being more open minded with regard to what the contributor has to offer and I have really enjoyed introducing new people into the magazine not to mention a few returners – I hope that this course will continue in both cases. Generally, I think these changes which in my humble opinion were not particularly radical, have been well received by the readership and I thank you all for your support and general feedback; even the few ‘constructively critical’ ones! MM4705 continues this approach and this issue sees four more new contributors in the shape of Andy King, Keith Sharples, Ed Storey and Marcel Van Hobe. The cross section of subjects from these four alone sums up what we are trying to achieve and I’m sure, like me, you will glean new information and expand your knowledge of this vast subject. From ‘out of the box’ builds to a piece of superb figure modelling, an incredible scratch build, to modelling using recycling, a look at the world of 3D printing through to military history sections from the Victorian period to the recent conflict in Afghanistan, once more Military Modelling has a little something for everyone. If you think you have a project that I might be interested in please send me a message. Also, don’t forget www.militarymodelling.com, the magazine’s own popular website which has a vibrant forum covering every conceivable modelling subject. ‘Carry On!’

Martyn Chorlton Contributing Editor [email protected]

RIGHT INSET: ¼ ton, 4x4 GPA by Mark Bannerman

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Tankograd 9025. MAN Support Vehicles. This is the first-ever comprehensive publication on the MAN trucks in British military service. Quantity Photos and Illustrations: Illustrated with 138 colour photographs and 2 graphics. £13.99

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Panzer III Owners Workshop Manual. An insight into the design, construction and operation of the German Army’s Second World War medium battle tank Hardback,172 pages, Black/White and Colour photographs. £22.99

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‘The finest tank in the world’

‘‘ ”

Ivan Momcilovic Momcha presents his 1/35 ICM T-34/76 (early 1943 production)

At its introduction, the T-34 possessed an unprecedented combination of firepower, mobility, protection and ruggedness.

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Effective, efficient and influential The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank that had a profound and lasting effect in the field of tank design. Although its armour and armament were surpassed later in the war, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential tank design of the Second World War. At its introduction, the T-34 possessed an unprecedented combination of firepower, mobility, protection and ruggedness. Its 76.2mm (3in) high-velocity gun provided a substantial increase in firepower over any of its contemporaries and its heavy sloped armour was difficult to penetrate by most contemporary anti-tank weapons. When first encountered in 1941, the German tank General von Kleist called it ‘the finest tank in the world’ and General Heinz Guderian confirmed the

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T-34’s ‘vast superiority’ over existing German armour of the period. The T-34 was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout the war. Its design allowed it to be continuously refined to meet the constantly evolving needs of the Eastern Front and, as the war went on, it became more capable, but also quicker and cheaper to produce. Soviet industry would eventually produce over 80,000 T-34s of all variants, allowing steadily greater numbers to be fielded as the war progressed, despite the loss of thousands in combat against the German Wehrmacht. Replacing many light and medium tanks in Red Army service, it was the most-produced tank of the war, as well as the secondmost-produced tank of all time (after its successor, the T-54/55 series). Its evolutionary development led directly to the T-54/55 series of tanks and from there, to the T-62, T-72, and T-90 tanks that, along with several Chinese tanks based on the T-55, form the backbone of many armies even today. Widely exported following the war, in 1996, T-34 variants were still in service in at least 27 countries.

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

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Model ICM have made a very nice model with their new T-34/76 (early 1943 production). The detail and casting is well done and construction will not take too much of your time. There are some parts that could be replaced, to make the kit more authentic. Some aftermarket companies already offered various solutions in resin plastic, but it will also look nice if you build it out of the box. I started with the turret. It is detailed from the start but my idea was to add to it. Firstly, I have added numbers that I cut from some old sprues and glued them using Testors liquid glue for models. Numbers on the turrets were often seen on Russian WWII tanks, so these details were more than welcome. Next I made some damage details using a soldering iron. I was careful when I was doing this not to damage and melt more plastic than I wanted (Photo 1). Then I used Mr. Surfacer 500 and a brush to produce texturing around the effects that I had already made (Photo 2). When I finished with all the detailing it was time for priming using the Black and White technique. Firstly, I airbrushed grey primer as a neutral shade (Photo 3). After I had waited for few hours, I airbrushed Dark Grey shades on the places where less light and more dirt can be seen (Photo 4). After a few hours I added a final shade; white on the parts where the vehicle is exposed to the light (Photo 5). The reason why I was waiting for few hours between shades is that the primer, even when it`s dry, can produce a chemical reaction when mixing it with a new layer and shades can be lighter or darker than you really want them. So it is best if you wait for a few hours for primer to be completely dry. After priming it was time for final detailing before I added camouflage. Using a fine brush and white paint I highlight some details on the model like screws,

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holders and etc. These parts will be highlighted later after adding basic camouflage. As they are small, highlighting will give you the right in scale look (Photo 6). Now time for the basic camouflage; I chose to apply two or three layers of camouflage colours, something a little different than the standard Soviet green that we usually see on the models. I used Ammo Mig Colours 021 7K Russian Tan and 023 Protective Green. Painted like this, the model should represent vehicle that fought in the famous Battle of Kursk (Photo 7). I have also added the appropriate decals for T-34 in the Kursk battle (Photo 8). After adding the decals, I airbrushed a thin layer of Tamiya X-22 Clear to get a glossy surface and nice base for the next weathering steps. Firstly, a green filter is added with fine brush. In this step I was careful not to change the basic colours with the filter, just to tone them down (Photo 9), then after the filter had dried, I added one more layer but this time with darker shade of green, which resulted on this rough surface in an effect more like a wash (Photo 10). When both filter layers had dried, I made some weathering effects with artist oils. I have made small lines and dots with yellow and white colour, randomly painted on the model (Photo 11). Then, using enamel thinner and brush, I blended them in (Photo 12). The process was repeated a few times until I got a good result. After this process, it is recommended to leave it alone for a couple of days because artist oils are slow drying and if you are planning on continuing with weathering affects you can easily ruin all previous steps.

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Time for some streaking; standard streaking grime enamel effect has been added on the sides of the turret and the hull. Randomly sized lines were painted with a thin brush (Photo 13) and then using enamel thinner were blended from the top to the bottom until I get a satisfactory result (Photo 14). Using a sponge technique, I have made chipping effects with a mixture of green, yellow and white followed by a lighter shade of green than the camouflage base green. Using a sponge for this effect I can produce a very authentic looking chipping (Photo 15). After that I used a dark brown

colour to add more volume on the chipping; dark brown will give a more dramatic look (Photo 16). A relatively new product on the market is Wilders weathering oils. What is making them different from other oil colours is that they are quick dry, so waiting between weathering steps is much shorter. I used Wilder Black Brown around the hatches and the places where most of the dirt can be seen (Pic17). I put it on with a fine brush and then I used a flat dry brush for blending (Photo 18). The same steps were

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used on various places on the model (Photo 19) and the final result is more than authentic. Grey Dirt Spatter from Wilder Nitro line was added to the wheels. This common brown mud tone is good for improving the realism of weathering effects on vehicles (Photo 20). Waiting for dirt effects to dry on the wheels, I made a few more effects on the upper hull such as rust on the engine deck (Photo 21). It is now time for weathering the lower chassis, which I started with Wilder Black Brown oil. I made streaking effects with it and then added Stony Textured Earth (Light Grey HDF-TE-08) and Light Europe (HDF-TE-11), also from Wilders. These products are fantastic for creating a realistic texturing effect. (Photo 22) While the texturing effects were drying, I added shades of brown colour on the exhaust with an airbrush (Photo 23) and added various tones of dirt on the lower chassis. Fuel stains are always a welcome effect and they give a very dramatic look to the model. I put them mostly on the engine areas and exhaust system. Tracks were painted in a dark brown tone, which gave them nice ‘used track’ shade. After using masking tape I protected the rest of the tracks from painting, leaving only the ‘teeth’ to be painted in a steel colour. The ‘teeth’ are the most ‘used’ parts of the tracks because of friction and they usually get an original polished look of steel/metal so I painted them like this (Photo 24). On the other side of the tracks I have added the same texturing tones/effects that I used on the lower part of chassis (Photo 25). As the Battle of Kursk happened during the summer, I didn`t want to put wet effects on the model. It`s not that wet effects were not seen during that period, my vision of this model was with only dry dirt.

24 When the effect on the lower chassis has dried, I have added one more layer using various pigments for a more authentic look; a mixture of Earth tones and Dark mud pigments. Soon after I made speckling effects with two different shades (Photo 26). Black pigment was put around the exhaust with fine brush. Picking sand and gravel from my backyard with strainer, I have provided more material for the final effects. A mixture of those two was placed around the turret and on the fenders, etc. With the brush I place them on desired places. Then with Ammo Mig gravel glue and pipette I glued them to the model. A little foliage that I modified from a local flower shop is added on the turret as bonus camouflage made by crew (Photo 27). I would like to say big thanks to Scale-Model-Kits (www.scale-model-kits.com) for providing this kit.

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The ‘Hunting Panther’ The Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther Smart Kit (6393) by Andy King History With its purposeful look, sloped armour and powerful 8.8cmPak 43/3 L/71 gun, the Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther is generally considered to be one of the best tank killers of WW2. The story of the Jagdpanther began in early 1942. The initial design stemmed from the requirement for a heavy assault gun vehicle that mounted an 8.8cm gun. The industrial giant of Friedrich Krupp AG presented two conceptual drawings of the proposed vehicle to the Heeres Waffenamt (the people who issued the requirement). The two drawings were for vehicles powered by different engines; DeutzStern Diesel and Maybach with the latter eventually being the preferred power plant. After inspecting a wooden mock-up there were the usual ‘very nice but could you change a few things’ comments so more parts from the Panther were incorporated into the design such as the chassis, transmission etc.

These pics show the basic lower hull with torsion bars installed. The wheels fitted show the amount of articulation you can get.

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In October 1942 responsibility for the design of the new vehicle was handed over to Daimler Benz as production was due to start in their plant in 1943, although Krupp was still to assist with the project, completing a full-scale wooden mock-up in November 1942. Muehlenbau und Industrie AG (MIAG) also became involved with the project after advising Krupp about a couple of details (which goes to show you should never volunteer for anything), becoming responsible for making the vehicle. With all design work finished, production started in 1943 with the first five machines ready in January 1944 for Waffenamt inspectors. Because of those pesky Allied air raids, production of the Jagdpanther at the MIAG plant remained at a low rate so contracts were awarded to MNH and MBA to help increase it. The first unit to get their hands on the Jagdpanther was the 654th Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung who had traded in their Ferdinands for the new model as early as August 1943. Issued with orders to gear up as a Jagdpanther unit, Panthers were used for driver training due to production delays. The new vehicles finally arrived by train in May 1944, going into combat two months later against Allied forces in Normandy.

something to somebody somewhere, however unless you are modelling a particular vehicle with the wheels off (maintenance, knocked-out etc.) you can’t see this detail. The torsion bars can be made to work like the real thing, just insert the swing arms through the hull and glue the ends with cyano. This is useful for dioramas where you need to pose the suspension. I jumped well ahead of the instructions and fitted the tracks at this point however the fit of the tracklinks is very tight around the sprocket, something to beware of if you like to fit your tracks after painting. The actual assembly of the tracks is a breeze as the fit of the links are really good. The only problem being I was three links short. Fortunately the spare links on sprue E came to the rescue. I dry-fitted the wheels to the axles then glued the tracks to the

The Model Dragon billed this as a late-production ‘Smart Kit’ however it’s not that smart as it’s a mid-production G1, the late production model being a G2. All the parts are virtually flash-free and require very little clean up and speaking of parts there are LOTS in the box, mostly from other Panther kits so the spares box will benefit hugely. No metal barrel is supplied, just a one-piece moulded item so we’ll have to see how we get along with it. At least there’ll be no awkward seam to get rid of. The level of detail on the outside is great and nicely rendered such as the torch-cut marks on the ends of plates and weld seams. However there is very little interior detail apart from a basic gun breech which is a bit disappointing, especially if you want that big rear hatch open. There are a few choices to be made detail-wise so check your references as to which particular bit goes on which particular vehicle. You have no less than ten painting options; three from Schwere Panzer Jaeger Abteilung 654, one from s.H.Pz.Jg. Abteilung 560 in the Ardennes region 1944, one from Panzer Lehr Regiment 130 and the rest from unidentified units. The model I wanted to build was from Abteilung 654 number 212, as featured in the Gunpower book. Now this unit usually put all the on-vehicle equipment at the rear of the vehicle and added a stowage box to the rear of the upper hull. However this particular vehicle, according to my references, still had the factory fitted tool storage racks on the side of the hull and no stowage box so that will do for me, besides it’s painted up in a pretty camouflage scheme.

ABOVE: These pics show the track fitment. The fit of the track links around the sprocket is very tight and something to be aware of if you like to fit your tracks after painting. BELOW: The way those fan inserts SHOULD fit.

Construction The hull is the first bit to attack so I cleaned up and assembled the wheels then fitted the torsion bars. The level of detail Dragon has incorporated on the lower hull is something else and believe it or not you have a choice of rear swing arms and suspension bump stops. Obviously this all means

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I gave the inside of the periscopes a coat of Tamiya Clear Green to represent heavy duty glass.

The modification to the track guards needed for the etch replacement.

The tracks finally fitted.

wheels, 86 links on the left and 85 on the right. When completely set these assemblies were removed to aid painting later on. The upper and rear hull is next and one of the features of the particular vehicle I’m modelling is the Flammenvernichter exhaust stacks with the smaller air intake pipes on one side. Aftermarket items are available, however there are enough parts in the kit to chop about to make them. The fans and radiator inserts that sit below the rear deck need to be assembled thus; H18 and N7, H17 and N6 then turned 180˚ to that shown in the instructions (bless you Dragon, you had to try and catch me out with something). You have a choice of two roofs, so check your references as to which one is applicable to the vehicle you are building. For my model I required part N5 so this was detailed then fixed to the hull. I did this by using liquid glue initially then followed up with cyano glue. Because I was using the Voyager etch track guards, the holes in the hull for the kit items were filled in and sanded as the side skirt mounting brackets are in different places, probably because the etch set I was using was originally designed for the Tamiya kit.

Having looked at the kit barrel and compared it with web pics of RB Models nice and shiny replacement item, one magically appeared in my online shopping cart and by the power of Visa turned up in the post a few days later. The kit item is OK but those metal barrels are much sexier, especially with the detailing inside the muzzle brake. The upper hull moulding is a bit too smooth and perfect for my liking so working in small areas I liberally applied liquid glue to the flat surfaces and while the glue was still wet I stippled the areas with a hard nylon paint brush, the type you see in cheapo art stores. When I’d finished covering the hull it was left to harden for a couple of days then sanded using fine ‘wet and dry’. This technique gives a fairly convincing textured armour plate effect without going over the top as German armour was relatively smooth, due to it being rolled in the steel mills rather than cast. Time to stick the thing together and this gave me a bit of a trouble as the upper and lower hull parts didn’t quite fit and needed a bit of chopping around inside at the front. Again to make a strong joint I first used liquid glue followed up with thin cyano; the same where the upper hull joined the rear plate. With the hull firmly set I used the majority of kit parts to finish the

ABOVE LEFT: The kit supplied engine deck mesh. ABOVE RIGHT: A combination of liquid glue and a stiff nylon brush is used to try and replicate the armour plate texture. BELOW LEFT: The end result - a subtle texture is achieved rather than smooth plastic. BELOW RIGHT: A close up of the foliage tie down loops added from copper wire.

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ABOVE LEFT: The Rommel kisten bins at the rear were soldered. My first attempt too. Yippee it worked! ABOVE RIGHT & RIGHT: More views of the completed construction. Side skirts were made from ten thou styrene sheet. BELOW: Games Workshop Chaos Black is sprayed overall for a good undercoat.

BELOW: The paintwork in good old fashioned enamel.

detailing, only using etch in a couple of places such as tool clamps and of course the fan and air intake mesh covers. The tool and track holders were kit items rather than etch as after looking at a real Jagdpanther at the Bovington Tank Museum it was apparent how chunky these items really were. The gun cleaning equipment tube was made from brass stock and relocated from the hull side to the rear deck and that was pretty much it for construction.

Painting After giving the model a rinse in warm water and washing up liquid, it was left to dry then it got a coat of Games Workshop Chaos Black primer. Humbrol Matt 94 Brown Yellow enamel (yes enamel, remember that?) was used for a base coat, lightened with White 34 for the upper surfaces. The camo pattern was marked out with a pencil, carefully following the illustrations in the Gunpower book. The red brown (Humbrol 186) and green

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ABOVE LEFT: A good coat of Tamiya X-22 Clear followed by Johnsons Future makes a great base for decals. A good tip is before you place a decal on your model; wet the area with Future first. This avoids tiny air bubbles getting underneath the decal and causing ‘silvering’. ABOVE RIGHT: Washes and filters.

(Humbrol 117) were airbrushed free hand, then I went over the base coat colour again to kill any overspray. I chose these colours as it’s easier to start off light as weathering will darken the model. To make it shiny for the decals and weathering a couple of coats of Tamiya X-22 Clear were sprayed overall. The decals came from the kit and spares box. The numbers were chopped around a bit to try and get the style shown in the book. With a drop of Johnsons Kleer/ Future under the decals to bed them down and a couple of coats over the entire model it’s time to get down and dirty.

Weathering First off a couple of coats of dark yellow Sin Industries Filter were brushed over the model to help tone down the base colours. Using a fine brush, Migs Dark Brown Wash was run into all the recesses, corners and panel lines to add some definition to the model. To flatten it all down I sprayed matt acrylic varnish overall before proceeding with the next stages of weathering. ABOVE: More Mig stuff, this time the oil and grease stain mixture and it’s highly recommended. Just remember to put the oil staining around the correct hatch as the other one is for water.

LEFT & OPPOSITE: Views of the finished model.

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The paint chips were done using Vallejo Iraqi Sand for the lighter chips and scratches plus Vallejo German Camo Black/Brown for deeper ones. I tend to use a fine brush and a sponge for chipping. Around the lower hull and running gear I airbrushed a 2:1 mix of Humbrol 29 Dark Earth and 33 Black to add to the filth. The upper hull was treated to the arty bit where different oil colours were dotted all over, then worked into the paint using a flat edged brush moistened with thinners. The mud and dust, build-up of grease and oil etc. were done with the help of more Mig products and stuff from AK Interactive Pigment powder was also liberally applied to the tracks then graphite was rubbed over the top of the track links to simulate bare metal. Finally black pastel chalk was brushed into corners and panel lines just to add a bit more grime.

Conclusion Dragon made a great replica of one of my favourite armoured vehicles with this kit, the only real criticism I can level at it is the lack of interior detail especially as there is a huge door at the back of the hull superstructure. If you want it open, then either fill the hole with a crew figure or be prepared for some extra detailing work yourself. The kit also had the individual track links, these days they have been replaced with DS Vinyl rubber bands which work for some modellers but definitely not for me. Apart from the mix up with the radiator fans the instructions are pretty clear so Dragon is improving in this area. The only thing is to check your references regarding which vehicle you are building but you do that anyway (don’t you?).

References Panzertracts 9-3 Jagdpanther. ISBN 0-9771643-0-6 Achtung Panzer No; 4 (Revised edition) ISBN 4-499-22775-5 Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther by A.I.W.Markowscy. T. Melleman, T. Skwiot. Gunpower 24 by AJ Press. ISBN 83-7237-166-0

Accessories Used Voyager Etch Set PE35015 RB Model 88mm KwK 43/3 L/71 Barrel. Item number 35B04

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Bayonets at Hougoumont 54mm Private Private Centre Company Coldstream Guards, 1815 by Ian Succamore

‘‘ ” The plight of the Coldstream Guards at Hougoumont is an amazing story. The battle within the battle at the Chateaux is the stuff of legend and many aspects of it remain a mystery to this day.

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Iconic battle My wife hides things! There, I’ve said it. I know I’m in trouble now but it’s only the scale of the trouble I’m in that varies. If I’ve lost something then it can be guaranteed that it has been ‘tidied’ by my wife. If a piece of a figure gets lost in the carpet, she gets the blame for this too. Take this figure for example; I finished painting him back in June 2016. It is now mid-October and this figure remains the last figure I completed. Because of this lack of productivity I completely lost my motivation…I’m sure my wife has ‘tidied’ it away somewhere as I remember having it back when this figure was started. It was back in April and I had just got home from Sword and Lance 2016. I met Bill Horan at that show and, after watching his demonstration then subsequently having a very nice chat with the Grand Master I was sufficiently inspired to get sculpting. The Battle of Waterloo is so iconic that many aspects of the battle never fail to raise my interest. The plight of the Coldstream Guards at Hougoumont is an amazing story. The battle within the battle at the

Chateaux is the stuff of legend and many aspects of it remain a mystery to this day. Tales of heroism on both sides have been passed down in history and are now told with almost reverential amazement because of what was endured by the soldiers on that day in June 1815. Stories such as the Duke warning Colonel MacDonnell to move his troops out of some parts of the Chateaux as the roof was on fire, to Private Clayton being stuck outside the walls of the Chateaux when his comrades had all retreated inside its walls. It was during the six hour drive home from Sword and Lance that I decided that the figure I wanted to depict would be partaking in one such event, when bayonets were required to fight off the French. It is a standard pose with an unbloodied bayonet ready to lunge towards an adversary. The pose was chosen and the body parts of the mannequin were stuck together with superglue. I have been using ‘Zap a Gap’ superglue for some time now. I am not sure if this product has a shelf life but it seems that recently the sticking power of this has waned somewhat. Once upon a time it used to stick an item in seconds. Now I seem to have to hold the surfaces together for ages and the stability of the joint is tenuous at best. One little touch and the piece broke off. If I’m lucky and it does land right in my eye line then I can have another go at gluing it on. If it doesn’t land in my eye line then my wife swoops over and ‘tidies’ it up – never to be seen again. How she manages this without me noticing is beyond me sometimes. The head was chosen from my stash of various heads and I was ready to add some putty. With enthusiasm at an all-time high, I started modifying the head. This particular one was an old Hornet head, sculpted by Roger Saunders in the last millennia. It was cast in white metal which shows how old it is. It has a wonderfully grumpy expression that I have liked for years. Occasionally, I get out my collection of Hornet heads, just to admire the craftsmanship. I did remove the eyes as the details were a bit smooth for my liking. I re-sculpted the eye sockets and eyebrows using a combination of 1/3 Duro and 2/3 Magic Sculpt. I use this combination almost exclusively now. The top of his head was sliced off to accommodate the shako and the body parts were fleshed out with Magic sculpt to give the wire armature some volume onto which the clothes could be sculpted.

Napoleonic equipment The equipment I use for my Napoleonic creations are all resin castings of masters I have created myself over the years. I found from previous experience that sculpting back packs, shakos, Brown Bess muskets, bayonets and especially water bottles is a mind numbingly tedious process. Creating a master of these parts was the only sensible option. I took them to my friend Martyn Dorey of Model Display Products and he cast these items for me. He did curse a number of times over the delicate nature of the bayonets but he is a professional grumbler, so I think he does enjoy it really. Having a collection of equipment should help me in the future should I decide to do a vignette or a diorama. It would be a little odd if they were all carrying different sized equipment. So I would urge anyone who is into sculpting to make some masters for themselves and

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cast them or take them to a friend at your local club to see if they can cast them for you. It really speeds up the figure making process. The musket did require some extra attention. I added some fine details to the master copy and, to show them off at their best it is always a good idea to sharpen up some of the details with a hobby knife, such as thinning down the trigger guard or other parts of the mechanism. This sort of attention to detail is always sensible on any figure you do, be it scoring down the edge of a belt or hollowing out the end of a gun barrel with a tiny drill bit. This will help with keeping the part in scale and therefore the realism will be improved. It will also make the piece much easier to paint. Each piece of equipment is offered up to the figure and regularly blue-tacked in place, just to make sure they look correct with the pose. There is nothing worse than a nicely posed figure in a combative stance, in that looks like he is about to fall over backwards once you’ve glued all of his equipment to his back.

Bottoms up I sculpt figures from the bottom up. Well, almost. My first job is always to start with the head and the pose. When I clothe the figure though, it does tend to be from the shoes upwards. Subsequent layers tend to go over the previous layers using this method, so I try to leave off any details that can’t be seen, like the tops of the gaiters for example (Photo 1). The buttons were made using a punch and die set. They were punched from the sheet metal you get around the tops of wine bottles. I scrape the coloured surface off first, then roll it flat with the handle of a hobby knife. These buttons come out so small though that they are easily lost when in plain sight. I try to collect them all together on a white sheet of paper before they all get tidied away. However, this does not save them from the tickle in the nose that causes a ferocious sneeze and sends them all scattering in every direction.

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When sculpting the folds of clothes it is always worth remembering to accentuate the knees, hips, elbows and shoulders. These are the landmarks that the material is pulled from and therefore they have the most influence over the directions of the folds. I like to think of them as the ‘anchor points’ and the ‘pull points’ which create a ‘pull direction’. The anchor point of the hips is generally in the crotch, and the pull point is the top point of the knee cap. This pull point extends up the thigh back towards the hip, and therefore this is the general pull direction that the folds form in. If you draw a line from crotch to knee, that is fold one. Fold two will be from crotch to mid-thigh. Fold three is then from crotch to the top of the thigh. This is nearly symmetrical on the outside of the thigh from backside to knee. The same can be said regarding the arm pit and the elbow. The difficulty comes when adding the extra cloth folds. These can be seen on Photo 2 across the fronts of the hips where the hip joint has caused a series of folds by the nature of its bent position. These folds will also appear in the backs of the knees. They will not run perpendicular to the other folds but will gradually fan out towards or away from them, with subtle arcs and changes in direction of the folds determined by the position of the limb in relation to the anchor points and the pull points. When I am in doubt on the anchor point or pull point any of the folds, I tend to pose in the middle of the lounge. I adopt the position of the figure and then look at my own trousers to see where the folds should be and the pull direction of the folds. I then go back to the figure and try to replicate these.

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Rolling out the putty What do you do with old putty that you haven’t used? I frequently get asked this question. I do have a mangled blob on my desk that will eventually become a bust. I stick unused pieces of putty on this that are still soft and workable. The putty that has partially cured and hasn’t got tidied away I tend to roll out with a hobby knife I use as a rolling pin. The putty has lost its stickiness by this point and so doesn’t stick to the rolling pin. If it does stick I liberally coat the rolling pin with fluid before rolling it again (I lick it!). Saliva seems to have very good nonstick properties, so I use this method on all of my sculpting tools to prevent the putty sticking to them. When the putty is rolled out in this manner you can get it to an extremely thin sheet. The thinner the better really. This does not have to be used immediately. I put mine in a plastic bag and then put it in the freezer. The bag I use is see-through so it is not mistaken for any foodstuff. The freezer retards the curing time of the putty, so that when it is retrieved and thawed, it is still malleable. The putty does go off, so eventually it will not be workable or sticky again, but it does seem to remain malleable enough to create cross-belts or, in this case, coat tails and collars (Photo 3). I have a paper template for these parts of the clothing, along with cuffs, turned down boots and epaulettes. When the putty has cured completely then the edges can be made good by sanding them down as necessary. Cross belts can also be rolled out from neat Duro. Once it’s cured it can then be cut to shape and

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pulled in any direction. This is pretty useful for sticking down over folds and other details, as seen in the photographs of the finished sculpt (Photos 4, 5 and 6). In this series you can also see the change of material used for the buttons. My metal sheet got tidied away, so I thought I had better use the

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plastic card I had laying around before that got tidied away as well. Collecting buttons made out of white plastic card on a white piece of paper was now a pretty useless exercise. The white piece of paper had gone missing anyway, so I resorted to using a blue plastic coaster to store my white buttons on. This did have my mug of coffee on it…before that got tidied away too.

The painted figure Photos 7 to 10 show the completed figure. The braiding was painted on with a pure white line along the top of the white strip and a dark red line along the bottom to give the sense of relief. Everything was painted in acrylics apart from the brass areas, which were painted in printer’s inks and oils. I was very pleased with the final result. He has been received with great approval by all who have seen him at the shows I have taken him to, culminating in a bronze medal at Euro-Militaire. He was a hugely enjoyable project! But what happened to my mojo after this? It seems to have gone to the same place as the pieces of the figure I have lost. The buttons, the pieces of bayonet and the small blobs of putty are now lost forever. Just like my mug of coffee, though, my mojo will return, but it does seem that my wife gets the blame for tidying away many things…or maybe it’s just me! If you wish to know more then please find me on Facebook or send me a message on the Military Modelling Website.

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Scratch one Inspired by Military Modelling, Keith Sharples presents his scratchbuilt Mk.IV Introduction

Bow shot of the finished vehicle. The turrets rotate and the Q/F guns move up and down.

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I first started model making as a young lad in the mid/ late 60’s of the last century. On a Saturday morning, I would be given my spending money, a half crown (by this time we had stopped using groats or barter) now 12½ new pence, from Dad. I would walk into the small Yorkshire market town where I lived and buy a kit, usually in 1/72, because it was the cheapest. Planes, tanks, trucks etc. anything was fair game to me. By six that evening, it would be built, complete with an immaculate finishing coat of gluey finger prints and no paint. Then I grew up, or at least I think I might have. Married, got kids, renovated a house then, after 30 years when I had just got the house finished to our liking, we found that we disliked each other so much that we divorced and I started again. I got remarried to a wonderful woman and then rediscovered the pleasure of the hobby. Or, more to the point, re-established my plastic addiction. Being a mature returnee to the modelling world was a real eye opener for me, what with the introduction of air brushes and weathering techniques and such. I built a couple of WW1 figures/ dioramas. I then bought some tank kits with the idea to build at least one 1/35 unit from each manufacturer. But just building an empty shell didn’t cut it for me, so I built the engines, transmissions, gun breech and other interior detailing. Then my first attempt at a scratch build was a 1/35 truck, a Guy Big J 4t chassis cab tractor unit. All I purchased was the wheels and I was so pleased with the final results that I decided to go for the WW1 Mk.IV Male.

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ABOVE LEFT: Initial 1/35 scale plans from the net used for this build. ABOVE RIGHT: The two inner and outer track carrier side plates cut and clamped with small bolts to facilitate accurate drilling and sanding.

ABOVE LEFT: L/H track carrier assembled with the R/H one to be built. Note the door aperture on the unmade inner track plate to enable access to the driver’s position. ABOVE RIGHT: L/H outer track carrier detailing has begun using flat bar, ‘L’ section, sheet and cut disks. Also note the armour panels are scribed.

Mk.IV Male Starting the build My inspiration for this project was the feature on the WW1 German A7V in the June 2015 edition of this publication. I spent a year thinking about it, built the truck to experiment, then in June this year (2016) read the feature on the British WW1 Mk.1 H.M.L.S Kia-Ora, and thought I should be able to scratch-build one myself, but at the same time, detail the interior as in the A7V model in the earlier edition. So I bought a set of 1/35 resin tracks from the net, found a set of scale plans for an Mk.IV Male, printed off some images of vehicles, power plant, transmission etc. I purchased the plasti-card and various profiles and away I went. I started the build by tracing out onto plasti-card two outer walls of the track carriers then the two inner walls, cutting them out and clamping them together to drill out the required holes for the drive sprocket and idler wheels. At this point, I also sanded all four sides to achieve an even uniform

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shape. The holes for 26 rollers for each side were also drilled, so they are all in the same place on each side. I cut the idlers and sprockets from flat card, as they won’t be seen due to the tracks added spacers made from sprue tree to keep them central to support the tracks. The 52 rollers are made from 8mm round bar and spacers, the detail of which will also be covered by the tracks. The tracks clipped together very easily and I installed them to get a better picture of the build, then began the detailing of the vehicle’s outer walls using flat and round bar, ‘L’ and ‘C’ section

ABOVE LEFT: Test fitting of the sponsons and floor pan. ABOVE RIGHT: The turret apertures in both sponsons were cut too large as can be seen here – ‘ooops’.

LEFT: The Q/F guns were a small model in their own right. The small tube at the top is the sighting tube with eye rest.

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ABOVE LEFT: Front glacis with vision ports and armoured port closers. ABOVE RIGHT: Roof supports in place. BELOW LEFT: Again the engine is a model in its own right. This image shows the basic engine and the picture I used for the build. BELOW RIGHT: Here the track carrier floor is installed to cover the two rollers. Also that gem of an engine.

ABOVE: Ensuring the engine fitted and looked right. Note on the roof is a red plastic disk and shaft. This is the beginnings of the transmission fabrication. RIGHT: Inlet and exhaust manifolds are installed, as is the electrical conduit for the spark plug leads from the distributor.

RIGHT: Here is the skeleton of the transmission build.

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profile. The ‘D’ shackles to the rear and bow section are shaped copper wire. Rivet detail is all hand painted using Mr. Surfacer 500. I built the two gun sponsons from flat card, the Q/F and Lewis guns are made from various profile types. The curved armour plate on the front of the Q/F guns is plunge moulded plasti-card. Turrets are made from 22mm waste pipe as used for toilet cistern overflow pipe, (New pipe, that is), sourced from my local DIY store. Disks of plasti-card are glued to the top roof of the sponsons to keep the turrets in situ as they turn. I then built the floor pan and bow glacis plates with the front face of the cab and attached c/w vision covers. I added square frames of 4mm x

4mm ‘L’ section profile for roof support, made the seats from window board and the steering levers from copper wire and sprue for the handles; the pedals and cab floor are off cuts of plasti-card.

Power plant and transmission Now on to what, for me at least, is the really interesting part of the build. The power plant is a replica of the Daimler six cylinder petrol engine. The sump and upper crankcase are made from offcuts of glazing window sill board. Why? Because it is high

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ABOVE LEFT: The yellow flywheel at the rear of the engine is a plastic bottle cap filled with Milliput. Also the transmission is now fleshed out with the putty. ABOVE RIGHT: Engine painted showing oil pump and tank, distributor and fuel lift pump.

ABOVE LEFT: It looks better for paint. ABOVE RIGHT: Remember that ‘Ooops’ on the sponson aperture. Here it is repaired; also a scratch Lewis gun.

ABOVE LEFT: Cab floor, seats and control levers. ABOVE RIGHT: Remember that sighting tube, it lines up with the small vertical hole on the turret. Q/F guns painted and two scratch Lewis guns in the background.

density uPVC plastic foam which is easy to cut, trim, sand and shape and can be glued with CA or liquid/ gel poly glue. It also takes the fillers and paints we use extremely well and has the thickness of profile we need to fabricate larger items like engine blocks, radiators, etc. I don’t think you can buy 10 or 12mm thick plasti-card and even if you could, it would be £50 to £70 per A4 sheet. The six cylinders are 8mm round bar and the detailing is from flat, round and square bar. The taper of the crank case at the four mounting points is achieved using Squadron Putty. The exhaust and inlet manifolds are sprue-tree from other kits. The front damper is made from disks cut from plasti-card and the rear crank housing is fashioned from Milliput All items primed by brush with Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill any unwanted gaps, then the crankcase is air-brushed with Tamiya XF58 Olive Green, the inlet manifold brushed with Revell 99 aqua Aluminium, the exhaust dabbed with Mr. Surfacer 500 for the texture of rust and brushed with Revell Enamel 83 Rust, Leather 84 and Revell Aqua 36 Carmine Red then dabbed with a short bristled brush to imitate rust. The transmission was made by first cutting a disk of red plastic from a milk bottle cap. I drilled a

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hole in the centre and inserted some rod the same width of the tank body and cut a piece of flat card to mimic the outer shape/profile of the differential. I cut a groove in the plasti-card, slotted the disk through and glued it in place. Then I added a ‘hub’ at each end to define the final width of the differential drive. The shaped flat card serves three purposes, 1: to stiffen the Milliput for handling purposes, 2: to provide the required profile from a top down view and 3: imitate the flange where the upper and lower halves would be bolted together enclosing the Crown Wheel and Pinion gears and the half shaft to the final drive gears. So we now have the width, height and diameter of the main part of the differential drive unit. The Standard Milliput epoxy putty was used to ‘flesh out’ the final shape because it can be moulded, filed, drilled, sanded and carved when cured. Now I have a differential drive that mimics not only the shape, profile and size of the real life item but also the texture of cast iron, which the casing would be made from. The point of the red plastic disk is that, when shaping and smoothing the Milliput, the red plastic of the disk was instantly visible. Two lifting eyes were fabricated from copper

ABOVE: A more detailed image of the inside of a turret and Lewis guns.

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with the other like tapered gears would. The two radiators are made from window board and the radiator grill effect is old vertical blind material, glued to the plastic with cyanoacrylate glue, to imitate the cooling vanes of a radiator. Filler neck and cap are made from sprue tree. These were brush painted with Citadel Salamander Black then dry brushed with Citadel Bolt Gun metal.

Pre-assembly and paint

ABOVE: The interior is really getting busy now. Note the radiators and ‘tooth paste cap’ meshing helical gears.

ABOVE: Engine, transmission and R/H track carrier is installed. R/H sponson and exhaust are in the background, as is the Guy Big ‘J’ 4t truck.

BELOW: All the sub-assemblies are now an assembly with first coat of paint.

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wire for the top of the unit then the underside was detailed using various profiles as required. It was primed with Mr. Surfacer 500 and sprayed Tamiya XF58 Olive Green to match the power plant/ engine. When the paint was dry, I sprayed both subassemblies with Johnsons Clear to seal the paint as both items would be handled quite a lot during the build process. The tapered meshing drive gears are ribbed toothpaste tube caps cut in two so one meshes

Everything was then pre-assembled without glue to make sure everything went together and looked right. I then fabricated the roof, signallers hut and finished the rear and roof parts of the cab. I installed the Lewis guns using Milliput for the rotating ball. I built the exhaust silencer from 10mm tube with the ends blanked off with plasti-card and bent the pipe to shape using heat from a tea light candle. Then, using a short, stiff bristled brush the exhaust parts were dabbed with Mr. Surfacer 500 to imitate the texture of rusted metal. Again using a dabbing motion the items were painted with Revell Enamel 83 Rust, Enamel 84 Leather and Revell Aqua 36 Carmine Red then blended to imitate rust. This was then set aside as it will be the last part to be installed after the painting and weathering (mud glorious mud) stages of the build. The interior was lightly primed using an Aztek Airbrush with a General Purpose, (grey) nozzle. This was used to spray Vallejo White Acrylic Surface Primer diluted 50% with Vallejo Air Brush Thinner. Over the period of a week the final assembly of the sub-assemblies began and after eight weeks work the tank started to finally take shape. As each sub assembly became an assembled item, I ‘dirtied’ the interior floor and walls with a Royal Langnickel wash of Burnt Umber and white spirit mix for a thinned consistency. I figured that these vehicles would be almost as filthy on the inside as on the outside because the crew would be walking through mud to mount the vehicle. So it would be on the floor, walls but not the underside of the roof. Also the floor beneath the engine and transmission would have black oil spillages as the engines shafts of 100 years ago would have been sealed with things like hemp, not the modern rubber oil seals we have today. Also of course the engines would be worn out by the high revolutions of the engine turning gears that would propel the heavy machine forward at no greater than walking pace, only 3 to 4mph. So Citadel Salamander Black was dabbed over the floor area where oil would be spilled and difficult to clean up. The main build went along as expected and all the sub-assemblies came together. First off, the floor pan was glued to the left track carrier and left overnight to set. Then the right side was glued and clamped in place and again, left overnight. Some filler was needed to avoid ‘see through’ where the floor pan wasn’t a perfect fit with the sides. This was dealt with using Squadron Green Putty applied on the underside, or belly, of the floor pan then smoothed off on the inside. Then it was the turn of the sponsons followed by the cab roof and the main body roof. The main body roof is deliberately made to be removable so that the interior detail may be viewed closer. The transmission hatch handles are copper wire.

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

AFV

She is finished. The hull roof lifts off to view the interior.

The main paint job and weathering Before the main paint job began, I masked off all the open apertures with Tamiya masking tape. I also fixed the doors and hatches in place temporarily using Copydex Rubber Adhesive. I then brushed the front outer hull sides and cab roof with Revell Aqua 05 White. When dry, I applied a single band of Revell Aqua 36 Carmine Red to depict the recognition bands. This was applied by brush as it would have been 100 years ago behind the front lines. When this was dry I masked up the recognition bands as required then, without priming, I applied two light coats of Tamiya XF49 Khaki. To break up the solid Khaki there followed, at low pressure, a random light spattering of Tamiya XF52 Flat Earth and XF68 NATO Brown. The tracks were then brush painted with the NATO Brown for a Rust effect. All of which was sealed with 2 light coats of Johnsons Floor Polish to seal the colours prior to weathering and the application of MUD glorious MUD.

Mud, mud and more mud The mud is a mixture of used tea leaves mixed with Poly Vinyl Acetate, or white glue as some may know it. This was randomly dabbed on where mud would be spattered up the sides and over the tracks. Because of the amount of mud on the battle fields of the Western Front, these vehicles would be caked in it as the battle progressed. A final couple of coats of Pledge were applied to seal everything onto the tank. I then coated the mud with Polyvine Acrylic Gloss Lacquer to alter the look of the mud from dry mud into a wet mud. Finally, the exhaust system was glued in place and finished with a coat of Polyvine Dead Flat Acrylic Varnish, to give a matt effect as a hot exhaust would not retain water, it would just boil off with the heat. The open driver’s cab escape hatch was glued in place, as was one of the transmission cover hatches. The rear escape hatch and the two sponson doors were also glued in place, one open to show the interior of the turrets, Q/F and Lewis gun details.

vehicle, she certainly is not perfect and neither are my modelling skills. But she is the very first of, hopefully, many future scratch built AFV’s from the workbench of this mature modelling returnee. I hope this will inspire others to believe that nothing is too difficult if you set your mind to the task you wish to complete.

The end So there she/he is. The only item that was purchased pre-formed was the resin tracks, every other part of this build is fabricated out of modellers profile and plasti-card from Dorspring Models and general, everyday household items. She may not portray an actual machine as such, she may not carry every rivet and bolt head or nut of an original

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I think I should have ‘dirtied’ the underside of the raised drivers escape hatch and engine cover. But hey ho……She is finished.

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Diorama 1 2

3

More free and easy buildings: Concrete, Brick and Wood A range of building materials, once again on a budget by Roger Merry

Introduction

A concrete bunker

As my previous article showed, the sort of expanded polystyrene used for food packaging such as pizza bases is not only particularly effective at modelling stone surfaces but it’s also very easy to represent lots of other building materials, including concrete, brick and wood. It’s free and readily available, and its properties make it an excellent modelling material for military dioramas.

The basic structure - The first stage is to go and buy some fish and chips! (In fact, cartons like the one in the picture are used for a wide variety of food.) Remove the chips and dispose of them as you think fit, then gently wash the inside with soap and hot water. Cut off the end of the carton and make a firing slit of the size you want, but be sure to use a very sharp blade - although the material is very soft and easy to cut, a blunt blade will tend to tear it. (Photo 2) That may be all you want to do for the basic structure, but if you want a back to your bunker, you can either cut a flat piece from the lid, or use the other end of the carton. For gluing, Copydex works well. In this case, I also wanted to model the thickness of the concrete and the way the firing slit slopes inwards in steps to give a wide arc of fire while protecting the occupants as much as possible. To do this, I simply glued some bits of the material on the inside.

Concrete, cement & rendering etc. Most examples of food packaging are slightly textured and you may be able to use it just as it is to represent these surfaces, though slight texturing with a suede brush or something similar will probably improve it. (Photo 1) shows an example of a concrete garage front under construction. The surface was bashed with a nylon brush, painted off white and weathered with a soft pencil, rubbed around to achieve a suitably disgusting finish in just a couple of minutes. Pizza bases are usually about 4mm thick, so you may sometimes want to stick two or more layers together where the thickness of the wall can be seen, as in a window or door reveal. If so, it’s worth adding a smear of filler to disguise the join, again as in photo 1. The next section describes how to make a basic concrete bunker. For simplicity, it uses a food container, so it isn’t a model of a real bunker, but the techniques described could be used just as effectively to create an accurate model. It took about 15 minutes to make and cost nothing.

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Adding texture and battle damage Now comes the interesting bit! It’s worth experimenting here and I’ve used a range of stiffbristled brushes over the years to add texture. In this case, I only wanted a very light effect to represent concrete in 1/72, so used a nail brush. Whatever you use, a minute of enjoyable therapeutic bashing will probably be plenty and you could also add some lightly scribed lines to show where the concrete sections have been joined.

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

Diorama 4

6

Before I discovered Copydex, I’d tried using polystyrene glue to join pieces of expanded polystyrene together but the results were disastrous because the glue actually melted the surface. However, if you want to inflict heavy damage on your poor old bunker, polystyrene glue is perfect! Be careful, though, and only smear on a very small amount at a time. This is how the damage was done in the photographs. (Photo 3) Another technique is to dribble small separate drops of the glue, without spreading it, to look like the sort of damage that might be caused by heavy machine gun bullets. Finally, as with the garage, I gently rubbed a soft pencil over the surface to weather it (Photo 4 & 5).

Brickwork This can be scribed in the same way as stone, as discussed in the earlier article, though it can get very fiddly and if you model in a small scale or want a large expanse of brickwork, it probably isn’t worth the risk of losing both your eyesight and your sanity! However, for small patches, or if you want to simulate damaged bricks, it’s worth a try. There are two possible techniques for marking out the bricks. The first is to use a small embossing press made from rectangular Plastruct tube or similar or the end of a small paintbrush with the bristles removed, squeezed with pliers to get the right rectangular shape. I’ve seen some excellent results and it can work well if you want a wall showing only ‘stretcher’ bricks. However, if you wanted to model a bond made up of ‘headers’ too,

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5

7

such as Flemish bond, you’d need two presses (Photos 6 and 7). I personally prefer to scribe the bricks, though it can be quite fiddly and hard to keep track of exactly where you’re up to, so there are a couple of ways to make life a bit easier: Shine a light at a low angle over the surface to highlight the shadows of where you’ve already scribed. If you’re right-handed, put the light on the left so you’re not working in your own shadow. Paint the areas to be scribed lightly before you start so that the scriber scratches the paint off, again making it easy to keep track of what you’ve done. Painting the bricks first also acts as a ‘keep off’ sign for unpainted areas such as lintels or cornerstones. This is one time when I might use a transparent plastic ruler rather than a steel one, so I can see what’s below. Don’t forget to scribe the insides of any reveals such as door or window openings. I’ve actually found it surprisingly difficult to scribe a neat straight line in reveals, so I use the blunt side of a blade pressed into the surface. The effect of the courses going round the corners is particularly pleasing. Whether you emboss or scribe the bricks, it’s definitely worth adding mortar and the finished effect is very realistic. Once the paint has thoroughly dried, rub some runny filler, tinged with grey, over the whole surface, then immediately wipe it off. The texture of the mortar courses is much more like the real thing than if you use paint. Don’t worry if traces of filler stay on the brick surfaces, as it dulls down the colours and help give

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Diorama 8

9

10

11

a nice texture to the whole wall. (Photos 8 & 9) show some scribed bricks in 1/72 before and after filler has been added, though the mortar courses in this example are perhaps rather thick. If all this sounds a bit daunting or tedious, the easiest alternative is of course brick paper, available in a wide range of colours, scales and patterns from firms like Metcalfe, Superquick and Howard’s Scenics. Some firms offer downloadable sheets of brickpaper to print off from their websites, including some free ones (Just search for ‘download brick

12

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paper’ or similar in your internet search engine). If you do decide to use brick paper, expanded polystyrene still makes an excellent base for the walls and its thickness means you can get nice reveals in the windows and doorways by folding the paper back into them. Having for years rather dismissed brick paper, I’m currently experimenting with making my own using photographs of real walls, re-sized and straightened up in Photoshop. (Photo 10) shows an example, made up of several copied and pasted pieces (Photo 11). If you want more texture than brick paper gives but don’t fancy scribing your own, you can also buy unpainted sheets of embossed card or plastic bricks in various scales and patterns from firms like Wills and Slater’s or Howard’s Scenics. If the embossing is deep enough (as with the Wills sheets) or if you scribe your own, it’s definitely worth adding filler for the mortar, as described earlier, Going back to expanded polystyrene, there’s a particularly nice effect which is very appropriate for the ruined buildings often seen on military dioramas. It occurs on brick buildings covered in cement or similar, where part of the rendering has crumbled away leaving the brickwork below visible. If you want any depth or realism, such an effect would probably require two layers and quite a bit of skill using traditional modelling materials but it’s very quick and easy with expanded polystyrene. Just mark out the area where you want the bricks to show through, using a sharp blade, then press down this section with a flat screwdriver or something similar. This will immediately give you a lower area which can be scribed, painted and filled to represent the brickwork. The effect is very

Diorama 12

14

pleasing because of the depth and different textures of the cement and brick, but it’s really easy to achieve and can all be done in a few minutes on a single piece of poly (Photo 12).

15

Wood New, undamaged, painted wood needs little or no texturing except perhaps for some light grain effects done with a blade and gaps between planks can simply be scribed. To represent overlapping wooden boards, there’s a technique which is far quicker than cutting and gluing separate strips but which looks just as effective. First, mark out the top plank, not with a scriber but with a sharp blade. Then, instead of moving the straight edge down to the next plank, leave it in place and press it down before lifting it off. This will leave a neat ‘step’ which simulates the overlapping boards nicely. If you’ve pressed down too enthusiastically and the step looks too thick, all you need to do is press gently on the bottom of board above to reduce the thickness (Photo 13). Old, grainy wood is also beautifully easy to replicate simply by scoring the surface with a blade, and you can add knots, nail holes, rotting areas and battle damage to your heart’s content. After painting, talc or weathering powder bring out the grain and give a nice matt finish (Photo 14 & 15). Half-timbered buildings are also easy to make by combining some of the techniques already described, and the final effect is a lot better than flat card because of the different depths and textures you can achieve. First mark out the wooden beams with a blade, then, if you want the infill to be at a lower level, press down the lower areas so that the beams stand out. Although this difference in levels is common in mock Tudor buildings and frequently seen on models, the wooden beams on real halftimbered buildings were usually flush with the infill and you may therefore decide not to create the lower level. Add some grain to the timber with the blade, paint and weather, and that’s it (Photo 16).

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Conclusion In all modelling, there’s a balance between the final result and the amount of time, money and skill at the modeller’s disposal. This article has tried to show that pizza bases etc. are not only free but also have properties that make them very easy to work with without compromising results. However, even I have to admit that the material isn’t suitable for all modelling and hopefully a further article will describe how to use it in conjunction with other materials to make realistic-looking buildings.

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History

The Engineer Volunteers of 1859-1908 Part 2* – Counties D to H by Ray Westlake

TOP: Band of the 1st Flintshire Engineer Volunteer corps c1890. In the centre of the group, and wearing white belts, is the Bandmaster who, as such, was permitted to wear the officers’ undress forage cap. The remainder of the band are wearing field service caps and display on their shoulder straps the embroidered title ‘I’ over ‘F’.

RIGHT: Other ranks’ helmet plate of the 2nd Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteer Corps. The title scrolls clearly indicate the unit and to which admin formation it belonged.

BELOW: Print showing Volunteer Engineers at work.

Denbighshire (9) The market town of Wrexham was once served by both the old Great Western and Great Central Railways. Britain’s first lager brewery was started there in 1881; tanning and the mining of coal also providing employment for its Victorian and Edwardian population. The 1st Denbighshire EVC was raised at Wrexham early in 1861, its first officers being commissioned on June 11. However recruiting did not go well and disbandment came at the beginning of 1864.

Devonshire (16) The 1st Devonshire EVC was formed at Torquay on January 28 1862 and in August 1869 became part of the 1st Admin Battalion of Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteers having until that date, and from April 1863, been attached to the 1st Devonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps. Torquay, market town and seaside resort on Tor Bay, lies 23 miles from Exeter. In 1880 the Gloucester Admin Battalion was consolidated as the 1st Gloucestershire Corps, the Devonshire personnel becoming at the same time its ‘E’ and ‘F’ Companies. But 1889 would see Devonshire once more in the Army List within the Engineer Volunteer section. The 1880 merger had also included engineer companies from Somersetshire (Nailsea and Weston-Super-Mare) and these, together with the Devonshire personnel (now recorded as from Torquay and Exeter), were withdrawn to form a new corps designated 1st Devonshire and Somersetshire. Headquarters were placed at Exeter and the original commissions were dated June 15, 1889. Territorials: Wessex Divisional Engineers.

Durham (20) Jarrow, on the south bank of the Tyne Charles Palmer’s shipbuilding yard employed some 80% of the town’s Victorian and Edwardian workforce. Others made a living from local collieries, marine engineering and chemical works. The 1st Durham EVC was formed at Jarrow on March 28, 1868 and had attached to it in January of the following

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History

year the 1st Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Corps. Then, in May 1874, the two were grouped together under the title of 1st Admin Battalion of Durham Engineer Volunteers. Consolidation came in 1880; the original title being 1st Durham and NewcastleUpon-Tyne. This, however, was amended by January 1881 to 1st Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Durham; therefore recognising the seniority of the former. Establishment was set at 13 companies of which ‘A’ to ‘E’ were provided by the old 1st Newcastle Corps, ‘F’ to ‘M’ by Durham. The year 1888 saw yet further reorganisation. There were seven Durham companies by now, sufficient, it was thought, to constitute a corps in their own right. Subsequently the first officers of a new 1st Durham were commissioned on November 17, 1888. Territorials: Durham (Fortress) Engineers.

Edinburgh (City) (3) Lieutenant-General Sir James Moncrieff Grierson notes in his book: Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, how the 1st Edinburgh (City) EVC comprised civil engineers, architects, surveyors and artisans. Strength: a sub-division at first (raised July 3, 1860), then from 20th September of the same year, a full company under the command of Captain J Millar. Millar, however, resigned in 1862, thus reducing the establishment once more to a half-company. But although capably led by First-Lieutenant G Cunningham and attached to the 1st Lanarkshire EVC for drill and administration, the 1st Edinburgh would be disbanded in 1865.

Essex (15) Heybridge is a large village situated in the Maldon district of east Essex on the north side of the Blackwater. Here is the mainly Norman St Andrew’s Church, its massive squat tower supported by a 16th Century brick buttress. Close by, on the canal bank near the corner of Hall Road and Heybridge Street, stood the works of E H Bentall & Co which gave employment to some 600-700 local people in its manufacture of agricultural implements and machinery. Perhaps a good number of them—their engineering skills would have been numerous—enrolled in the 1st Essex EVC whose first officers were gazetted on December 24, 1861. The corps, however, was disbanded in 1871 and was not shown in the Army List after June of that year.

Flintshire (18) Hope, just over five miles from Wrexham and situated on both sides of the Alyn, is the first headquarters recorded for the 1st Flintshire EVC. Of one company, the corps was formed on May 19, 1863 and was at first placed under the care of the 1st Admin. Battalion of Flintshire Rifle Volunteers. But there would be, by November 1863, a transfer to a more suited engineer admin formation, the 1st Lancashire. Hope was also known by other names: Estyn, and sometimes Queen’s Hope after Queen Eleanor who lodged in the village while on her way to Carnarvon with Edward I. But Buckley, just to the north-west, appears to have been preferred to Hope and subsequently, in November 1869 and just three years after the railway had reached the town, headquarters were moved.

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ABOVE: Engineer Volunteer officer thought to have been of the 1st Gloucestershire EVC. RIGHT: Sapper, 1st Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteer Corps c1895 (Courtesy of Major R McDuell)

Buckley. A well populated town where the production of course earthenware, firebricks and tiles provided employment for many. In 1879 the word ‘Buckley’ even appeared as part of the official title of the corps. Yet another change, this time in its attachment from 1st Lancashire to 1st Cheshire EVC, took place in 1897 an association which took the Buckley engineers through to March 1908 and disbandment.

Glamorgan (14) Formed on December 31, 1861, the 1st Glamorgan EVC had its headquarters at Dowlas where, close to Merthyr Tydfil, the Dowlais Iron Company is said to have employed some 10,000 in its production of iron, tin bars, rails and other steel items. Attachment was to the 2nd Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers until June 1864 when a transfer was made to the county’s 2nd Rifle Admin Battalion. Never a strong corps, 1st Glamorgan EVC was disbanded in 1871 and was last shown in the Army List for October of that year.

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History

Side drum, 1st Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteer Corps.

ABOVE: Territorial. Note his Imperial Service broach.

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Gloucestershire (7) The 1st Admin Battalion of Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteers was formed with headquarters at Bristol in July 1867 included was the county’s two engineer corps. The 1st Corps had been formed in Gloucester on January 28. 1861 and prior to joining the 1st Admin Battalion had been attached, firstly to Gloucester’s 1st Rifle Admin formation and then until December 1864, to the 2nd Gloucestershire EVC. The 2nd Gloucestershire EVC was formed at Bristol in April 1861, its original establishment of two companies being raised to four in 1864. From its beginning, the corps had a strong connection with the railway. It was raised almost entirely from staff at the locomotive works of the Bristol & Exeter Railway Company. The Headquarters were located at the company’s premises near to the station at Temple Meads and the Works Secretary and Locomotive Superintendant were among the officers. However, in 1866 the headquarters were moved from the works to the Bristol Corn Exchange. Later, in 1876 and upon the amalgamation of the Bristol & Exeter with the Great Western, the works were removed to

Swindon and the railway’s connection with the 2nd Gloucestershire EVC disappeared entirely. In 1867 the strength of the 2nd Corps was increased to six companies. A seventh followed in 1868, but in 1870 two would be lost. Appointed to command the company raised in 1868 was Captain Edmund Carter Plant who had joined the corps as a sapper in 1864 and subsequently, in 1874, went on to take overall command of 2nd Gloucestershire EVC. Quickly he went about replacing the two lost companies, adding a new 6th in 1876, followed by a 7th the following year. Upon the consolidation in 1880 of the 1st Gloucestershire Admin Battalion a new, and

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

History

larger, corps was to be formed under the title of 1st Gloucestershire (Gloucester, Somerset and Devon); the battalion, in addition to Gloucestershire corps, also included those from Somerset and Devon. The 2nd Gloucestershire henceforth lost its independence and carried on as lettered companies within the new formation. But the 2nd wanted no part in this arrangement and subsequently, even though the intended merger had been announced in the London Gazette, Colonel Plant was successful in having the order reversed. Gloucestershire then would retain its two engineer corps, albeit that the senior of the pair would hereafter include personnel from outside the county. Headquarters of the new 1st Corps were placed at Gloucester and its nine companies organised as follows: ‘A’ to ‘D’ at Gloucester (late 1st Gloucestershire EVC), ‘E’ Torquay (late 1st Devon), ‘F’ Exeter (late 1st Devon), ‘G and ‘H’ Nailsea (late 1st Somerset), ‘I’ Weston-Super-Mare (late1st Somerset). During 1885 an additional company trained in the duties of submarine miners was formed at Cardiff. This changed the sub-title to Gloucester, Somerset, Devon and Glamorgan. In addition to this, the Army List for January 1886 also shows ‘The Western Counties Engineer Volunteer Corps’ as being part of the full unit designation. This, however, was shortened to ‘The Western Counties’ in March. From 1886 all existing submarine mining companies of engineers corps were withdrawn to form divisions of the newly created ‘Volunteer Submarine Miners’. As a result, the Cardiff contingent (now two companies) became the division responsible for the River Severn. As 1st Gloucestershire once again comprised just companies from Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon, the word ‘Glamorgan’ was removed from its title. But further changes were to take place in 1889 when in July of that year the Somerset and Devon personnel were removed to form a new corps designated as 1st Devonshire and Somersetshire. Also in July corps the headquarters were transferred to Cheltenham and the sub-titles removed from the Army List. The full title of the corps was now known as the ‘1st Gloucestershire EVC’. Although it remained as an independent unit in 1880, the 2nd Corps was attached to the 1st until late 1881. The sub-title ‘The Bristol Engineer Volunteer Corps’ was added in the same year. In 1876 the Clifton College Cadet Corps was formed and attached to the 2nd Gloucestershire. This, the first engineer cadet corps, supplied a large number of recruits for the battalion and a number of former pupils served for many years as its officers. At one time no less than 13 of the 20 serving officers were Old Cliftonians. A cadet company was also raised by the 1st Corps at Weston-Super-Mare and this was to appear in the Army List between February 1880 and June 1888. Another company of cadets were affiliated to the 1st Corps in 1889, this time those raised by Cheltenham College were attached to the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, but it was to return to its infantry affiliation in late 1903. Territorials: 1st Gloucestershire: Gloucester and Worcester Brigade Company, Army Service Corps; 2nd Gloucestershire: part of South Midland Divisional Engineers. At the same time, Clifton College cadets became part of the Junior Division OTC.

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Hampshire (13) The county’s original 1st Corps was formed at Southampton on January 25 1862, but this would be disbanded in 1881 and its personnel absorbed by the 2nd Hampshire Rifle Volunteers. On April 1, 1891 a new 1st Corps was raised, its headquarters this time being placed in Portsmouth. There would also, for a time, be a cadet company located at Weymouth. This, however, would later be disbanded and was not seen in the Army List after March 1902. Territorials: Hampshire (Fortress) Engineers. *Part 1 of this series appeared in Military Modelling Vol.47 Issue.2

Plate from Collecting Metal Shoulder Titles by Ray Westlake showing a selection of metal titles introduced shortly after transferral of the Volunteer Force to the Territorial Force in 1908.

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Aviation

‘Hooker’ Nose Art Canadian CH-147D Chinook Nose Art in Afghanistan by Ed Storey ABOVE: A stunning Canadian Forces photograph of 205 ‘2 For Hooking!’ and 206 ‘Jack’D Up – Old No. 7’ taken on the KAF ramp shortly after Tim Patry had applied his in-theatre artwork. CF DND

RIGHT: Canadian CH-147C Chinook 147006 is preparing to lift a FMC produced Lynx Command and Reconnaissance vehicle during a training exercise in 1976. CF DND

BELOW: Weighed down with weapons and equipment, Canadian and Allied troops board Chinook 204 ‘Black Jack’ at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan. CF DND

Flying Art Form The nose art applied to Allied aircraft during the Second World War has always appealed to modellers due, in part, to the vibrant colours and subject matter. Although nose art may have fallen out of vogue during the post-Second World War era, it was not extinct and this flying art form once again achieved limited popularity on the CH-147D Chinook helicopters being flown by the Canadian aviation wing out of Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. The CH-147 Chinook medium-lift helicopter has an interesting history with the Canadian military. The Canadian Forces (CF) first operated eight CH-147C Chinook helicopters from 1974 until 1992 (147001 was lost on its delivery flight to Canada on October 18, 1974 and was replaced with another aircraft). These aircraft were flown by two squadrons, 450 based out of Uplands (Ottawa), Ontario and 447 Squadron in Namao (Edmonton), Alberta. Budgetary restraints and the increased costs of keeping the fleet operational resulted in the seven Chinooks (147002 was lost due to a taxiing accident at Rankin Inlet on August 17, 1982) being struck off strength on January 7, 1992 and returned to the United States. The helicopters were converted to CH-47D models in 1994 and sold to the Royal Netherlands Air Force where they were operated by 298 Squadron. In 2005, the then-Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Rick Hillier, made Chinooks (or similar medium-lift helicopters) his top priority for the Kandahar deployment. The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, responded in July 2006 with an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) for 16 newly-built CH-47F model Chinooks. This contract consisted of a $1.2 billion capital acquisition and a $2.2 billion 20-year support and maintenance element. In the original proposal, 16 helicopters were to be procured. However, due to inflation and other factors, this number was reduced to 15.

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Aviation

Delivery of the first CH-147F Chinook was on July 5, 2013 with the final aircraft being received ahead of schedule on June 30, 2014. To fly these new Chinooks, 450 Squadron, based in CFB Petawawa, was reactivated on May 2, 2012. Meanwhile, the Department of National Defence (DND) began looking for an aircraft which it could immediately employ on operations in Afghanistan and settled on the CH-47D model. Under pressure from the terms of the 2008 Manley Report which recommended obtaining new medium-lift helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles by February 2009, DND arranged to buy six CH-47Ds that were already in Afghanistan from the US Army, in this case, aircraft that had served with the 101st Airborne Division. Redesignated by the CF as CH-147D, the helicopters were already located in Afghanistan (five in Bagram and 1 in Kandahar), and so started the transfer which began on December 24, 2008 and completed on the 30th. On January 8, 2009, a crew from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron flew CH-147D Chinook 147201 on its debut flight as a Canadian aircraft from their base at Kandahar Airfield. With the arrival of the CH-147D Chinook, Joint Task Force Afghanistan gained greater access to one of the world’s most powerful workhorse helicopters for moving troops and supplies in the theatre and with its ability to carry large quantities of cargo and soldiers, was a major asset to Canada and to her allies in Afghanistan. With the addition of helicopter airlift, there was a corresponding reduction in the need for troops to travel by road, thereby lowering the risk of ambushes, land mines and improvised explosive devices. When studying current operational Canadian aircraft nose art it quickly becomes apparent that the traditional Second World War themes for nose art, have fallen out of vogue. Images of leggy, scantily-clad, well-endowed, attractive ladies adorning combat aircraft are no longer considered acceptable by the public or the military and

Canadian tail No.

US D model

147201

US C model

US B model

US A model

68-16017

147202

84-24181

147203

87-00081

67-18550

147204

84-24154

64-13140

147205

86-01650

66-00103

147206

86-01651

65-08015

147207

87-00096

63-07906

squadron insignia could compromise operational security. There is also no longer a requirement for stylised maple leaves as the helicopters in theatre are fully marked, albeit in subdued black with the Canadian flag on the tail as well as the Canadian Government logo which consists of the word ‘Canada’ with the flag flying off of the ‘D’ on the sides of the main fuselage. What was left was, for the most part, nose art that consisted of word play and double entendres. In July 2010, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) Headquarters sent a twoperson team under Operation Keepsake (I was on this team) into the theatre in order to catalogue historical mementos for repatriation back to Canada and to photograph the living conditions at Kandahar Airfield. One of the photographic tasks was to record the nose art on the six Canadian CH-147D Chinooks. The artwork was applied to the Canadian Chinooks in the same place, just forward of the crew access door on the starboard fuselage of the aircraft and each will now be discussed further according to the Canadian tail number.

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ABOVE: Five CH-147D Chinooks and a lone CH-146 Griffon occupy the Canadian Air Wing flight line in February 2009, looking rather drab with their new black markings. CF DND

BELOW: New CH-147F Chinooks sit on the ramp at 450 Squadron in CFB Petawawa, Ontario during the final arrival ceremony on July 3, 2014. CF DND

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artwork was inspired by a poster used to advertise a Quebec City strip club and was painted during Operation Athena Roto 10 (October 2010 – July 2011). It is generally considered to be the best of the Chinook nose art.

CH-147D 147202

CH-147D 147201 It is ironic that the first Chinook in the series carries the last painted and the most ‘traditional’ yet controversial of all the artwork. Correspondence notes with the Air Wing in Kandahar record that this aircraft was to be called ‘Lady Mary-Ann’. Apparently no-one informed the artist Master Corporal (MCpl) Robert Bannen what was considered appropriate because the provocative ‘Miss B’Haven’ features the upper half of a seductive, flaming red-haired, well-proportioned woman in a low-cut red dress that reveals some amount of cleavage. This ‘girlie’

Chinook 147202 ‘The Magic Bus’ featured nose artwork that consisted of a cartoon version of a yellow school bus with overhead spinning rotors which appear to symbolize the CH-147D helicopter. The term ‘bus’ may also have referred to the helicopter’s role of ferrying personnel and cargo throughout the Canadian area of operations which was located in Panjwai Province in southern Afghanistan. Unfortunately, on August 5, 2010, ‘The Magic Bus’, while being piloted by Captain Will Fielding, CD MMV, was brought down near Ma’sum Ghar and destroyed as a result of enemy ground fire. Capt Fielding safely landed the burning aircraft saving everyone on board, and for his actions was awarded the Medal of Military Valour by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, at Rideau Hall on

TOP: 201 ‘Miss. Behavin’ on the Canadian Air Wing ramp in the sprawling NATO Kandahar Air Field, April 2011. W.E. Storey Collection INSET: Painted on Chinook 201, ‘Miss. Behavin’ was the most traditional and alluring of all of the helicopter artwork. W.E. Storey Collection RIGHT: Photographed on its last flight on August 5, 2010, 202 ‘The Magic Bus’ is captured on final approach before landing at a Forward Operating Base. CF DND BELOW: MCpl Tim Patry proudly stands beside his 202 ‘The Magic Bus’ artwork. Tim Patry

BELOW: Repainted in 2009, 203 ‘Red Devil’, an all-red nude woman with wings, was another piece of artwork by MCpl Patry. Tim Patry

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ABOVE LEFT: No boarding passes required on this flight as heavily laden and well-armed Canadians gingerly step around a ramp-mounted 7.62mm C6 machine Gun when loading onto 204 ‘Black Jack’. In this case they pass under a red devil that was painted on the rear engine housing by this helicopter’s previous U.S. operators. Tim Patry ABOVE RIGHT: MCpl Gord Bennett strikes a pose beside his macabre ‘Black Jack’ artwork. Gord Bennett

January 26, 2012. This aircraft was replaced by another, 147207, although the nose art was not replicated on the replacement helicopter.

CH-147D 147203 MCpl Patry reported that, originally, 203 had the ‘Red Devil’, an all-red nude woman with wings painted onto it and “in a bout of miscommunication we’ll call it, it was painted over.” He remarked that “the original artwork was about half the size of the existing now and a lot less detailed. During my first tour I had taken some pictures and had those for reference when I re-drew and scaled up the picture for the re-application. I did that two days before I left in May of 2009 while it was in a 200hr inspection cycle. 95% of the people did not like that it had been taken off.”

CH-147D 147204 ‘Black Jack’ was a very dark and ominous nose art in which a man is silhouetted by a full moon. He is partially hidden by a black cape and top hat, revealing only his menacing eyes. In his right hand is a large meat hook which is thrust upwards and is dripping with blood. The words ‘Black Jack’ are accented with small drops of blood. Before corresponding with the artists, it was recorded that the hook was significant in that Chinooks are used to carry slung loads under the fuselage by means of a hook. The macabre and dark nature of this work may be a reflection of the night-time operations carried out by the helicopters and their crews and the nature of military operations that result in the spilling of blood when killing or incapacitating the enemy. MCpl Gord Bennett clarified matters and wrote that “‘Black Jack’ features Jack the Ripper brandishing a bloody meat hook in a full moon, the hook representative of the Chinooks we operated. Many of our operations were cloaked in darkness while dispensing our infanteers at night- to do what they do best. I wanted our Chinooks to share some of the darker side of this glory, as well as showing the boarding infanteers that we’re in it with them all the way. The original title was going to be ‘Jack the Gripper’ since the original call sign given to the Chinooks was ‘Gripper’.” Bennett also mentioned that part way through the painting the name was

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changed to ‘Blow Torch’ and then ‘Jack the Blow Torch’ which did not sound right so he improvised at the last minute. This aircraft had an impressive combat history, built as CH-47A in 1964, it served a full tour in Vietnam with ‘B’ Company, 228th Aviation Support Helicopter Battalion, then operated with the Thai Air Force. It returned to the United States in 1983 and was converted to CH-47D. This aircraft had accumulated 3,598 hours as a CH-47A, then logged an additional 6,540 hours as a CH-47D, before being purchased by Canada.

CH-147D 147205 Perhaps the most Canadian of all the Chinook nose art was ‘2 for Hooking!’ a stylized skeleton consisting of an upper torso and skull wearing a red hockey helmet with a small white maple leaf. The skeleton was holding an upturned hockey stick representing a scythe like that used by the Grim Reaper; it also symbolizes a hooking motion which, Canadians who are raised on hockey as a national sport know also represents a two minute penalty that is incurred for hooking an opposing player with the stick. ‘2 For Hooking!’ also related to one of the many roles for which CH-147D Chinook was employed, that of hauling one or two slung loads simultaneously hooked underneath the helicopter. MCpl Bennett was also the artist and reported that this was his first work. “When we took possession of this Chinook from the Americans it already had an ugly skeleton wearing a Mexican sombrero and was named ‘Social Distortion’. It was unanimous amongst the maintenance crew that it HAD to go, so they looked to me to paint over it.”

ABOVE: Chinook 147205 ‘2 For Hooking!’ Steve Forth BELOW: Looking a little worse for wear from having crashed onto a dry river bed, 205 ‘2 For Hooking!’ was quickly recovered and eventually transported back to Canada where the unique artwork will be displayed in the Canadian War Museum’s new postWWII gallery. Steve Forth

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ABOVE: Author Warrant Officer Ed Storey, CD – Canadian Military Engineers, is photographed with 206 ‘Jack’D Up – Old No. 7’ during a July 2010 Canadian Expeditionary Force Command Headquarters, Operation Keepsake artefacts collection visit to the Southwest Asia Theatre. W.E. Storey

Bennett ‘Canadianized’ the existing work as he figured that he could not get in trouble for painting nose art that was already there. He removed the sombrero replacing it with a Canadian Olympic style hockey helmet and the title. Since the Chinooks were referred to as ‘hookers’, and almost always went everywhere in pairs, or ‘two’s’ and since hockey has a penalty for ‘hooking’, the title fell into place. Unfortunately, ‘2 for Hooking!’ crashed on May 16, 2011 while carrying Canadian soldiers and a journalist in a remote part of southern Afghanistan. Luckily, noone was killed but four were hurt, one seriously, and everyone was evacuated to the base at Sperwan Ghar. The aircraft was recovered and flown back to Kandahar by the United States Marine Corps where the fuselage was then shipped back to CFB Petawawa to be used as a 450 Squadron training aid.

CH-147D 147206 ‘Jack’D Up – Old No. 7’ sported this nose artwork when it was still in United States Army livery and it pays homage to Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey which is distilled in Lynchburg. ‘Jacked Up’ can also have other meanings such as a military slang term for when a person gets in trouble and is reprimanded by a superior; or it can also refer to the capability of the Chinook to use its hoist to sling cargo from underneath the helicopter. ABOVE: ‘Jack’D Up’ is the only helicopter with internal artwork. Located just aft above the gunner’s position on the transmission panel and maintaining the ‘Jack’ theme, can be found this ‘Yukon Jack’ sign for a Canadian whiskey distilled in Valleyfield, Quebec. In keeping with the Canadian practice of employing the metric system, the 101st Airborne personnel who painted ‘Yukon Jack’ even used ‘ml’ vice ‘oz’ on the label. W.E. Storey BELOW: Another Gord Bennett creation, 207 ‘Goin’ in Hot!’ employs some classic northern wildlife with just a touch of Canadian humour. Gord Bennett

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Unique among the four Chinooks with nose art is that ‘Jack’D Up’ is the only helicopter with internal artwork. Located aft, just above the gunner’s position on the transmission panel can be found some additional inspirational artwork that maintains the ‘Jack’ theme. ‘Yukon Jack’ is a Canadian whiskey distilled in Valleyfield, Quebec and advertised as ‘The Black Sheep of Canadian Liquors’. This domestic inspired artwork counterbalances the distinctly American theme of ‘Jack’D Up’, while keeping to similar alcoholic drink labels. Major Cordon Colwell provided additional background information on ‘Jack’D Up’. He reported that the 101st Airborne personnel painted the ‘Yukon Jack’ artwork on the transmission panel in order to compliment the ‘Jack Daniels’ and add a Canadian flavour making sure that they used ‘ml’ vice ‘oz’ on the label. Due to a shortage of stencil material in theatre, there was not enough to paint all of the required Canadian markings on the aircraft so a phone call back to the 1 Canadian Air Division acting A4 in Canada on Christmas Day 2008 secured permission to leave out the Canadian Forces – Forces Canadiennes on either side of the roundel.

CH-147D 147207 This was a leased replacement aircraft for 147202 ‘The Magic Bus ‘and may have, christened ‘Goin’ in Hot!’. This Chinook was again painted by Gord Bennett and consisted of a cartoon style hockey stick wielding light-blue Moose and snarling bayonet waving green bear sitting together on an aerial bomb with a red maple leaf painted on the nose. The aggressive posture of the two characters accents the ‘going in hot’ theme, a military slang term which means that all ordnance is armed and ready and that you are prepared to do battle. The Moose is also holding the hockey stick in the same scythe like manner as ‘2 for Hooking!’ and the bear is wearing a Canadian Forces rifle green beret. This uniquely Canadian artwork reflected the aggressive flying techniques employed in the hostile environment of southern Afghanistan and that these C6 7.62mm machine gun armed helicopters were fully prepared to engage the enemy. It did retain its original American artwork on the front and rear rotor housings during its time in Canadian use. The five remaining helicopters; 147201, 147203, 147204, and 147206 are currently stored at DavisMonthan, AFB in Tucson, Arizona, complete with their respective nose art, awaiting sale or disposal. Canadian helicopter nose art in Afghanistan continued the trend set during the Second World War and, although the artwork was for the most part less risqué than the past, it still inspired morale, boosted esprit du corps and instilled pride in a job well done. The story behind the Chinook nose artwork would not be nearly as complete and accurate as it is without the generous assistance of the following members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who not only employed their talents when painting the artwork but also took the time to record their efforts, namely Robert Bannen, Gordon Bennett, Gordon Colwell, Steve Forth and Tim Patry.

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ABOVE: A warm sunny July 2010 day in beautiful KAF with 206 ‘Jack’D Up – Old No. 7’ sitting on the Canadian Air Wing ramp along with 205 ‘2 For Hooking!’ and 204 ‘Black Jack’. W.E. Storey

Sources

https://athabaskang07.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/the-reincarnation-of-nose-art-by-canadian-forces/ http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1787&context=cmh http://www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/7-Storey-Chinook-nose-art.pdf http://www.ctvnews.ca/4-canadian-soldiers-injured-in-afghan-chopper-crash-1.644426 http://www.ctvnews.ca/manley-says-afghanistan-report-isn-t-all-bad-news-1.272306 https://www.dvidshub.net/news/70575/canadian-forces-us-marines-lift-damaged-chinook-safety http://www.rwrwalker.ca/CF_CH147.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/canadian-forces-confirms-helicopter-was-brought-down-by-small-arms-fire/article1214299/

LEFT: The original U.S. Army (3rd Infantry Division) artwork painted on the front transmission housing of 207 ‘Goin’ in Hot!’ Gord Bennett

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‘Fordin’ the Water!’ Ford Truck, Amphibian, GPA, 1/4 ton, 4x4 by Mark Bannerman ABOVE: GPA model on Utah Beach, D-Day + 6. Courtesy of Photoshop

BELOW: The model builds up very easily with little in the way of flash or seams. I removed the step plate with a hobby knife inside the circular mount in the hull.

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Amphibious jeep The GPA amphibious jeep was developed by the Ford Motor Company from components of the Ford GPW 1/4 ton 4x4 jeep. Navy architects designed and developed the hull and were also responsible for the development of the 2½ DUKW amphibious truck. The GPA (G=Government, P=80” wheelbase, A=Amphibious) first came off the production line in 1942 and while not widely used with the US military, large numbers of the GPAs were supplied to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease agreement. The Ford GPA’s engine, transmission, transfer case and axles were the same as the Ford jeep, but the GPA was longer in length. The intent and purpose of the GPA (and the DUKW) was in response for the need to ferry soldiers from ship to shore as well as a means of crossing rivers quickly where the enemy had destroyed bridges and water crossing. The total production of the Ford GPA reached 12,778 by 1943. It proved to be slow, sluggish and not effective in choppy waters and as a result, the GPA saw little service in the US Army. However, it did serve an important role in large numbers during the Sicily Landing of September

1943. Some GPA’s were used in action in North Africa, in Normandy and the South Pacific and were also used by the British and Canadians troop. However, the majority of the GPA’s produced was sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Scheme and saw great success with the Red Army.

The model Tamiya has re-released its original 1975 GPA kit and spruced it up with some new detail and added figures. I have the original model (35043) and opted to try my hand at building it using etch from Eduard (35141). The Tamiya offering comes in a tray and lid-style box. Inside the original Tamiya offering are three sprues with +75 parts made in a dark plastic. The moulding is very typical of early 70’s Tamiya models which are admittedly better than several plastic producers today. There was a little flash, some clean-up of mould seams, a few pin holes to fill and some widening of holes and inserts. The actual assembly of the basic model is simple and Tamiya’s instructions are very clear on where parts should fit. The model could be built out of the box in an evening. There were no complicated parts or subassemblies and really does represent one of the simplest Tamiya models I have ever assembled. However, it is fair to say that some of the detail could use a little sharpening. For this, I used the Eduard photoetch set which is quite good for some of those small dull details that appear a little chunky in plastic such as the side mesh, driver instrument panel and exhaust details. The Eduard set comes as one small fret and I used all of the etch provided. The etch was quite easy to work with and all parts were affixed to the model using super-glue. Although two figures are included in the Tamiya

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ABOVE: GPA on a beach in Southern England. Courtesy of Photoshop

ABOVE: The original boxart for Tamiya model number 35043 and the subject of this article.

The Tamiya re-release 35336 of the original 35043 with some added details - new figures, an engine and some etch.

offering, the moulding does not provide much in the way of definition and so I discarded the figures altogether. Also included in the Tamiya model are a few accessories such as tool box, a folded tarp, two smaller rolled tarps, a leather pouch, a jerry and a few weapons – some which I would use. I added windshield flaps as these were relatively common on US Army GPA’s and fashioned these out of tissue paper by cutting the shape with scissors, affixing to the windshield frame with a drop of white glue then lightly brushing the tissue with a mix of water and white glue. Other details include adding putty in a few sink holes on the top hull (where the harpoon is supposed to fit) and also covering a few locator holes that I would not be using.

ABOVE: The etch was added with superglue. The windshield and wheels were only temporarily affixed at this point as these would be far easier to paint separately.

BELOW: A cutaway of a GPA Ford.

ABOVE: A difficult-to-find Tamiya re-release of the 35336 but with Russian figures and Russian decals.

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ABOVE: The Red Army used large numbers of GPA Fords for supply and troop carrier purposes. BELOW: The windshield was done separately with the glass part mask out with Tamiya tape.

Painting and Finishing

ABOVE: The model was primed with Tamiya Grey Primer in two coats. BELOW: Undergoing trials at Fort Wayne.

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The variety of colours and schemes on the GPA is limited to just one type of finish - a solid overall finish of US Olive Drab as used by the US Army in Europe, North Africa, Sicily and in the Pacific. Even the Lend lease GPA’s used by the Soviet Union were delivered in the US Olive Drab finish and, according to references, were not repainted. Therefore, the finish is standard. As for the markings, my model did provide a decal sheet - two U.S. Army and one U.S. Marine vehicle. After cleaning up the model with soap and water and allowing the model to dry, I primed it with Tamiya Grey Primer. The windshield is a one-piece clear plastic part so the frame was primed by masking off the window parts with Tamiya masking tape. Two coats of primer were applied to the entire model. For the base coat, I mixed Tamiya dark Green XF-81 with Tamiya Olive Drab XF-62 in a 30-70 mix. Although I have read that Tamiya Olive Drab XF-62 is the closest match on the market to US Olive Drab, I wanted to lighten it up a bit because the weathering process would end up darkening the base colour. By adding 30% Tamiya Dark Green XF-81, this would help compensate for the subsequent darkening effect of the washes. For the weathering I wanted to make an attempt at using Humbrol enamels exclusively. I have been reading back issues of Military Modelling from 2530 years ago and looking at the models then, the results were stunning. As well, enamel paints dry absolutely matt so I wanted to create the effect of a satin upper vehicle with a matt finish on the lower half of the hull. I have very little success with post-

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ABOVE: A Ford GPA alongside a DUKW being used by British troops. LEFT: The new mix applied in two coats.

For the base coat, I initially mixed Tamiya Dark Green XF-81 with Tamiya Olive Drab XF-62 in a 30-70 mix. This was applied in one application. It ended up being far too dark.

painting matting and dulling agents so I thought I would try to create the effect as I progressed through the painting process. The first step in the weathering was putting down two separate lights coats of a dust and dirt layer on the lower part of the model. The first application was applied through an airbrush using a mix of Humbrol 64 Light Grey mixed with Testor’s thinners in a 2:1 ratio. Although most modellers do not use (or avoid using) Humbrol paints for airbrushing much these days, I did find these to be remarkably effective. If the enamels are mixed and stirred very well, it will perform as well as any acrylic paint through an airbrush. The trick is to stir very thoroughly (for about a minute). My mixing instrument is a bent paperclip attached to the end of my Dremel tool and then switched to a very slow rotation right in the small paint canister. The airbrushing of the enamels went on superbly, leaving a very thin coat of light grey to the lower part of the hull. I repeated the same step using

Humbrol Matt Dark Earth 29 and bringing this light layer of coverage down to the lower third of the hull. I allowed the paint to dry for about three hours then applied two filters – the first with Humbrol Khaki Drill 72 mixed with 90% thinners and the second filter was applied about 30 minutes later using Humbrol Light Grey 64. While this was drying, I used Humbrol Matt Black 33 to touch up details such as steering wheel, gears, pedal, and seats. I affixed Archer Fine Transfers Ford GPA Jeep instruments and placards (AR35308) which were perfect for the Eduard etch instrument panel. With Archer Fine transfers, I make no attempt to rub down such small transfers. Instead, I peel the transfers off from the back of the carrier sheet using a sharp hobby knife and lay it down then apply pressure with my finger to affix into place. After allowing the paint to dry for several days, the result of the weathering was a satin finished upper surface and a matt lower structure from grime

The more correct colour combination for US Olive Drab is combining 70% Tamiya Olive Drab XF-62 with 30% Tamiya Dark Yellow XF-60. BELOW LEFT: The instrument panel was detailed first by using the Eduard etch then affixing Archer Fine Transfer instruments and placards set (AR35308). BELOW RIGHT: Windshield flaps were fashioned from tissue paper.

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ABOVE: A GPA undergoing tests at Fort Carson. This is one of a few photos I have seen of the hitch being used.

ABOVE: The model was marked using the decals from the Tamiya set and the windshield protective flaps were painted in Humbrol 93. Despite the Tamiya decals being 40 years old, they worked like a charm!

RIGHT: Close up of the windshield side protective cover which had been painted in Humbrol Dark Yellow 93 then lightly washed with Humbrol 64 Light Grey.

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and dirt that the vehicle would have accumulated while traversing rivers or waterways. The contrast between the two finishes provides a neat effect (a tip picked up from Master Modeller Tony Greenland in a back issue of Military Modelling). I then started in with some light drybrushing using Xtra Colour Oily Steel (X503) which produces a very convincing bare metal finish. The drybrushing has to be extremely subtle and barely noticeable. The next step was a series of highly diluted washes using a mix of Testor’s thinners and Humbrol Matt Black 33 mixed 50/50 with Humbrol Matt Olive Drab 155. The wash should be 20% paint to 80% thinners. The application should not be too heavy otherwise the thinners will eat through the base coat. I allowed this to dry in a shoebox for 24 hours. The rubber on the tyres were painted with Vallejo Grey-Black in two coats then given a wash of lamp black oil paints. Once dry, the tyres were airbrushed using Humbrol Matt Khaki 26. The flaps on the side

of the windshield were painted in Humbrol Dark Yellow 93 then lightly washed with Humbrol 64 Light Grey. The lights on the side and rear of the GPA were painted in Humbrol Red 19 mixed with a small amount of Humbrol Black to dull down the brightness of the red. For the front lights, I used Silver marker from Tamiya and then added 5 minute epoxy for the bulbs. The application of such a small amount of paint for the lights (silver in front and red in the rear) was done with a toothpick. The seats were painted in Humbrol Matt Black with a drop of Humbrol Khaki Drill 72 to lighten up the colour a bit. A few things I opted to do or not do differently on this model. I did not mask off the portion of the windshield where the wipers would typically clean the glass clean. Although in the modelling realm, this has been standard practice, there has been quite a bit of discussion on whether this effect holds true. It is a good point and after looking at hundreds of wartime photos of vehicle windshields, I admit to seeing very few vehicles with the ‘half circle’ clean windshield. Instead, I lightly sprayed the windshield with Humbrol Matt Khaki 26 then applied a few washes with Testor’s thinners neat to create a slightly dirt appearance to the entire windshield. Windshields with a bit of dust appear to be the most frequent effect I have seen in photographs. Also, I did not dust up the tyres as much as I usually would. Typically, I would place pigments on my fingers and rub the treads in either black (from a vehicle running on pavement or earth-coloured pastels

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LEFT: A superb photograph of the GPA. The total production of the Ford GPA reached 12,778 by 1943. BELOW: A fully restored GPA Ford.

for vehicles traveling in a field). The continued friction of the treads on pavement or solid ground would not be conducive to earth or dirt adhering to the treads. Even my own car treads which are subjected daily to gravel, dirt, mud, and puddles (I live in the countryside) remain generally clean and void of any of the elements.

Conclusion This is a particular enjoyable model because it is absolutely hassle-free. If a modeller is not used to etch, this is the perfect model to try your hand with etch because there is not a lot of parts and the etch pieces themselves are not miniscule and quite easy to manipulate - and do not require much bending and re-working. With the recent release by Tamiya of the same model but with Russian figures (and presumably Russian markings) added in, this could make for an interesting variant with a M1910 7.62 Maxim placed on the front or a DP-28 mounted on an antiaircraft tripod. A really enjoyable project and loads of options for theatres and dioramas.

ABOVE: The figure is a made up of DML, Warriors and a Hornet head - the clothing was done in Humbrols and the head in oils. BELOW: GPA Ford Amphibious navigating a river in Holland, winter 1945. Courtesy of Photoshop ABOVE: The lights on the side and rear of the GPA were painted in Humbrol Red 19 mixed with a small amount of Humbrol Black to dull down the brightness of the red. The rubber on the tires were painted with Vallejo Grey-Black in two coats then given a wash of lamp black oil paints and a light airbrushing of Humbrol Matt Khaki 26.

Techniques 2

Let’s design a drum!

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Marcel Von Hobe steers us through the wonderful world of 3D printing. ‘New’ tool So 3D printing - everything is possible! Is it really and what does it cost? I am going to attempt to give this subject some clarity. But we start off with an oil drum (Image 1). For some time now, I have been working with this ‘new’ tool, namely 3D printing. A couple of years ago my employer asked me to take a course in 3D graphic design. In my work I mainly use it to create 3D animations for video. The software program I use for this is called Cinema 4D and it’s basically a 3D program

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for animations but I soon saw the modelling potential. Many tests and many years later I am at a point where I know what is possible and how I can offer a 3D design to a printing company. At the moment, I use a company called Shapeways but there are others that do the same (Image 2).

What is 3D Printing? Actually, we have to call it 3D rapid prototyping. It has been around for many years and it’s the result of a request from the industry to transform a design into a prototype, quickly and cheaply. For instance, before spending lots of money on a mould, you can see, feel and test plastic parts. Rapid prototyping is very accurate (Image 3). The printing process: After a model (or part) has been designed in a 3D software program, the computer slices the 3D design. Basically, this breaks the design up into many thin layers. The printer more or less works like an inkjet that prints a letter onto a piece of paper (one slice). A 3D printer can then print another letter (layer) onto the first one (second slice). Then it prints a third, a fourth and so on. This way you build a 3D design from the bottom up. There are five different printing methods which can be categorized into 3 kinds: resin, powder and wire printers.

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) They’re also known as wire printers, these are the printers you’re mostly likely to have heard about, especially in the media when talking about 3D printing. For us modellers these are not directly

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*A lamppost has an overhanging part. This means that printing a lamppost requires support material (red) to print because otherwise at some point the material would be printed in mid-air. I will explain more about this later on, with our oil drum as an example. usable printers. Why? because they give a rough surface. It has to be said though that they are getting better and ever more affordable (Image 4 & 5). These printers work by feeding a (plastic) wire from a drum into the printer head. There, the wire is molten and pushed out onto a plate. The plate moves down a bit and a second layer is placed. These different layers are quite ‘thick’ and a stacking relief or line pattern will be visible. This process works without a support material and therefore can only print ‘onto itself’. For instance, this method cannot print an overhanging part like a lamppost* or walls beyond 45˚. However, overhanging parts can be printed but will need a support that can only be printed with the same material as the model. This support has to be cut from the model when finished (Image 6 & 7).

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Techniques 8

Selective Laser Sinthering (SLS) or Sandstone/Powder printers

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These are two different printers but which use the same basic method. SLS is a method by which plastic or metal powder is laid upon a plate. The powder is heated locally by a laser which melts the powder into the first slice. A new layer of powder is laid down and the laser ‘prints’ the second slice. The cycle is repeated until the height of the model is achieved. You then have a big block of powder with the 3D model inside. The powder is sucked away and can be reused. When printing hollow models (like a ball), this method requires escape holes to remove the excess powder from the inside. There are three printing steps for one layer – 1, Add new powder layer; 2, Print outline; 3, Fill outline. The powder machine works almost the same way as these machines. Only the laser is replaced by a head with a binding fluid and the powder is a kind of gypsum. In this method, the model is very fragile after printing. It needs to be ‘painted’ with a hardening fluid (looks like superglue) that sets the gypsum (Image 8, 9 & 10). Because parts are fragile, it is not possible to print thin or small parts (minimal 2mm). Another disadvantage is that the result is still not as smooth as we as modellers would want. This will require sanding which means small details cannot be included into the design. On the plus side, no printing supports are needed and the main bonus is that, by adding colour ink to the binding fluid, models can be printed in full colour. Just like the little house I made in 100th scale (Image 11). An extra coating can be chosen to protect the colour from fading by water or light. This process gives you very nice coloured display models like 3D scanned people, animation figures or vehicles.

Techniques

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Stereolithography (SLA) and Multi Jet Modelling (MJM)

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These are resin printers. SLA is a method that has been around since 1986. It starts with a polymer (resin) fluid and a plate at the top of a ‘bathtub’. The material is cured by hitting it with a lamp on certain areas. The model ‘sinks’ into the bath and is hit by the light to create a second layer. Nowadays, the lamps have been replaced by more accurate lasers (Image 12). MJM printers also work with resin, but not in a bath. Resin is printed by a head with several thin needles. Models are created with layers of 16-40 µm in every shape you can imagine. This needs a support-material which is printed simultaneously with the resin. After a wax/resin layer is printed, the resin is cured with a UV-light (Image 13). This is the one you want although, you probably could not afford the machine. These printers are out of reach for most modellers. Shapeways, however, has these printers and the material to choose there is Frosted Ultra detail (FUD) or Frosted eXtreme Detail (FXD).

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Techniques

14

15

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Let’s see how this method would print our oil drum. Simply put, the first layer will be a disc (1), (see Image 14 & 15) with a hole in this case because our drum will need an escape hole. The next layers, after the model table has dropped a bit (z-axis), are the same as the first layer until the disc is thick enough. Now the printer only prints rings (2). This way, the standing wall of the drum is being created. However, to be able to print the lid later on we need a support. Starting with the first ‘ring’ layer, a support material is printed within the ring (3-red). When the time comes to print the lid the printer simply lays down the resin onto the last layer and the support material (4+5). The last layers are simple discs until the drum is complete.

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Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

Techniques

There is only one thing left to do, remove the support material (6). This is done by heating the model and melting the wax-like support material which runs through the escape hole. The added bonus of this hole is that a model is hollow and this reduces the printing costs (more on that later on). There are some drawbacks. I have to mention that after printing, a residue may be left behind on the model. This is from the fluid bath (SLA) or the support material (MJM). Shapeways cleans the parts in an ultrasonic cleaner but this is sometimes not done thoroughly enough. Cleaning is very important though, because glue and especially paint will hold better on clean surfaces. You can use almost anything from (baby) shampoo to more aggressive cleaning agents, like alcohol or paint thinner. Uncleaned parts can change colour, although I have not seen this for some time, it will not influence the material quality and strength. FUD and FXD are quite strong materials but are brittle and break easily. I always try to design up to the minimal design specifications which will result in thinner walls (less volume) but also more fragile parts. If you want more strength you simply have to design thicker parts or create a support structure. Overhanging parts (however small) are being printed with support as you can see in this example (Image 16). The support material may leave a rougher surface on the areas it touches. Try to avoid overhangs by making two parts or by turning the part.

What to make Basically, you can make anything. Yes, really, anything; there are no limitations. Apart from the main limitation, the thickness of your wallet! In any case you will need a 3D design software program. There are many; some are easy, some difficult while some are cheap and some expensive. The industry will use CAD-based programs like Solid Works or Rhinoceros. I use the modelling part of animation program called Cinema 4D, not only because I took a course but also because I find the modelling fast and accurate. The best way to introduce you to 3D designing is to find a program like Sketch-up; it is free. I can now write many, many pages on how these programs work but the best way to learn is to look at tutorial videos and to simply do it! Pick a subject, like our oil drum, and GO! I do want to share with you, some tips on how to save money. Until now, I have used Shapeways. This company delivers good quality at a relatively low price. Printing can be done with other companies and can be done in many surface qualities (read layer thicknesses). It all depends on the price that you are willing to pay. I use Shapeways as a guide because I am experienced with that company. However, the following counts for all. Prices are set by a couple of variables: volume of design, volume of support material, the space taken up in the machine, handling costs, packaging and shipping. Unfortunately, I cannot find out how much each variable will affect the end price. Design volume is measured when you upload it (Image 17). They calculate how much material is

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needed to print your model. Every material has a price per cubic centimetres. The same applies to the volume of support material. Machine space is determined by how much room your design needs inside the printing machine. Only a certain surface area is available and they try to fill that space every time they do a print run. You can imagine that a voluminous design like a frame may cost more than three oil drums, although they may have the same volume. Handling costs are mainly labour. They are a set price per design (file). Handling labour for instance includes checking a design, collecting designs into one production run, taking them out of the machine and cleaning them, not forgetting packaging.

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A few design tips that could save you money Design within the material/machine guidelines. Every material has their own set of guidelines (wall thickness, minimal wire thickness, escape hole size). Shapeways has them on their website. When your design does not comply with these guidelines a design will be rejected. If your model is too big your printing costs go up. Try to find the design limits to save money. Make sure your design is hollow and make escape holes. When the oil drum does not have an escape hole the machine will see it as one massive piece and the price will be higher. Try to place more than one model into one file. A file is the computer file that you get from the design software and you upload to the printing company. This will save handling costs. For FUD and FXD they are five euro per file. It will be cheaper to order six drums in one file than six times one drum. Place the drums as close together as you can to save machine space but preferably not over each other, this will require a support material to print the second part over the first. In the case of our drum the (red) (Image 18), support material will leave a rougher surface on the top of the drum. When it is not possible to combine models into one file, you can also save on shipping by saving up your models and combining them into one order. When you upload a file to Shapeways, an automated system will check your model in terms of printability and it will give you an estimated price. This way, you can have your model checked during your design phase and make adjustments to save money. Please note that your design can still be rejected after this first check. When you have placed an order and paid, an engineer will check your model before it goes to production. If the check fails, you will be refunded and an offer made to adjust your design. You can then try ordering again. When it’s not possible to collect models into one file, you can wait until you have more models to save some shipping. What do I design? At the moment I have just finished some bigger and some smaller things. I have made interior sets for a M110, a ZSU-234 Shilka and the 2S7 Pion. I also made a BAR armour set for the Dutch Fennek and a conversion to turn Dragon’s M2 and M3 halftracks into a commonwealth M5. More on how the latter journey went in the next part.

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MAFVA

Sharphooters Museum. 101173. The 97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Brigade RA was formed from the East Kent Mounted Rifles and the West Kent Yeomanry after the Great War.

The MAFVA column News and views from the Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association

Your Regiment Needs You

MAVFA news by Chairman John Ham ([email protected])

CAPTIONS: Photos author, excepting archive photos copyright of the respective museums and reproduced with their kind permission. Sharpshooters captions from Dan Taylor, curator, and Sherwood captions from Steve Cox, Notts MAFVA.

M

AFVA’s primary interest is modelling military vehicles but a glance at the Tankette index on www.mafva.net will reveal that members have a wide range of military interests which I try to portray in these columns.

Aldershot Military Museum. Challenger 1 rear view. This was an ex-prototype vehicle. In the background, a Saladin Armoured Car and a Chieftain Mk11 of BAOR. Aldershot has a long history as a garrison town and has several military museums that may be worth checking out.

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Britain has a rich military history. Much of this resides in small regimental museums and while most struggle to find enough income to keep going, the smaller establishments only survive because of dedicated volunteers. Admission charges are modest; others are free relying on donations. www.armymuseums.org.uk has a list of these museums and there are links on the MAFVA website. Many have accessible archives and uniforms and weapons exhibits as useful reference sources. The changing needs of the British Army over the centuries, expanding in wartime and contracting in peacetime, are reflected in the regiments with enlargements, mergers and changes of role. Mounted regiments may have become infantry and vice versa; infantry may have become artillerymen, or engineers, or sometimes different regimental battalions may have had contrasting roles. Regular readers of the Column may recall an article from three years ago which featured some of these worthy museums that do not have the same publicity and financial resources of their better known bigger brethren, but are no less deserving in our support. Many of these local museums are very appreciative of support and some may accept suitable models relating to the regiment’s history, which can also be a very good club group activity. Alternatively, the museum may be a good venue for a club trip; some of the accompanying photos are from such MAFVA visits. In this article I present a number of other regimental museums that may have connection with military vehicles. They may or may not be near to you, but I hope that it may give some encouragement to investigate your local establishment. Being staffed by volunteers,

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

MAFVA

ABOVE: Cumbria Military Museum. Ferret Scout Car in the rain, showing rear view details useful to modellers. Behind it is a traversing platform from a 25 Pdr gun. Inside there are uniform and small arms displays relating many of the past campaigns in which the border regiments served.

ABOVE: Sherwood Rangers. “Allied troops from around the world gather before the battle”.There are no location details, but this Crusader of A Squadron would be an exotic diorama subject. LEFT: Aldershot Military Museum. Humber Pig Armoured Car featuring the bull bars for breaching barricades often seen on Northern Ireland vehicles during the Troubles. The museum has an assortment of AFV, soft skin vehicles, some guns and other equipment.

ABOVE: Staffordshire Regiment. A view of the AFVs displayed at the museum. A WW1 trench reconstruction is a feature, and on event days is manned by the Birmingham Pals re-enactment group (photo Staffs Regt. Museum) LEFT: Sherwood Rangers. Alvis Sabres plus support vehicles of B Squadron (SRY), Queen’s Own Yeomanry 1980s.

RIGHT: At the time of writing the dates of many MAFVA branch shows are now available on the MAFVA website. London Branch which has a display project each year. This is the Tank centenary exhibit at the On Track Show in 2016, and the London show is in October.

it is sensible to check opening times to prevent disappointment and a wasted journey, especially if a group visit is planned. Featured here are: Aldershot, Cumbria Military Museum, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, Sharpshooters Yeomanry and Staffordshire Regiments. Some of these museums are in garrison towns and there may be other museums of interest worth visiting nearby.

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Books

On Parade Books, magazines and DVDs reviewed

Panzer III

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INFORMATION

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A to N (SdKfz 141) by Dick Taylor and Mike Hayton Subtitled ‘An insight into the design, construction and operation of the German Army’s Second World War Medium Tank’, the Panzer III was the backbone of Hitler’s panzer divisions and was in near continuous action from 1939 through to 1944. This included service during the invasion of Poland, the Battle of France and more extensively during the long North African campaign and, from 1941, the Eastern Front. This latest gem from Haynes is published in association with the Tank Museum and is written by former Tank Commander, Lt. Col. Dick Taylor RTR and Mike Hayton, so we can expect the information and imagery to be top notch just as it was for the manual on the Chieftain reviewed last year. You will not be disappointed; there are over 300 photographs

and illustrations jammed into this quality book which presents a balanced view of this famous tank. There are 13 chapters including, The Panzer III Story; Service tanks and variants; Anatomy of a Panzer III (includes a large annotated cutaway); Weaponry and firepower; Panzer III Walkaround; The Panzer III in action, Restoring the Panzer III and comprehensive appendices which detail dimensions, capacities, details and data. The weapons section is particularly detailed with sections on the 3.7cm KwK 36 and 5cm KwK 38 main armament options and the 7.92mm MG34 machine gun. Specification panels in the variants section of the manual are very extensive and the ‘in action’ chapter features a number of unpublished photographs. A number of Panzer IIIs fell into British hands during the Second World War and one such example, a Panzer III Ausf L captured in North Africa in 1942, now at home in The Tank Museum, provides the centrepiece to this manual. This really is a superb book about this famous tank presented by quality authors, a quality publisher all backed up by the outstanding Tank Museum at Bovington. Thanks very much to Eleanor and Max at McCann PR for our review copy. MC

ISBN: 978-0-85733-827-3 Price: £22.99 Pages: 172 Format: hardback – A4 Publisher: Haynes Publishing Website: www.haynes.com

Vakhmistrov’s Circus

By John Norris Most of us are more than familiar with the artwork that adorned the noses of Second World War aircraft which very often included the image of a scantily clad woman with an appropriate name. This form of adornment and affection for your own machine was not just the domain of aircraft but also a plethora of military vehicles including everything from heavy tanks to light soft skins. This book by military historian, and soon to be contributor to Military Modelling John Norris, highlights the vast range and methods of applying art work to an equally large range of military vehicles. The examples of work presented are virtually all from preserved machines either in museums or shows but this does not detract from their providence and in many cases they have been faithfully recreated from an original vehicle. The author also goes to great lengths to explain how artwork evolved during the course of the war and with several different armies. This seven chapter book includes sections on the French, British, German, Russian and US Armies backed up by a large 40-page appendix. The latter contains detailed colour images of a variety of artwork; this section in particular would be useful to modellers from a detail perspective alone. Very nice, high quality, eyecatching book and thanks again to Charlie Simpson at Pen & Sword for our review copy. Owen Cooper

Zveno Combined Aircraft by Mikhail Maslov The concept of the ‘parasite fighter’, which basically involved a mother ship (the bomber) carrying a fighter (the parasite) for self-defence began during the First World War and the idea was not completely dispensed with until the 1950s. One of the many early exponents of this concept was Russian aircraft designer Vladimir Vakhmistrov who is famous for his ‘Zveno’ experiments which saw five different types of fighters attached, singularly or in pairs to a modified Tupolev TB-1 or TB-3 bomber. Subtitled ‘The Projects, Development, Testing and Combat’, author Mikhail Maslov has left no stone unturned on this subject and the fact that he has spent 20 years researching is most obvious. The book is liberally illustrated with 180 black and white photographs, 16 sets of scale drawings and eight colour profiles plus a number of original technical drawings. With regard to the photography, apart from the odd exception, they are all unpublished and the air to air shots in particular are excellent. This really is a great subject about a concept that was fundamentally sound but as fighters range continually increased, the need for parasite aircraft dwindled. A very well-produced book and an intriguing subject which would be great to see reproduced in model form – hint, hint! Thanks to Tom Bonnington at Casemate for our review copy. MC

INFORMATION

Book of the Month

Vehicle Art of World War Two

INFORMATION

The Editor welcomes publications for review. All samples intended for review in ‘On Parade’ should be sent direct to the Contributing Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.

ISBN: 978-1473834187 Price: £19.99 Pages: 180 Format: Hardback – 249mm x 173mm Publisher: Pen & Sword Military Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-911096-75-7 Price: £21.95 Pages: 150 Format: Softback – 248mm x 185mm Publisher: Helion and Company Website: www.helion.co.uk

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

Books

British Destroyers 1939-45

success especially against the U-boat threat. Ex-Royal Navy officer Angus Konstam has produced more than 60 books for Osprey, ably

SS Grenadiers on the Russian Front

By Stéphane Lavit and Philippe Charbonner Sub-titled Allied Units of World War and North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, The Bulge and Germany this lovely book about the ‘Big Red One’ takes a fresh look at this famous Infantry Division. Established in 1917 the 1st Infantry Division first saw action in the trenches during the latter stages of the First World War. During the Second World War the 1st took part in the invasion of Sicily, contributed greatly to D-Day, fought their way out of the Ardennes during the battle of the Bulge and then

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Format: Softback – 184mm x 162mm Publisher: Osprey Publishing Website: www.ospreypublishing.com

ISBN: 978-1473868366 Pages: 160 Price: £14.99 Format: Softback – 245mm x 190mm Publisher: Pen & Sword Military Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

This is a very pleasant way to get a lot of information about a large unit without having to read a novel sized book with a few black and whites buried in the middle. Highly recommended to those interested in the Big Red One and the big crucial stages of the Second World War. Thanks to Tom Bonnington at Casemate for our review copy. MC

INFORMATION

pushed on into Germany and Czechoslovakia for the final countdown. This book presented to us by a French publisher and dual

French authors, Stéphane Lavit and Philippe Charbonner is very well laid out. It is packed with good quality period black and white and colour photography plus a number of informative battle maps of the major actions and orders of battle. With 13 chapters to its name the layout is easy to dip into and is easy on the eye; it’s a very educational approach if that makes sense! Nice touches at the rear of the book take a look at the 1st Infantry Division in the movies, facts and figures, patches, attached units, senior officers and Medal of Honour recipients.

The First (US) Infantry Division

ISBN: 978-1-4728-1636-8 Pages: 48 Price: £10.99

An essential addition to anyone interested in the activities of the Waffen-SS in the east. The inspiration this book provides to the modelling fraternity alone, both figure and vehicle modellers, is endless. Thanks to Charlie Simpson at Pen & Sword for our review copy. Owen Cooper

INFORMATION

Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives by Bob Carruthers Another addition to the longrunning ‘Images of War’ series of books, this example takes a look at the Waffen-SS on the Russian Front from 1941 to 1945. The book is filled with an outstanding collection of photographs which vividly demonstrates the highs and the lows and reality of combat. The author, military historian Bob Carruthers certainly has an eye for good image and what captured my attention more than

anything was the expressions on the faces of these hardcore soldiers. The majority are taken during the action while only a handful are deliberately posed with a forced smile; the bulk of them demonstrates the stresses and strains of the long fruitless struggle to hold back the giant, numerically superior Soviet war machine. The Waffen-SS Divisions suffered more casualties than any other German units and by the end of the war the majority of the 38 Divisions were virtually wiped out, such was the fanaticism of these determined soldiers.

The classes chapter is crammed (the main bulk of the book) with sections on Admiralty, Shakespeare, Scott, V, W, A to H and I-Class destroyers. This is a great little book and don’t be put off by its size; it really is filled with detailed but very readable information on a very interesting subject. Thanks to Osprey for our review copy which will be available from 20 April 2017. David H Smith

INFORMATION

Pre-war Classes by Angus Konstam (New Vanguard No.246) The Royal Navy had no shortage of destroyers when we entered the Second World War in September 1939. However, the bulk of them were rather old (some of them were First World War vintage) or had been produced in peacetime and as such were lagging behind the more modern German, Italian and Japanese destroyers. Despite the new Tribal-class destroyers entering the Royal Navy from 1938, there was no other choice but to press these older pre-war vessels into service. They served all over the world and with some

assisted here by illustrator Tony Bryan. The first of two about British Destroyers in the New Vanguard series, this book contains a number of unpublished photographs (courtesy of the Stratford archive) and a number of colour profiles and artwork including a nice painting of H-Class destroyers at The First Battle of Narvik and a colour cutaway of HMS Greyhound. The book is broken down into four main chapters named The Destroyers of the Royal Navy; Inter-War Destroyer Design; The Destroyer Classes and Destroyers in Action. The design section covers function, role, modifications, weaponry, sensors, habitability and appearance.

ISBN: 978-2-35250-464-1 Pages: 98 Price: £20.00 Format: Softback – 250mm x 210mm Publisher: Sophia Histoire et Collections Website: www.historieetcollections.com

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Product reviews

Atten-Shun!

AFV

The Product Review Column The Editor welcomes product samples for review. Please send direct to the Contributing Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.

Figures

Hobby Boss 1/35 German Panzer 1Ausf A Sd.Kfz.101 (Early/Late Version)

Perry Miniatures American Civil War, Union Infantry 1861-1865

Product: Hard plastic figure set Ref: ACW 115 Price: £20

Scale: 28mm Parts: 201

Manufacturer: Perry Miniatures Website: www.perry-miniatures.com

INFORMATION

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INFORMATION

For those of you who frequent the magazine’s website and Facebook pages you will already have seen the review I presented for Perry Miniatures 28mm British Infantry set. This set, also in 28mm, is Union Infantry of the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. This obviously encompasses the whole of this internal conflict which resulted in between 785,000 and 1,000,000 dead, the bulk of them soldiers but civilians and slaves also suffered. Sculpted by Alan Perry, this 40 figure-strong set comprises ten sprues made up of six main soldier sprues (252 parts), two further soldier sprues (36 parts), one drum and swords etc. sprue (29 parts) and one base sprue (17 parts); 334 parts which I think is a record when you see the size of the box (once their out you won’t get them back in!). The figures represent a good cross-section

of Union infantry which took part in the conflict and all are wearing a standard four-button sack coat. The world is your oyster with regard to how you want to pose these figures for example you could have them charging, right shoulder shift and six of them can be posed in skirmish mode. The set includes an A5 sheet which displays some of the wide range of infantry units during the Civil War and on the reverse is a nice display of Union Corps badges, not to mention the superb box art by Peter Dennis which exercises the imagination. Excellent product, superb value and thanks very much to Perry Miniatures for these figures which are available from www.perry-miniatures.com. MC

The Panzerkampfwagen I was the first German tank to go into mass production since the post-World War I restrictions had only authorised the construction of armoured cars. A light tank, the design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and two years later was in full production, although at first it was only intended to be used for training as the German Army quickly got to grips with the concept of armoured warfare. Production continued until 1938 although a few were built in 1943. Manufactured by Daimler, Henschel, Krupp and MAN, 1,659 were built as light tanks, a further 445 for training, 184 as command tanks and 147 were converted for special duties. Weighing in at 5.4 tons, the Panzer one was crewed by two and armed with a pair of 7.92mm MG13 machine guns with power provided by a 59hp Krupp M 305 air-cooled engine. Once you have prised the tight fitting lid off, you are greeted with a box that is crammed with parts; over 500 of them all individually back on 15 sprues. Quite an impressive start considering the finished tank is little more than 10cm long! The black and white instruction booklet is A-4 in size, has a dozen pages and takes you

carefully through a 13-stage build. Your only colour guide for this kit is the main box art and a profile on the side. However, colour and marking options (in black and white) at the rear of the instruction booklet are for the (Early Version) Spanish 2 Co. 2. Batt. Agrupacion de Carros, Pz-Abt.zBV40 in Norway in 1940, a Polish Campaign machine and 5 Liechte Div. North Africa and (Late Version), Polish and North African Campaigns. This kit looks impressive on the sprues and is up to Hobby Boss’s usual high standard regarding moulding and lack of flash. As usual the internal details are all there, the engine and gearbox is particularly impressive and as always it would be a shame to cover it all up. The internal detail of the turret is also very well done and once this is all finished off with the supplied PE sheet, the completed kit will look very nice. This is a very impressive kit and good value for money. Thanks very much to Creative Models for our sample which is available from www.creativemodels.co.uk. MC

Product: Construction kit Ref: 80145

Scale: 1/35

Price: £22.99 Parts: over 500+ PE Sheet (20) Manufacturer: Hobby Boss Website: www.hobbyboss.com

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

Product reviews

Figures DG-Artwork 75mm Celt Warrior 1st Century, AD

INFORMATION

Another striking addition to the DG-Artwork portfolio is this impressive Celt Warrior from around 2,000 years ago. He is in dramatic pose at full chat charging towards the enemy, sword at his side, spear in hand and shield on his back. This 75mm polyurethane resin figure, which was sculpted by Dae-Hyeong, Kim, comprises eight parts. Contained within a tough box (art by Alex Long), the parts are the main body, a pair of arms, a sheathed sword, a two handed spear, spear tip and a base. Prep work, as usual, has been kept to a

minimum and the sculpting is to a high standard; mould lines are not evident. A very appealing subject which has been overlooked somewhat over the years; fair play to DG-Artwork for sticking their neck out and deviating from the mainstream. Thanks to Dea-Hyoung, Kim at DG-Artwork for this figure which is available from his website or a wide number of online outlets. MC

Product: Resin figure kit Ref: DG75F002

Scale: 75mm

Price: approx £36

Parts: 8

Manufacturer: DG-Artwork Website: www.artworkdg.com

AFV Plastic Soldier 1/72 Allied Sherman M4A4 and Firefly Tank

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INFORMATION

Without doubt the most prolific of all allied battle tanks built during the Second World War, the Medium M4, named by the British as the Sherman reached a production tally of nearly 50,000 by the time production ended in 1945. Reliable and reasonably cheap to produce, the Sherman had the advantage until the heavier armoured and more powerful German heavy tanks began to arrive in 1944. The standard 75mm had had its day by then and many were refitted with a 76mm M1 or a 17-pounder which was a British modification, resulting in the name ‘Firefly’. So what do have in this set from The Plastic Soldier Company, which specializes in small scale wargaming figures and vehicles. The smart box, with artwork by David Pentland contains six sprues; three of them hold 16 parts apiece including the lower hull and tracks while three more hold 26 parts including the two variants (M4A4 & Firefly) upper hulls, different turrets, barrels and the commander to name a few.

As I have said many times before, the market is becoming increasingly busy with good scale models which would be more at home on the wargaming table; or is that the other way around? It really is your choice which road you go down. You could view this set as a good way of gaining three good quality Shermans for your 1/72 dio or a trio of additions to your miniature army. Build time, for me, was around 45 minutes per tank and I was very happy with the final result – they look great; the upper hull detail and differences between the two variants is spot on! I’m looking forward to reviewing more PSC products and it’s nice to see them back in the Military Modelling fold. Thanks very much to Piers Brand for our sample which is available from www.theplasticsoldiercompany. co.uk. MC

Product: Construction kit Ref: WW2V20015

Scale: 1/72

Price: £17.50 (PSC)

Parts: 126

Manufacturer: The Plastic Soldier Co. Ltd. Website: www.theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk

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Product reviews

AFV Rubicon BM13 ‘Katyusha’ & Studebaker US6

5.2in (13.2cm) and weighed 93lb (2kg). Generally the BM-13 was mounted on a truck so that once fired it could be quickly relocated otherwise the inevitable return fire would have brought the day to an end quicker than planned. This example by Rubicon features a BM-13 mounted to the rear of a Studebaker US6 6x6

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And what a quality piece, the casting is first rate and the facial features on this figure is superb. The head is cast with a set of headphones and throat mike in-situ, also supplied is a small length of fine fuse wire to make the connection leads, a nice touch. The uniform depicted is a common setup, the instantly recognisable black panzer jacket over a pair of camouflage trousers. A black Feldmutze, or field cap, rounds out the ensemble. All rank and medal detail is extremely well done and will just require careful painting. No painting information is supplied but the photo insert is double-sided, showing both a front and rear view of the completed figure. There are additional images on the Scale75 website to help, if necessary. Andy Evans

INFORMATION

Posed in a typically arrogant stance, this latest figure from Scale 75 depicts an SS Tanker NCO (not NEO as I first thought upon looking at the package!). The figure itself is cast in one piece, only the head being a separate item.

Product: Construction kit Ref: 280036 Price: £18

Scale: 1/56 (28mm) Parts: 49

Manufacturer: Rubicon Website: www.rubiconmodels.com

AFV

Figures

Scale75 SS Tanker NCO

truck of which thousands were supplied to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. Typically, Rubicon gives the option of building a standard US6 or the truck with the BM-13 on the rear. The former option helps raise the part count to 49 which are mounted on three sturdy sprues while the cab of the US6 is separate. A jammed

INFORMATION

The name ‘Katyusha’ (‘Katie’) when associated with the Second World War conjures up a vision of flame trailing rockets being delivered en masse towards the enemy coupled with a screeching sound which would have put the fear of god into all but the most battle hardened troops, hence its nickname by the Germans – ‘Stalinorgel’ (‘Stalin’s organ’). A simple design, the BM-13 ‘Katyusha’ rocket artillery consisted of parallel rails mounted on a folding frame. The rocket was 2ft 7in (80cm) long, had diameter of

pack waterslide decal sheet is also included with Soviet and US markings. The build is straight forward, the only complex part is the BM-13 and some care should be applied to the folding frame which can be made to elevate. Once again, a wargaming scale kit which makes for a great model. Thanks to Jamie at Rubicon Models for our example. MC

Product: Construction kit Ref: SW35-002

Scale: 1/35

Price: Approx £10.00

Parts: 2

Manufacturer: Scale75 Website: www.scale75.com

MiniArt 1/35 T-54-1 MOD.1947 With its roots firmly embedded within the iconic T-34, the T-54 was a direct development of the overshadowed T-44 of which only a mere 1,823 were ever built. In contrast, the T-54, which was first designed in 1945 and continually tweaked until 1958 remained in production until 1983 (in Czechoslovakia) and as a result up to 100,000 were built. It will not come as surprise then that a large number still remain in

service today as medium tanks or a modification of the original chassis. This latest offering from MiniArt is basically the same as the 2016 version (Kit No. 37003) but without the interior so as a result it is several pounds cheaper. Even the same tank has been used for the box art albeit presented in a standard green. The tank featured is the initial serial production version, the T-541 with improved, thicker armour. The lack of interior makes this version of the T-54 a comparatively easy

Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

Product reviews

Aircraft Eduard Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 Erla

the down side to this was a marginal loss in speed. This 2017 rebox with some updated and new parts originally harks back to 2012. Despite being a trimmed down weekend edition there is still enough extra parts to build the G-14 as well. All contained within a relatively large box for a 1/48 machine, this kit is up to Eduard’s usual high standard backed up by a glossy

A4 instruction booklet with a couple of smart colour and decal options to the rear. For obvious reasons Eduard likes to push its aftermarket PE and for this aircraft there are nine additional improvements you can purchase including canopy, wheels, propeller, exhaust stacks and even a radio compartment. These additions would make this very good kit look outstanding.

INFORMATION

Out of nearly 34,000 examples of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 built, approximately 12,000 of them was the G-6 version as presented here by Eduard in ‘Weekend Edition’ form. The G-6 was classed as a ‘Light Fighter’ and it had eleven subvariants which operated in the reconnaissance, high-altitude, night fighter and tropicalized role in all theatres. The G-6 was particularly noted for introducing the bigger 13mm MG 131 machine gun which resulted in larger blisters on the upper surfaces of the wing to conceal the breeches;

The name ‘Erla’ refers to the canopy type which is included but the two decal options for Stab III./HG 5 and II./JG 52, as nice as they are, are not appropriate for it. Thanks very much to Eduard for our sample which is available from all major outlets and online model stores. Andy Palmer

Product: Construction kit Ref: 84142

Scale: 1/48

Price: Approx £16.50

Parts: ???

Manufacturer: Eduard Website: www.eduard.com

Aftermarket build and don’t be put off by the 970 parts; 228 of them are track links. The parts are all contained on an impressive 56 sprues, plus a 98-part PE sheet, so as you can imagine the box is well and truly full. A subtle sign of saving a few pennies here and there is the A4 instruction booklet which used high quality glossy paper for the outer eight pages and matt lower quality paper for the interior. I personally think this is a false economy when you start scrimping on paper! A thoroughly satisfying solid build of this icon of the Cold War, the kit also features workable torsion bars and a decal sheet for four different variants. Thanks very much to Creative Models for our sample which is available from www.creativemodels.co.uk. Andy Palmer

Ref: 37014

Scale: 1/35

Price: £43.99

Parts: 970

Manufacturer: MiniArt Website: www.miniart-models.com

www.militarymodelling.com

This release from AK Interactive is a boxed set of paints in their ‘Figure Series’, comprising of six 17ml bottles of paint. The box is one of AK Interactive’s newer versions with an illustration and a list of paints on the front and a few examples of typical Vietnam era uniform colours. Inside the box there is a plastic tray contain the typical bottles of acrylic paint, the six colours are listed as; Dark

Green, Light Green, Medium Green, Green Black, US Field Drab and Grey Green. The colours may prove very useful for those modellers who paint Vietnam era figures and will provide a good starting point when painting uniforms. However the paints inside the box are in fact from other sets, they appear to have come from a number of their dedicated World War 2 German uniform sets with the US Field Drab from another set. I would have preferred a painting guide to have been included with this set bit overall

INFORMATION

INFORMATION

Product: Construction kit

AK Interactive – Vietnam U.S. Green & Camouflage

this set can be recommended to those modellers who enjoy painting figures from the Vietnam era. The modeller will have large latitude with the uniform colours as the extreme environment encountered in this theatre of operations would alter the uniform colours. Available from MJR Models & Hobbies www. mjrmodelsandhobbies.co.uk or see AK Interactive’s website. Brian O’Donoghue

Product: Paints Ref: AK3200

Scale: 1/35

Price: £17.99

Parts: 6

Manufacturer: AK Interactive Website: www.ak-interactive.com

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BRAND NEW

BK-062 M48 Early pattern wheels + Spare (for Revell & other manfuacturers’ kits). QuickWheel mask included.

Set of resin wheels for kits in 1/35 scale. Our wheels are designed with use of original measurements and pictures. The original casting method leaves only a tiny trace of casting plug (around 1 mm wide). The set contains 14 complete wheels, a spare wheel, a drill and a QuickWheel painting mask. FEATURES LIST: - corrected shape of the steel wheel by adding the grooves inside the rims - corrected depth of the steel wheel (please note how shallow are the ones in plastic kits and how deep are the wheels actually on pictures of real tanks) - corrected shape and size of the bolts - added optional „stripe” in the middle of wheel’s rubber bandage to imitate the residue of rubber from vulcanization process, which can be easily sanded off if not required. - corrected height and width of the middle hub of the wheel - added the grease nipples on the middle hub cap and its side (early place ment and shape) - added markings on the rubbers

www.quickwheelstore.com

HOBBYBOSS 1/35 SCALE HBB83869 IDF APC Nagmachon.Doghouse I ............ £31.99 HBB83888 Skoda PA-2 Turtle ................................. £22.99 HBB80145 Pz.Kpfw.1A (Early/Late) ....................... £22.99 HBB83883 Soviet BA-20 Armored Car 1939 ............ £33.99

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155mm x 234mm, case bound with colour jacket, 772 pages, numerous black and white illustrations, and colour plates, Price £25 to members (restricted to one copy each) and £30 to non-members, plus post and packing (UK - £4.40, Europe - £11.40, rest of the world - £20.40) Web: www.chestermodelcentre.com Email: [email protected] Tel: 01244 400930 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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l DANA

Impressive Hobby Boss self-propelled artillery piece

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Military Modelling Vol.47 No.5 2017

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Advertisers’ Index B Bachmann/Pocketbond 2 Bookworld Wholesale 6&7 British Model Soldier Soc. Show 69 C Chester Model Centre 69 Classified & Shop Guides 73 Colour Party Paints 66 E El Greco 76 Enigmahut.co.uk 74 Euro Miniature Expo 8 H Halifax Modellers World 67 Historex 3, 8 & 9 I IPMS Modelling Exhibition 69

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M Model Cellar.com Models Galore Monk Bar Model Shop O OMRS New Books Quickwheelstore.com R Rubicon Models S Smokybottom.com Sphere Products T Thomas Gunn Miniatures V Vectis Auctions

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