ESCI M163: Early Morning Work

I was awoken this morning at 3am with a huge storm in progress outside, thinking if the roof is going to blow off I might as well be dressed, so I got up to watch the show. After a cup or two of coffee, I noticed on one of my hoarding shelves a ESCI 163 Anti Aircraft Vehicle which I purchased second hand over an auction site a few months ago.
It had arrived caked in at least three layers of trusty Humbrol Enamels, but as the kit is quite rare nowadays I wasn't to worried. Having a couple of hours to spare before work I decided to recover the model from its painted encasement.
Out came the Oven Cleaner and some tin foil to prevent splatter.

A good couple of squirts until the kit was completely engulfed in this nasty toxic blend. I then covered it and left for ten hours while I was at work. Upon coming home, Al from 20th Century Wargaming duly arrived and asked what was the current project, so out came the tin foil paper and after a gentle wash and brush under the water tap I had something to show him.

Not completely clear of paint, but near enough. The great thing is if you don't leave it for too long and thoroughly rinse it in water no damage is done to the kit. The glue is not dissolved by the oven cleaner. I general I get heaps more joy rebuilding and refirbing pre loved kits than I do from constructing the lasted series of models from the Shops. Maybe I have a 'Green' streak in me, but I hate to see kits go to waste. This one's on the list for priming.

Ultracast 30 Stonewalls Endex

Whoo hoo, a light drybrush with Humbrol Brick Red, then Humbrol Linen and we were finished.
I then used PVA white glue to paste then to a base of vinyl bathroom tile material I had cut out to shape. Flock was then sprinkled on and left to dry. Quite a simple exercise, and I am very pleased on the outcome.

Next on the terrain list for September will be roads.

Photofest:Tamiya Panzer Grenadiers by Dave.

Dave sent thru a battery of photo's from his latest completed project, Tamiya's German Panzer Grenadiers. He has been working on them all week, while waiting for the weather to settle so he can start painting his Napoleon hoard.
Clustered on a F1 MkIV Panzer. The members of the second Platoon of the 5th Company advanced with high spirits towards Ivan...

Their Kar98 Rifles taut in their hands ,the anticipation of engagement weighed heavily on the Soldats of the Reich...Actung!!! Action Front!!!

The ride was bumpy and their ears rung as the engine of the Panzer droned on and on the endless Steppe...It took a while for the shouted command to penetrate the tired souls on the engine deck...

Hans and Fritz took shelter behind the steel beast and peered over the cold metal protection to see what danger confronted them...

"Lower you fool" roared Feldwebel Kleiber, the veteran of Poland and the low countries...

"Don't worry Karl, zie Ivans are on the run, it's probably a cow or horse"

"Shut up you idiot" the Feldwebel yelled, "There's plenty of fight left in the Ivans, you can count on that"

Fritz knew that the cowardly Ivans were falling back, but he also knew that they sometimes summoned the courage to fight for their homeland...Rodina...who would want this treeless piece of endless hell!

"I see nothing" gasped Adi

"Keep your eyes open mein rascals"

"Fritz and Hans! what do you think!" the Feldwebel spat...

" I tink I tore a pussi kat, Feldwebel!"

Latest Purchase 'Battle' by Charles Grant

This month I have been trying awfully hard not to add to my hoard of unfinished projects and kits. Purchasing has been limited to 'really' good deals and scenery or books. So the second book of the month arrived today after some great service by the trader...one day after payment it was here, compared to some of the other purchases in the last few years, that's practically 'light speed, warp factor 5 ,Scottie'.

So onto the book; Battle by Charles Grant, a classic wargaming book from the 70's of which I have read so much in all fairly great reviews and memories. I have been on the hunt for this book since reading and drinking up John-Michael Murray excellent article on the 'Action at Twin Farms' on his awesome and inspiring 'Minaturezone' website; http://www.miniaturezone.co.uk/WARGAMES/Twin_farms_revisited/index.htm

The issue was left to no further doubt when I saw it online for a second edition hardback for $8.00 NZ. A quick flick though and it looks a nice simple book with some great 1970's Black and White shots of vintage Airfix and ROCO kits. So that's this weeks night reading planned.

Ultracal 30 Plaster Stone Walls Base Coat

Managed to basecoat the stone walls tonight, they really look much better with the black primer. I will have to sort through some stone colours tomorrow to drybrush them with and I have already started to think about a base plate for them.

Ultracal 30 plaster 'Stone Walls'

About a month ago I purchased over an auction site Stone Walls for some terrain on the table. Made of ultracal 30 plaster which is supposed to be 5 times harder than plaster. They turned up on Friday after a long delay...which was a little frustrating.
I received 12 wall segments. 4 Large close ended, 4 large open ended, 4 shorter wall sections. As shown with some 1/72 troops they are about waist height. Probably more suited to 15mm wargaming, but they will do the job nicely one thinks.

Hopefully with a simple drybrush these will come up a treat.

Mirage T-26 Soviet Light Tank

Many moons ago I picked up a Mirage T-26 Soviet Light Tank. The idea was to give my Russians a recon armoured element.
Upon opening the box I found some extremely well detailed parts...some being about 150! However although quite finicky they do come together very well and from what I can remember it was a relatively hassle free construction. Mirage at last count had about 19 different versions of this workhorse of the 1930's Red Army, so if you want a T-26, Mirage is the maker for you.

Based (copied) on the Vickers light tank, the USSR built approximately 12,000 of these during the 1930's and up until 1941. This made it the most produced tank of the post WW1 era up until WW2.

The T-26 was used in the Spanish Civil war, China, Polish and Finnish Campaigns and on all fronts of the Soviet Union during WW2 right up to the Soviet Invasion against the Japanese in 1945. The armour proved to be too weak against most if not all German armour resulting in huge losses at the start of 'Barbarossa'.

On the wargame table it tends to act as a Anti Tank Gun magnet, much like it was in real life.

The T-26 was also captured in quite large numbers and was re fielded by German,Finnish and Romanian Units. A nice change from T34's and KV series armour for the table.

Russia's War:Richard Overy

I spent this weekend 'up the bush' in an old Forest Service Hut well away from any distractions on the modelling front. In fact the party I was with were the only dumb beggars within 225 square kilometres...which I guess is about as isolated as you get within an hours drive from home.

I took with me a book I had been chewing on for the last 4 weeks or so and managed by candlelight to give it a good lash. Its always interesting to study up on your troops and Al Clarke who lent me this book was quite correct when he mentioned that he would rather belong to any other Army than the Soviet Army during WW2. Simple waste and mismanagement on there staff resulted in some horrific results. A nice little read while curled in your sleeping bag on a dark stormy night.

RNZAF MIG 15K-2 Airfix

Royal New Zealand Air Force MIG 15K-2 2004 by Airfix.

The early 1970's were a worrying time for a small outpost of a country like New Zealand, Oil hikes, lost markets for our Butter and Meat exports, and northern aggression from South East Asia left us feeling alone and isolated.In order to boost our Defence Forces and creates new markets for our produce, the country toyed with the Soviet Union as a trade partner.

In 1974 our Prime Minister Norm Kirk signed a 'Guns for Butter' deal with the USSR, as part of the deal the RNZAF received aircraft from the Soviets such as the MIG19, MIG 21 and the MIG 15 'Faggot'. 28 MIG 15 bis were landed in the country in March 1975. 2 Squadrons (488 and 30) were operational with them by July that year. The aircraft were mainly used as advanced trainers and COIN attack aircraft.
No 488 Squadron participated with the Aircraft in the second Indonesian Confrontation in 1978, and operated out of Butterworth in Malaysia for 9 months, where FLTLT 'Ginger' Mogey shot down 2 CA-27 Sabres on one operation. Other aircraft from the Squadron destroyed 4 more aircraft in air combat as well as 3 gunboats and scores of land vehicles.

In 1982 the Aircraft were re-engined with J52-P-408 as used by the Boeing 737 and the A4 Skyhawk. Known now as the MIG 15K-1, this gave the aircraft a new lease of life, and later in the early 1990's the second update gave the aircraft new avionics (MIG 15K-2).

By 1997 only 16 Aircraft were operational with 30 Squadron, 4 being lost due to mishaps and a further 8 being withdrawn due to structural problems. In 2001 the last aircraft was retired from 30 Squadron and the remaining aircraft mothballed for 2 years.

However in 2003 the RNZAF brought them out of retirement, and allocated one each to the operational Strike Squadrons and Training Squadrons as Squadron 'Hacks', this bringing 7 Aircraft once more into New Zealand skies. Once a year all aircraft return to RNZAF Base Ohakea and are reformed in 488 Squadron to act as aggressor aircraft for Air Combat Training. "From Russia with love".

Airfix AEC Matador Truck

1966 was a corker of a year; John Lennon comments, "We're more popular than Jesus now," U.S. troops in Vietnam total 250,000, The Moors Murderers trial ends, John Lennon apologizes for his "more popular than Jesus" remark, saying, "I didn't mean it as a lousy anti-religious thing." , Mao Zedong begins the Cultural Revolution to purge and reorganize China's Communist Party, Battle of Long Tan: D Company, 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, meets and defeats a Viet Cong force estimated to be 4 times larger, at the in Phuoc Tuy Province, Republic of Vietnam, Ronald Reagan, a Republican, is elected Governor of California, Walt Disney dies while producing The Jungle Book, the last animated feature under his personal supervision, and Airfix release their AEC Matador Truck and 5.5 inch Gun.
The Truck itself is a nice kit, with only the wheel sizes being a little small and the radiator grill somewhat suspect while the Gun is basically a waste of plastic and you should only use it if you are desperate!

Strangely the kit came with a US helmeted figure...I glued a figure from the Airfix Bren Carrier set in the top hatch to add some life.

Since the the Matador served in every WW2 theatre and Post War (In the British Army well into the 60's), it makes it a must have for British and Commonwealth Units.

Airfix's WW2 Wargaming

I have had a bad day, 12 hours at work...missed Parade....Trade Exam....Machinery Breakdown, but once home I found that the book I had been waiting for had arrived, over a couple of corned beef sandwiches (which counted as tonight's dinner) I thumbed through a few pages and was happy to see that it in good order and just what I wanted. Oh yeah it was a nice price as well.

I like simple rules that leave you with a fluid game and just enough chance built into dice rolls to create chance. I dislike over complicated rule sets that take 10 minutes to decide if that gun could knock out that slope of armour at that range. To me wargaming is supposed to be fun, not tedious and restrictive. Tonight's reading is booked!

Dave's Airfix USAF Personnel

Dave sent me a few photos today of an Airfix Classic Set, USAF Personnel, really USAAF or Army Air Corps Personnel as the USAF wasn't formed until 1947...rivet counting ahoy!
Dave says 'There is something strangely satisfying about bringing 1/72 to life....'.

Rather more interesting than RAF Blue, you get to use alot more colours with this set.

Officers and MP's.

Re released by Airfix last year these figures can add a bit of life to your static display aircraft.

Released in 1974, this set has stood the test of time.

Chock's away buddies!

Defiant still awaits canopy and turret paint...I wonder if that is what these personnel are preparing for?