Spanky Dave just sent me a few pics of a visit to the IDF Air Force Museum. Quote "Pucking awesome. And some smart models. They used the Airfix Afrika Korps for the Israelis and the 8th Army for the naughty Arabs. A puck of a lot more impressive then the Cairo military museum anyway. "
Unquote.
Nice one.
A quick post to show progress on the plastic/metal 2 Pounder hybrid. Friday night means beer...Mmmm beer!
Okay the Box says M-30 122mm, but you get the option to construct the D1 152mm gun. I chose this option as the barrel and breech construction was one piece and I can sometimes be lazy. I brought this about three years ago and it has been in construction for most of that time (remember I can be lazy). I finally finished the building phase tonight and am well pleased that it is completed.
To be honest the kit is a bit of a pig, the plastic is quite brittle, instructions very vague and confusing and fit not so great. It does fill a gap and will be fielded with my Soviets. Would I buy another, you bet, I actually need the M30 122mm more than this beast. On the list for painting this weekend-ish.
It doesn't rain but it pours. With Gun Month in full swing throughout the world, I was visited by the ole reprobate Al from 20th Century Wargames this week who dropped two guns for me. Spare to his requirements a RAFM PAK-38 and enough pieces of a couple of 2 Pounders to construct one. Top class man, that Al, cheers mate.
3rd and last post of the night shows what has been the bulk of my weekends work. After getting four of what were 3rd hand already constructed Airfix QF 25 Pounders and Limbers a few months ago I needed to do something with them prior to the end of Gun Month. The freaking cat knocking them off a shelf last week only added to the urgency to get them out of the way...Freaking cat...thinks it owns the show...mutter...mutter
Most of the Guns and Limbers were in reasonable order and needed little to be done to them. All the Guns also came with a Gunner sitting in the Gun Layers seat. This is a bit of a pain as the CD3 set up needs two figures per Gun crew and I was not going to waste my time making single figure stands that I could not use for any other British Artillery fielded. So the end result was these look to have three figure stands but the base only contains two. Above the converted figure has a beret on his nut from the ESCI Quad set.
Two Guns per Battery for CD3 means with my other 25 Pounder (In action at Calais) I almost have a Field Regiment. Decals were from the ESCI 25 Pounder set and are not placed that well due to the scale difference, however they are handy for hiding the sink marks on the shield. Figure at the rear of this piece has been converted by cutting his arm off and placing it a different angle.
The white box markings with the number on the left hand side of the shield are to identify the Gun during a game as to know how much ammunition has been expended etc.
Last Gun of the 2nd Battery with another converted head. I went into town today especially to get some paint for his darn beret, three times this month I have needed a dark blue, I have always been able to get around not having a dark blue up until now.
The two Batteries in line. I am very pleased about the results, even though the Airfix kit is simple compared to the ESCI/Italeri release, it still is value for money to the wargamer. Cannot wait to carry out some 'Stonking' with these babies.
