Saturday, 23 January 2021

From Chris K: Allied and Axis Fighting Vehicles and Transports (140pts)

Hello All,

I must say, I'm still enjoying the fire that Curt has lit under my painting desk with this challenge, and thoroughly impressed by your work, too! 

With heartfelt thanks for the encouragement and comments my first offerings receives, here's the second tranche of completed models from my WW2 vehicle park - I present the following, all  in 1/56 scale(-ish), for 20 points each:

  • Challenger A30 tank (11th Armoured Division; 3D print),
  • Crusader AA tank (11th Armoured Division; Rubicon Models),
  • Marmon-Herrington armoured car (RAF Regiment; 3D print),
  • Otter armoured car (RAF Regiment; 3D print),
  • Lorry (RAF Regiment; Lledo die-cast 'Days Gone' repaint), and
  • 2x Lorries (German Heer; Lledo die-cast 'Days Gone' repaint).

I'm not in the general habit of using 3D printed models, as I prefer to support mini manufacturers where I can, buuuuuuut I've yet to find anyone who makes a 1/56 Challenger A30 to support my armoured recce Cromwells, so I consider that fair enough. The model was printed by a very generous friend and is a little blocky but I was able to smooth-out some of the striations so it looks indistinguishable from a tabletop distance:


The Crusader AA (for the HQ of 3RTR) is a gorgeous model (being Rubicon), and the guns elevate for their AA role, even with the broken star decal on the mechanism... or at least they did right up to the point where I put the final wash on the tank and left it overnight to dry. Rats. Because it's such a thin layer, I'm hoping that I'll eventually be able to wiggle it loose again, but I dread the damage I could cause in the attempt:
The Marmon-Herrington and Otter armoured cars are the first non-transport vehicles I've completed for my small RAF Regiment force and both are 3D print from the same friend. These are similarly a little blocky, but look fine with a lick of paint:
[Marmon-Herrington above; Otter below]
On all of these RAF vehicles, the roundels are hand-painted, as is much of the lettering. Not perfect, maybe, but I'm getting there. 
I use old Lledo die-cast lorry toys as transports for all of my British WW2 forces - partially because I hadn't any spare hobby cash when I started, and partially because I love going 'vrooom!' as they trundle along on the tabletop with their working wheels! This is the seond lorry I've repainted for my RAF Regiment, and (although it's not clear in these pics - drat!) I make sure to paint flecks of RAF blue into the weathering/'chipping' etc. and on high-traffic ridges so that the keen viewer on inspection might just buy the idea that these were - in a previous incarnation - sitting comfortably in an MT shed at RAF West Malling or somesuch. It's the little things, right?
Lastly, two [- ahem: 'captured' -] lorries for my Heer. Again, these are used from a habit going back quite a few years now, and in this case, they've both been repurposed for the German war machine with Dunkelgelb, and then at some point once has received locally two additional colours for camouflage. I don't have an airbrush, so it's just sponged on, but even if it's not quite perfect, it complements some other vehicles in my already-assembled forces. And it brings me joy! I've tried a vague approximation of Heer markings, but I'd be lying if I claimed any sort of comprehensive understanding of the German systems, and besides: it all just gets muddied-up on my models anyway...
Thanks for your time, Friends - all the best with your ongoing challenges!

- Chris

23 comments:

  1. This is a wonderful collection of vehicles, with some really nice touches. I'm very envious!

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  2. Splendid collection of vehicles, I'm with you re the lledo vehicles for my sift skin vehicles and the 3d prints look ace,nice finish on all of them!
    Best Iain

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    1. Cheers, Iain - I love trawling the markets and charity shops for them!

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  3. I really loved painting the ww2 vehicles and you make me want to get more to paint now! These are really well done there!
    Wouldn't have know they are 3D printed in parts either without being told! Great collection there!

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    1. Gald to hear it, Mr Lee. I find WW2 painting weirdly theraputic...

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  4. Very nice collection of 2WW vehicles.

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  5. Great vehicle park. Love seeing these more unusual suspects.

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    1. Thanks, Peter - I always enjoy the more marginal units!

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  6. Thank you all very much! Next up - I think - it might just be time to delve into the ol' dungeon...

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  7. One Lledo vehicles paint up nicely, and great work on the blue showing through. Your 3D prints came out really smooth, are they resin prints?

    Fine work for 140 points.

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    1. Aw, thank you, Phillion!

      I don't *think* they're resin; just the basic stuff. I used applications of 'Mr Surfacer' and GW's 'Liquid Green Stuff' to smooth-out the worst of it, which helped.

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  8. Top work there, great collection of vehicles 👍
    Regards KenR

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  9. Great selection of vehicles.

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