Monday, 16 November 2020

Sd.Kfz 247 Ausf B (1/35 ICM)

 ICM Kit # 35110

 

This is a 2020 release and depicts a rare early war command vehicle. Based on the 4x4 Horch it was a relatively short lived operational vehicle, which was quite early on replaced by the Sd.Kfz 250 series. As no vehicle survived the war intact it is quite speculative as to how accurate this kit is, especially in areas of the interior and in particular the radio sets. There are however a few wartime pics of the exterior which ICM overall have managed to replicate. It is unfortunate that the engine cooling louvres are moulded solid and the tyres are rubber items. Some areas such as the weld seams and the mounting hardware on the fenders lack detail and many of the smaller items are overscale. The pioneer tool clasps are moulded on extremely crudely and there is a strange diamond pattern on the floorplate.  What can be commended is the engineering as it all slots together extremely well, especially the main upper and lower sections which left no visible gap along the whole connection.

A full build blog can be found here:  https://www.track-link.com/forums/site_blogs/45766/flat


 

 

Monday, 15 June 2020

2020 Mancave re-shuffle

June 2020

It has been almost four years since my little outdoor mancave was built and in this time, it has turned out to be a fantastic purchase, fulfilling all my hobby expectations and keeping my other half eminently happier.  Although I would have liked a little more room the garden footprint available was restricted so it took a little while to figure out how to make the available space work. Up until now it has been relatively easy to update and add a few components here and there, but the time has now come for a complete overhaul.

Tuesday, 21 April 2020

Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz 184 Ferdinand

DML # 6495 Premium edition with Masterclub tracks and Eureka cables


Kit review: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dragon-6495-ferdinand--141815


This a beautifull kit and includes a comprehensive fret of photo-etch that includes an alternative to the plastic track guards. It also builds up really well. I decided to model this without any of the tools, so I left the jack block and jack racks empty. I also built the photo-etch toolbox empty and added a bit of damage for good measure.