The details are sharp, and the kit fits together very neatly. Unfortunately, it has very different inaccuracies from the Trumpeter offering built here: Part 1 The largest issue being the cargo bed framework. Although not hugely visible on the finished model, they have included the reinforced framework from their Flak variant which is totally different from the cargo version. In addition, they have not updated the instrument panel to the 'late' full horizontal panel design, nor have they included the late running gear (wheels and tracks).Late models were occasionally seen with the early wheels so although not entirely incorrect it would have been nice for Dragon to have updated the tooling for these too!
Although no canvas tilt is offered, they do get the cargo tilt frame arrangement correct. Sadly, they also misinterpret the layout of the rear bench, and just like Trumpeter, include two side facing benches instead of the correctly orientated back to back layout. The kit's clear plastic windscreen moulding depicts the older style drivers side split screen with opening which was dropped in favour of two non-opening panels.
Other issues that are easily resolved include replacing the engine bay horn to represent the Bosch circular style one and moving the cab tilt hoop frame from the load bed to the cab.
A full and excellent kit review can be found here:
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/dragon/dr6562.html
I started this build in around 2015 and the main components have already been assembled. The only aftermarket parts I used was a set of 'Quick wheel' front wheels. These come in two parts so they can be presented minus the rim and tyre as I have presented on this build. To construct them the star shaped spokes simply 'click and turn' into the rim and tyre section. I built the kit up in sub sections to make painting easier but unlike my Trumpeter kit build, on this occasion I had already attached the cab to the chassis. This means that some areas I would have liked to improve on will have to remain.
A 'beat up' image of the real thing. Notice half the wheel rim hanging off the star shaped inner wheel hub and the other half sat on the ground below it. This vehicle has the curved upper cab side panel and the rear drop side cut out was to allow it to be lowered whilst towing. The cab canvas supporting hoop is sticking out of the cab floor.
The image below shows the rifle rack holders attached to the storage rack. The rack location pin on the rear middle support (circled) can also be seen as the rack has fallen out of the cargo bed location slots.
The rear back-to-back style bench remains in the example below.
Both the images below show the smaller, late style headlamps. The first image shows a short, bevelled cab side panel and the second a curved.
The pics below were taken before the Trumpeter kit was painted so we can compare them side by side. The most striking difference is the height of the tilt frame! The Trumpeter tilt looks far too low, and this seems to be confirmed in period images.
The next thing to notice is how soft the Trumpeter kit’s details look. The Radiator housing fins being a prime example. The front fender profile difference is also clear to see here. The Dragon kit has the correct one. The Trumpeter model's running gear and front wheels also sit a little lower on the chassis.
Re-working some Dragon kit inaccuracies.
Although it would now be tricky to re-work the load bed platform without damaging existing fittings, I did want to address the most visual inaccuracy.
Dragon do not provide the late style instrument panel and the kits centrally mounted older styled one was already fitted. Although the Trumpeter kit’s panel would still have required extending as the Dragon cab is a few millimetres wider I didn’t have one spare so building one from scratch was the only alternative.
Carefully removing the old panel and framework the first thing to remedy was the inclusion of the priming fuel tank to the firewall. Luckily this part can be found in the kit. It looked very different to the Trumpeter part but as only the lower portion would be visible it could be added.
Using the Panzer Tracts book as reference the new panel was constructed from plastic card, photo-etch, and scraped off switches from the old panel. It wasn’t perfect but under paint and with dial decals it will be presentable.
As the kit has been built up with displaying the engine in mind, the trumpet style ‘early’ horn was replaced with the correct style circular Bosch item, taken from the Trumpeter kit.
The bonnet/hood photo-etch tool clasps were replaced with 3D resin ones and again the headlights were replaced with a smaller ‘later’ style set. Although the radiator housing manufacturers logo would have been absent on a vehicle this late in the war, the fact that I have already attached it makes removing it difficult so that will also have to remain.
The cab canvas metal hoop frame should be attached to the rear of the cab side panels. All the kit's illustrations bear this out but strangely the instructions have you attach it to the cargo wooden frame! I had already draped some green stuff tarps over it before I realised so this unfortunately will remain also.
Other
inaccuracies include the under-seat metalwork. It should sit further back on
the floor and not sit flush with the cab side panels and there is no driver’s
seat cut out for the deeper cushion. Unlike the Trumpeter kit they have got the
cushion layout correct. Another more visible anomaly are the cargo bed hinges.
They look to be far too chunky and on the side panels, have no detail on the
inner faces. The wheel hubs for the track wheels are also of an earlier design.
Build progress so far.
Before I committed to priming the model, some more paraphernalia including tarps were added to the cargo and cab areas. The cab bench received some crew gear along with some rope and a canteen lid. The engine bay also received some rags and cloths to give the impression the engine had been worked on before it was abandoned.
Primer coat.
The whole model received a primer coat of Mr Surfacer 1500 black. Any imperfections were dealt with and then it was time to decide on a base coat. Unlike the strangely coloured box art all these late war vehicles would have left the factory in plain Dark yellow (Dunkelgelb). Any camouflage would then have been applied in the field.
Having already completed the Trumpeter kit in a monochrome finish I considered adding some camo but as I had such a small canvas to work with and looking at various reference images, including the photo I loosely based the build on, I decided this would also remain in its factory applied paint.
Undercoating
With the primer colour acting as a shadow coat, starting off with the natural undercoat colours, all the metal components including the visible areas of the chassis, cargo bed frame, tilt poles, cab floor and bulkhead, bonnet, radiator housing, fenders and wheels received a light airbrushed coat of MRP red oxide primer colour. (Not their red oxide primer) A lightened coat of Tamiya grey/buff acrylic was airbrushed over any visible wooden areas including the cab side panels and horizontal tilt beams.
Two coats of fine mist hairspray were then sprayed over the whole model.
Base coats
Using my ready mixes of MRP lacquers and Tamiya acrylics thinned with Mr
Hobby Levelling Fluid and keeping the layers light to aid the hairspray chipping,
slightly modulated mixes of Dark Yellow (Dunkelgelb) made up the base coat. The
first mix was applied to the running gear and
lower areas. The second coat feathered into and above the first mix and was followed by a further lightened coat to all the upper
areas. A final highlight mix was lightly misted from overhead.
Hairspray chipping
I have always found the best results can be
obtained using acrylic paints but with a slightly different approach it can
also be effective using lacquers. Keeping the paint layers thin with just the
right amount of hairspray coverage is the key. To achieve a realistic effect
over multiple colours means adding hairspray in-between each layer. Although it is possible to ‘chip’ after all three layers have been
added, it is much harder to achieve and I have found chipping each layer as you go makes life a little easier. It is then far easier to adjust the level of chipping and fine-tune the effects along the way. To illustrate the process, we can use the bonnet as an example.
Base coat paint mixes added.
A
slightly different approach was taken with the wooden panels of the cargo bed. To
replicate the damage by loading and unloading items the floor and side panels would also have attracted scuffs as well as scrapes. The three horizontal top tilt
frame beams were wooden too, but the bed frame and tilt poles were all made of steel.
As these areas were primed with their corresponding undercoat colours; red
primer on the steel and a grey/buff shade for bare wood, selected areas were now picked out and distressed.
The base coat layer chipped and scuffed exposing both the bare wood colour and the metalworks red oxide primer coat.
To tone
down the exposed red primer on the frame and tilt poles, a light layer of Tamiya
German Grey acrylic was airbrushed over another hairspray layer. Carefully chipping back,
the grey exposed both the second mix of dark yellow and the underlying primer.
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To give the framework area a much more convincing appearance a final chipped layer of the highlighted base coat was created, this time exposing far less of the underlying coats.
The
wooden areas were given more scuff effects in the overlying paint than scratches. These effects will further be enhanced in later weathering steps.
The
chassis and cab received the same treatment. In the second coat chipping stage certain areas were both toned down, revealing less of the red primer coloured layer, and added to new areas just exposing the first base coat. These multiple base paint layers gave a
much more varied patina to both the metal and wooden areas of the model, as well as almost doing away completely, the need to hand paint the majority of paint chips.
Engine bay
The engine details and visible portions of the exhaust were brush painted with Vallejo acrylics.
Brush painting accessories.
The tarpaulins, crew equipment, funnel, and rags were all brush painted with Vallejo acrylics. The cab seats received a mixture of gloss black and leather.
Wheels, tracks, and tyres
The tracks were airbrushed with my trusty Tamiya acrylic 'new track' mix. This comprises Dark Iron, German Grey, and Flat Earth. The rubber track pads were brush painted with Vallejo Dark Rubber acrylics.
After first receiving an undercoat of red oxide and before the base coat was laid down all the rubber tyres were painted. Airbrushed Tamiya Rubber Black on the front wheels and all the track tyres were brush painted with Vallejo Dark Rubber. The reason for this odd sequence of working is explained below.
Colour consistency
Working in sub-assemblies can have its drawbacks during the painting stages so it was now important to check and ensure they all worked in harmony. A quick test fit would highlight any stark colour variations in the paint application.
Check complete it was now time to protect all the paint work laid down so far. It would also prepare the surface for decals and future weathering.
Clear coat
A coat of VMS Satin Varnish was airbrushed over the cab and cargo bed portions. Parts that had rubber tyres received a coat of matt varnish.
Choosing a subject
Over the last few years, I have started to base more and more projects on period images of vehicles. With such a wealth of online material it is often possible to find multiple images which makes the task of replicating them accurately a real possibility.
Before I added the decals which included the licence plate, I did a little research and picked out a vehicle that I would loosely replicate. Two images caught my eye from the fantastic Canfora publication ‘AFV Photo Album’ As per the caption this 8t was likely to have been from the 6th Pz.Div and together with the 3.7cm Flak it was towing was abandoned in Polná, Czechoslovakia in 1945.
I then tracked down the location via Google maps. It was evident it sat on a slight incline and interestingly all the buildings adjacent were still standing. As I already had a Flak 3.7cm almost completely built I set about sourcing material to place them on a suitably sized base.
Whilst waiting for scenic supplies it was time to start work on the towed vehicle. In this case a Flak 36/37. This was taken from the recently released Tamiya/ICM Renault AHN combo kit. As the Sd.Ah 52 trailer wheels had been removed in the image I used a set of 3D resin brake drums from a Sd.Ah56/57 trailer. To replicate the hub and wheel studs I sanded the rear of a pair of outer Sd.Kfz 251 wheels until just the central hub remained. These were then added to the 3D drums and fixed to the trailer axles. Looking at the image the trailer also had a few grab handles that were not present on the kit, so these were made up from copper wire.
To give the scene a little contrast I would give
the flak and trailer a faded winter whitewash over a field applied camo. First
primed with Tamiya fine surface primer the barrel and selected areas were then undercoated
in Tamiya nato black. This would serve not only as the initial colour for the
weapon but also to replicate bare metal.
To give the scene a little contrast I would give the flak and trailer a faded winter whitewash over a field applied camo. First primed with Tamiya fine surface primer the barrel and selected areas were then undercoated in Tamiya nato black. This would serve not only as the initial colour for the weapon but also to replicate bare metal.
After two fine coats of hairspray, a red oxide primer coat was applied. This layer was then chipped exposing the bare metal colour underneath. After another application of hairspray, a base.
After another application of hairspray, a base coat
of Tamiya XF88 Dark Yellow 2 lightened with Deck Tan XF55 was airbrushed and
again chipped back. This time exposing the red oxide and in places, down to the
bare metal.
An Autumn camo was then added. This was again airbrushed over hairspray with MRP Red Brown. The camo colour was then lightly chipped exposing some of the previous chips.
For the whitewash a mix of Tamiya white XF2 with a few drops of Buff XF57 was thinned with tap water. The absence of thinner makes the process of chipping far easier to work on. After a hairspray layer this coat was laid down in a cloudy spray pattern to replicate a rough application in the field. It was also applied a little thicker to places that would have retained more whitewash over time.
As this whitewash layer was prone to wearing away far quicker it not only weathered leaving streaks but also left specs of paint where it had adhered to the surface. Using a softer brush than previously used to get fine chips, far more of the whitewash layer was slowly and carefully removed. The idea is to almost remove it in high wearing areas, leave just traces in exposed areas with the hard-to-reach areas retaining the most.
With the whitewash down it was now time to apply a pin wash. With the timeline in mind a grimy dark brown pallete of oils was employed. Subtle streaks were also added. Some base coat-coloured oils were then mixed and added to selected areas creating a different hue to some panels. A little oil paint rendering with the inclusion of some rust colours concluded the weathering.
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Decals
Now the Alliance Model Works instrument decals had finally arrived it was time to get back to work on the 8ton. As well as the instrument decals the Wehrmacht licence plates were also added. These were made up from the individually numbered kit decals. A weight stencil included on the kit decal sheet was also added to the driver’s side of the cab. They were all sealed with an airbrushed coat of VMS satin varnish.
I also decided to replace the smaller headlights I had added before I chose to replicate the 6th Pz.Div vehicle in the photo. This vehicle had a set of the larger original lamps. Both the lenses were missing so I thinned out the kit’s lamps and added some photoetch to simulate the bulb housings. These were painted separately and added back onto the vehicle.
Faded whitewash.
The whole whitewash process turned into quite a prolonged affair. To cut a long story short, although I made half a dozen test pieces with various paint mixes using both rattle-can hairspray and chipping fluid, when it came to laying down the whitewash layer on the model and 'chipping' it back, it didn’t perform anything close to how the test piece turned out. I guess it's what can happen when attempting only my second whitewash on a vehicle!
The problem I had, was that I was barely able to chip back the acrylic whitewash coat. It did react in places, but in the main I was disappointed in how virtually impossible it was to remove the overlying coat. My main bugbear was that I had covered a lot of previous work, particularly on the bonnet/hood in the hope of exposing much of it. Analysing what went wrong I put it down to a couple of things. Firstly, none of my test pieces had a layer of VMS varnish like the model had. Although the varnish had cured for around 24hrs could the proceeding acrylic whitewash paint have bonded to it in a way the test piece obviously had not? Secondly, and probably more likely is my unusual choice of going for chipping fluid over rattle can hairspray. It was the AK regular 'worn effects’ type and not the 'heavy chipping' type and I airbrushed two quite heavy coats via the airbrush. It chipped back great on the test piece but typically clung onto dear life on the model! Maybe the Heavy Chipping Fluid is the one to go for next time!
My first solution to removing more of the whitewash layer was to go a second round of chipping only this time being a bit more aggressive with the 'scrubbing action' and using some slightly stiffer brushes. In the end it still looked like I had layered a cloudy highlight colour over most of the previous work. Not deterred I then went all in on selected areas with a dab of thinner on the brush and this time it did remove the white acrylic but the desired pattern effect and demarcation areas between the base coat and the whitewash was way too soft. In the end I resorted to first a MIG Neutral pin wash to bring back some contrast then went a second round with acrylic whitewash over some Tresemme hairspray. It still wasn't how I had envisaged it turning out, but I conceded it was going to require far too much work to start over. I got the look I was after in places like the fenders and cab sides, but the bonnet and radiator housing were going to need some further work. What I had originally intended to do was to dry fit some tools to the bonnet and whitewash with them in place but I completely forgot to add them😕 This would have left some nice tool witness marks and probably have helped the overall look of the bonnet/hood. So, with that effect in mind I am going to attempt to recreate that effect with masking tape and a pointy stick dampened with thinner. It's either that or start completely over with the kit's second bonnet/hood. It might still come to that...........
Progress so far.
