Once again a lack of research in one of  your titles / setting.  The uniforms being worn were not in service on Guadalcanal in 1942.

I personally really like this diorama (unlike someone else). The historical accuracy never really bother's me much.

Yep, that does appear to be the trusty 105mm, and rather nicely done, but I'm a little concerned about what the heck those green guys are attempting to do to it. Beat it to death with those large brass sticks?

nice job

Ron

Did a kid do this?

Thanks for sharing, M M

Ok, so there may be a few flaws. Overall I think the build looks fine.

Again, thank you for sharing the pics

Hi!

As an ex-soldier with service in heavy artillery (D-20 152-mm Towed Gun-Howitzer/M-46 130-mm Towed Gun) I found several problems regarding this diorama:

1. on end of each leg (lafet) there is a shovel that have to be partially buried in the ground; their main role is to transfer energy from shot to the ground,

2. if You insert a shell in the barrel in a way as a "soldier" on the photos, then You would kill everyone around You (depending on the fuse You put it on), shell have to be placed on the support in the back of cannon and then pushed in the barrel; shell-support is usually most scratched piece on weapon,

3. You don't kneel with a shell in Your hands;

4. You don't stand behind a firing cannon, soldiers handling shells stay diagonally or on the other side of lafet (if is a small caliber), in theory You can handle in that way all caliber under 200 mm/50 kg shells (part of shell),

5. howitzers usually have e higher elevation (40 degrees or more), this is a cannon elevation, but barrel is for howitzer,

6. firing officer is to close to the weapon, he don't have an appropriate place to see all of his soldiers;

7. there is no one on the targeting device (on the left side of the weapon), before You fire a weapon with indirect trajectory it's most important to check Your coordinates, also for direct trajectory (on the right side of the weapon)

8. simplest way to handle shells is but making a chain, You don't have 3 soldiers with shells in their hands in the back of weapon waiting for 1 shot,

9. there are no hand weapons that are usually put nearest possible to the weapon, usually on the ground, 1 soldier with an assault rifle can kill all of the crew,

10. there are 3 full shells, and NO boxes or empty shells?

Best regards

I just checked some information on the kit (Dragon).

1) It is presented to be the M2A2 version of the 105 in the kit. wouldn't the earlier M2A1 been used at Guadalcanal. I would leave it up to the "Redlegs" to understand the differences.

2) One mistake that I noticed is that the sighting poles are in olive drad, not painted in the correct, red and white stripes. The kit box shows them colored correctly, so not using readily available references.

3) The kit comes with those figures, but the placement should have been studied better.

As it is a paid build, you get what you paid for. This builder needs to study and understand their subjects better, but he has the skills to make a competent model.

Mike T.

Come on people! Model Maniac posted pictures of a diorama that he is happy with and felt proud of before all the negative comments. All of us had to start somewhere. There is such a thing as constructive critism and ripping someones efforts to shreads. Not all of us are master model builders and after seeing the negative comments  by some people here I would not be surprised if many new modelers  think twice before posting their projects. We want people to enjoy models and get into model building not turn them away.

So Model Maniac in my opinion keep building and keep posting your projects your diorama looks good  please don't be turned off by some of the snobs here. What counts in the end is did you enjoy building it, are you happy with it, and can you improve on it. Every model builder and I mean EVERY model builder can improve their model building skills. Even the "master builders" can improve their projects.

 In the model boat club I am a member of one of our members builds models that I can only dream of building but he still feels he has a LOT of room for improvement and NEVER tearsb down somebody elses efforts. If fact  his best piece of advice to me about building wooden ship models was "go for it the worst that can happen is that you end up with some kindling for your fire place"  Model Manic, your diorama is definitely not kindling material it looks good, so GO FOR IT!!

Just read model Maniacs signature

"Don't expect perfection from yourself or from anyone else.

Perfection does not exist in this imperfect world."

That says it all remember that people!

John Lyle

So Model Maniac in my opinion keep building and keep posting your projects your diorama looks good  please don't be turned off by some of the snobs here. What counts in the end is did you enjoy building it, are you happy with it, and can you improve on it.

John, if you are going to post pics here, then you do so knowing you will get comments, good and bad.

When it comes to MM, he is not a novice builder. In fact, he isn't a model builder full stop. As you will notice, he credits this build to Art Instructor. he builds more models than probably anyone else on this forum due to his work from MM. So he is not a novice. If anyone else built this, i doubt the comments would be as harsh as these have come across.

And we all look for comments on here, good and bad. I know thats how i improve.

I've been watching, commenting on, in some cases slamming, and finally coming full circle to appreciate Model Maniac's posts and model collection for years now, and what some of you new guys probably don't know is that "Model Maniac" is a collector of models and dioramas, and his standard is not that of perfection or implacable historical accuracy.

Acquiring built models in volume is his thing, and there's nothing wrong with that. If he were interested in dead-nuts accuracy, he might replace "Art Instructor"--but AI builds fast, and with commendable and adequate skill, and  that's what is important to Model Maniac.

My point is, all this lecturing on what is technically "correct" or what would or wouldn't happen in that scenario or theatre--while well intended, and helpful to many of us who DO appreciate that in-depth knowledge--is of little value here.

Personally, I like the scene. Those big plants are great!

As Bish said, ol' MM doesn't build any of the models he posts.  He has a long history here of being arrogant and looking for "atta boys" for his bought models.  He has pissed off a lot of people here.  If it were someone who is actually building the models, they would not get as much flak as he does.  Its really not worth commenting on their mediocre quality any longer.  That is why I stopped a while ago.

HeavyArty

As Bish said, ol' MM doesn't build any of the models he posts.  He has a long history here of being arrogant and looking for "atta boys" for his bought models.  He has pissed off a lot of people here.  If it were someone who is actually building the models, they would not get as much flak as he does.  Its really not worth commenting on their mediocre quality any longer.  That is why I stopped a while ago.

Stopped what?...

Its really not worth commenting on their mediocre quality any longer.  That is why I stopped a while ago.

SteveM

Stopped what?...

Stopped providing in-depth constructive comments on his purchases.  It fell on deaf ears and some of the more PC, "That looks great, just let him have fun," crowd got all upset that his peices were being picked on.  Its just not worth the hassle.

I for one appreciate MM's posts. Least they are on the topic of model building & finished projects.

Constructor is working on a timeline, something most cannot do. Considering how many completed models he makes I would say he does excellent work.

Research & accuracy is a hobby in itself, I do not think time permits him studying the fine nuances of boot gator shade or helmet cover camouflage. 

Unless MM has a really big warehouse full of built models he maybe selling the commissioned builds at a profit and laughing all the way to the bank.

I would like to see Constructors personal builds, ones that he toiled for months on. I bet anything they would draw no critique.

Comments on the artillery vignette:

Well done, weathered without going overboard.The vegetation looks good.

Nice scene yet a stretch calling it a diorama, its more a snapshot in time or a vignette than a story.

Thanks for posting the work, always in the crossfire you endeavor to post another day!

But doog, how then do we know when to and when not to comment on peoples work. If people are not interested in the accuracy, thats fine. They can just read the comments, say thank you, and move on.  And MM does end all his posts with

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Now, if he justs wants people to pat him on the back and say what a good kit he has boughyt, then maybe he shouldn't ask for comment.

If he wants to buy a large collection of built models, thats his choice. Not my thing, but each to his own. But i am with Heavy on this guy. What finally did it for me was the thread a few months ago where he listed all the kits he had bought. I only commented on this thread as i wanted to put John in the picture.

The diorama looks very good, specially the vegetation part but I have to agree with Agent D's comments regarding the lack  of basics. Missing painting the K Bar and holster stands out. Both should be a red/brown like the boots.  A little research goes a long way when doing these things specially when paying for it. I'm sure this wasn't cheap so I would ask him to correct these issues. 

Bish

But doog, how then do we know when to and when not to comment on peoples work. If people are not interested in the accuracy, thats fine. They can just read the comments, say thank you, and move on.  And MM does end all his posts with

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Now, if he justs wants people to pat him on the back and say what a good kit he has boughyt, then maybe he shouldn't ask for comment.

If he wants to buy a large collection of built models, thats his choice. Not my thing, but each to his own. But i am with Heavy on this guy. What finally did it for me was the thread a few months ago where he listed all the kits he had bought. I only commented on this thread as i wanted to put John in the picture.

It's a modeling forum, and he certainly has as much right to post here as anyone. In the Armor forum, some of AI's work is pretty incredible. He just doesn't have enough time to do a dio the way the rest of us would. The dios posted in here are usually not much more than displays of the purchased kits.

I can forgive the newbie know-it-alls, They'll figure it out. What's annoying to me is the way some folks poke their heads in the dio forum almost solely to throw mocking and derisive comments at MM.

the doog

 Live and let live. There are bigger fish to fry.

Hence why i no longer comment on his builds. I am just letting him get on with it and will leave my comments to those that are interested. And i would advise the others to do the same.

That will just leave MM to wallow in glorification, which is his main aim anyway IMHO.

EliteModelling - Many thanks for your kind comments. Same as you, historical accuracy never bother me much if at all. Those who worry too much about history will soon become history themselves.

mfsob - Thanks for your comments about the build. These figures are poor design/modification by Dragon, it's hard to get them in plausible position.

spadx111 - Thanks, Ron.

agentg - I agree that this isn't one of his best and there might have been many reasons for that. He omitted several things as you said, plus a few more.

iraqiwildman - I think AI is almost 50 now, he's not a kid.

Babill212 - Thank you so much for your kind comments.

MaketarST - Thanks for your comments. It's good to have comments from someone with first-handed experiences.

telsono - Thanks for dropping by and giving some nice comments. The box/kit didn't mention about Guadacanal, I just named this dio randomly after watching the History channel.

John Lyle - Thank you very much for your kind support. Those modelers who build for me will still be doing their job no matter what.

That signature I read somewhere and adopted it here. I might as well change it to "Don't worry, be happy!"

Karl - Thank you so much for your kind comments and continuous support.

SuppressionFire - Thank you so much too for your kind understanding and backing. You're right, in just over 10 years AI has built more armors and dioramas than most if not all modelers can build in thier lifetime. Though not the best in quality, he makes it up with quantity. And quantity is quality in itself. The Russians proved that in WWII.

After replying to all well-wishers in this thread, I'll post many new threads in this dio forum for sure!

agentg - Thanks again for your second comment here.

plasticjunkie - Thanks for your kind words. I agree that this isn't as good as it should but I have to show it anyway now that it has been built. Right now AI is working on many new pieces, no time to look back or make correction because the show must go on.

Karl - Thanks again for your additional comment here. I don't know much about the "Zen" thing, but Buddha taught me that "Everything is transient". Understanding this, there's nothing to worry!

Model Maniac

Same as you, historical accuracy never bother me much if at all. Those who worry too much about history will soon become history themselves.

In which case, don't ask people to comment on the builds you. Or alternativly, just ask people to leave the nice fuzzy comments.

Bish

Model Maniac:

Same as you, historical accuracy never bother me much if at all. Those who worry too much about history will soon become history themselves.

 

In which case, don't ask people to comment on the builds you. Or alternativly, just ask people to leave the nice fuzzy comments.