Eagle, here's a great article on US olive drab:

If you don't want to read the whole thing the short story is XF-62 is correct but probably too dark if you want faded paint, or adding a dark wash, or go for the lighting scale effect. When applying colour modulation to American hardware I use XF-62 as the darkest base shade.

Gamera

Eagle, here's a great article on US olive drab:

If you don't want to read the whole thing the short story is XF-62 is correct but probably too dark if you want faded paint, or adding a dark wash, or go for the lighting scale effect. When applying colour modulation to American hardware I use XF-62 as the darkest base shade.

 

Gamera...wow!  What a great article!  It explains it perfectly!!!!  The two lines that stand out are, "The colour of US vehicles was Olive Drab, not Olive Green." and "Basically, the only colour that comes close to the wartime colour is the Tamiya acrylic XF62, with the Poly Scale acrylic a distant second."  That sums it up.  And the pics they have with the article are pretty darn close to what the Tamiya XF-62 looks like!  I love the comment about the older Tamiya kit art work being decieving...it is!  LOL!

Thanks so much for the help Gamera.  Much appreciated!

Bobby

Hey I'm glad to help. I was confused as well until I found this article years ago and I've been pointing people to it since.

Finally got this one on the bench:

So far am almost done page 5 of the 10 pages of instructions, and part count up to this point is about 85 pieces, plus another 2 from the Eduard PE set.

Someone on another forum stated the Eduard set was for a later version of the Sd.Kfz. 11, and I did notice their framework around the area for the towing apparatus was different than what AFV Club has.  The PE contstruction protruded out in the center, while the kit has the area flat, like in the photo below:

So didn't bother with the PE replacement, but saw some other details that could be improved, as noted in the photo below;

I've left the towing section on a brass rod for now, easier to hold the small piece.  Also added some plastic sheet pieces of detail - though it will be mostly hidden once crew compartment is added.

Some nasty sink marks on the front.  In the other half of the photo, had to utilize a brass rod for the steering (linkage?).   I snipped the actual plastic piece  too close when it was on the sprues, and it got bent as well.  Easy replacement, also no seam to sand. 

regards,

Jack

I did some more work on the 251 today and got the weathering done. I still need to add the guns, items in the storage bins, tools, tracks and pastels

Nice work there guys.

Jack, i had similar issues with sink marks on AFV's 251.Soime nice detailing there.

Good work on the 251 Steve, nice to see her all painted up.

Hi Bish, thanks. The AFV Club kit has nice details, but I find there are a lot of fine seams on almost every piece.

Hey Steve, looking very good, and that is right on you are doing a DAK scheme.  Our build topics are related in that way, as are the chasis.  My instructions indicate the drive sprockets also had a rubber portion, or was that eliminated on the 251 series?

regards,

Jack

Thanks Bish and Jack. I'll have to look at the drive sprockets again. 

Jack, do you mean the rubber running around the rim of the sprockets. No, it was used on the 251, well spotted. It is quite hard to see once the wheels are fitted.

Yeah, I only know about it because the instructions pointed it out.  I can't find an online visual for my kit instructions, but the late version can be seen here:

http://www.model-making.eu/products/German-Sd-Kfz-11-Late-Production-Wooden-Cab.html#

--------------------

Still on the topic, Bish (or the others), know anything about the tire styles?  I ordered a resin pair from Panzer Art, and they had four choices.  I ended up taking the ones that were in stock, so hope they will be ok for the desert 1941:

http://panzerart.pl/index.php/welcome/kategoria/12/7

regards,

Jack

jack, i think the tires were just what was supplied at the time. You say that had 4 choices, did they have differant tread patterns or if it just the makers name. I know one company, i think its quickboots, produce them in differant brands.

Edit: jack, just checked your link and see what you mean. I have never seen that Commercial patern before. The other two look pretty similar and i reckon either of those two would be best.

Thanks Bish.  

Yes, I figured Commercial is synonymous with civilian, so crossed that one out.  All four are have diffrent manufacture names, with the remaining three have Gelande name added, which directly translates to terrain in German - cross country I suppose.  Two further are stamped Extra Gelande, and look to have identical tread pattern.  The plain Gelande has a bit of slant in one direction for the threads.

regards,

Jack

Now thats a bit of info i didn't know. I have seen the tire brand name on them, like Continental, but never the word terrain.

Sorry I know nothing about the tires but that's some fine looking work Jack and Steve.

Bish,

I have a question regarding weaponry carried onboard a 251. Would they also carry panzerfausts, panzerschrecks, mines etc. or just rifles, machineguns, pistols and grenades?

Late in the war they would certainly carry the rocket launchers. Not so sure about the mines though. They would be more for the engineers. But neither of the rocket launchers would have been used in N Africa as they didn't enter service until after the German defeat there.

Thanks, I didn't think about the timeframe or Engineer aspect. 

No worries Steve, i had to check on the rocket launchers myself to see when they entered service.

No worries KC.

Finally, finally....I have found some time to finish the tracks. They were a bit of a pain, especially the so easy to break links. The next challenge will be to fit it on the chassis because, as you guessed it, it doesn't fit. So there will be some trimming, chopping and filling.

My apologies everyone for not posting pics.  I've been taking them, just haven't had the time to post....so here are a couple of posts with the progress of the halftrack.

This build has been a little different for me..a challenge in a good way.  I really appreciate the help with the color issue I had too.  Great stuff..many thanks to all!

I'm not crazy about the weathering I'm doing.  Have you ever just not been able to get into the zone with something?  That's the way I feel about the weathering on this one.  Didn't want to do too much weathering, so I don't know if that's my "block" or not.  The Tamiya kit is very nicely done.  I had some "self inflicted" issues with the windscreen, but I kinda got around it.  Not pretty fixes, but hey, it's a utility truck.  LOL!  .

The vinyl tracks went on easier then I had expected which was a plus.

Here she is.  Enjoy.  Also, awesome work everyone!  Very inspiring!

Eagle90

Here is the next round of pics I took.  The next stage if you will.  Enjoy.

Eagle90

And here is what went down so far today.  Enjoy.

Eagle90

Nice job on the tracks castel. So whats stopping the body from fitting.

Thats coming on nicley Bobby. I think your being a bit hard on yourself there.

Hey Eagle,

Great job on a classic Tamiya kit; one of my all time favorites.  On the rear drive train, the small road wheels would have a molded on rubber rim. (We had one of these parked out in front of our battalion headquarters in Germany; wish I had taken more pictures!)  

Lookin' good!

TAD

Bish

Thats coming on nicley Bobby. I think your being a bit hard on yourself there.

 

Thank you sir!  LOL! been hard on myself for sometime now.  But I appreciate the kind words.  Means a lot.  Thank you mate!

Now I have to mount the muchine guns and start on 8 figures!  Doing the driver first to get him in (notice the steering wheel is missing....waiting for the driver to be finished!) 

Bobby

Tal Afar Dave

Hey Eagle,

Great job on a classic Tamiya kit; one of my all time favorites.  On the rear drive train, the small road wheels would have a molded on rubber rim. (We had one of these parked out in front of our battalion headquarters in Germany; wish I had taken more pictures!)  

Lookin' good!

TAD

 

Thank you TAD!

Oh man!  I knew about the rubber rims too!  Thank you!  I got into the weathering I forgot to make them rubber. 

Hey, where were you stationed in Germany?  I was in Germany for 3 years at Bitburg.

Bobby

Nice work guys!

Bobby, personally I think the weathering and grime look pretty darn good.