Thanks guys!

I have no Mr Surfacer at hand, but I'll just use Vallejo's putty. That stuff can be wiped off with my airbrush cleaner (Revell Aqua Color Clean)...

Cliff: Very nice work on Your AVRE. You inspired me to order one of those Churchilll kits (Mk. IV with all those spare tracks) at my LHS...,

Thanks guys!

SP: The running gear was a lot of parts to clean up but went together like silk. Just turn the part with the suspension arms upside down and everything just drops right in!

Clemons: Sounds good! I like anything I can wipe away with a little thinner instead of sanding for detail work. This is the AFV Club kit, the Tamiya one is pretty good too. Now I'm got to pick up the Mk IV regular combat tank too.

I will have to try and remember that whe I get around to building mine...

stikpusher

Bish

 

Don't worry wayne, I will be lucky to get to my Pz IV this side of the new year.

Yeah, I am in the same boat. It will be a couple months before I can start a project for here. I have two projects going now (one almost done), and two on deck for start when these two are done next month.

So many GB's, so little time.

Clemens, that's coming along nice. The IP looks great.

Gamera, The AVRE is looking good.

Gamera - the AVRE looks Awesome, Virile, Radical, and Excellent!

It's good to see you miscreants are finally back on topic.  

Thanks guys, it's going to be fun doing a pin wash over all the little projections and bolt heads, etc...

Thanks Bish! The IP took me longer to complete than the entire rest of the cockpit. I had to cut the decal for it apart and added every bezel by itself... Then I messed up the gloss coat I applied over the bezels and had to re-spray the whole thing with a flat clear-coat and do it all again (first time I used that technique)

I managed to add the stabilizers and the fuselage spine and sand everything smooth tomorrow...

bitbite

It's good to see you miscreants are finally back on topic.  

No work on the Churchill but I started work on the crew. Going to try to have them either loading the giant mortar or a guy on the ground handing the giant shell up to a guy on the hull.  

A week or two ago I saw something on Military Channel about D-Day armor. The AVRE was featured, and I fnally learned how that mortar was loaded (I have been wondering for ages). It pivots to vertical on the mount, and is loaded from the bottom end (breech) thru a hatch in the top of the hull... interesting to watch the process on film. It was nice to finally learn something new off of that channel that was not "reviosionist" or some other new take on old information.

I didn't realise that. I thought it was loaded from the muzzle end, a bit like old cannons.

Yeow!!! Thanks SP! I was thinking the thing loaded from the front like Bish! And I was modifying a figure to load her from the muzzle end, you just saved me a great deal of work from ending up with a couple of figures that I'd have to cut apart and modify again. 

I noticed the odd modification on the left forward (machine gunner's) hatch (right on photo) but never thought it was to load the gun though... 

Its a good idea though. Less exposure for the crew to enemy fire. Nice to see the army actually thinking about things.

So did I... I figured it's a mortar and loaded thru the bore, like most other mortars... then I saw the film clip... just the loaders hand and forearms are exposed in the process. Kind of cool to see. I always thought the same as you guys. The more I saw Hobarts funnies explained in detail on this show, the more I realized that the man was a true innovative genious with AFVs.

That's some awesome info, Stik!

I decided on a second subject for this GB (when my Jug is finished):

It's going to be a Sherman CRAB. Now I just have to find that mine-plough...

http://www.rjproducts.com/Catalogs/Resicast/Resicast.html

Definately not cheap, but there's one.

I found a nice pic of a CRAB "doing its job":

Thanks for the link, bitbite. It's a bit expensive though, like you said (twice as much as the kit I need to use it...)

I think I'm going to use the Legend set for this one (40€) 

Clemons: Awesome, always thought the crab was one of the cooler 'funnies'. I've been a bit hesitant due to the price too.

I have a question regarding the CRAB tanks: Which Sherman variants were modified with the mine plough?

Here's an M4A4 in Canada.  I see references to "M4" too but who knows if that's because the authors of the articles are just lazy or uninformed.  I'll bet Stik knows.  He knows everything! 

I would guess M4A4s too would be most or at least one of the more common versions. Yeah, I'll wait till SP chimes in though for more firm answer.

Thanks for the info, guys!

Bitbite: Why are those tracks green?! WHY?!?!?!?! TELL ME!!! That green doesn't even look good...

I'll try to model my CRAB "in action" btw. Any tips on how to get those chains "flying"?

Looks like they sprayed the whole thing with green paint, tracks and all. Not really complaining though, I've seen many open-air tanks with most of the paint gone and just sitting there rusting, at least the park did take some time and effort to preserve her.

Not sure how you could do one in action. I guess you could put super glue or something on the chains to make them straight but it should throw up massive clouds of dust and dirt which I'm not sure how you could model. I suppose you could use cotton balls but it would probably look hokey.

LOL - Schatten.   I second what Gamera said about the green.  But maybe it's some sort of hippie protest though. Greenpeace, perhaps?

LOL, stupid greenpeace.. You can't trust them...

Cliff: Oops, my bad. I forgot to mention an important thing: I want to depict the CRAB with spinning mine plough, but before it is lowered to beat the crap outta those mines. So there should be no need for dirt...

OK guys, I dont have a firm answer on which variant of Sherman was used for the Crab, but a SWAG says that the M4A4 (Sherman V) and M4A2 (Sherman III), in that order are the most likely choices, with a slight possibility of M4, and M4A1 (Sherman I/II) also being used as the basis. I will have to dig out my reference books later on.

Thank you very much, Stik! Are you able to tell which variant is depicted on the picture I posted?

anybody going to ipms usa nationals?

The one you posted looks to be an M4A4. It has bigger gaps between the bogie units due to the longer hull. Without a good view of the engine deck I can't be certain but I will say 85%-90% M4A4.