No worries KC.

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

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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, 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Hey everyone.  I have a question for you armor experts out there.  I'm ready to paint the M3A2 and Tamiya calls out Olive Drab (XF-62) for the overall color, but I'm thinking it's a bit "brown"?  To my eyes (and they are 49 YO eyes now), Olive Green (XF-58) looks to be closer to what Tamiya has on the box art.  Any suggestions and/or help on an accurate color would be greatly appreciated.  It is a Tamiya kit (35070) in case that helps.

Thanks!

Eagle90

Thanks G, much appreciated. Looking forward to seeing everyone else builds come along.

Hey Bish, excellent work on the 251 and bike, figures, groundwork and foliage, the whole darn thing!!! 

Thnaks jack. I am pleased with how my figures are coming on. Still more improvment to make, but its going in the right direction. And you have been a big help and inspiration in that regard.

Hi Bish, great looking scene and I enjoyed the little story you have attached to it.  

Excellent detail on the vehicle, great job with the figs, really like work on the various camou types, and the vegetation looks fabulous.

regards,

Jack

Thnaks Steve. I know what you mean, but as a dio it would not have worked without it. In real life it would probably have been more, but this is a case of using some artistic restraint but still give a general idea.

Look forward to seeing more of yours.

I like the story and hypothesis Bish. It's a shame to cover all that beautiful work with foliage. 

I ordered some more sand yellow so I can finish up mine.

Time to wrap this one up. The final touches to the vehcile were adding some MiG pigments. Mixed with water they were applied, allowed to dry and then the excess removed.

And then all was brought together to finish it of. For the figures, i used 2 from the Tamiya maintanance set. These both wore one piece overalls so posed a bit of a problem. Then checking my book on SS uniforms i found some images of camoflaged one piece outfirs worn by AFV crew, perfect. So i painte dthose in plane tree camo. The Commander is a Verlinden figure. He must be an old one as he seems to be in scale. He is painted to match the figure in the colour drawing of the vehcile. And the rider has Italien camo trousers and a plain tree jacket.

The hedge was finished off with polyfibre wrapped around the wire trunks and various scatter materials add.

So, let me set the scene. A 251/9 of the das Reich's Deutschland Pz Gren Battalion need some urgent repairs. So, finding a narrow track with high hedges it pulls over. Adding some foliage in the hope of avoiding the eyes of prolling allied jabo's, the driver get to work while the gunner takes the chance to sort through his ammo.

But then a Motorcycle dispatch rider arrives to issue soime verbal orders. maybe the unit is on radio silence. He tells the commander that he is ordered tomove with all haiste to help cover German troops withdrawing in the face of the allied advance.

And then, a short time later, the vehicle was in action close to Elbeuf near the Seine river.

 And this may have been the reason it fell into enemy hands. Perhaps the driver, forced to complety his repairs in a hurry, didn't fully fix the probelm. And maybe this lead to the vehcile, seemily undamaged, was abandon with the crew  who hurridly gathered their things from the side bins and left their vehcile to the pursuing Candian troops.

And there is my last build of the year, and what a joy it is to finally have this on the shelf.

Gamera

 

Bish

 

 

Eagle90

Good point Bish....hope they don't turn on us.  LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

If they start raising the font right paw your in trouble.

 

 

 

 

Awwwwww, he wants to shake hands, isn't that cute???

AAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH, MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hmmmmmmm, was thinking that outside the US and Germany the Frence and Japanese were the only nations to produce halftracks and not too many. Did the UK build any? I think fully tracked Universal Carriers were used for most stuff other than some lend-lease US halftracks? And again other than lend-lease the Soviets just piled troops on their tanks.

 

I am not aware of any British halftracks, i have only seen our forces use US ones. I think the Russians had some, but i think they were mainly cargo trucks. And they seem to have quickly fallen out of favour after WW2.

Bish

 

 

Eagle90

Good point Bish....hope they don't turn on us.  LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

If they start raising the font right paw your in trouble.

 

Awwwwww, he wants to shake hands, isn't that cute???

AAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH, MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmmmm, was thinking that outside the US and Germany the Frence and Japanese were the only nations to produce halftracks and not too many. Did the UK build any? I think fully tracked Universal Carriers were used for most stuff other than some lend-lease US halftracks? And again other than lend-lease the Soviets just piled troops on their tanks.