Liberation of Western Europe GB

Finally hoping to get some quality bench time this week / weekend. With any luck, I can have my Tiger ready for paint by Sunday evening, and can finally get some decent pics early next week. This build has dragged out forever, seems like.

I have the Zimmerit applied - it's my first attempt at putty Zimm, and it didn't turn out half bad, although the pattern is a bit fine in places.

So wish me luck, and I'll hopefully have at least enough progress to post another update next week!

The P-47 looks great and postman-after weathering are you going to pt it in a dio?

Keep us posted on progress.

David

GZT - looks real good. Wow. Great Jug!

Postman - can't wait to see some weathering on that thing...man that's a big model. Going to look nice next to everything else on the shelf! 

P-47M flown by Cpt Witold Lanowski, a Polish Airforce Pilot attached to the 56FG. He was one of many Polish pilots flying with 56FG invited there by Francis Gabreski.

I plan to build more Thunderbolts from 56FG including "Mike" Gladych's Razorback and Grabeski's  Bubbletop. These will be presented in Thunderbolt GB hopefuly soon

Enjoy

.... and all comments welcome. 

Greetings all.

It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm nearly done. I'm down to washing and weathering now. I've added some pics that summarize my build thus far and a taste of things to come.

I've been researching a little bit and I've decided to model a Jadgtiger from Kompanie Carius - Otto Carius' unit in the last months of the war. Kompanie Carius and its sister company- Kompanie Ernst were the two units that comprised the 512th Jadgtiger Abteilung. Both units eventually surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr.

According to Panzer Colors III the vehicles were painted Overall Dark Yellow and no numbering system is known. If anyone has information regarding a numbering scheme I'd really like to hear from you. I've included my reference photo from Panzer Colors III of Kompanie Carius.

-John

The zim looks great. Keep us up to date with progress.

David

Thanks, Bob. It's just Squadron Green Putty and a Lion Roar zimmerit tool. Be sure to keep the putty wet during application of the tool, because if it dries too quickly it can stick to the surface of the tool and come up.

Okay, I was able to make a little progress over the weekend. I zimmed up the turret!! Now, mind you, it still needs some sanding and smoothing out, but it definitely looks better than I expected (this being my first attempt and all):

Last week, I recived an email from Sprue Brothers that my Cav zimm set for this kit was in stock. This after waiting eight friggin weeks (or something like that). I decided not to spend the $17 or whatever. Think I made the right choice?

Agreed! Looking forward to seeing it!

My Tiger's beginning to come along, but not as nice as that!

Here are a couple more pics after I added a thin, black wash, and then a dark brown filter to tie it all together.

Work on the body begins this weekend if the weather allows!

Thanks for the encouragement guys!  The mirror is a good idea.  Should I secure it to the mirror...if so, how?

Incidentally, while practicing getting this undercarriage technique down, I stumbled on a combination that, when dry, has the texture and color of rust. I swear it made the muffler look and feel like rusted metal...I was shocked. I use Doc O'Brien's weathering powders from MicroMark. I mixed a little "rusty red" with a small amount of Future. I mixed it well, really got a good suspension of the pigment and grain in the Future and then immediately painted it on. Left it to dry overnight, and the next morning I would have been hard-pressed to tell it from rusty metal. 

I'll get to the top tomorrow! 

bobbaily wrote:

David-as nice as that undercarriage is, I think I would display it sitting on a mirror...it would be a shame for it to be unnoticed.

Agreed, the underside looks fantastic!  Putting it on a mirror is a great idea.

Here's the underbelly of the Greyhound completed with a few hints from Jeff Herne.

The top is next!  Obviously, I'll touch-up the tires.  Overall I am pleased even though nobody will see the undercarriage.  Now I can sleep soundly.

Mike: nice tank ! One thing is missing though: WINGS Just kidding because I love airplanes andyur kits are a real inspiration. This is a very nice build.

I hope I will be able to place here my Lanowski's Thunderbolt soon. I am going through second stage of painting

Hello all - I finally had time to finish my M-18. With the two puppies, alot of time has been and still is tied up. Also, I was a little scared about my first attempt making mud! Here she goes.

Mike T.

Circuitrider wrote:

Well, here's my best effort...not bad for only the 4th model I've completed.  Other than the antenna mounts and fenders that will be added later, I'm ready to put this to the airbrush.  Are there any glaring mistakes/omissions that ya'll can see...I mean other than the obvious misalignment in a couple of places?  Also, what overall color should I paint the chassis?  I'm depicting it dry and dusty.

circuitrider - . Excellent work. Looks clean from here. As far as color goes, might I suggest a base coat of Olive Drab. I'd follow up with a wash of Dark Green to "deepen" recesses etc. and drybrush on a coat of Armor Sand. Chk out my M26 Pershing back on the bottom of page 2. The more you build the more you'll see what you can and can't "hide" with paint.

The Jadgtiger's construction is nearly complete. I need to sling some paint this weekend and I'll be able to get the rear axles and wheels/idlers/sprockets in place. I broke down and bought 2 sets of Fruils, one for the Jadgtiger and the other for a King Tiger. I've already built the set for the King Tiger (90 links each side!) and they look sweet. The Jadgtiger should look every bit as good. I also need to finish my homemade gun barrel.  I'll try and take some pixs this weekend.

-John 

Thanks, guys.  It was a fairly easy build.  It's a Tamiya kit.  The only real problem that I had with the kit was that the wheels didn't all meet the ground.  I'm not sure why because the undercarriage went together like a dream.  Other than that, just a few areas where the instructions weren't explicitly clear, in other words, when the fit surfaces allowed for more than one coupling (by chance and not design) they didn't show a picture of what a completed part should look like.  So, I had to disassemble and reattcach a couple of parts.  Otherwise, it was a great kit, and one I would recommend.

I dunno what color to paint the chassis, and I'd just be guessing about US armor. But I can say that's a sweet build! You may have already mentioned this, but is it Italeri? Kinda has an Italeri look to it.

I'm not seeing any obvious flaws at all. Not even any misalignments, really. Looks good!

Nice build, makes me want to get one. I'm not surea bout the chassis.

David

Well, here's my best effort...not bad for only the 4th model I've completed.  Other than the antenna mounts and fenders that will be added later, I'm ready to put this to the airbrush.  Are there any glaring mistakes/omissions that ya'll can see...I mean other than the obvious misalignment in a couple of places?  Also, what overall color should I paint the chassis?  I'm depicting it dry and dusty.

thanks for directing me to that build, the models are first rate. everybody seems really supportive and good natured there. i would love to join but it seems a little late. do you think they would let someone in this late? i ask only because you have been involved early on. thanks again

                       clint

some assembly required wrote:

id love to jump on board with a Tamiya wespe in 1/35. it will be oob. because of time constrants. it will be from the Gross Dushland div. in 1943 operation Citadel.

If you check out the armor forum you'll see that there is indeed a Battle of Kursk GB going on right now until the end of October! Big group with lots of nice builds so far!

Ok, I hadn't seen this thread before - guess I didn't look far enough back in the forum, eh?  On the shelf, pouting at me to be built (and which are just right for this GB), are a Tamiya Sdkfz 222, Sdkfz 232, and DML Waffen SS (Normandy 1944).  Sitting in the cabinet (and unusable for this GB) is a Tamiya Sdkfz 223 - it is built with basic paint, but no real detailing.  I have had a diorama in mind for it for ages, just haven't finished it off yet.  Since there's most of a year remaining on this GB, I'm going to shoot for either the 222 or the 232 and the infantry, probably rushing into positions in the hedgerows - or *maybe* in a village - to disrupt the Allied advance.

(Can't tell I like wheeled armor, can ya?)

ETA!  Ok, I'm going with the 222.  I think the 8-wheeled 232 really needs more figures than just 4 to create a good balance, and I wanna stick to what's on *my* shelf, not what's on the *store* shelf!  Now I gotta start the research so I get the markings approaching correct and the colors of vehicle and uniforms something close to reality.