251 Halftracks GB 1 October '08 - 8 June '09

Yeah, that Royal Model stuff is pretty sweet...but MAN is it pricey!

May have to snag one of those canvas covers on this month's Squadron order, though. 

White_R34 wrote:

Yeah Dupes Royal's stuff is up there, that's why I live for the sales. Hay "sfcmac" boo hoo did you just feel your wallet getting a bit more light!! "Yes yes wach those Benjamins' go by by"

Your not kidding! After looking at my stash I swore off buying anything new until I  get it shunk enough to fit into one closet. I am dying here. The 1/350 Akagi is out. Been waiting for the 1/350 Repulse. All the new Dragon kits for armor..... then don't mention aircraft... When you add all those accessories in there you got enough to buy a new car!  ACK! 

Yep gotta stay focused and work on what I have for now!  I don't need it..... I don't need it! I can get away with that now cuz the hobby store is closed until tommorrow! And like Scarlet O'hara sez! " Tomorrow is another Day!"

sfcmac wrote:

I don't need it..... I don't need it!

 Oh, but you do!  Can't do without.  Do an ebay search on Royal Model 251 and see what comes up for starting bids of $1.    Whatta ya got to lose?

 Don

OK folks, the tracks have been assembled, painted and installed.

     I was a bit surprised how easily they went together; the links and pads are small.  It took a few attempts to figure out that there was a right and wrong orientation for the pads, but once that was determined, things went smoothly.  However, they did require some clean up of sprue attachment points.  A base coat of burnt sienna, an oil wash of burnt umber and a little black, then the pads were dry brushed with MM grimy black.  Weathering was done with Migs desert sand pigment.

    Then back to the radios.  I picked up some lead wire in small diameters from 0.01 -  0.035" from a trout fly tying catalog.  Figured the soft, pliable metal would make for great in scale wires that could easily be bent and draped like the real thing.  First thing was to add power line to the Fu19, Torn.Eb and transmitter.  This was done by drilling a hole in the center of 0,06 diam. plastic rod, then cutting off thin slices to depict plug-in sockts.  The wire was glued in the hole and the assembly glued to the radio.  The patch cord from the Torn.Eb receiver and the transmitter was also added.  Just for fun, I draped that over the radio rack and included a loop laying on top of an accessory box.

On the back side, lines were run from the battery to the two dynarotors.

And finally, here are Willi and Fritz; our radio ops guys.  All wired up.

These figures were molded from soft plastic and were provided in the 251/6 kit.  But I liked the detail and decided to use them.  Willi (on the left) is using a hand held mic while Fritz has a throat mic.

Two other figs will be included; I'm still thinking about how to best integrate these guys into the build.  The ranking officer will most likely be examining a map on the /18 map table.  The other guy, I'm not so sure yet.

That's it for now.  Soon Willi and Fritz will be seated and then its time to seal her up.

 Don

Ok you guys here's the resin items I just got in: 250 cover I ordered the rong type I should have ordered the 251 type. Any way this is that part and what I did to fix it.

Front view:

Rear view:

It needed some filling and sanding.

Now the cover is done and needs to be painted one day.

Ok Now for the Wheel/Tire set, I was hopping that there would be 4 w/t's in the box but there was only 3 like the cover image shows.

I'm have not removed any of the tires form the mold sprue yet as I plan on making a mold of them so I will not have to keep ordering sets. When they go off sale they will be back up to the real price of 18.99. I don't think so It's best for me to mold them for my self. Ok about the wheel/Tire set, you have 3 used tiers. 2 have a some what low air look and the othere is just plan flat. You have one othere part of sprue with 6 things on it and they are the wheel center caps or covers and 3 valve stems. I would say use copper wire for the valve stems.

In the image below you see(From Right to Left) top Wheel caps, valve stems. lower the first fully Flat tire and then the front of one of the low air tiers and the last is the rear of that same type of tire.

I want to us the the two low air tires on my build in this GB.

Don that is looking pretty sweet.

White, nice AM stuff.  Will the 250 cover fit?

"WoW Don" Stunning detailed work there, I love the figures!!.

wing_nut wrote:

Don that is looking pretty sweet.   White, nice AM stuff.  Will the 250 cover fit?

Yes it fit's in the front but I will need to do some work in the rear so It will fit a lot better. I'm goint to use Tamiya epoxy putty to add a bit more canvas to the cover. so It will look right. Here are some shots of it on the top of the project I'm working on for this GB and one othere.

I must say that I now have both Ausf B kits by Zvezda. An the only one difference between the two kits is one sprue tree of parts. The Antenna array and Radios.

I do like that the plastic is solf so I makes it easy to work with, but non of the trees where in bags and if you get the "Mittlerer Funkpanzerwagen" Sd.Kfz. 251/3 Ausf.B Kit(Command car or Radio carrer. You may find that this has happond to the (Antenna array) tree.

I fixed the antenna so I can still use it when the time comes.

I'll have some new progress photos coming soon. But I'm trying to get this othere halftrack done first and I'm at the end of it.

Don - good progress! Tracks and radios look great, and your figs are specTACULAR. I really need to practice them more to try to get the results you guys do.

White - looking good as well! That cover is a neat addition, think I want to snag a couple of those for my pile o' 251s myself. What sort of mods are you making to make the /5?

Wow Don, your radio work puts mine to shame fella and those figures..WOW. Keep it coming, your on the home stretch.

White, Ive used Royal model stuff before and its great stuff. I have 3 different types of tonneau cover for a famo from them, Just need 3 famo's to put em on, LOL. It looks like your 250 cover has fit the 251 sweetly, with a bit of effort. Well done mate.

...Guy

Hey fellas!  I've sure missed out on a lot of good stuff going on here in the last couple of months!  My participation has been woeful ...haven't spent much time even checking out the great work being done!  At least now I can say that my kit is finally on the way and I should be starting it in early January!  I was planning on buying the kit (and others ) during my planned trip to China, but that got cancelled so I decided to do the next best thing....buy it from LuckyModel!!  I placed my order a couple of days ago and my goodies should arrive in a couple of weeks.

Here's what I'll be working on:

I saw that the tracks are vinyl so I decided I might as well get some matching indie tracks 

Then I saw these on the site and figured, "What the heck!  Might as well get them too!"

I'll let you know when the items arrive and then I'll get started on my first free weekend.

Later

bufflehead wrote:

At least now I can say that my kit is finally on the way and I should be starting it in early January!  ....    Here's what I'll be working on:

Woohooo!!!!  Or should I say Uhu!!!  Thanks Bufflehead for the update.  It's funny, I was just about to post to bump this up. 

 Don

pordoi wrote:

Woohooo!!!!  Or should I say Uhu!!!  Thanks Bufflehead for the update.  It's funny, I was just about to post to bump this up.   Don

Woohoo!!!  Uhu!!!  That's hilarious pordoi!!!  I wish I had thought of that!! 

Glad to be of service....least I can do after being absent for so long!

pordoi - that looks nice.... mucho mucho nice... figures are awesome...

Hey, who is doing the meat-wagon?  I forget...

Anyways, thought you might like this photo - not sure if you have seen it yet or not:

Sorry, I have not been around much as of late.  The new addition to the family is killing my motivation.  All I seem to want to do is come home from work and sit down.   Next thing I know its time for dinner then off to bed to start all over. 

Just a quick update on my /23.  Sorry no pictures.  I got most of the interior built.  I am adding a jerry can rack to the inside. Would this have been done to the recon version?  Most of the interior has been weathered and I am still trying to decide if I want to wire the radios up.  I have no clue as to the way they would be wired.  Help in that area would be great.

Till next time.

Well, this build is like the energizer bunny... it keeps going and going.  I feel like I'm making progress but then look at it and see all that has yet to be done.  I have encountered a few challenges, but mostly of my own doing.  For this build, I have met the enemy is he is me.  Willi and Fritz, the radio ops guys are installed and the top was closed up, but not without some challenges.  I encountered some fit problems and had to deal with some seams.  It's not perfect, but I think OK.  Base coat is Tamiya Dark Yellow; camo is olive green and a blend of Hull Red mixed with a little Dark Earth.  This is a camo pattern that I haven't tried before.  Radio antennae are from Adlers Nest.  Really nice, but a bit pricey.

Once the initial paint was applied, there followed a overall wash with diluted burnt umber and a pin wask with black oil to highlight panel lines and detail.   The map table was scratch built from plastic sheet and supported with small pieces of etched brass sprue the were cut to appropriate length and bent.  I had a few photo etch bolts left over from a previous build and included them as well to "bolt" down the support rods.  Don't know how visible they are in the photos.

The rear is still stuffed with cotton because I know if I glue the doors, I'll end up just breaking them off when I pick the thing up for painting.  So they will be installed last.

So now the dumb questions.  What are the things that look like side rearview mirrors in the following pics?  Also, The convoy lamp on the rear should have green lights?  And finally, there looks to be a tail light on the opposite rear fender also.  What color should this be?  Thanks for the help.

Next up.. detail painting, then weathering.  All the weathering and pigment work that I did on the lower chassis has been worn off with all the handling involved in assembly and painting, so it will have to be re-done.  But getting there, slowly but surely.

dupes wrote:

Heh...that was supposed to be the plan w/me and SMJ, but he got a little ahead of me. Or maybe I got behind. Can't remember.

dupes: Remember, I switched to the T-55 because I thought the GB ended 1/3/09, but it really ends 3/1/09...

Once I got going on the 55, I got fired up!!!  It was such a great kit and everything went without a hitch so I was in high gear!

pordoi I am not 100% certain, but i believe those things on the side may be indicators, not sure if that what you call them in the US. The only reason i think that is if you look at pics there seems to be a little arm on the side that looks like it could fold out, a bit like cars had in the 30's.

Thats look very nice, love the map table. How difficult a conversion would you say this is. I want to start doing somne 251 conversions and i might make this my first.

Pordoi, I am. Theyre called Semafore indicators. They sit in the little box like thing and pop out when you indicate a turn. Very much like this pic but enclosed in the housing.The outside would all be body colour.

Heres a link to some working.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-n5ReqKpZdA

Stunning work so far BTW.

...Guy

SMJmodeler wrote:

... sounds like you're getting a bit discouraged.  Hang in there man ...

 Thanks SMJ.  Had a long day yesterday and was very tired when I posted.  Refreshed and ready to go again, now.

Moose:  Need a bit more info about the type of radio that is included in the /23 kit.  If it's the FuSpr F that normally mounts above the co-driver seat, then go here

 http://www.pietvanhees.nl/251/

click to expand the specs and parts link on the left, then click on radio.  There is a pic and wiring diagram.  If it's a more complex setup like what was found in command vehicles, then more info will be needed to help you.

Bish:  This is my first attempt at a conversion and I think it's a relatively easy one.  Contributor Hermesminiatures suggested that I use the 251/6 as a start since it has extensive radio gear.  That advice was sound.  I made changes in the interior layout, in the radio gear that I used, tried to wire it accurately and of course made the map table.  Still have to scratch build a mount for the scissors scope.  If you're going to start a conversion and want to know more, just ask.

Guy & Bish:  Thanks for the info. Learn something new every day.  We call them turn signals.

 Don 

dupes wrote:

Any chance you happened to save some measurements (or plans, even) for the map table you made?

Width (5.5cm) is equal to the body width of the 251.  Height of side walls (3.75mm) is approximately 5.5 scale inches.  Looking at photos of map tables, I could have gone to 4.75-5mm without problem.  Hope this helps.

 Don

pordoi wrote:

dupes wrote:     Any chance you happened to save some measurements (or plans, even) for the map table you made?     Width (5.5cm) is equal to the body width of the 251.  Height of side walls (3.75mm) is approximately 5.5 scale inches.  Looking at photos of map tables, I could have gone to 4.75-5mm without problem.  Hope this helps.  Don Thanks pordoi, that helps alot.

dupes i get the feeling theres going to be a couple more /18's hitting the pages in the future.