It this has all the looks of being a terrific build Bish. I'm really interested in following along on this one. I had yet to see an AFV Club 251 example so, I'm curious to see how it builds up. I have the newer Tamiya 251 and have eyed the Dragon's but, now I may have to consider the AFV Club per your evaluation. It appears that you are off to a grand start.

Cheers guys, glad to have you along.

Joe, i read plenty of reviews a few years back and bsed on those, i decided to go for the AFV club kits where the same variants are built by different companies. So thats what i have done. I have got Dragon kits, but that was only where there was no AFV club option. I am a bit gutted as they have now announced a /9 Ausf D early and i have already built the Tamiya kit.

I'll try and give as much info on the build as i can and pint out any issues. But one plus for this is how the lower sides fit. On the Dragon Ausf C kit there are no locators, and if you don't get both sides exactly level, it can cause big problems when attaching the rear. I found that out on the Dragon /6. This AFV kit has excellent locators for the sides, though they need some cleaning out, you can't go wrong.

So it all boils down to what variant you want.

What I wouldn’t give for 3 uninterrupted hours of modeling!  Nice choice of subject matter.  

Thanks Chad. There were some interuptions, mainly looking at what other people were doing and picking up some ideas. But it gave me a good insite into what i can get done if i leave the computer off.

Hello Bish!

I'm almost done with my 1/72 251 collection, so I'd be glad to take a look at your 1/35 build. AFV Club is a very good company, most of the models I had contact with were very good. Looking forward to see more of your build, good luck with it and have a nice day

Paweł

Thanks for looking in guys.

Pawel, i have indeed been following your 251 builds with great interest. The only AFV club kiuts i have are 251's, but from all the reviews and from what i have seen so far, they are certainly a good company to buy kits from and i am looking at other subjects of theres.

Chad, same here, which is why i have so many. I would like to do of them but i have narrowed it down to 63 versions and variants and i don't even have half that yet. So just trying to do as many as i can.

The Dragon and AFV kits are very similar in detail, but the AFV kits go together better. As i mentioned above, where the same variant has been done by both companies, i have gone for the AFV club. There is just the extra clean up on the AFV kits and most of them come with rubber band tracks, though this one has indy links.

Your usual top notch work Bish and I'm really looking forward to seeing those figures come together.

Thanks G. I am looking forwardto startring on them and trying out some painting idea i picked up from one of the guys at the club last week.

Wow!  Bish that is a great looking project.  Lots of extras to bring it to life.  Looking forward to learning more from you on this project.

Cheers Bobby. I'll try to remember to get somedecent updates, though at times i get carried away and forget.

have the interiour completed and ready for painting. I had to make some alterations to the rear doors. The locking mechanisim on the left door is set in the closed position, and when i adjusted the handle so its set to open, the locking rods were to small. So i cut them away and used stryene rod in their place.

When i fit the door above, i realised the door would not move how it should it that it would not open fully. I noticed a piece sticking out that was jamming on the door. It had already been removed when i took those pics, but you can see it circled here on the hinge piece for the other door.

I checked the doors on the Dragon kit i had built a few years back as i knew they had full range of movement, and they did not have this. And i checked all the ;pics and none of those show anything like this. So i am not sure where AFV have got this design from. So i simply sniped them off. If you have the door closed, then you don't need to replace the locking rods and could get away with not sniping that piece off.

So with that done, both doors were fitted as well as PE brackets.

The upper work on the upper hull included replacing the kit hand rails which run along the top inside edge with PE and styrene rod. The Eduard PE said to use 0.5mm but i could not get this to fit so used 0.4.

And adding a few bits to the inside. This includes vision blocks, radio mount, which the instructions say not to fit for the /4 but according to my referances should be in place for a vehicle in 1943. And the long thin item on the left side in the pic are the rods for holding up the tarpaulin when placed over the vehicle. AFV club are the only company i have found that includes this. And despite have done their Ausf D which has it a few years ago, i over looked this item when i did my Dragon and Tamiya kits more recently, so thats a lesson i will take next time, that wil need some scratch work.

And i have just realised i had not taken any pics of the lower hull  Well, its all now in the shed having been primed and painted along with seats, seat backs and otehr items kept lose for fitting later. And while thats drying, i will be getting the weapons painted tonight.

More soon.

I looked into your rear door hinge mystery. There seems to have been a few minor parts changes to the rear doors and this is one of them. Some photos show the extension in question, others don't;

http://www.pietvanhees.nl/251/02-doors.htm

Note one shows an angle iron joining the top and bottom of the door panels, others are merely welded, perhaps a improper restoration, or just a small manufacturing change? Also note minor differences with the locking mechanism.

Another head bang on my part . I have been loking through his site as usual when i do a 251 build and never checked that section. Cheers Ixion.

I am thinking it may have been a late edition to stop the door swinging out of control when opened. I may have been wrong to remove them. Most of the pics i have show A and B model doors, and the panzer tracts bok don't mention it as a modification.

Thanks for that info, i will keep that in mind. Its likely that if my vehicle was built in 43, then it would have had that extension. Loking at the pics i think it would be simple enought o replace with rod.

That will teach me.

I like your added details Bish.  I still have the AFV Club 250 “Uhu” that I bought for your halftrack GB.  Maybe it’s time to crack it open!

Cheers guys.

Clint, there are few they both do and thats what i have done, apart from the /21 where i have both. They are very similar in level of dtail and how they go together. Though the rear dor frame on this Ausf C is different, i think i prefer how the AFV kit goes together. The Dragon kits do include detail for under the floor such as fuel tanks. Both brands are very nice but the AFV just has the edge for me due to the way the lower hull sides fit.

MM, thats a nice looking kit, be nice to see you doing that one.

Hi Bish,

Coming along nicely here :)
I think I just might shadow you on your build, never came about to start the /17.
I have an Aber LeFH 18 Detail set that I think would work with your gun, happy to donate the freet if you are interested.

Thank you for sharing!

Very Best Regards
Johan

Cheers Johan. Which /17 kit is that.

Thanks for the offer, but i have the Eduard set for the gun as well.

Hi Bish,
That is the AFV Club 35118, Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. C.

The gun is actually from Tristar.

Working on the suspension, will post in separate thread.

Have had the kit is the stash since I worked in Kaohsiung back in 2011 :)

The Aber set looks like this:

The set is wasted sice I am done with the LeFH 18/40. 

Very Best Regards
Johan

Nice, will keep an eye out for that thread. I have that kit and the command version. I had read it is a nice kit and that gun is supposed to be very nice.

And thanks again, but i think i have my work cut already with the Eduard sets lol.

Really excellent progress Bish. Not only is your attention to detail remarkable but, also, your execution of said detail is outstanding. You sure know your stuff when it comes to the 251.

Thanks Joe, and as you can see from the info provided by Ixion, there is always somthing new to learn.

That is very informative.
Thanks Ixion.
Any verdict on the inside colour of the fighting compartment?

Bish,
Your decision?

Best Regards
Johan

I have gone for Dark Yellow. The 1st Pz Div were withdrawn to France in early 43 for refitting. So chances are this vehicle would have been issued new and built after Feb 43. No way to know for certain, so its a best guess.

Time for another update. The buld has been going nicley, though i did once again have an issue when it came to the oil wash. But first, i forgot to add pics of the lower hull before painting, so here it is after.

I had also fitted the front suspension. Unlike the Dragon kits which pivot in the middle and the wheels can be turned, this is fixed.

And the upper hull also got painted. Just in time i realised i had not masked the vision blocks, so i applied liquid mask.

And then the weathering. First some dry brushing, a clear gloss coat and oil wash. Ever since i swictched from future to Alclad clears, on every armour build i have had small patches of paint effected by the wash, bubbling up. And this was no exception. I have tried a thick coat of clear, multiple thin coats, make sure i am very precise in geting the clear in every spot. But, it happens every time. Fortunatly, its in areas that are hidden and it setteled back down. I finished off with a flory wash, not the look i had intended but it will suffice.

So with that done, the seats weapons and other parts were added and the upper hull fitted.

I also got started on the gun. After some thoguht, i decided to use the kit shield rather than the Eduard one. The PE shiled is a better scale, but what should be raised rivets are reccessed. I decided the work to correct it was not worth it and the kit shield was just fine if a little bit thick.

Well, this build has setteled it. I am switching to Mr paint for armour as well as aircraft. I'll just use up my stocks of enamel on builds i want to be on the cleaner side and can use flory on.

Bish, I really like how you streaked the crew compartment!  I too made a recent paint discovery with my Fw 190.  I used Mr Hobby Aqueous acrylics for the first time to lay down the camouflage.  The “Mr” line of products are not readily available in the states though.  I had to buy mine from an online stockist in Fort William, UK.