Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas everyone! 🎄🍾🥳

I hope you’ve all had a great modelling year and are looking forward to completing more great builds in 2024! 

Here is a selection of my 30+ builds from 2023 ☺️

German STAFF CAR Type 170V

 Having a break from my Seaton Scale Modellers group build, so that I don’t finish it too early! 

I thought, during this interlude, I’d revisit a WW2 Generals project that I kicked off earlier in the year by building the MiniArt Mercedes Type 170V Cabriolet B German Staff Car.

I acquired this MiniArt Mercedes Staff Car some months ago as part of a 1:35 scale WW2 Generals project. The subject for this build is none other than Erich von Manstein and having been one of the generals to launch the Barbarossa campaign, I decided on an early Eastern Front scheme of dark yellow and green, understanding the brown in the box art camouflage was a later addition. 

The Master Box Models General figure built very nicely and I think the addition of 3D-Gizmo’s seated officer adds to the scene of open door and bonnet so as to expose some of the great detailing in this kit.

Erich von Manstein was the military strategist who devised the 1940 plan to invade France through the Ardennes bypassing the Maginot Line to cut off the French and Allied armies in Belgium and Flanders. For his mastery he was promoted to the rank of general and given command of the 11th Army for the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. Early victories and the capture of Sevastopol in July 1942 saw him promoted to field marshal, however, although avoiding being implicated in the assassination attempt through illness, disagreements with Hitler over the conduct of the war following the disastrous battles for Leningrad, Kursk and Dnieper, he was dismissed from his command in March 1944.

Taken prisoner by the British in August 1945, he was tried for war crimes and convicted for the poor treatment of prisoners and failing to protect civilian lives. He served just four years before being released in 1953. In his 1973 obituary it was said "He assisted in the march to catastrophe—misled by a blind sense of duty."

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The Kit

Brand: MiniArt
Title: German STAFF CAR Type 170V Cabriolet B
Number: 35107
Scale: 1:35
Type: Full kit
Released: 2012 New parts

Spitfire Mk.Vb Tropical

Next on the bench is my first ever 1:48 scale aircraft build, the Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb & Messerschmitt Bf109E Dogfight Doubles and my entry in the first ever Seaton Scale Modellers’ Group Build - Devon Art Supplies Airfix Starter & Gift Set Build. I have around 6 weeks to complete this pair before we display our completed Group Builds in a dedicated display area at our local scale model store Devon Art Supplies.  

Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb

Meet my RAF Malta pilot. He’s so excited to have just taken delivery of his Spitfire Mk.Vb cockpit and now can’t wait for me to fit some wings! 

I don’t normally have opportunity to do a hints and tips piece as social media is awash with them already, but here goes. In the spirit of my local model group build, I thought I’d use the Humbrol acrylic paints supplied with the Airfix Starter and Gift sets.

The challenge many will know with the paint post Airfix supplies with its kits is that they often show signs of drying up during the time they’ve sat in Airfix’s warehouse or on our shops’ shelves. This kit is no exception with the paint in many of the tubs having a consistency more akin to putty. So out came the H2O and by adding a little water and carefully stirring with a cocktail stick I was able to return it to the consistency of cream for brush painting and, with a bit more water, milk for airbrushing. 

I charged the airbrush with a very thinned pipette applied amount of paint which over a coat of primer gave a surprisingly good finish. All ready for the decals which will hopefully be less challenging!

Now time to let that Decalfix do its work.

I’m no expert in weathering but I do enjoy experimenting. Today I dug out the oils and gave the panel lines a little attention. I think the results to the naked eye are better than I’ve been able to capture in pictures but hopefully you get the idea of the effect.

 

My 1943 Seige of Malta Spitfire Mk.Vb X.J is ready for takeoff and I couldn't resist adding a Merlin soundtrack to complete the picture.

Spitfire VB, EP641 X-J was flown by 21 year old Royal Canadian Air Force Plt Offr Sandy Harold Kendall Goodyear J/16701 of 229 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Having survived the 1942 siege of Malta, Goodyear was killed in action when the squadron went on the offensive, flying sweeps over Sicily on 15th February 1943 

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The Kit

Brand: Airfix

Title: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb & Messerschmitt Bf109E Dogfight Doubles 

Number: A50160

Scale: 1:48

Type: Full kit

Released: 2014 New decals