British Forces Land Rover Patrol

What to do while the Jackal’s glue cures? Make a start on its Operation Herrick “brother”, the Land Rover of course! 

The parts for the Land Rover come on just 2 runners, so one less than the Jackal but this ‘… Patrol’ gift set is supplied with a number of British troops attached to a very distinctive brown plastic runner.  I’ve not yet had chance to look at them close up yet, but it will be very interesting to see what Airfix have provided, it being a long time since they’ve done anything new with figures. 

I hadn’t intended motoring so far ahead with this build but as I started  on the front area, I couldn’t help thinking I needed to press on at at least attach the screen, wings and grill else I’d never get any of these parts to line up with each other later. I’m finding the fit and moulding of this Land Rover to be far less positive and well fitting as the Jackal.  I do, however, think they will make a nice pair when complete. 

To me it’s hard to believe this Land Rover came from the same 2012 stable as the Supercat Jackal, but I am being hypocritical as the Jackal’s moulding is sublimely brilliant. 

When fitting the final walls and doors to this kit, I had to use a little tape to straighten the panels and prevent it looking like a cut and shunt insurance write off!

I thought I’d try a bit of camo netting on this as it seems to have been a regular feature from the archive photos I’ve seen. I still have quite a bit of work to do to make it look a little more convincing and obviously the all important doors and glazing to fit too. 

It should also start to look more the part once I get out the weathering powders as it’s looking far to factory fresh at the moment. 

I wasn't 100% happy with the camo netting feeling it needed the rags adding ... I may have over done it, but after spending 2 hours painting, cutting and applying little bits of masking tape, I'm preferring the look.

After this, I added a little light weathering and painted up a few of the supplied figures and for me, that's it done.

Although a bit raw in places, this kit does have a few nice touches ... for instance, mesh decals for the side windows and the drop down front armoured and grilled windscreen which I did attempt to attach but it would not fit over the wiper blades, so I left it in the down position. 

Supacat Jackal

My next build is taking me somewhat out of my 1:35 scale WW2 comfort zone and right up to date with this  1:48 scale Supercat Jackal. I bought this together with its sister Operation Herrick Afghanistan kit, the Land Rover Patrol, after I noticed my friend’s modern AFVs were getting more interest at a recent Scale Model Show than my WW2 collection. I guess it’s a generation thing! I am also putting on a small Armed Forces Day display at the end of the month and felt perhaps I should move with the times. 

The Jackal or MWMIK (Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit) is from a family of vehicles designed and developed by Supacat Ltd at their factory just up the road from me, in Honiton, Devon, for use by the British Army and Royal Air Force Regiment. So I feel, even more a good reason to build it, if I needed one! The Airfix kit has just 3 runners and no glazing, so I'm thinking this could be a quick one! 

I read that the vehicle's height-adjustable air suspension system can be lowered onto the bump-stops to provide a stable firing platform when stationary or raised to a maximum 380 mm ground clearance allowing it to clear large obstacles. The detail Airfix have put into this kit’s suspension is really excellent, and perhaps if it were to be re-released, having the option to build lowered in the firing position would be great idea. 

The fine detailing and fit is superb. I love the opening doors and rear “whatever’s” … I guess I’ll find out what these are later … but the hinges are very delicate so I’m sure I’m going to break one off before the build it complete.

I’ve given it a bit of colour and fitted the wheels. For some reason, as the rest of the kit is wonderful, those wheels needed quite a bit of work to get them fitted, but fitted they now are. I also added some belts as I saw these quite visible in the archive photos. 

Next up will be decals, guns and a bit of dusty weathering. I’m also wondering whether to add camo netting that I’ve seen in some photos.

A little weathering, no netting and I'm now done with the Supercat Jackal. 

Panzer IV Ausf.H

I'm so pleased to be back building AFVs and in particular the next tank in my 1;35 scale German Panzer project, this one being the Airfix Panzer IV Ausf.. I know @Topcat_Ern did a great built of this one last May in the Normandy 1944 colours, so I thought I'd have another go at the whitewashed look of an Eastern Front version. Unlike that Panzer III that I recently built, which was white over German Grey, this Panzer IV seems to have had the site applied over Dark Yellow, which will be different.

This 2019 Airfix release is based on a 2018 Academy kit and looks really nice. It also has rubber tracks which I don't normally like, but with the armoured skits fitted, you'll not see too much of them.

The first task in the instructions is to drill all the clearly marked out holes for the ancillary bits and bobs later. It's surprising just how long this takes!

Fitting the chassis pieces is the next very simple task ... but I've halted at a decision point surrounding which rear plate to fit, as there two options with no explanation - intriguing! My Osprey New Vanguard guide on the Panzer IV has a drawing of an Ausf H with what looks to be the more detailed drive ends, so I’ve decided to fit the more detailed part G42 for no other reason than that. The same book was also used to decide on the correct ‘cast idler wheel’, the one with the narrower double set of spokes.

This kit seems to have a number of these random decision points. Oddly, such options would normally be easy to decide on as they tend to follow a final scheme; not however, as far as I can see, this one! The next decision point is the type of return rollers to fit. The two options look to be either rubber or steel tyred versions, the latter, I believe, being a rubber saving ‘upgrade’.  Checking through my 1979 collection of Bruce Quarrie “Panzers in Russia” WW2 photo albums, I came across a photo of a PzKpfw IV H and supporting infantry where the Panzer clearly has the rubber saving steel return rollers and so parts H60 & H62 were selected. 

With the wheels installed, superstructure constructed and dry fit to the chassis, it really does look a solid, well designed kit. The challenge facing me now is deciding on which version of bullet splash guard to fit! I’m thinking the more elaborate one with seemingly more protection. 

I've fitted that bullet splash guard with the extra raised section - all the better to protect the crew from projectiles making their way through the join between turret and superstructure. I understand that bullet splash was first seen as an issue for tank crews during WWI. It occurs when a bullet hits an armoured plate, does not penetrate, but fractures into tiny pieces of sharp metal that flies in all directions at high speed. I never stop learning with this hobby! 

Work on the Panzer IV now focusses on fitting tracks and building the body of the tank. There is really so much detail in this kit, it's fantastic. You'll see from the above picture that I decided to prime the lower drive train area. I did this before fitting it to the superstructure as I wanted to get good coverage in those hidden recesses between the wheels and around the tracks which I sometimes find challenging once mudguards etc. are in place.

Next, I move onto building the skirts and the turret. I believe, having fitted these to the Stug IV, that I can leave the skirts detachable as they should hang nicely off those spiked rails, which means that I can fit them later which is vital if I'm to be able to get to paint the detailing on those tools and spare wheels.

The construction is complete and I’ve really enjoyed building this kit; there’s just so much detail to enjoy. I’ve also found a 3DGizmo German Tank Commander that fits without surgery! I do like having a figure in my tanks.

I decided to apply the chalk white winter camouflage over just the dark yellow base coat rather than apply the addition camouflage colours of green and brown, as I felt these would just get lost. I then distressed the white surface with a Humbrol weathering brush and added grime with set of oils and finally a little snow effect to bring the temperature now to that of winter on the eastern front!

While the Airfix painting instructions suggest this Panzer IV was part of the 3rd or 20th Panzer Division, my research has identified it to more likely to be a tank of the 4th Panzer Division, 35 Panzer Regiment. Both the 3rd and 4th use the Berlin bear emblem, but it’s the official shield symbol that belongs to German 4th Panzer Division that clinches it for me. Quite interestingly, the addition of crossed swords below the emblem was apparently added in August 1943 after the Generalmajor and commander of the 4th Panzer Division, General Erich Schneider (1894-1980) was awarded the Knight's Cross.

One final post from me on this Panzer IV is an embarrassing correction. Someone pointed out to me that I’d attached the Turret Schurzen upside down! Considering the number of Panzer IV pictures I had studied and the time it took me to decide the correct way to fit these, I was stunned and shocked to have made such a school boy error!

So, I carefully removed them from their brackets and using a cotton bud I removed the varnish I’d applied with thinner. I then soaked them, decals down, in a solution of DecalFix for a good hour. 

Carefully using a blade I was able to tease the decals free and rotate them to the correct way up. Unfortunately the bear is handed and so I had to swap them between parts. Now if anyone has used decal softener you’ll appreciate this is no easy task, as a well softened decal is as fragile and temperamental as wet tissue paper! 

Final corrected shots of the Panzer IV