The Cernak Incident, June 1943

 I’ve just completed this railway and aircraft diorama for one of my local WW2 airfield museums.

On the 4th June 1943 “ A” flight from the Czechoslovakian Squadron 313 based at RAF Culmhead (Formerly RAF Church Stanton ) was ordered to take off and undertake low flying practice that included “mock” attacks on trains travelling on the Plymouth to Bristol main railway line near Bradford upon Tone, 4 miles west of Taunton. 

During the training flight a GWR express train from Plymouth to Liverpool was spotted heading North to Taunton and so the flight decided to undertake a mock “attack” on the train. 

One of the pilots, F/O Jaroslav Cermak, was sweeping in to make his attack when unfortunately either due to Pilot error or mechanical failure he suddenly lost power and instead of pulling up over the train the aircraft lost speed and hit the roof of the second coach with his port wingtip. It crashed into the adjoining field killing the pilot instantly. 

I’m proud to say that this diorama can be seen today in the RAF display at the Upottery Airfield Visitor Centre, the same airfield the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers” departed from on the morning of 6 June 1944.  

Panzer II

 This is the Tamiya 1:35 Panzer II that I picked up at the Yeovil Model show a couple of weekends ago from Crewkerne Models. 

I’m going to finish it with these Vallejo Afrika Korps colours that I’ve had in my stash since buying 3DGizmo resin figures at least 12 months ago for a Tiger I kit that’s still waiting to be built.

The dropper bottles in these themed sets from Vallejo are diddy little things, so it’s fortunate that the Panzer II is equally diddy! 

I don’t like to gripe but I’m going to. None of my 3D Gizmo  Afrika Korps resin figures fit my Tamiya Panzer II. The Commander’s aperture is no smaller than a Panzer IV or Tiger’s, why would it be when it is the right size for a 1:35 scale tank commander! Now I’ve loved 3D Gizmo for some years but, really, for £28+ I would have expected them to have done a little bit more homework here. 

The only fix I can see is to amputate the resin figures legs and do a bit of hip sanding … though I may just now go with the Tamiya figure and put it down to my long list of scale modelling experiences. I am starting to more frequently find these aftermarket bits and bobs a waste of money … perhaps it’s just because I’m beginning to be a bit of an old hand at this scale modelling lark! 

Using the Vallejo WW2 Afrika Korps AFV Camoflage set to paint my Tamiya Panzer II. 

Don’t know if it’s just the smaller bottles, they are diddy, but although badged their Air range, it was a little thicker and less easily spayed. 

Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Panzer II completed in the markings of R06, of the 15th Panzer Division, Afrika Korps. 

Used for reconnaissance rather than in an offensive role the full sized one was captured by the US Army on the surrender of the Axis forces in North Africa in 1943. 

I finished the kit with Vallejo’s Afrika Korps themed acrylic paints and weathered it with oils. 

Apollo Saturn

I remember building probably 50 years ago! What nostalgia.

The painting of the rocket was started with a good old rattle can of white primer for the main parts and SMS black on the rocket nozzles. The fun started when I spent a good hour trying to mask off the black panels. Then I thought “what the *** am I doing?”. 50 years ago I hadn’t even heard of an airbrush and my brush painting, even today, isn’t that bad!

It’s so funny how, as we add more and more technical gadgets to our toolbox, we can forget that the simplest of tools are still more than capable of doing as good, if not a better job. So, tomorrow, it will be out with the hairy stick and a nostalgic bit of brush painting 😁

Goodness, it’s bigger than I remember! All painted and decals applied, the Apollo Saturn V is now ready for a finishing coat of varnish. 

It is complete 😅

It was fun to construct (not really much modelling involved) and immensely nostalgic. I’ve wanted to build another of these for years and feel it’s a box ticked … I like ticking boxes 😂

This is the1:144 scale Saturn Apollo 11, the kit Airfix released in 1970 celebrating the First Manned Moon Landing on 16 July 1969.

P.S. photographing it is near impossible, but hopefully this gives you enough of a view to see how it ended up.

Meanwhile, I now need to decide where to display it and until I find somewhere suitable the only place with sufficient space is my office windowsill … it’s so big!! 

LVT-4 Water Buffalo

Next in the bench is that Water Buffalo I picked up from Crewkerne Models a couple of weeks ago.

Such an unusual vehicle!

It is however another Italeri. Same soft plastic as the ‘Fury’ Sherman, equally erratic instructions and this one needs some SERIOUS tape to mould it into shape! 

Making progress with the LVT-4 Water Buffalo!

The kit itself is is a bit hit and miss for a 2000 tooled mould but I think the main issue for me is Italeri’s softer plastic which seems to suffer from warping, the need to drill out some of the holes and a less accurate fit. Italeri have unusually for them, added large pieces of PE for the machine gun pods. Although these add a bit of crispness, I’m not sure they are really necessary considering the lack of detail elsewhere. 

So, you’ll note that I’ve progressed to that favoured position of having it black primed ready for the Olive Drab and detailing. 

Oh yes, one final observation. This comes with no crew nor even hatch openings for the driver, so having seen archive pictures of them carrying SAS Jeeps across the Elbe in April 1945, I’m going to lay my hands on one of those nice Tamiya Jeeps to add to the finished build 

All now ready for some weathering and that SAS Jeep, which I’m looking forward to picking up from Crewkerne Models on Friday! 

I first primed this in SMS Surfacer Black followed by SMS Premium US Olive Drab. These paints are fantastic to airbrush, if not a bit smelly! Detailing has been completed with my go to Vallejo acrylics.

Tamiya’s SAS Jeep and Gecko Models British drivers (soon to join the SAS) for my Water Buffalo crossing of the Elbe, now acquired from Crewkerne Models and construction under way!

Water Buffalo, SAS Jeep and troops united. Now finally time for that weathering! 

Italeri’s LTV-4 Water Buffalo, Tamiya’s SAS Jeep and a couple of Gecko Models British Army drivers now complete this 1:35 scale ensemble. 

This finished look was inspired by a photograph of an SAS jeep sitting inside a Buffalo amphibious landing craft before the crossing of the Elbe on 29 April 1945.

It’s a shame the Jeep is now hidden in the Buffalo as there’s so much additional detail on it  that we’ll never now see … BUT … I know it’s there.

SMS paints were sprayed for the large areas, including the final mat varnish, Vallejo paints were used for brush painting the figures and detailing and Abteilung 502 oils for the weathering.

British Special Air Services Jeep

Tamiya’s SAS Jeep and Gecko Models British drivers (soon to join the SAS) for my Water Buffalo crossing of the Elbe.

I’ve managed to make a good start on the Tamiya SAS Jeep but won’t quite have it and the Buffalo finished for Sunday’s Yeovil Scale Model Show. 

There are slight changes I’m making to the desert raiding version that I built a few years ago and naturally the SAS troops will have to dress a little differently for the European campaign! 

I’ve loaded it with Jerrycans and ammunition boxes and had a go at adding some home made foil straps for that added detail. 

I then black primed and olive drab base coated it in my new goto SMS paints.  Next up, the fine detailing and SAS driver selection.

Crew and detailing hand painted with Vallejo acrylics ... but I'm not happy with the moulding of that camo net on the front bumper. I could make one from scratch which would be easy enough, but if I'm going to change it, let's try getting closer to the original with boxes. 

I found a couple of box pieces in my stash and using elastic thread as rope I don't think this looks too bad.

And for a comparison with the original photo I spoke of ....

The job is done ....

Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer

Here's my 9th build of 2025, Airfix's 1/35 scale Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. 

I’m joining Dave from my Seaton Scale Modellers group in this build. Mine is the Airfix, or re-badged Academy kit, which I’m going to finish in the colours and markings of one attached to the Assault Gun Platoon, First Bulgarian Army, Hungary during the spring 1945, which I hope will complement Dave’s German build. 

This Airfix kit builds nicely and even has a little piece of photo etch which adds a quality bit of detail.

This was probably one of the easiest 1:35 AFVs I've built to date, I even think I got away with building it from start to finish and not pre-painting any of the pieces! Everything fits beautifully, there's no flash and the parts cut off the sprue cleanly. I also loved the ideal of being able to complete it in some different colours and this Bulgarian finish will be perfect for my upcoming VE-Day80 displays.

HMS Belfast

Just back from visiting the IWM's HMS Belfast and what a fantastic experience. I wouldn't say it helped a great deal in me finishing my Airfix kit, as the ship on the Thames has been knocked around considerably since it saw action in WW2, but the atmosphere of being on board and tour of engine room was a real highlight!

Where as my previous attempt at building ships have left me thinking when finished, how grey and drab they were, for HMS Belfast I probably went a little bit too far the other way with a full Technicolor paint job! 

Added railings, rigging and a little light weathering to my Airfix 1/600 scale HMS Belfast. 

Looking a little more like the real thing now.