Saturday, December 21, 2019

Walkaround vol.29: Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther


Subject: Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther
Location: Musée des Blindés, Saumur, France
Comments: The Jagdpanther (German: "hunting panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service in 1944 during the later stages of the war on the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 cannon, similar to the main gun of the Tiger II, and the armor and suspension of the Panther chassis. A total of 415 Jagdpanthers were produced from January 1944 by three manufacturers. MIAG in Braunschweig produced 270 from January 1944 until the end of the war. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen-Hannover (MNH) produced 112 from November 1944. Maschinenbau und Bahnbedarf (MBA) in Potsdam produced 37 vehicles from December 1944. Planned production had been 150 a month, but the disruption to German manufacturing had made this impossible. Jagdpanther equipped heavy antitank battalions (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilungen) and served mainly on the Eastern Front. In the West, they were first encountered in very small numbers late in the Battle of Normandy, where the German 654 schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung ("654th Heavy Antitank Battalion") deployed about 12 Jagdpanthers against British units. Later, significant numbers were concentrated in the West for the Ardennes Offensive.







Saturday, December 14, 2019

Military vehicles vol.22: M4A3E8 Sherman



Subject:
M4A3E8 Sherman
Scale:
1/72
Manufacturer:
Hasegawa
Price 
US$25,00 plus shipping
Construction:
Out-of-the box construction
Extras:
none
Paints:
This is Hasegawa's M4A3E8 easy eight Sherman tank in 1/72 scale. Overall an excellent kit. Fit is great with nice details right out of the box. However, there are several comments that the model is a little bit out of scale. I does look large when compared to other 1/72 scale tanks, but i found it irrelevant. Painting was done with tamiya acrylics as usual. Weathering was done with some oil washes and a few MIG and AK finishing products. I hope you enjoy the finished kit!   













Saturday, November 30, 2019

Military aircraft vol.98: Fokker E3



Subject:
Fokker E3
Scale:
1/48
Manufacturer:
Eduard
Price
US$ 20,00 plus shipping
Description
Injected plastic model with waterslide decals, photoetched metal parts, and metal cast engine
Comments
This is Eduard's old 1/48 scale Fokker E3 finished as Ernst Udet machine back in 1916. Overall it is a nice kit if you consider the fact that was a limited run kit, with excellent photo etched parts produced back in 1994. However, if you compare it with the new release of the same model also from Eduard, the advantages of the new molds are obvious and the old one can be considered a collectors item.  The poor plastic parts are not a major problem due to the quality of the photoetched parts and decals. It is not an easy kit, but most modelers can get a nice final result with patience and a few handy tools. I hope you like. I continue on my way to build more World War I Fokkers!
















Monday, November 11, 2019

Military vehicles vol.21: Russian Army T34/76 tank


Subject:
T34/76
Scale:
1/72
Manufacturer:
Italeri
Price 
US$25,00 plus shipping
Construction:
Out-of-the box construction
Extras:
none
Paints:
This is Italeri's 1/72 scale T34 Russian Army tank, armed with the 76mm gun. Overall it is a really nice kit, with good fit and detail. The link and length tracks are a bit difficult to build, but are way better then any vinyl option. I built this kit mostly to experience with some weathering techniques. It was primed with AK rust color then painted with Tamiya acrylics. Weathering was done with the hair spray technique followed by washes with Mig production black wash and various oil paint colors. I hope you like it!  








Friday, October 11, 2019

Military aircraft vol.97: Fokker DVIII


Subject:
Fokker DVIII
Scale:
1/48
Manufacturer:
Eduard
Price
US$ 20,00 plus shipping
Description
Injected plastic model with waterslide decals and photoetched metal parts
Comments
This is Eduard's old 1/48 scale Fokker DVIII finished out from the box. Overall it is a nice kit. The poor plastic parts are no problem due to the quality of the photoetched parts and decals. It is not an easy kit, but most modelers can get a nice final result with patience and a few handy tools. I hope you like. I am on my way to build more World War I Fokkers!