New Arrivals

Just a few new kits to show

Torpedo bomber but it will still get a run over the tabletop at some stage, my daughter Ash got this one for me, very thoughtful :)

I picked this up last week, an excellent addition to my Korean War collection, quite looking forward to building this

The car will be a good recon unit, and Monty's Caravan may end up being converted into a bridging unit for an engineer battalion I'm thinking about making; need a lot more figures for that yet though, because they'll all have to be conversions. 

Matilda Is'

Inspired by the look of my recently repainted Matilda II unit, I decided to do likewise to my under-strength company of Matilda Is'

This is the original state they were in...

New paint job. Again, matching decals!

These models are metals ones by SHQ. I need to find one from another firm that will allow for a command figure, thus giving me an HQ vehicle to finish the unit

Lightly armed, though quite heavily armoured for their day, apparently only 140 of these were produced. They last saw service at the Battle of Arras in 1940. Eventually I'd like two companies of these.

Toys from Col

The loot, all presents from Col

Never worked with this scale before but thought I might attempt a little 1/35 scale diorama

The Zulus will get a paint job at some stage as I've always had a minor interest in this period, and the seaplane will be an excellent early war addition

Will get a late war paint job 

How cool is this lot? Took me back thirty years!

These are staying in the colours they are in, extremely well made and painted; manufacturer unknown

One of only two Japanese transports in my collection

Might repaint this one, haven't yet decided, either way it's a nice model

Another really well made and painted kit. I think this might be a Boeing of some type, it will probably see service with one or two of my minor nations collection. All in all an awesome haul. Thanks Col!

War Chicks - for Col

A visit to my mate Col http://scratchbuiltarmour.blogspot.com.au/ the other day saw me come home with a lot of new toys (post to follow) and a little project to undertake

Here are a few of the pulp/fantasy figures that I am working on for him....

This is the only one nearing completion. My painting style tends towards highlighting more than shading but we're getting there. Something a bit different and perhaps the beginnings of a new gaming interest for me - though decent scenery to complement the cool figures may prove a little problematic :) We'll see...

Modern Schoolhouse

I picked this up some time ago but only just got around to putting it together. A model railway building by Heljan; only $10 which is usually about the most I'd pay for a building kitset

Doors and windows added but I left out the glass

Styled as a modern school house but it could represent any number of buildings

Reinforced the corner joins with plastic triangles

Quite a versatile little building that won't look out of place when grouped with some of my other more modern looking houses, etc.

Spad XIII

Completed this over the last couple of nights. Academy's Spad XIII

As you can see a total of about twenty five parts, undercoated on-sprue with a couple of coats of Tamiya Khaki-Drab

They are pretty well engineered kits, with very little flash. Still quite intimidated by wire that went into the (as yet still unfinished) 0400 so this one went together un-rigged 

These models were in just about every corner shop we ever went into when living on the Peninsular, and it was considered almost un-Korean for a boy not to have at least one somewhere in his room. Most Academy kits are 1/35

The camouflage is not quite authentic but near enough 

Decals for the American option only

A pilot figure would have been nice but the kit doesn't come with one, and the only spare one I have is going into the 0400

Operational in April 1917, nearly 10,000 of these were built before the end of the war. They were used by about twenty different nations; some into the early 1930s.

Airfix Matilda II

One of my favourite early war tanks, and the first one of these I have constructed

Cleaned up and undercoated on-sprue, though there was minimal flash anyway

An overly complicated running gear assembly given that much of it is unseen upon finish

This is a command platoon so I added a figure to the hatch 

I left the fuel tank off as none of the others in my collection had one either, and to me it doesn't detract from the finish

Inspired by the finish I decided to repaint the other three I already had http://20thcenturywargames.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/matilda-iis.html turns out I was right in guessing they were Airfix models too

Decals from my spares bag, and for once all vehicles in the troop have similar markings

An excellent addition to my early war collection. The paintwork isn't quite right, but, as always, near enough for me.

Command Saracen APC

The last of my Saracens, for now.

Basically the same as the others but with the inclusion of a figure in the turret; formerly a Matchbox paratrooper. Usually one in every three vehicles functions as the command platoon

Same colours as the others

I have a couple of minor repairs to make on this one, one of the lights and a smoke launcher came off during the final dry brushing stage

Enough vehicles to mount a reinforced infantry company. I like these kits and will definitely get some more as the year progresses.

 Might get a chance to play a small game with these soon as Phil has been trying his hand at writing a scenario, keep you posted.