German Trucks

These arrived the other day, the very good quick-build Opel Blitz by Pegasus. As you can see one has had a light wash of black. They come with covers and driver figures but in the end I chose to use niether

Black wash and three highlights of dry-brushing

No black and only two highlights; may do another couple yet

The completed pair. Not a lot of difference but I think the black wash helps the details of this type of model stand out a bit more. These are well engineered kits and very good value for money. Highly recommended.

Char B.1 bis Company

My latest addition to my French collection

Simple paint scheme copied from pictures off the web

No washes, ink or dry-brushing

Decals are a mixture of all I had plus a few donated by Paul

This unit represents the heavy company found in some French formations of this era, S35s make up the medium additions, R35s the lights

The next things I want to add to my French collection are more carriers and trucks so that I can upgrade the infantry component to dismounted Dragoons or mechanised infantry

Here is the command platoon. I still have three FT17s to build and paint and these, once completed, will give me a few more tank unit options, as much of this older equipment was used in the French 'B' units and 'Reserve' formations.

Work in Progress

So many projects so little time...

This gift from Paul the other night plus the one I picked up during the holidays gives me a finished company of each the Char B1 and FT17. Very much chuffed as this has been a goal for ages and ages

Flamethrower  Enigneer company, which is part of my late war panzergrenadier regiment

Support Company command stands also for the panzergrenadiers

Some Great War French that I've been neglecting for about a year, Pegasus and Airfix

A selection of old engineer stands out for a touch up, mostly Revell

Undercoated

For Ben

This is my Great War Russian collection, but I have also used it in a few Russian Civil War games. Ben over at http://benssoldiers.blogspot.co.nz/ has started a RCW project and I thought I'd post a few pictures to show what I have. All of this part of my collection was done in the very early days of my entry into this hobby so much of the paintwork and conversions are quite crude by today's standards. Some of the pictures aren't too flash as I used my wife's Nikon D550 which is fairly unforgiving on the amateur

Based on the HaT Cossack set but includes figures from all sorts of other sets, I even raided my daughters cowboys & Indians for a couple of figures with pistols to represent officers on the command stands

Strelets Russian Lancers. Say what you like about these figures but I think some of their cavalry sets are very good, and collectors are lucky to be able to get them, as I doubt any of the established manufacturers would ever have produced WW1 Russian cavalry

These are true RCW figures by Orion. Very well sculpted in good poses, I think they might be the only RCW figures available in plastic, or at least were at the time of purchase

I have a whole regiment of cavalry

These stands represent dismounted cavalry, I think the figures are Atlantic?

Machinegun stands

This is the infantry brigade. The figures are mostly by HaT though some of the earlier additions include converted Airfix and Revell WW2 Russians  as well

Brigade engineers

Machinegun platoons, HaT and a couple of conversions from the days before you could buy Russian support weapons

Trench mortar platoons. They come in two varieties but the rules group them at the 3" level

Some of the earliest conversion attempts I tried, these represent Naval Infantry and are a mixture of all manner of figures from a couple of different eras; a few need their heads reattached :)

Think this is an Austin-Putlov. I got it from a swap-meet and although it was in a pretty sad state it was an excellent addition nonetheless. This is a resin model

Lastly another armoured car, I think by LW of Russia; it ranks up there with some of the worst kits I have ever made in terms of its engineering

 As with all of my Great War stuff the rules I use for this period is Command Decision, Over the Top.

Early War Spitfire

Finally finished my first and only Spitfire

Some very minor finishing work but ready for the table. A most remarkable aircraft, with one version or another serving from the 30s to the 50s.

Slow Progress

This has had a little more attention since the picture was taken but not a lot :(

Looking forward to adding this to the collection, like most of my aircraft kits it is modelled carriage down.

Spitfire - started

Got a chance to start this yesterday, very basic, but a very nicely engineered kit

Base painted on sprue

As this is likely to be my first and only Spitfire I decided it should get on of my precious pilots that I save up for special model occasions. This is one of a few pilot figures sent to me last year by Jao from GEM.  http://garageexclusivemodels.blogspot.co.nz/

17 Pounder

Finished this yesterday after work, it is the only one I have so far

A very simple metal kit from Britannia Miniatures, goes together nicely and has a reasonable level of detail too

I'd eventually like to get another two or three of these guns, including one from the Matchbox series if possible; think I'll always prefer plastic kits.