A Horde (almost) of Hummers

One of my (ridiculously too numerous for words) projects that has been plodding along in the background for a long time is finally starting to see the light of day.  I've been collecting HMMWV kits and models for years now and am now starting to work my way through them.  Very, very slowly...

Anyway - as always it seems the kits/models I got most recently tend to get finished the fastest - so here they are in no particular order.

This is a AN/TWQ-1 Avenger.  Basically a HMMWV with a Stinger SAM system turret, which also mounts a .50 cal HMG.  This is a resin model from The Hobbyden.  It's not the world's greatest model, but I'm not the world's greatest modeller so.....  I think it looks great and as a wargaming piece it couldn't be simplier or more fit for purpose.

This is a M997 Maxi Ambulance.  Like the Avenger it's a standard HMMWV chassis with the specialist extended and heightened Amblance rear cabin.  This is a Revell Kit which also comes with a TOW Carrier.  I think this is a simply beautiful model so it jumped straight to the front of my queue.

These next two are HMMWV RED-T's.  RED-T stands for Remote Electically Driven - Turret.  Imagine an engineer looking at a M2 Bradley and saying "I bet you I can fit the same gun onto a Hummer!"  And he did.  A few were made as prototypes but it never saw service... in reality.... so why not in my gaming I say.  If it's good enouigh for Twilight:2000 it's good enough for me!

Let's be honest.  It's not the best model - a free 3D print from Thingiverse - and my original 3D printer was kind of going through its death throes at the time, but it was the only one I could find at the time and again - it will do for gaming.

These last four are HMMWV M998 Troop Carriers with their tarpulin's raised to keep the chaps in the back dry.  These are from BobMack3D and are simply excellent.  The plan is for these guys to be the platoon vehicles for a US Light Infantry platoon.

And finally the mini-horde.

That's it for now.

Thanks

Richard

Some West German vehicles

So like I said in the previous post a mate had sent me a few West German bits and bobs to paint for him - for which I got some very nice goodies in return - and due to a range of circumstances which I won't bore you with I was, strangely enough, able to knock them over fairly quickly.  The photos were quickly taken before the vehicles were packaged up and stuffed into my suitcase!

I was also able to try out a couple of things, including using my airbrush, so was generally pretty happy with the finished product.  Over a black spray undercoat I used Vallejo Air Colour NATO Green for the base coat and Tamiya NATO Black and NATO Brown for the cam colours.  I then did a black pin wash, used the Vallejo Air NATO Green as a dry brush, and then Vallejo MC Black Grey and VMC Flat Brown as the drybrush colours for the Tamiya cam colours.  Hope that all makes sense.

These first two are BobMack 3D prints of the Jaguar 1 with HOT ATGM fired under armour.  I was super impressed with these prints which were incredibly crisp and detailed.  Both designer and printer ought to be congratulated.  I added cam netting to one of them - all the other detail is simply an excellent model.

These next two are BobMack 3D prints of the Jaguar 2 with TOW ATGM.  Again - quite lovely printed, full of character and detail.  Again I added cam netting to one of them.  The TOW system shows excellent detail.

The last two are Hobbyden M113G with the MG mounts and the Milan mounts not added, due the likelihood of them breaking during travel.  Again I added netting too each of these and I think they came out looking great.

So that's it for now.  I'm slowly getting back into the swing of life and I hope to make a big dent into the unpainted and unbuilt stash of shame this year.

Thanks

Richard 

Finally... a new update

Hi everyone

Unbelievably it's been months since I last had the opportunity to post an update on this blog.  Like many I'm currently in self-isolation/quarantine at home after returning to Australia from the UK.  I imagine I'll be in this situation for quite a few months and again like many I'm going to use the opportunity to get a few things back on track - including this blog.

I have had some positive things happen over the last few months - with one of the most prominent being a published scenario in Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy magazine (Issue 106).  I'll have more information on that soon, including fixing the odd error that made it into the magazine and adding some stuff that was missed out a whole lot of random events that can spice up the scenario.  I'll see if I have any other pics that I took for the article that didn't make it into print and will share those as well.

But today I thought I'd share some photos of what's on my workbench.  Many of these of models I'm making/painting for a friend and a couple are for me.  I thought this would be a good way to bring the blog back up to speed.  I've also some pics of figures and some vehicles to post up as well - they'd be in the near future.

So - once again - on with the show:

Here's a couple M109Gs by S&S Models.  Not sure how well you can see but the spades at the rear are down for firing.

Here's another S&S Models vehicle.  This time a MAN Utility LKW  gl (4x4 Truck)

Next up are a couple of M113G's, this time from Hobbyden.  Very nice, straight forward models which just needed a bit of green-stuff to fix things like air bubble holes in the smoke dischargers.  Once painted I'll add the Commander's hatch , the pintle mount and the MG3 that come with the model.

This is another Hobbyden M113 variant.  This time a Panzermorser which comes with a metal 120mm mortar.

Yet another Hobbyden model.  This time a M577G.

Final M113 variant.  A  unique West German vehicle the M113 Beobachtungspanzer.  There was some significant damage done to this model, so it needed a fair amount of green stuff to fix it.

The final three models are actually for my collection - not my mates...

Back to S&SD Models - a lovely little Iltis with the soft top up.  I'll be using this for my Fallschirmjager Command of OP vehicles - amongst other uses.

Finally a couple of old school Unimogs, again from S&S Models.  These will be for my Danish Motorised Infantry.

So that's it for now.  Next post will be more W-I-P photos after cam netting has been added to some of the vehicles.

So stay well everyone, wash your hands and keep away from everyone!

Richard

Bundeswehr Bergepanzer 2

Way back here  in April 2017 I showed off my work-in-progress for the Hobbyden Bergepanzer conversion set for the Revell Leopard 1A5.  Today I can show off the finished product, minus a crewman which I haven't quite finished yet.

Anyway - onto the pics:

So there you have it apart from the Elhiem crewman I plan to add.

Hopefully the next update will turn up a little faster than this one.

Thanks

Richard

Bundeswehr Bergepanzer 2 - Another Work-In-Progress

Ahh yes - time for another side project - although I have a sort of excuse for this one.

A mate has asked me to build and paint for him seven Revell Marder 1A3s and a couple of Revell Leopard 1A5s.  Last weekend I started the Leopards and as I was building them (it takes me a while) I decided to throw in one of my own Leopard 1A5 kits I have been holding onto in order to build a Bergepanzer 2.

Back in May last year I reported that Hobbyden was planning on bringing out a conversion set for a Bergepanzer 2.  I subsequently got my hands on the conversion set and had been waiting for the right day to try putting it together.

It was all relatively straight forward, once I managed to find some pics that showed me the back of the Bergepanzer and this is how the build turned out (apologies in advance for the quick and dirty photos):

Just for clarity - all the dark green bits are from the Revell kit, and all the white bits are the Hobbyden conversion set.

I had a couple of bits left over that I wasn't sure of, and I had to glue the dozer blade in a fairly high position directly to the front of the model to hid some gaps between the resin hull and the plastic chassis.

All-in-all though I'm very happy with how this has turned out and it will be painted when I finish the Leo 1A5 build and get to painting them.  Just have to decide on all Yellow-Olive or NATO three tone camo.  Decisions, decisions...

Thanks

Richard

Bergpanzer 2 - Coming Soon

I read some great news on The Guild this morning and had to share it.

For those of us who appreciate classic Cold War Bundeswehr vehicles we are in for a treat.  Brian Walsh from The Hobbyden has just announced they they will shortly be producing a Bergpanzer 2 conversion set for the Revell Leopard 1A5 model.

It will look just like this - although slightly smaller.  Brian posted a photo of the master model which I have reproduced here:

It looks very impressive and goes straight on my must get list.  Now... if only Shaun from S&S Models would complete his Jaguar 1 and 2, my West German forces could be completed.

So - great news!

Richard

Hobbyden M113 Beobachtungspanzer Artillerie

When I need to paint up a model in a particularly annoying or difficult camo pattern I tend to try and paint two of them at the same time - so I should at least have two that look similar, I can paint one side on the first and leave it to dry while I paint the same side on the second etc etc.  It seems to work for me - and so while I was painting the S&S Models Panzermorser I also painted a Hobbyden M113 Beobachtungspanzer given to me a year or two ago bt Simon (thanks Simon!)

This is a particularly funky M113, and although it's not the absolute best model - it is the only one of these I am aware of in this scale - and I'm very glad to have it.  It certainly goes a long way to resolve my "I must have every possible West German artillery observer variant" issues.

So - onto the pics:

So - that's something else finished...

Thanks

Richard

Bofors 40mm L70

Just before B.W. Models went out of business I got a few kits from him just in case no-one picked up his line.  Fortunatley it looks like Brian at The Hobbyden in Ireland has bought the majority of the moulds and is slowly going through them and releasing them - including this model - which you can see right here!

Anyway - I wanted some West German territorial ADA for the last big game so rush built this gun.  As I wanted it to look emplaced I built it without the wheels.  Looking back now I made a couple of simple mistakes - particularly the sighting apparatus which at some stage (when I have gunners) I will fix - but this is what it looks like right now:

To "complete" it I think it desperately needs a couple of gunners sitting on the seats next to the gun and a couple of guys holding clips of ammunition.  BW thoughtfully provided a couple of clips, but no gunners or loaders.  I think at some stage I'll have to convert some West German figures to make it look better.

We'll see...

Anyway - that's it for now

Thanks

Richard