June 2008

 

Alvis/Haggelunds Bv206 all-terrain carrier, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, Norway 2008.

Haven't done much in white metal, so this is a bit of an exploratory journey for me. This is the B.W. kit of the RM's versatile tracked carrier. Not cheap, I have to say, and difficult to find. Detail is crude and surfaces are a bit rough. I have seen one of these done up very nicely though, so I intend to have a good go at it. Currently stalled as I have run out of superglue (bought some more a fortnight ago, but cant find it!)

One new tube of Superglue later: I have made a number of modifications as I want this to be a representation of one of the current RM vehicles. I have therefore added "Bull Bars" at the front, plus various bits of hydraulic piping (all fuse wire), a few external bumps and bobs, plus I have bulked out the engine compartment with a bit of plastic card and an old bit of photo etch wire grille, plus a rolled up piece of metal foil to represent the canvas radiator cover. Painting next, windows will all be glazed later!

BV 206 before painting

and this is what we are aiming at !!!

BV 206 Towing Lean Green Fighting Machines!

OK - we now have 3 coats of Xtracolour NATO Green applied (disappointingly thin, I have to say). The windows on the rear cab have been filled with Kristal Kleer; the forward cab windows are rather larger, so some clear polystyrene has been cut to size and then attached with Krystal Kleer. The white will dry completely clear - honest! The black detailing looks a bit excessive at this stage. once the windows are dry I will wipe some of this off.

bv206 stage 2

Hmmm... I might have been slightly optimistic when I said that the white glue would dry completely clear! Still its not too bad. I still need to tidy up the windows slightly - a quick coat of Kleer, followed by some more matt varnish to mark out the wiper arcs. Now how do I make a net for my Chinook to pick it up?

Royal's Rattling Run-ashore Rickshaw

Royal Marines BV206

More "Tank Things" on the Dark Side pages

Boulton Paul Defiant NF.1, 256 Sqn, RAF Catterick/RAF Prestwick 1940.

This was intended to be a quick out the box build (again) of a kit that I long desired as a youth. However, I felt that I had to correct some of the more obvious and well known failings of this ancient Airfix moulding, by widening and reprofiling the nose and fitting wheel wells. Depending on how things go, I may also try cutting out some wing landing lights too:

Defiant Box - Lovely Artwork!

The kit started reasonably well, with some plastic card was used to widen the nose to a more realistic shape. The moulding has clearly been tidied up for this current release, as there was minimal flash, but the complex wing assembly proved a poor fit that will need much sanding later on.

Shims inserted

Let the Rhinoplasty begin! Gaps filled with Tippex, wing landing lights cut out, putty applied to nose. It is a bit too deep at this stage, but should sand down nicely to the correct profile.

Putty

 

And in the words of countless Defiant modellers over the years - "it looks like a Defiant to me!" A little bit more tidying up to do and then on with the black paint.

Proud and Defiant

The subtle and complicated camouflage scheme merits careful masking before painting (.....NOT!) (canopies etc not attached yet)

Black,,, is Black....I want my baby back.

Airfix decals strike again: very disappointing. Whilst they look nicely and sharply printed, they are extremely thin and brittle, and don't detach from the paper easily, then they dont stick to the model - reminiscent in many ways to Pioneer/PM in quality. The blue, I think, is also too dark, although some matt varnish should lighten it up a bit. Nothing I can't fix, but not really what I expect from a mainstream manufacturer.

Major panel lines have been marked out using a silver artists pencil. Quite a pleasing effect, although again the matt varnish may change the way it looks.

rubbish transfers

A very small amount of tidying up still left (mainly the wing lights), but essentially finished. Not a kit for the purist or beginner, in view of its nose and decal problems (amongst others), but harmless enough fun.

Airifx Defiant

Airfix Defiant

Airfix Defiant

 

More information on the Defiant on the Friends & Allies pages

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