Even more Crusader stuff...

[Radish]

Guys,
You know JHM started that life-changing thread about Crusades, and then another about kitbashing quickly for pure pleasure?
Well, I've combined the two.
SESQUIPLANES.
Take your biplane...in my case Revell Sopwith Camel 1/48th...although it should work in all scales and with all biplanes....

Paint the interior black and glue together...no need to add detail, you can crew it later which ides everything.
Add engine front and guns. I leave off the cowling for ease of painting.
While all that's drying out, clean up the wings and then saw off the lower wing to make it much shorter. The length, shape, etc., are your choices.
The Top Wing: you'll need to mark out/scribe the control surfaces as they're raised in the kit, but that's easy, so why not add flaps too. Also, while you're at it, do the same with the tail planes and deflect them if you want...makes them look really interesting. You'll need to fill the underwing slots for the original outer struts, but this can be done using the tops of the kit parts. Afterwards, clean up.
Then it's just "build".
The central struts are strong enough to hold the wing and take just a few minutes of jiggling to get in place. I glue them to the upperwing undersurface first and leave them for a few minutes to set. Then it's just a case of clipping them to the fuselage and adding liquid glue. Make sure everything is lined up and leave until well dry.
Add the u/c as in the kit and hey, it's done.
You can add lots of rigging after painting, decalling, etc. EASILY too!!!

I've just made one sesquiplane Camel (began at 9pm last night, finished at 10am this morning, with lots of sleep and breakers in between.
I've just sorted two more Camels to start, then I'm onto SE5As.
The SE5As can be sesquiplanes as well as monoplanes. Rigging...much easier.
And you want V-tails? You've now got acres of wing surfaces to play with!!

CRUSADERS....yes, my sesquiplanes will all be suitably "heraldic".
Armour/AFVs?? staying with 1/35th on this, and will start later today on something, possibly an M-48A5 from the stash.
Using a tip from Narses, I looked at the website he recommended for heraldic decals, and have printed off the Norman Knights pennants...should be good flying from radio masts, eh? And the Crusader Banners from the same source will make stunning Air Recognition panels!

Hey babies, we're rocking!!
Also.....need to work out a bit more fully the Crusader armour back story, but that'll happen later.
Colours? For the AFVs I reckon as per IDF armour, but there might be the use of nice "armoured" finish for "elite" forces??

Yo babies!!!          

[Radish]

just finished the cutting, butchery, scribing and sanding of wings (plus filling the slots) and glued two fuselages together.
So TWO more sesquiplanes made by tea time tomorrow (I'm at work in the morning).
I'll spray the three sesquiplane Camels white on Tuesday, OK for the wings, but the fuselages will be really bright like German WW1 stuff....oh, lots of heraldic thingies too  

[nev]

Terry, you really really need to get a digicam and learn how to use it!!!!

I'm not gunna see this stuff till November!    

[Radish]

Nev, Nev.
Taking pictures is OK, got TWO cameras, digicams...but posting them
I'm old, ancient, scrambled brain and a useless "waste of space" according to my lovely wife.
I'll try though.
When daughter returns from holiday in Cyprus, she's a bit wizzo and so's here bloke.
I must get it sorted.

Two further Camels ready for building tomorrow afternoon.
Then SPRAY time.
There'll be THREE Reapers (aka Spitfires) and THREE Sesqui-Camels....all to be Crusader finishes requiring at least a basic white primer.
The Reapers get it tomorrow, the Sesqui-Camels on Tuesday.

Great innit!

You'll just love all the heraldic stuff.

Just come back from "rockin'" in Stafford....up tomorrow for work in 3 and a half hours! Better get to bed, but hey, a good night!!        

[Radish]

Still rockin' babies!! :dum:  :dum:

The two sesqui-Camels are done.
They'll get sprayed in White Primer tomorrow.

Then....ARMOUR          

[Radish]

OK, 3 Reapers (Spitfires...two Vbs and a XVI) sprayed white and 3 sesqui-Camels sprayed white.

while they're drying I've started a Revell 1/35th Leopard 2A5...nice.
Not TOO daunted by the 150+ parts (about 140 parts MORE than a Camel!!), the bottom and running gear are done....about an hour while watching "Sky Captain.." on dvd.
Having a break for a cup of tea and a sarnie, then back to the glueing. I should get it done later today.
Armour kits (I find) are easier than aircraft....they have lots of parts, but fit isn't an issue, the tools, etc., can be stuck on anywhere and as it's what if anyway, I can add what I want.
All stowage, etc., will ve done before painting the thingy....tracks too. Spray black then A LOT of drybrushing, scrubbing, and so on. It buggars the brush up, but the scrappy tatty finish.....aiming for that "Israeli" look.....is achieved and it's fun.
Ha              

[Radish]

Ended up at daughters to play with granddaughter and look at the 2 new kittens. Aaaahhh

Then, back, cooked tea, ate it and finished the hull.
Made up the turret and gun.
The gun will need a rub down tomorrow, when I'll put on the stowage, netting, etc.. ready for a black primer spray.
Hey....loving tanks now!!
Got the identification panels and lancer pennants downploaded and printed.
It'll be from the Teutonic Knights (my favourites!).
Incidently, the Revell Leopard 2A6 is very nice, fits well, couldn't give a poo-poo about accuracy (it's Whatif? anyway!!!), detail is super and it's, well. pretty nice.
It'll look lovely on a base with a proper crew.
             

[Radish]

Change of tack (or should it be track??) as it's now going to be Israeli.
I WILL do some Crusader armour, but they'll be 1/48th to match the aircraft.      

[Radish]

poo-poo, f*ck, poo-poo, f*ck expletives galore.
Can't decide for a f*ck what to do!!

Should this Leopard be Israeli? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO....

Teutonic knights.

Black and heavily weathered hull.
White turret, lots of colourful badges, paintwork.

Oh...lots of additional stowage, baggage, racks, guns....f*ck.
Indecision.

Apologies....indecision......  

[NARSES2]

Well do it black but with a huge white cross on the turret as an air recognition marking ? Similar thing to the way some Soviet stuff was marked up ?

And how about fitting it with a miniature Trebuchet on the turret for slinging smoke grenades around or even the odd dead dog or cat over castle walls for biological warfare ?

Chris

[Radish]

Colour scheme?
I was thinking essentially a dark hull, black with heavy drybrushing in browns, etc., to reflect the desert terrain.
Then, the entire turret white, with a big black cross a possibility, and a decorated gun barrel.

Another idea might be to have it Templars, same scheme, but a big red cross on the turret, red barrel etc..
This'll be BRIGHT.

Apologies for my outburst, must have been affected by a headache.
It's gone now.
Tank progressing nicely. Tracks and sideskirts are on it.
I make everything, glue everything and spray afterwards. Always done armour that way.          

[Radish]

I can never leave things alone!
I've just added a new turret basket on each side of the turret, made from card and strip.
I'll use the bits from a box of Israeli Infantry (Dragon) to help decorate the stowage areas. lots of baggage and netting required as well as these extras. additional machine guns too.
     

[Radish]

Crew?
Black with appropriate insignia.
Baggage?
blankets, bed rolls, and so on, in white as befits the Templars or Teutonics, whichever it appears as.
The Knights of st.John (Hospitallers) will be red. And the turret too.
Just bought a Tamiya Grant tank, 1/35th.
             

[NARSES2]

Well as you ignored my comment about mini trebuchets I'll suggest something else  

You know that in days of yore nights rode around on a Palfrey and went into battle on a Destrier (hope I've got those the right way round) well why don't you have a little diorama of the crew riding along in a jeep or some other soft skin with all their kit and the armour following on being driven by the squire ? Or in modern days is the Palfrey a bloody huge Scammel ?  

I got some of my old wargamming Sassinian and Islamic Iranian Heavy Cavalry out the other night to try and get some ideas for some opposition to this lot - forgot how colourful the heraldry was. Did you know that the elite Iranian cavalry of the 16th/17th Century wore a small round hat rather like a "Tam-o-Shanter" including the diced ribbon round the brim.

Chtis

[Radish]

I haven't ignored the trebuchet idea....sounds a strong possibility, mounted on the back of the turret.....I've even a 1/35th dog lying around somewhere....perhaps live dogs/cats, etc., are kept then killed to rot away before slinging at an enemy?

Anyway, been having fun making up the crew (two) sticking out of the open hatches. also, added lots of packages, pouches and so on to the stowage.

I think the idea of the Knight in his tank, armoured car, whatever, being followed by his squire in a lorry carrying his support equipment is perfectly valid. A bit big in 1/35th, but in 1/72nd it might be cool.

Also, I've only used the turrets for the heraldic displays of badges, Order insignia, etc.. Pennants from masts and so on.
What about a "parade" vehicle, or peacetime tank, with all the skirts in full heraldic trim as well? Perhaps a visiting knight who wasn't a member of the Orders but was fighting on their behalf? A brightly decorated Merkava could look amazing, as could a brightly decorated Swedish "S" tank?

And, if there's TWO bright tanks, what about a tournement? Firing paint balls at each other on the move?