Ricks' Ramblings

[zenrat]

They're nice Rick, particularly like the P-38 

P19?

 

[Rick Lowe]

They're nice Rick, particularly like the P-38 

P19?

 

Half of a P-38...

I can hear the facepalms from here - you're welcome.

Thanks for the kind words, folks.

[scooter]

They're nice Rick, particularly like the P-38 

P19?

 

Half of a P-38...

I can hear the facepalms from here - you're welcome.

Thanks for the kind words, folks.

No facepalm here.  I preferred to glare menacingly in Regency era butler-hood.

[Rick Lowe]

Well played, sir - well played.

[su27rules]

              Nice!!

[Rick Lowe]

Cheers

[Wardukw]

Wouldn't the drone be called a P19 since it's half of one 
It does look bloody cool tho mate 

[Rick Lowe]

Wouldn't the drone be called a P19 since it's half of one 
It does look bloody cool tho mate 

Thanks - and yes, it is called that...

[Rick Lowe]

1/35 M15 Special: Self-Propelled 40mm Bofors gun. **Real World**

There had been many different projects during WW2, at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, USA, to try and mount a Bofors AA gun on an M3 series half-track. None came to anything, due mostly to stabilization problems. They were eventually fielded on the M24 Light Tank chassis, as the M19 Twin 40mm AA mount.

However, the Coopers Plains 99th Ordnance Depot, located near Brisbane, Australia, cobbled up a few for themselves for the upcoming Island-Hopping campaign. A number were used by the 209th AAA (All Weather) Bn in New Guinea and The Philippines. The stability problems remained, but they were successfully used in secondary missions against ground targets.

My conversion used the Tamiya M16 AA half-track, because it needed a winch; and the Italeri Bofors 40mm Gun.

The references used were:
a 1994 FineScale Modeler article with Plans and templates by Phil Dyer;
a set of Hubert Cance plans in Tankette (though these seem to have printed a little bit larger than 1/35);
'US Half Tracks in Combat' by Steven Zaloga, Concord Publications;
the Technical Manual on the M2/3/5/9 series from Tankograd;
'The Bofors Gun' by Terry Gander;
a few (there aren't many) photos from the web;
and a Steven Zaloga article in Military Modelling on the T28 AA half-track, used for the technique to make the tracks.

The first job after basic assembly was to replace the tracks, using Steve Zaloga's method; these consisted of a couple of loops of .5mm plastic card, with two narrower .25mm loops each side to depict the thicker portions. I should have used a grooved card, but I was going to make some chains for the wheels and tracks and add a good dollop of gooey Luzon mud; when that idea bit the dust, it was a bit late to do anything about it. There should also be some centre guides inside the track runs.

The two square holes in the bumper either side of the winch were filled with sections cut from an Academy M113 interior floor tread plate.

The earlier pattern headlights were made from old M10 kit tail lights, thin card and fine rod.

The empty gas can holder and new aerial mount were constructed and added to the right side of the bonnet compartment.

The rear wall for the driver's compartment was from .5mm sheet and the radio and shelf from the M16 kit were trimmed and installed between the front seats.
The crew's small arms came from the Tamiya Weapons Set and packs from the spares box. Two bits of strip were added above the door frames, as per the photos; the windscreen frame was removed to help fit/modify/install the figures.

The rear deck was 1mm card (it really should also have been tread plate, but I didn't have enough) and a modified kit fuel tank was glued at the centre behind the cab rear panel. Ammo bins were installed either side of this, one being made from scratch to match the other from my spares box.

The small triangular panels on the sides behind the tracks were cut from the kit sides and fixed, along with the cut down rear panel from the kit.

The gun was modified by leaving off the front platforms, along with what I presume are the elevation and traverse motors? There were two strengthening rods added near the foot pedals. I also decided to use the spare barrel provided as it had the spring on it, this can be clearly seen through the slot in the top of the gun; which also had to be cut out.

The rear floor of the turret was from more of the M113 tread plate and the sides were built up in situ from the plans. Strengthening brackets at the top were from .25mm strip, the bits attached to the turret sides being pricked from the rear with a point to depict rivets. In the interior, two .25mm strengthening T-section brackets were added each side, running from by the front of the gun mount to the front two corners of the shield.
The actual sighting bar caused a few headaches, as the info I found on the web differed from the kit part: the kit's transverse bracket that the sights attach to is mounted non-symmetrically, but I found a USN document online showing they were. I was unable to confirm either way, so left the kit parts as-is, to avoid more work.

The model was primed with rattle-can black and then airbrushed with Tamiya OD, while still in sub-assemblies to avoid not being able to get to parts later on to paint them – yep, learned that lesson at last.

This is where I came a bit of a cropper, as I hadn't checked that the two sets of plans I was using matched. When I installed the turret, it was too big to rotate! However, after some head scratching and a few choice words the turret was carefully cut down successfully, both in length and height, and all was well. As an added bonus, it also allowed the gunsights to properly slot into their gaps in the armour!

The rear ammo bin was constructed and attached, with two triangular brackets from .25mm strip, to depict the L-section brackets used.

Final touch up painting occurred.
I mixed up some cheap test-pot acrylic paint and talcum powder and slopped this onto the chassis, tyres, tracks and wheel/track wells, then drybrushed with a lighter mud colour.

Final assembly happened.

I made crew figures; the two Gunners from the 40mm kit (with one torso swapped with a loader's, to make it different); the Loader is from the old Tamiya US Tank Crew; the Driver is the M16 kit one with a new head; the Commander is the Driver from the Italeri Jeep (a Mr Shouty) with the radio handset in his hand and a twisted wire leading back to the radio. The seated figures had to be modified somewhat to get them to sit in position properly.

I have managed to score a set of PE Bofors sights from another modeller, so they will be installed at some later point.
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[Rick Lowe]

And some wips...
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[NARSES2]

That looks good Rick, figures especially so 

From a practical point of view, apart from the stability problems, those figures show just how cramped a working eniroment it would have been.

[zenrat]

 

Nice.

I have a 40mm Bofors, a Matilda, and an Aussiefication set.  All in 1/48...

[kerick]

Nice.

I have a 40mm Bofors, a Matilda, and an Aussiefication set.  All in 1/48...

Well, get a move on!! Let's go!

[Rick Lowe]

Nice.

I have a 40mm Bofors, a Matilda, and an Aussiefication set.  All in 1/48...

Well, get a move on!! Let's go!

Careful, that sort of thing can get you Blocked... ask me how I know... 

Sounds interesting, Fred. 

Thanks, all - and yeah, no such thing as 'ergonomics' in those days...
And as for reaching over the turret wall to access the ammo...

[Rick Lowe]

1/32 Spectrum Patrol Car **Sci Fi**

I found this Imai kit way back in '95 when I visited Comet Miniatures in Battersea.

It was interesting (and cheap) enough to buy, and I then found out it's close enough to my preferred car scale of 1/32, so that was a bonus.

I scratchbuilt an interior; the control panel instruments were 1/48 MiG bits cut up and the seats made from sections of sprue with thick flat side profiles, this gave me the retro 60s/futuristic rolled upholstery effect I wanted. Inside door panels from sheet and various details. The rear section had a shelf built and was detailed with various shapes of tube and boxes.

New axles from sprue and the kit wheels glued on but moved outboard a bit, compared with the original locations. Intakes above the cabin had blanking plates with detailing installed.
Oh, and wheel wells boxed in with light cardboard.

Paint in the interior is basic black with other details picked out in random colours. Markings on the rear gadgetry are from the spares box.

Front light covers are the kit items with painted discs behind to depict the headlights. The firing missiles were left off and their positions filled with MG barrels; this was easier than trying to fill the holes in the clear bits, or replacing them. And what self-respecting Gerry Anderson vehicle doesn't have a machine gun or two?

Exterior paint is airbrushed Tamiya red, with other colours picked out carefully in silver paint and black felt pen.
Kit markings for the Spectrum logos, and spares box for the others, as I felt some sort of individual vehicle ID was called for.

**edited for wheel wells detail 14/11

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