1/35 Renault AHN truck

[frank2056]

After finishing my ball tank, I was having a hard time picking a new project. I had kits I wanted to build, but just wasn't quite ready, mentally. So I asked my trusty assistant, Felix, to help me pick one:



He's picked some good kits in the past, but this time he just wanted to sniff at the boxes, with no clear preference. So I enlisted his sisters Emma:



and Diziet:



Who also just sniffed at boxes indifferently.
Let down by my modelling buddies, I asked my wife Lisa, to pick. She went into the model closet, closed her eyes and pointed at a box:



The  ICM 1/35 Lastkraftwagen 3,5 t AHN WWII German Army Truck. I don't build German WWII subjects anymore, but luckily, this is a Renault AHN and has post-war headlights. Lisa also picked blue as the truck's color.

A quick searched showed that I was in for a difficult build.

I used Bengalensis outstanding build on Britmodeller as a reference. Piet van Hees has an excellent AHN site including a build of the same kit. I made many of the same mods to the kit that they did.

The chassis is a quick and easy build:



And I quickly got to this point, even with some of the mods and additions:



Now came the hardest part of the build, and it's been a slog. The first issue is with the wheels and tires. ICM made them too small and it's noticeable, especially when compared to the real thing. I ordered the Panzerart wheels and they do look better:



Another issue is with the cabin; it's made up of five sections. Making everything fit and square took a long time. I was hoping that the new tires wouldn't look bad, but the front mudguards are just wrong, so like in the builds mentioned above, I cut them off.



Moving the mudguard arches up wouldn't fix the issue, since they're too small. So I looked at the pictures of the real vehicle and printed mudguards that sort of looked right:



They're probably too wide now. i may leave them as is or cut them down size:



I also added fenders. Some AHNs have fenders of one kind or another. I'll fix the wobble:



This is where I am now. It has not been a fun build...

[NARSES2]

I like your assistants, mind you I wouldn't want to bump into Felix on a dark night 

Trucks getting there, even if you arn't enjoying it. Shows perseverance in adversity 

[frank2056]

Thanks, Chris. Felix is a complete sweetheart and very smart. He has a series of buttons that he uses to call his servants when he wants treats, food, brushings,, attention, etc.

I've since thinned the mudguards, removed the "mustache" fenders and repainted some of the damage that the rework caused. I'm thinking of using copper foil to remake the fenders, but that may be procrastination, since the next step is weathering.

[NARSES2]

Thanks, Chris. Felix is a complete sweetheart and very smart. He has a series of buttons that he uses to call his servants when he wants treats, food, brushings,, attention, etc.

  

[scooter]

Thanks, Chris. Felix is a complete sweetheart and very smart. He has a series of buttons that he uses to call his servants when he wants treats, food, brushings,, attention, etc.

When Dany, our spicy one, wants something (usually more food) she'll either get up in you face, sit next to you, or start pushing stuff on to the floor.

[PR19_Kit]

.......or start pushing stuff on to the floor.

Ah yes, what IS that business with cats and them shoving stuff off wherever it is onto the floor? They all seem to love doing it.

[frank2056]

Our cats - at least the two girls - are very good at not knocking things off the table/high surface. Felix, thought... he has his buttons but if we don't attend promptly when he presses a button,  he'll start vocalizing and knocking things off the table.

I'm avoiding starting the weathering, so instead I put together some Minart sheep that I got yesterday. The fit isn't good, but straightforward to correct. 15 sheep in the box (two sprues with 5 individual sheep, x 3).

I put together 6 sheep and 1 lamb. To make the 7th sheep distinct, I cut off and re-positioned its head.

I also added the stakes on the sides:



I used the old man with the rake from the Masterbox Civilians, Western region. The rake handle broke, so I replaced it with some styrene rod. You can imagine what he's going to be doing with the rake...



I added some definition to his hair and some features. This is a pretty well mastered Masterbox set:

[NARSES2]

Great work on defining those facial features   

And speaking of cats, I'm a dog person by the way, so may be biased in my opinions 

[Wardukw]

Great work on defining those facial features   

And speaking of cats, I'm a dog person by the way, so may be biased in my opinions 

😁😁😁😁   that's so true 😁
If I put a empty model box down on the ground it won't be long before my cats laying in it 😊

Frank that truck is great bud .very nice work ..it's also a cool looking truck to..it's a good looking design   

[Old Wombat]

Great work on defining those facial features   

And speaking of cats, I'm a dog person by the way, so may be biased in my opinions 

The second result floats my boat! Leopard/jaguar would be an awesome hunting companion!

[Old Wombat]

By the way: The truck is coming along nicely, Frank, & the sheep look great.  

[frank2056]

The truck is mostly finished. Didn't give it too much rust. The license plate on the front could have been larger, but good enough. 2504 is the month and year I will hopefully finish this:



The company sign of the side of the truck is for Bergère de France, a wool company that's been around since 1946. Apophenia over at BtS found it for me.







I added the rear lights (made from ejector pins on the kit's clear sprue) and mud flaps/plate holders cut from styrene.



Closeup of the farmer/worker. Not great, not terrible. The sculpting is one of the best I've seen from Masterbox:



With one of the tools of his trade:



Now to work on the sheep...

[Rick Lowe]

I like your assistants, mind you I wouldn't want to bump into Felix on a dark night 

Or trip over him...

Truck has come out great, Frank. 

[Old Wombat]

Bravo, Frank! That's looking fantastic!     

[NARSES2]

Bravo, Frank! That's looking fantastic!     

It does indeed