Panzergrau

Initial base coat of Mission Model Panzergrau on ICM [Mercedes] L3000S and Tamiya Sd.Kfz. 232.

Some clean up need, but plan to high-light with Mission Models Light Ghost Grey on one and (maybe) Mission Models British Slate Grey on the other.

WIP T-34/76 UZTM, T-34/76 Factory 112, KV-1 and SU-100 Lots of Red Army AFVs

The Trumpeter KV-1 Model 1942 Heavy Cast Turret is a very nice kit, at a good price.  It was easy and quick to assemble with optional length and link tracks.  P/E grills for the exhaust (included in TR's Model 1939 kit) might have been nice, but not 100% necessary.  Note that it actually represents a model 1941 with early cast turret.  Started to paint using Mission Model's Russian Dark Olive 2 FS 34096, and MM's tire black (kind of a grey) for the tracks.

The DML "formachka" aka UZTM turret is described in a previous entry and it also is starting to be painted with Russian Dark Olive 2 FS 34096, and MM's tire black (kind of a grey) for the tracks and rubber wheels.

On the extreme right and below is the DML T-34/74 with Commander's Cupola Factory 112.  This is a nice kit but need to really think about the end result and consult references before proceeding.  OOB, the instructions would have you build an early hull (c. 1942) but with with a late (c. 1943) turret.  After looking through references, the intent is to build a late 1943 Factory 112 version.  All of the parts needed are in the box, but lack of advanced planning created problems.  For the hull, should use the straight edged glacis plate, not the interlocking one (realized too late), as well as moving the headlight to the fender (if you use the straight edged plate, there will be no headlight mounting hole to plug), using the "hammerhead" towing mounts (non-integrated version) and armored bow MG.  The side hull grab handles can be used per instructions, as can the radio mount, but the two front grab handles should be straight, not angled.  Also, there should be a deflection strip below the driver's hatch.  On the turret, the casting number probably should be higher.  For late 1943 models, the 90 angled turret grab handles appear to be more common that the P/E version called out by the instructions (see UZTM handles).  The cylindrical external fuel tanks also would be appropriate.  For a very late/final (1944) version, on the turret, the lifting rings can be replaced with lifting hooks (e.g, from a T-34/85 sprue) and the hull grab handles appear to be modified to be shorter with the last two on each side displaced higher to accommodate the fuel tanks.

This the DML Arab/Egyptian, in construction as a very early version SU-100 (c. 1945 Austria).  Changes include deletion of the storage box on the starboard fender (apparently a post-war, largely Czech (?)) addition, using the old-style commander's split hatch, and using the split loader's hatch (a very early feature).  There is no gun breech or any other interior detail. so not sure about which hatches to leave open, but would like to at least have commander and loader's occupied to break up the solidity of the hull.  A front half-spider wheel replacement also might add some visual interest - present on the Vienna exemplar, but no contemporary pictures of the same and has been commented that because the SU-100 was such a late introduction, most did not suffer wheel damage which would have necessitated replacing one or more of the "factory" wheels.  In addition, on the early SU-100, the rear and side plates of the fighting compartments did not have the nice overlapping plates contained in the kit, but a rather rough junction (as per exemplar from Vienna).

Preliminary base coat of Mission Model 4BO.