Help me choose

[Mr Bowcat]

Hi guys,

I have now built 2 British tanks, but as they were both relatively modern I didn't go too heavy on the wear and tear side of weathering.

As such I've decided to have a go at something WW2 era that I can beat up a bit more and practice heavy chipping and rust effects on. I've also decided I'd like to do something German.

I'd like to stick to 1/35 scale, so whats a good model to start with?

Cheers B'Cat

[Guest]

Bob I'm going to leap right in here & say that German WWII vehicles aren't the best for heavy weathering & rust. From all the firsthand accounts that I've read (lots!), they kept their vehicles in the best shape possible - even in combat situations.

My advice would be to look towards a Russian tank. Because of their high production figures, they were viewed as disposable items. So their upkeep was left to the crews who weren't particularly focused on the job

I would point you in the direction of something by Trumpeter. Their SU 152 is a lovely kit, and its big slab-sided appearance would lend itself nicely to lots of weathering & rusty areas.

And you could also enter it in Tommy's SU GB!

[Mr Bowcat]

OK, thanks for that Pat. I was going by YouTube vids, they always seem to add a load of chips and rust to German armour, but I'm just as happy with Ruskie stuff as it's really just to learn/practice technique.

[Guest]

OK, thanks for that Pat. I was going by YouTube vids, they always seem to add a load of chips and rust to German armour, but I'm just as happy with Ruskie stuff as it's really just to learn/practice technique.

I add chipping to my German vehicles. It's something that is unavoidable considering the crews wore hobnail boots & were scrambling in & out of their tanks. Sometimes I think that's overdone (by me also!) because it's a relatively easy way to show the model as a miniature tank. Likewise with rust, something that's often overused.

But it's what people want or expect to see nowadays, irrespective of its historical accuracy.

[Guest]

Another suggestion here is something like a panzer IV that served with rommels forces in the north Africa campaign, some of these vehicles especially towards the end were in pretty bad looking but still serviceable. add to that sand storms in the desert which was an excellent paint remover.

[PaulTRose]

think Tamiya........think Panzer II or Panzer IV or even Panther..........cheap, no drama going together and easy to find......or the Hanomag even

[Thorbrand]

I would go with beowulf and say the Panzer II or Panzerkampfwagen II would be a good one to go with, since they were used for the invasion of Poland and France at the beginning of the war

[Gern]

The Revell 1/35 T34/76 is dirt cheap and a doddle to build. Mine went together with no cleaning up apart from attachment points and no putty.

[Mr Bowcat]

Cheers guys, I've just started a Spitfire so will get something bought for the next build.