SU-122 zvezda

[adt70hk]

Andrew many thanks ,these kits are excellent don't doubt the quality and though they say snap fit people may think younger audience or low detail war game far from it ,way ahead of dragon hobby boss trumpeter none of that moulded on tools and tow cables ,it might be snap fit but I've cemented mine also it doesn't just fall together this is no kinder egg its not a no brainer . Idont think you'd be disappointed highly recommend . Dave

Hi Dave,

I will have a go at some point for sure

I've actually got a couple of the snap together kits for the Art of Tactic war game. I've got there 3 inch British mortar crews and whilst they're not perfect they're not at all bad for the price. There are 88 and crew though is an absolute gem the scale and price and I can only highly recommend it.

Keep up the great work.

Andrew

[Tim Marlow]

John as I've said a few times before 4BO bit of a enigma ,I doubt I'll use that one much again preferring the other shades I've got ,at the end of the day filters washes weathering its green , we identify with the vehicle not what shade of green it is. Panzer grey is another one(alright calm down your wake matron I'm just saying)talk about fifty shades of grey once again you identify with the vehicle not the colour, end of the day I dont think we need to lose any sleep it is what it is ,its Russian and its green. Dave

Certainly is…..

[Tim Marlow]

I'm not all that sure where this is going - I'm sure modern makers each have their own recipe for 4BO, but does it really matter? - was there only one manufacturer of 4BO in WWII Soviet Russia? I think not! I wouldn't have thought that adhering strictly to a colour specification was top priority in the drive for production. I reckon tanks came out of the factory in the local version of green, then as soon as the rain/sun/snow did its' work, then they all faded to a fairly uniform version of 4BO. - throw in some dust/dirt, and an overall drab finish will result. Unless you're making a single series of tanks fresh off the production line, then an approximation of 4BO is perfectly valid!
I'm afraid, as I've grown older, I've grown more cynical about 'Authentic' colours. OK, modern paints to F.S, B.S, ISO may be identical, but as soon as you go back to WWII, then it gets more murky. People may point to contemporary paint chips, but who can say that storage/aging/sunlight/temperature/humidity haven't had an effect?
I'm now firmly in the 'near enough is good enough' party as far as colour goes!!
Apologies for the rant..............................
Dave

Yep, agree 100%…

[Dave Ward]

Peacetime AFV are a bit different now - they have a lot of care lavished on them, the crews don't have any fighting to do, - so, to keep them out of trouble - let's paint & polish them - after all, with budget cuts who knows when we'll get some new ones? :tongue-out:
Dave

[David Lovell]

Hi all managed to crack on a bit,


Still a fair way to go tracks and wheels ,myself I feel the distressed paint work hasn't come out to bad ,learning from this I will definitely try again ,worst bit now wheels and tracks I feel easier to do body and match wheels and tracks than other way around in my world any way a few other bits to tart up as well but trying to get there as this is usually where I start to lose intrest. Dave

[Guest]

Hi all managed to crack on a bit,
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1156839[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1156840[/ATTACH]
Still a fair way to go tracks and wheels ,myself I feel the distressed paint work hasn't come out to bad ,learning from this I will definitely try again ,worst bit now wheels and tracks I feel easier to do body and match wheels and tracks than other way around in my world any way a few other bits to tart up as well but trying to get there as this is usually where I start to lose intrest. Dave

Hi David it looks very good to me and distressed paint work just adds to the overall effect.
Pete

[Tim Marlow]

Looks good to me as well. Love the weathered effects.

[Dave Ward]

David,
still having to remind myself that this is 1/72! How about some wear from the crew/riders - the handrails on the sides & back would soon lose their paint, as they hung on for dear life!
Dave

[David Lovell]

Thanks guys comments taken on board ,looking now a few chips and bits won't go amiss think I held off slightly not knowing how it was going to look with the distressed paint never having done it before. Still life's one big learning curve its certainly been educational so far have used oils a fair bit on this as well hopefully next shout will be the end product. Dave

[JR]

Dave think its looks good, you might have not thought that much of the paint work at the time but it has that look of use, nicely weathered. :thumb2::thumb2::thumb2::thumb2::thumb2:
Ready for the final revel. Committee meeting has been called.:nerd:

[Mark1]

Another little beauty :thumb2:

[scottie3158]

Dave.
Looking good mate.

[Isitme]

Naturally I shall have a front row seat Dave.
Out of interest.
Lend Lease Impressions: Churchill

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1155760[/ATTACH]
Churchill III tank at the NIIBT proving grounds, September 1942. Retrieved from Baryatinskiy, Lend Lease Tanks in Battle.
The Churchill (frequently referred to as "Mk IV" in Soviet documents) was among the various tanks received by the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program. As with all tanks, they put it through trials, and, as with all tanks, it had some shortcomings.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1155761[/ATTACH]
CAMD RF 38-11355-938

"List of defects discovered in the process of using the Churchill tank.

1. The track link pins on the new tracks are contained with welds. This makes it difficult to repair tracks in field conditions. After replacing track pins, it is difficult to weld the covers back in place.
2. Lightened tracks collect dirt and bulge out, which in turn pushes up the mudguards and make turning the turret difficult.
3. Road wheels are poorly held on their axles. There were cases where they would come off and get lost during the tank's movement.
4. The track link mortise is of poor quality, and is destroyed during movement.
5. The main clutch gear axles are of poor quality, and sometimes break at their base.
6. Rollers in the gear box are of poor quality and break.
7. Gears in the gear box are of poor quality and break.
8. Oil leaks from the gear box.
9. The hoses from the "Amal" gasoline pump are not sturdy enough, and can tear during movement.
10. The manual turret rotation mechanism is insufficiently reliable. The chain breaks, and the switch from manual to automatic traverse bends.
11. The height of the driver and assistant driver observation devices does not let them see to the sides.
12. The open engine grille does not prevent gasoline from incendiary bottles from getting into the engine compartment.
13. Track links do not make good contact with the ground. The poor traction severely limits the tank's ability to go up and down inclines and tilt.
14. Upon tilting 20 degrees, tracks fall off.
15. The recoil springs of the 57 mm gun are poorly fixed, which leads to imbalances and jamming when they hit the cylinders."

In real combat, the Churchill showed another deficiency. The heaters were weak, and often replaced with domestic ones.

That's quite a list. The Soviets weren't the only ones to dislike the Churchill.

From Tank Archives for discussion purposes only.

So you weren't alone Dave.:nerd:

Just keep him away from combustibles and matches.... hop!

[Isitme]

Certainly is…..
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1156710[/ATTACH]

Good Grief!!!! is that JR's model collection????

[Isitme]

Thanks guys comments taken on board ,looking now a few chips and bits won't go amiss think I held off slightly not knowing how it was going to look with the distressed paint never having done it before. Still life's one big learning curve its certainly been educational so far have used oils a fair bit on this as well hopefully next shout will be the end product. Dave

Dave,
That is a little gem.
Mike.