Sd.Kfz. 7 half-track, post-war

[scottie3158]

Cracking work Jakko, the rockers turned out very well.

[Guest]

Thanks, I’m glad it’s done and I’ve left all the really fiddly bits behind me now. Probably

[Guest]

This is the kit that just keeps on giving … wrong and missing details, that is.

[ATTACH]444213[/ATTACH]

Now the cab is attached to the chassis, I can turn to the engine bay. The white plate at the front of the picture is the base for the air cleaners — Dragon would have you glue them straight to the mudguard, when pictures of the real vehicle show a plate like this. I’m not sure yet if I’ll fit the air cleaners themselves, but chances are that I will.

On the other side, the curved plate seems to be some kind of guard over the steering mechanism, and on top of it is a little shelf for two blowtorches. Those are missing in the pictures of the real vehicle (I highly doubt those were on it for very long once somebody opened the bonnet ) but the curved plate and shelf are obvious if you know they’re supposed to be there.

The horn is from my M113 spares box, probably from an AFV Club YPR-765 kit but I’m not entirely sure. In any case, Dragon provides an older style of horn with a big, conical, well, horn on it, and tells you to fit it in the wrong spot, at least for this variant. Dragon’s preferred location is where you can see the bit of filler that I haven’t smoothed out yet.

[Ian M]

Just dived into this build thread. Gob well and truly smacked!
That is some impressive witchcraft model making going on here!

[outrunner]

Superb detail Jakko.

Andy.

[Guest]

Thanks, guys TBH, this is a far more involved build than I expected at the start. My idea before I began was that I would need to adjust the suspension and build new sides to the cab, then just build the rest straight from the box. I think I assessed it slightly wrong

[GerryW]

Incredible - apologies as I've just found it

[minitnkr]

.....best laid plans.....

[Mini Me]

Look at all the fun you are having Jakko........you'll end up with a true Masterpiece!..keep it coming. :thumb2:

[Tim Marlow]

Brilliant work mate. You’ll be able to build a real one when you finish :thumb2:

[Guest]

Not entirely sure about the fun OTOH, it’s usually like this when I get to the end of a model and only little details that need a lot of work remain to be done: I kind of want it finished but don’t feel like actually doing the work As for a real one … I think I would do a better job than the person who restored the one featured mainly in the Wings & Wheels Publications book. It appears to have all kinds of not-quite-right details. Though maybe that’s just me not being an expert on the vehicle, of course.

[outrunner]

A splendid job going on there Jakko.

Andy.

[stillp]

Not entirely sure about the fun :smiling3: OTOH, it’s usually like this when I get to the end of a model and only little details that need a lot of work remain to be done:

I bet the last 10% of detail accounts for 90% of the work Jakko!
Pete

[Guest]

Something like that, yes … case in point:

[ATTACH]444391[/ATTACH]

The side panels for the load bed have hinges moulded into them that are far too massive compared to photos of real late-model Sd.Kfz. 7s, so I chiselled and filed them off, as you can see in one of the two above. I next had to build new ones from three pieces of plastic strip each, assembled into a U-profile:

[ATTACH]444392[/ATTACH]

Plus five bolt heads in most of them, of course. On the front panel in the picture, I only added them to the rearmost hinge, because they won’t be visible on the other two, as it will be hanging down; the second panel has bolts in all three hinges since both sides of it will be visible. I’ve shown its inside here, though, to also illustrate the rivets Dragon has missed for the step (the board that sits above the panel).

In the engine compartment, here is everything I have so far assembled:

[ATTACH]444393[/ATTACH]

The engine, radiator and grill are still loose, because I want to paint the engine separately but you can’t get it in (or out) with the other two pieces in place. The air filters are glued in place, though, with most of their pipework cut off and the remaining parts opened up.

[scottie3158]

It's the little details that add the most