Description:
This is an Accurate Armour 1/35 Whippet that I built a few years back. The kit is mostly resin with some white metal here and there and photo etch for the finer deatils.
The build went well with some minor fit problems where the tracks mate up to the hull. The white metal guns where a good idea. They bend instead of break off during painting.
The base color I used was an Acrylic Poly S Troll Green. The white and red stripes on the front end are Tamiya flat acrylics. I used a faded mix of Tamiya earth and buff to dirty it up a bit. Silver Rub N Buff was used on the tracks to brighten the worn areas . All recessed areas recieved a brown black mix of pastels. I have always liked the subtle effect this technique offers.
The markings are some old Verlinden Dry Prints.
This was an easy and very enjoyable kit to build!
This kit and all other Accurate Armour kits can be ordered through ModelsbyMickster!
Description:
The Revell kit is very well designed to start with and has a lot of detail. Mostly what you need to do when you begin construction is hollow out ALL the limber holes for a more realistic appearance. Do not forget to open the long slot in the middle of the sub. Using a Dremel tool I just thinned out the plastic from inside the hull until I could see daylight starting to show through the outline of the hole. Take an Xacto and carefully trim out the very thin remaining plastic. Do not go all the way through with the Dremel tool. It may seem like a lot of work but its not and you cant beat the authenticity that it adds to the hull. Then you start the after market selections which seem endless.
I use L shaped styrene and glued it to the hull interior and lined it up for the first after market part, which is the Pressure Hull from Yankee Model Works. I painted and weathered and rusted it up. It has places where hatch tubes, main gun support and periscope bases are located. Make sure to make the tubes because they show through the hull openings. These parts are a drop fit and look very convincing through the open limber holes. Just super glue or epoxy the parts in. To duplicate the numerous little supports you can see through the long slot, I used the following method. I found some HO scale railroad ladder with the right spacing. It was large enough that if you carefully cut in half you and glue it to both sides inside the hull. They cover the gap nicely. The lower cut outs will need plastic backing glued inside to simulate parts of the pressure hull.
Next was the wood deck from Nautilus. The only cuts you may want to make would be the forward and aft steel sections of the deck. I did it. I dove tailed the plastic kit parts to the front and back of the wood deck. I sanded them smooth in preparation for photo-etched parts. Once again everything was a drop fit right in. Be forewarned that the openings in the wood deck for kit parts #67 and #47 are too large. The parts will drop through. Glue some type of backing to the underside of the deck.
For the most part I used the Edward etch stuff. Warhammer is indispensable for the Conning Tower (Sail is the correct term from the Germans). I also used Yankee Models Works, Nautilus and White Ensign Models parts too. I used many things and will just list them, as a narrative will take forever.
EDWARD: On the hull bottom rear to front- Keel Pressure plate #6
Drive shaft Bolt line #35
Outlet cover openings #66
Outlet Screens #63 & #61 / Squares x6 #76
Under water phones x8 #69 & x2 #58
On the deck- All hatches of which there were over 13 in number. The wood deck has blank spaces where these go. All you got to do is make sure where the hinges are placed after folding. (Which way does the hatch open) There are also a multitude of just hinges (44) that fit again on to blank spots on the deck along outlined hatches. The skid strips for the main gun are lightly outlined on the deck so youre not guessing. Its also true for the skid strips around the winch. All this stuff adds a really nice dimension and metallic feel to the deck. A word of caution on the Bollards, I used the Edward set over the laser ones on the deck except one. I found that the etched ones had less depth over the laser one on the deck. The plate was higher though. I used the bollard tops from White Ensign to compensate. Choice is yours.
I used the really beautiful Edward Front #25 and Rear #17 deck ends over the sanded plastic pieces that I had fitted to the wood deck. I added all the etch items that go on them. If you chose to use the hinged bases #68 and #73 on the supports as I did, do it on a day when you have unlimited patience. They look great though.
Now to the Sail - As for Edward parts I ground off all the molded hatches and used all the hatches they supplied. It wasnt all that difficult. I also added the light, clamps and intake screens too. The only parts that I used to simulate the wood planking were #78 & #77. The Warhammer resin sail had all that was needed for the rest.
The Warhammer detail set is superb. I used all of it except the hatches that cover the sides of the Sail, which I had used the Edward on. The resin in this kit is so well done it makes the sub. I only have two cautions on this set. First is that the resin forward part is very painstaking to remove from the pour plug, which is the whole bottom. Youre not sure when to quit and it becomes more fragile as you sand it off. Ill continue to use them though. Second is the foot rung that the goes around the bottom of the main periscope housing. Its way too thin not to be troublesome. The answer comes in the 2 rung set up from White Ensign Models. Not only are they more accurate and strong, they fit the Warhammer part perfectly. Like I said I used almost all the Warhammer stuff including the ladder, which I have a sailor climbing out of the conning tower hatch.
White Ensign also supplied parts for other places on the model. - Since I used the Warhammer torpedo set up in the front, I used the White Ensign 5 torpedo tube doors with 4 open. Conning tower hatch was super detailed with handles and latches. I also used the often-ignored Cable Tensioners of which there were 10. Another important detail is the Ballast Tank Vent Valve covers. They give you 2 arrangements. I attempted the Naxos antenna they supplied but lost. Came close to getting it right but super glue intervened. I did succeed with the much easier Biscay Cross antenna.
Yankee Model works supplied a number of details. - First were their grab handle brackets #11, which were well detailed down to the 4 screws that hold them in place. Periscope ring plates were used. Bottom hull vents were also used. Extra details also went into the guns.
The guns were given added details from both Edward and Yankee Model works. Feed trays, wheels and magazines were supplied in both kits. There were even added bolt details for the bases of both guns
.
The only thing supplied in these kits I didnt get to use was the net cutter parts. Unfortunately U-592 didnt have one.
Ulad Decals supplied the paint scheme and markings. Andrea cast the crew out of metal.
Basic Kit(s):
Revell of Germany
Figure(s):
Andria
Aftermarket:
Yankee Modelworks, Nautilus, Edward, Warhammer, White Ensign Models
Description:
This build was created for a retired tanker who wanted his ride built.
Basic Kit(s):
the AFV Club offering
Aftermarket:
TRAKZ M-41 Walker Bulldog Accessory Set (Bags, Stowage). The rest in out of the box with a few additions.
Paints/Pigments:
Naturial materials were used for ground cover. The Snow is Techstar Snow Flakes, applied in layers with diluted white glue sprayed on.
Description:
This kit was built in an attempt to try and capture the feel of a very cold Eastern Front winter. I welcome all feedback and questions. Thanks!
Basic Kit(s):
Italeri
Figure(s):
Converted Warriors
Aftermarket:
Tissue paper tarp, Royal jack set, Friul Tracks, Misc. Aber & Show Modelling photoetch
Paints/Pigments:
Decals were custom made by Gecko Graphics to depect the tank in his photos and descriptions.
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