Soviet Armoured Column - Part 1

Hi guys.
Hope you all had a good Christmas.
I just thought I'd post some pics of my most recent work. In the end I hope to have 5 or so military vehicles but so far I've only built 3 of them. It will be a 1960-70s Naval Infantry column (probably) during an exercise. They will be traveling on a country road that is being being blocked by a broken down civilian car. The Soviet vehicles will be
- A Trumpeter BRDM-2 (Front)
- A Trumpeter PT-76 (Second)
- Two Trumpeter BTR-60s (Third and Forth)
- A Trumpeter Zil-157 (Fifth)


I can thourghly recommend the BRDM-2. It is a superb kit. The detail is excellent and the pieces fit perfectly. It also has a reasonable interior. I am not sure how accurate the interior is but it is a very nice inclusion and allows the hatches to be left open. The only thing I would have liked is an engine, but hey you can't have everything.

The PT-76 is also a great kit despite it being quite a few years old. The part count is quite low and I completed mine in 2hours. The parts fitted well and the weld seams are nicely reproduced. The only let down is the rubber tracks. This is my second time building this model and I remember them being far two short. Even with Trumpeter's new BTR-50, these tracks are still supplied. No attempt to remedy this shortcoming. I will probably just get the Friulmodel set.

The BTR-60, is yet another masterpiece Trumpeter have done,being the first plastic company to produce it in 1/35. There are alot of parts and they all have exquisite detail and fit. There are numerous etch parts included to ensure maximum fineness. It is a truly stunning beast to behold once built, although it does take quite some time to make.

All of these kits are in many pieces for spraying, so if you see something that looks squint, its probably just because it has been dryfitted.

I still need to get a Zil-157, but I have heard it is an excellent kit.

The civilian car is a 1/32 Arii Owner's Club Totopet Crown that I got for £8 AT Telford. (I know it is 1/32 but you can hardly notice)

Stay tuned for Part 2

1/72 BT-2 and BA-10

I have'nt posted in a while, my apologies, exams etc have got in the way.

Rencently I have been doing quite a few small scale builds whilst my entry for the Next Gen 2 campaign on Armorama is on hold. These include a 1/72 Revell FAMO with Wee Friend's excellent stowage set (which I may post soon, it just needs paint), two 1/72 Dragon T-34 (one with Ehkranami) and a 1/72 Trumpeter Strv 103B ( I only bought it because it was on sale, £4.99!).
However, it is the UM BT-2 and OstModel BA-10 that this post will focus on. I used a diffirent method of white camo on each. The BA-10 was sprayed white and had green chips applied on top, whereas the BT was sprayed green and white oils were applied on top (like on my 1/35 BA-10). The BT is nearly complete and I must say that I am not very pleased with it and may go back later and fix it.
Personally I think the BA turned out better then the BT, but look for yourself.

BA-10
Having only 5 peices excluding wheels, it was real fun to build.
After being sprayed white, Vallejo Camo Olive Green was dry brushed onto the corners and places that would see heavy wear, e.g. the doors. A neutral wash of grey oil was then applied to the whole model to tone down  the contrasting green and white. Small dots of brown oils were then applied to select areas, e.g. where the rear fenders meet the body. A larger, slightly damp with spirits, brush was then used to blend it into the area to give the effect of dirt. I then made a mixture, slightly thicker than a wash, which was then flicked onto the back of the vehicle to simulate mud spatters. Hinges, rivets etc then received a wash of rusty orange. The fuel cap? on the bonnet then got a dot of Abteilung 502 'Engine Grease' streaked down from it. That was pretty much it.


BT-2
The UM kit is great, the detail is excellent and fit really could'nt be better.
It was painted in almost the exactly the same way as the Zvezda BA-10. If you would like an in depth description of how I painted it just leave a comment. :)