Late September Progress (Armor)

Here's where I'm at with several kits that I've started this year:

The Bulgarian Hetzer that I started back in May is almost done. I bought some 1/300 Soviet aircraft decals for the stars on the Hetzer, but they turned out to be too small. What I had to do was use some Archer U.S. stars, and then Soviet armor decals from a PST kit on top to get the red star with white outline for this model. I still need to spray with a flat coat, and weather, but this kit is 90% done.


I have posed the UM Hetzer alongside the Pegasus E-25 and the Fujimi Hetzer. The E-25 is huge compared to its smaller cousins.


For the FSV I started last month, I used Archer Fine Transfers to make the name (Bewitched), and I'll add some Milicast crewmembers. I'm still trying to find some black triangle decals or transfers though.
Next to the FSV is the Heller Somua S-35, which is in the process of being painted, and last in line is the Emhar A7V. I started the A7V about four years ago, and am finally 90% done with it. I only need to spray with a flat coat, and weather. I'm looking forward to do at least two more A7Vs, but will definitely work much faster on them this time.


Another view of the FSV, S-35, and A7V.

Mid-August Progress (Armor)

I've been able to sneak in a little modeling here and there this week, and have gotten a little further on a couple of projects.


The FSV I started earlier this month is almost done. I replaced the barrel with a piece of brass tube, and sliced up the end of the old plastic barrel to make some discs to simulate lights. I added the smoke dischargers because they look cool, even though most pictures of FSVs in the field show them without dischargers. I also added a pin to the driver's hatch to allow it to swing open and shut.


I have to say that individual link tracks are a royal pain. I can't even begin to count the number of times I had to go looking for little tiny links that fell on the ground somewhere while trying to assemble the tracks for this model. I replaced the incorrect headlight with one fashioned from a bit of sprue and a piece of wire. I managed to make a right mess of the photoetch left fender piece. In my own defense though, I'll have to admit that this is the first time I have worked with photoetch parts. I'm debating whether to add the second photoetch fender, since the right fender of the jagdpanzer in my photo reference seems not to have it. In fact, the fender looks like it is just a sheet metal replacement, so I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. I'll probably just do the photoetch, since I'm not modeling the exact vehicle in the picture anyway. The machinegun shield is from the Fujimi kit, since the photoetch sprue for the flammpanzer does not come with a shield.

Bulgarian Jagdpanzer 38(t)

This is my first entry for May, and the month is already almost over. It hasn't been a very productive month as far as hobbies go, but work has been pretty busy. Anyway, I finally decided to start on my UM Flammpanzer 38(t) kit (UM 355), only I will build it as a Late Hetzer. The sprues for both the Flammpanzer 38(t) and the Hetzer (Late Version) are identical, with the only difference being the photoetch parts. I decided to do the build as a Late Hetzer because I wanted to model a Bulgarian Hetzer (pictured below), and the UM kit has link and length tracks and individual side armor plates which is perfect for what I want to do. Actually, I'm not sure why UM decided to make their Flammpanzer an Early Hetzer. The photos of Flammpanzers that I've seen are always of a Late Hetzer.



After assembling the upper and lower hull, I compared the UM Hetzer with my built up Fujimi Hetzer. I'd have to say that by eye, they are very similar in size, though the barrel of the Fujimi Hetzer is much thicker.


The UM Hetzer is much wider, but with the way the armored skirts of the Fujimi Hetzer stick out, the difference in width is not so apparent to the casual observer.


Now that I am looking at the photo of the Bulgarian Hetzer again, I also realize that I used the wrong type of rear idler and headlight. The color profile that I was working from got these wrong. The UM kit actually provides an idler like the one in the photo, but I'm not going to bother correcting it. Oh, well.