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With my enthusiasm for group builds still boundless (it gives me a direction for my modelling) I thought I would open the 2017 SPA with this;



AFV Club M109A6 "Paladin" with Voyager PE set, Voyager Lenses, aftermarket tracks (came bundled with the kit) and a Legend Stowage set. This is all sitting in the stash in Auckland awaiting my return on the 1st!

First glance suggests that the PE set is complete over kill and replaces some kit parts that on the spru look finely detailed enough. I suspect it will be used judiciously The tracks look like they will require a lot of work, each is 80 links, each made of 3 pieces, all attached to the spru by large gates.

I've also bought myself some Citadel "Chaos Black" primer. I've not found a primer yet that I 100% like or trust, but Philipp gets good results with it so I thought I would give it a crack.

Anyone know a good set of American Tankers, modern, busts are OK? I'm struggling to find some crew to fill at least one of the hatches.

Adam

Very nice

Citadel spray paint should work quite good on plastic, resin and photoetch. I better hope it works good because once it's on it won't come off again

Sorry, no idea regarding US Armour crews. But I think Masterbox (or was it Miniart?) did a set recently, or maybe announced it...?

I still haven't decided if I want to do the Flammhetzer or the Marder.....

Philipp

Nice kit Adam. Mine is the good old Italeri which needs to boost up a bit. But this will be another story.
I will be interested in your feedback about the Riich tracks as the Italeri ones are wrong and ugly.

And we are away! I wasn't called in for most of the morning so gave me a chance to trim some of the track parts from the sprue. I've made up a short length, but this took me most of the morning. The Riich tracks are nice but a real fiddle to clean up each of the 3 parts in each link. The instructions say 80 links per side, but the real thing has 67-68 so I'm going to test fit as I go.



This will be it for a few days, back on holiday tomorrow until the 4th, unlucky for me I'm on call again, but lucky for me thats most of my call for Jan done in one go!

Adam

Waiting at the airport to fly back down to the family in Wanaka. Completed one run of the Riich tracks last night. Verdict, fiddly but a huge step up on the rubber band tracks in the kit. I haven't built the running gear yet but they do fit the drive sprocket nicely. I've based the length of the run on the kit track so some adjustment may be necessary.

Weather is meant to turn so I have packed some modeling stuff and the parts for the howitzer which I cut off the sprue and labeled last night!

No chance to do any modelling today, weather was good so went wine tasting instead!

Mt. Difficulty vineyard at Bannochburn, Central Otago. It's on an old gold field just out of Queenstown, directly behind where I took this panoramic pic are all the old tailings. Good rocky soil for growing Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris!

Great choice Adam

Love the overloaded extra storage too, it will really personalise the build

Tracks are going to be a beast, but they really do soar above the rubber band offerings that come with some kits

Have a glass for us all, whilst we catch up

Enjoy the break and build

Regards

Steve H

What are you doing in Northern Italy?

No matter, enjoy yourself

Philipp

Looking good Adam. Like Steve, I think the extra stowage will make a real impact on this build. Those tracks look very fiddly.

Vincent

Adam Durrant wrote:No chance to do any modelling today, weather was good so went wine tasting instead!

Waiting for a good weather to taste wine, you need to visit France