BIG IDEAS

I have not managed to do much in the way of modelling lately. The natural light has diminished now and my halogen lamp, which came from a car boot sale, has finally decided to pack up. Without it my old eyes simply aren't good enough to continue, so I have been checking out some awesome stuff on You Tube. There is a video of a 1:7 scale Apache helicopter with moving pilot, gunner, target locator and gun, as well as being well detailed, fantastic. There are numerous clips of 1:4 and 1:6 scale radio controlled tanks which are brilliant. If only I had the cash and the space to build one and the truck I would need to transport one of those 200kg monsters. I have been spending more time on the computer than ever and am sure this is down to the fact that there is so little worth watching on TV. We british seem obsessed with hospitals 3 hours of these each week at prime time. The Downton Abbey series seems to fascinate for some reason, why are we so interested in stories about a world of the have and have nots and the class ridden society which plagued our past. It also seems that we need to know as much about the American election as the average American citizen as it dominates vast sections of our domestic news programmes. I wonder if there is coverage of our elections in America. I somehow doubt it, although I will never find out, having never been there and having no money or even a passport am never likely to find out. There is one other reason of course, like Frankie Boyle, I am terrified of flying and have never set foot on an aeroplane. This fear is nearly as rational of my fear of snakes, which I have only ever seen on TV, although I did see one in Scotland, but this is disputed by the rest of the family who insist it was a slow worm. I didn't hang around long enough to confirm my suspicion. There are one or two programmes that I do enjoy, DCI Banks, Wanted and the great American series Homeland, now in its second season. Ah well that's life. One thing is or sure I know more about the presidential election than I do about the forthcoming election of police commissioners in England, 

My generation

I like millions of others grew up in the sixties when there were less things to occupy our time. We still played outside and were allowed to roam far and free on our bikes and on foot. We built camps in the woods, which by the way weren't inhabited by hoards of ramblers or schools of mountain bikes. Sometimes the only things to see were deer,squirrels, foxes and birds. We played football till it was dark and then switched to other games like 'kerbie' and 'lampie'. Like many other lads we had dads and grandparents who had played a part in WWII. The model kits available often resonated with their memories and kindled our imaginations. We also had lads comics like The Victor and Commando to keep us fired up. I think it was last year that a hardback book was released with some of the favourite commando stories. I wonder what the average age of the reader was ? It wasn't until the late seventies that anything approaching electronic toys became available. My kiids have never known a time when the playstation, gameboy, xbox, laptops and complex mobile phones weren't part of their lives. I suppose a box of plastic bits, a few pots of paint, some glue and instructions, about a vehicle that they know nothing about and a period of time that is no longer taught for the majority of their school lives, would generate much interest. Computer generated games are far more instant and gratifying. 

So what is to become of the hobby, will it dwindle and fade away with the children of the sixties, or will it make a revival. There are still many suppliers still out there, although I did lose my most local supplier, due to lack of demand, and now use Wonderland models which is only a few miles further in the opposite direction. The internet is fantastic for sourcing models paint and other bits and bobs. I ask the question again, what is the future of this hobbby ?

The large 1:35 scale boats demonstrate the detail you can show at this scale. It would be a real shame if it faded away from a popular pastime.

For many years I hand painted my models. I was bought an airbrush as a present and decided to give it a go. The first model I used it on was the Vosper for weathering of the hull mainly. most of the model was sprayed using acrylic spray paint, due to the size. The results were quite good, but it was evident that I would need more practice to get the best effects. The next project I tackled was one of the unsung heroes of the second world war, that was the 2 and a half ton Amercan truck, nicknamed the Jimmy. This was an even better result, where I experimented with more weathering effects. On the subsequent Famo tank transporter I used it for the three tone camouflage used by many units on the western and eastern fronts. From examining posts, left on various forums, it seems that some units hand painted camouflage, while others used spray. The hand painted versions had a hard edge, while the spray versions had a softer edge. For my Famo I followed the Bishops Hobbies version and was grateful for the great pictures and build sequence on the website. I still hand painted the road wheels and other details, as I still can't figure out how to get a good result with an airbrush. On my Schnellboot I sprayed the hull, deck and superstructure with Tamiya acrylic sprays, again due to the size of the kit and the result gave a very good finish.

These are a couple more shots of the Vosper.

  

These two shots are of my Famo, which is displayed on a metre long shelf painted with Tamiya textured paint. it also includes the BMW R75 motorcycle and machine gun troops on exercise. The commander examining his broken down Stug is the decorated Bodo Spranz.

For many years I did very little in terms of modelling, something seemed to take up my time. As a dad, our children, all three of them, were our priority and I also had to fit in some time to work. Once upon a time I used to enjoy working as a teacher but that eroded away with time targets and management decisions and that is putting it politely. As time passed and the kids have grown both me and my wife have found that we have more time on our hands. Since 2010, when I was made redundant I have had an abundance of time to fill and modelling has taken up some of that time. 

I don't spend all of my time modelling and I doubt if even the most ardent fan of the hobby does. Sometimes all I want to do is watch TV or read a good book. Sometimes I have to go outside and mow the lawn. The one thing that has changed most of all is the research I now do when constructing a kit. I have always read comprehensively and have a number of reference books on the things that interest me. However, with the time available to me, the internet has become an invaluable source of images and facts that no amount of reference books could be stored in a normal household. I have found this fascinating and intriguing, almost like being a journalist, peeling off the layers of a story, until we get to the core. In some cases I found it frustrating, for instance the my M3 a1 had a smooth floor when it should have had a textured floor, which led me to cover the floor with stuff. My SAS jeep could be configured in any way I wanted, as they were such individual vehicles and the Schnellboot led me into the world of intrigue and spies, which has given me an idea for a story that I would like to turn into a novel or something, perhaps I will pursue that idea, who knows. 

A SdKfz 232 one of the most unusual recon vehicles of WW2 apparently a favourite for those in the field,perhaps because of its fast road speed. My model comes complete with added dust.

1:35 scale and powered vehicles.

I was reading about the origin of this scale and found that it came about as it was the ideal size for a vehicle to carry the B size batteries used  to power the motor for the tracks. So it was more by coincidence than choice. It just so happens to be an ideal scale for adding a high degree of detailing, which has improved enormously over the years with the introduction of etched brass  and resin kits available for the ardent modeller. Tamiya were ahead of the game in their distinctive style of box art, which has remained constant in all the years I have been buying kits. Initially I remember the kits that I made did include a motor and metal gearbox, which powered the rear wheels. I also remember that most of the kits I made wouldn't run. I'm sure it was down to my lack of skill but I always blamed the design of the tracks. A case of the worker blaming his tools perhaps. The only ones I remember working were a Saladin armoured car and a Sheridan medium tank, used during the Vietnam war. The Sheridan tank was a curious machine with a short main gun and a low profile and relatively small. I suppose ideal for the jungle conditions it was designed for. All of the hulls for these models had supports for the batteries moulded inside.

My model of the Graham Hill lotus in its distinctive red and gold livery, sporting a rear wing, a new addition at the time also had a small motor inside the engine block with the AA batteries under the cockpit.  This was connected to the rear axle and was meant to power the rear wheels. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be able to power the car or if it was simply meant as something for display purposes. I did try the car out on the carpet but it simply tore the half shafts apart , leading to a rather messy repair and a very disappointed young teenage lad. There  are no photographs of this model as it's another casualty of time.

I also built a 1:16 scale Tamiya Centurion tank, which if i remember correctly had two motors. Another distinctive feature was the individual track links. This was a very successful model and was a delight to watch as I sent it trundling across the assault course of my parents back garden, which was mainly a vegetable plot. A good friend of mine also had an interest in AFV's,his dad worked at the Armstrong Vickers factory. He had a remote controlled American tank, I can't remember which one it was but the garden soon resembled the trenches of the great war.

This is a Tamiya Kruppe Protze, a six wheeled light transport vehicle for infantry and in this case towing a 37mm anti tank gun. Compared with the mighty 88mm the 37mm looks tiny, but at the outset of the second world war the majority of tanks were still in the early years of their evolution and were relatively light and thin skinned and the relatively light Protze and the 37mm were ideal for the tactics of blitzkrieg.

I enjoyed building this kit as it had an interesting suspension system, some good crew and simply looks good.

GROWING UP

The very first model I remember building was a Russian fighter plane, I can't remember which one, it was over 45 years ago. I painted it with some green Humbrol enamel paint, not the neatest job and as I remember I got more paint on myself than on the plane, it must have looked a real mess but I was pleased with it. The shop I used to buy things from was run by a retired RAF pilot, who flew Sunderland flying boats during the war. The shop was en route to the new fangled supermarket that had opened in the village. We used to visit it on Saturday morning. We bought the shopping and carried it back home, we didn't have a car, and it was close enough. I was simply along to help with the bags but I liked going because I might get to choose something like a new yoghurt, a new and strange product at the time, or a branded cereal for breakfast and there was always the prospect of a new model, or a Matchbox car. Nearly all the models I bought at this time came from this shop. I think the shop was run by a man called John Hair but I'm not sure. Everything I built was 1:72 scale and by Airfix. Looking at the Airfix book I remember so many of the model, mostly planes and ships but there were others such as a larger scale bus and the 1:24 scale Spitfire, which had a motor in to turn the propeller. All of my models were painted with Humbrol paints, I don't think there was much else available, If there was I was not aware of it. Remember there was no internet then back in the late 60's and early 70's. Painting was difficult and I did my best to copy the instructions. I don't have any of these early efforts left, they were thrown away when I left home, or simply broke. It seems so strange now to look back and wonder how we got by without the internet for shopping or research. I haven't visited a model shop in years and my library of reference books seems so small and inadequate compared to the amount of information available at my fingertips.

As a teenager i began to take the bus into Newcastle by myself and discovered a model shop on what was then Blenhim street, I'm not sure of the spelling but neither the shop or the street survive today, now it is simply a road, which by coincidence had the pub on where i met my wife, The Broken Doll, a much later occurrence. However this three storey shop was heaven on earth for me. It was here that I first discovered 1:35 scale Tamiya kits and a new modelling experience began.

A Tamiya quad tractor and 25 pounder gun, famed for its role in the North African campaign. I have often wondered if the allies compared their artillery and tanks to those of there counterparts, like the Germans did with the T34.

I've taken some more photographs, even though the light is absolutely terrible the rain and cloud cover has made today extremely grim. The first views are of my Sherman, made some time ago it lacks some attention to detailing but it still gives a good idea of a laden D Day tank.

The next view is of the British Churchill tank.

The next view is of the Panzer mark IV with a high velocity 75mm gun. I believe that some units operating in Normandy were hand painted in this style of camoflage, which I tried to recreate here.

This image is of the brilliant T34.

The Germans tried to recreate the features of this tank in the Panzer mark V

All of these models are from Tamiya, with the exception of the T 34 which is a Dragon kit. My  final view today is of the tank that was most feared by the allies, the Panzer mark VI or Tiger. It did have some impressive results on occasion but did not live up to its reputation, partly because of unreliability and also simply because the Nazis could not produce enough of them, mainly due to damage to the infrastructure from allied bombing, another subject I shall touch on in further blogs.

 Well that's all for today, I hope you enjoy the images and how I came to be interested in tanks. If you would like to comment please feel free.  

TANKS

My interest in tanks can be traced back a long way. As a young lad I lived in a small rural village, first Victoria Garesfield, then Rowlands Gill, along the Derwent valley. The nearest large city was Newcastle and when I went shopping with my mum we took the bus into town. The bus used to cross the river Tyne at the Scotswood bridge and turn right along Scotswood road. As the bus rumbled along the road The vast expanse of the Armstrong Vickers factory was on the right hand side, following the course of the Tyne. To the left were street upon street of victorian terraced housing for the huge workforce employed within the factory. Through the misted up bus windows it was difficult for me to imagine what life was like in such a crowded environment. At the end of many of the streets was a pub with names that evoked the workers and industrial nature of the area. There were pubs named " The Hydraulic Crane" "Forge and Hammer" "Blast Furnace" "The Mechanic" and many more, I think there were over 40 pubs along that road, which seemed to go on forever.

Sometimes I got a glimpse of one of the tanks being tested along the road. The noise of the powerful engines, the sleek low profile, huge gun and the sheer enormity was a thrilling sight and caught my imagination which has stayed with me, despite the fact that these machines are deadly weapons and in the wrong hands can cause utter devastation.

The factory had been producing tanks since their introduction at the battle of the Somme in 1915. The name "tank" derives from its conception by the RNAS which needed armoured vehicles to protect aircraft bases as far as 50 miles inland of Dunkirk. The term derives fromit looking similar to an upturned water tank and some other terms such as 'hull' and 'sponson' also show links to the senior service.

One of the development team at the factory, Walter Wilson came up with the self changing gears and epicyclic geared steering systems. A system which revolutionised the development of these machines. Another person interested in the possible uses of these new weapons was Heinz Guderian, a young German officer, who was to become one of the tacticians of blitzkreig. He saw the potential of the tank on a modern battlefield. British development continued but the military failed to think in such flexible terms as to how they could use this new technology. They maintained that the length of the gun should not extend beyond the hull as it would become fouled when fighting through hedgerows. In hindsight an error demonstrated by the huge guns mounted on the Panther and Tiger tanks.

I continued to read about tank development and decided to make some replica models in 1:35 scale to demonstrate some of the developments during the second world war. I chose to make the most influential allied tanks, the Sherman and T34. Possibly the most influential because of the vast quantity in which the were manufactured, and their simplicity. The T34 was hugely superior in design. Its sloped armour could withstand more punishment, as sloping the armour gave it greater straight line thickness and its wide tracks were more suited to the Russian terrain of mud and snow and it was less likely to freeze up in the harsh winter temperatures. The Germans copied some of its features in the Mark V Panther tank, however overcomplicated gearing and production snags, partly due to the antics of the slave workers forced to build them, led to many breakdowns, ultimately they were never produced in sufficient numbers to have any effect. 

The Sherman was also produced in vast numbers, again some of its features made it easy to maintain and it was very reliable and efficient.However it was handicapped by thin armour an an inadequate main gun. It underwent many modifications, even becoming a floating version for use on D Day. It also had its weak spots, manly its propensity to catch fire when hit. I also made a replica of a Churchill tank, again a vehicle that was a workhorse of the allies and undergoing many modifications, notably  some of Hobarts funnies, such as mine flails, known as the crab,there was also the flame throwing crocodile and. bridge building variants.

On the Axis side I made the Panzer IV, the workhorse of the army during the majority of the war and possibly their best tank, again not produced in enough numbers. I also made the Panzer V Panther, as I have already mentioned and the formidable Panzer VI or Tiger tank.

This was a massive machine at 54 tons. It had 100mm of frontal armour, 80mm of side armour and a massive 88mm main gun. This meant that it was inpenatrable to allied tank shells and could knock out any allied tank. However it was slow heavy and required much attention. Another of its features, its wheels, were a particularly complex configuration, which meant that replacing one of the inner road wheels meant removing many of the other road wheels.

There are many others that I could build as significant fighting vehicles and given the space and time perhaps I will.

I shall post images of my collection shortly in my next blog.

I looked at my blog and thought perhaps the addition of some of my allied vehicles might give the reader a better view of the projects I have undertaken as I have made a number of kits most of which reflect some of the most important allied vehicles used from Normandy and in the North African campaign. My biggest constraint is space as I work almost exclusively in 1:35 scale. My collection of tanks take up one shelf alone and there is almost no windowsill space left and I still have ideas for a number of new projects, although the cost is also very prohibitive as I have limited funds. My current project is a 15cwt British truck and I will post photos of this in production.

This is my SAS jeep with added detail.

A Sherman tank onboard a 50ft LCM, as used at OMAHA beach.

Further detail of US troops waiting to disembark.

Another view of my VOSPER MTB.

An M3 A1 as used during the Normandy campaign.

I also include a couple of other shots of the SCHNELLBOOT as detail shots for those that might want to tackle this model, which claims to be the largest 1:35 scale kit, although it is not as there is a massive railway gun available, which simply isn't practical  for a modeller with limited space. It looks  to be about 2m long and I believe weighs about 50lbs. More a museum piece I think.

Hunter's hobbies

I have been modelling for most of my life, beginning at the tender age of 5 or 6. I started off with small Airfix kits that you could buy for a few bob. they came in clear plastic bags with basic construction and simple instructions. I built up an impressive force of aircraft, tanks and ships. In the mid seventies more detailed 1:35 Japanese kits started appearing and I continued to build these. Other memorable kits were the 1:12 scale formula 1 cars of Graham Hill  and the Renault of Rene Arnoux. The most memorable aircraft kit was the 1:48 scale Lancaster bomber, which has always been a favourite of mine. The models also had some practical value as I used to use them to demonstrate scale when teaching students in mathematics.

My love of building scale replicas has continued to the present day. My main interest has been AFVs from the second world war. There are so many examples to choose from on the market today and with the addition of etched brass and resin parts customising to match individual examples is endless. I have recently been building 1:35 scale boats. The VOSPER MTB (shown above) and the metre long SCHNELLBOOT, thankfully I have a very understanding wife !  

This magnificent model shown here, pictured on a lovely sunny day, is not yet completed, as I am waiting for the reissue of a resin kit for EMC mines to fit on the stern of the boat. This is to replicate the boats that were involved in the disaster of operation tiger at Slapton sands in 1944. My boat is a replica of kommandant Hans Jurgen based inRotterdam, Holland 1945. I have added a resin inflatable to the rear of the boat which adds extra interest.

 Another fascinating aspect of this hobby is the research that is needed to faithfully recreate the models. For the schnellboot I uncovered some fascinating stories and some great images. The internet is absolutely brilliant as a tool for this. One of my projects was to build a FAMO and SD.AH.116 trailer, again another large kit at nearly 650mm long. I had two pictures in my own library but found an excellent site which I used for painting and construction tips. I also researched the units the vehicle was attached to and added the sturgeschutz 3 of the 237 stug brigade based in Russia 1943. This led me to investigate what this brigade was involved in during this time and I discovered that they were used in the battle of Smolensk on the Dneiper river and I added the decorated Bodo Sprantz to my finished diorama, examining his broken down vehicle, It would be incorrect to call it a tank as they were considered to be mobile artillery.

As you can see it is very difficult to fit the completed model in one image so I took some more detailed shots.

I have many other images of other models I have made and many more detail shots, although I find lighting the shots difficult, as natural light is best and our climate means that suitable light is rarely available. I have included  another couple of images of a flakvierling  but I have many more, which I may add at a later date, depending on interest in the blog. I have also considered taking orders to make replica pieces for others but the cost may be a prohibitive factor as the finished articles are difficult to transport, without damage and the cost of putting them in display cases adds even more cost, however it does make dusting the models a much less traumatic and time consuming process. I'm afraid my long suffering wife won't touch my collection.