Catching Up

Given the weather, summertime, etc., it's been a month since I last posted. So here's  an update on my active projects.

T-34/76 Model 1941 Cast Turret, 72nd Scale:

Most of the stowage has been added and painted but not shaded. I added rolled tarps to each side, extra track links to the front and right side, and a tow cable and shovel to the left side. I'm still going to add a chain to the front of the hull and that should do it for this go-round.

Next I'll airbrush the lower hull and running gear with a brown-black mixture and then apply an overall flat finish to the model. After that it's on to adding some scratches, possibly some dry brushing if I need to bring out some details, and then a light dust coat. While all that is in progress, I'll be prepping a base and groundwork.

I'm still not totally happy with the darkness of the green finish (it's MUCH darker than in the photo above), but I'll correct that on other Russian tanks!

Steyr 1500A/01:

Shown above are the two radio tables with most of the equipment attached. Next up is drilling all the holes for the wiring. I have several packages of lead wire in thicknesses ranging from 0.2mm to 1.0mm which I'll be using and have also picked-up a couple spools of fly tying wire, just in case. I'm still trying to noodle-out the best order for wiring, painting, and attaching all this to the Steyr itself. I have a feeling that my experience in rigging model ships will come in handy!

T-34/76 Model 1941 Cast Turret, 35th Scale:

Yes, another Russian tank! I enjoyed the Dragon 72nd scale T-34 so much that I found its "big brother"--almost the same model in 35th scale! The only differences that I have seen so far lie in the stowage and the hull attachments. This kit does not include the large auxiliary fuel tanks attached to the rear deck but I found a set of aftermarket PE from Aber that should do the trick nicely. My plan is to build it out-of-the-box with the exception of those fuel tanks.

Steyr 1500A/01 - The Business End

The rear section behind the front seats will be filled with two tables holding all sorts of radio and teletype gear, two chairs, and a whole host of wartime miscellany. I decided to construct and paint all of these off of the vehicle due to the detailing involved.

Shown above is the larger of the two tables. I replaced the Verlinden table top with a piece of scribed styrene to which I attached two styrene rod supports. (There are PE brackets on both legs which do not show in the photo.) The PE table back was formed around the edges of the top and two PE drawers and a writing surface were constructed and attached. Below the table is one of the resin batteries and its PE case and strap.

Next up is the construction of the two resin chairs. Then it's time to get out the razor saw and scalpels to hack and cut at all the resin radio pieces! (Cough, cough.) Because everything is out in the open, there's no getting by without wiring it all up, so it's off to find some fly tying wire this weekend.

Steyr 1500A/01 - Body Nearing Completion

As you can see above, I am just about finished constructing the body of this little gem. I decided to go ahead and add most of the parts and just paint everything in situ. We'll see how that decision turns out in a week or so! I've added some extras from the Verlinden detail kit: the resin windscreen/cover and the folded top as well as various PE bits to "dress it up" a bit. The only kit parts still missing are the doors, seats, and steering wheel. The steering wheel and seats will be added after the dash is painted. As I'm planning on leaving some of the doors open, they will be attached just before painting the body.

I also need to construct and add the PE cable reel which will be attached on the top of the spare tire housing and a PE exterior antenna mount which will be located on the exterior body just in front of the rear left door opening.

Steyr 1500A/01 - Body Work Continues

At this point, I have added the two-part PE grill to the front hood area and have attached that assembly to the body. The support bar has been added behind the front seat blocks and a few items such as the jack, rear light, and rear license number plate have been attached. Lastly, the chassis and suspension were attached to the bottom of the body. The white dots in the rear are where I filled the holes for the rear seats which will not be used due to the radio tables configuration. The front seats and wheel assemblies are all complete and will be attached after painting. The doors will be added later after I decide the open/closed question.

I have cleaned-up the "fiddly bits" for the left and right fenders and have them ready for attachment. I'm planning on using the Verlinden covered windscreen and folded boot. That will bring me to the point where I begin fabricating the radio compartment in the rear.

At least it's beginning to look like a Steyr! Two more photos:

Steyr 1500A/01 - Initial Construction

As with most softskins, construction began with the chassis. The photo above shows the result of the first four steps. Only the lower half of the engine is provided but that's not a problem for me as the hood is modeled closed on this vehicle and I have no intention on opening it. I'm not sure what Tamiya did to update their molds, if anything, but there is a remarkable absence of mold lines on any of the parts in my kit. (Especially the leaf springs--the bane of my existence.) Minimal clean-up was needed and everything fit together nearly perfectly. I particularly liked how the wheels were done. The outer part of the wheel and the complete tire were one part to which was added the inner wheel section--no join line to clean-up on the tires! The poly caps were missing from my kit but that wasn't a problem for me as they can be more trouble than they're worth.

In Step 5 the dash and steering column were added to the firewall and the four "walls" of the body constructed. The way the rear section is constructed makes it easy to square-up the body. Simply attach the two side sections to the rear first, followed by the firewall to the two side sections. As you can see I've opted for the exterior spare tire stowage which corresponds to the Dora vehicle I'm modeling.

The photo above illustrates Step 6 in which the various transmission and shifting levers and seat blocks are added to the floor. The treadplate is finely reproduced. So far I haven't replaced any of the kit parts with those from the Velinden set since most of the kit parts are actually better molded than the resin ones. The after-market parts will come into play mainly for the rear radio compartment. I still need to fill the locating holes in the floor for the rear bench seats which will not be used.

Any questions/comments can be added to this post or placed on Facebook.

Steyr 1500A/01 - The Kit

My next project is Tamiya’s 1/35 scale “German Steyr Type 1500A/01 with Africa Corps Infantry at Rest” (no. 35305).  This kit caught my eye awhile back so I added it to my stash. What caused me to move it to the top of the pile was my acquisition of the Verlinden “Steyr Radio & Command” set (no. 1409).

This kit is loaded with “bonuses” for me: It’s a World War II German special unit, in North Africa; it’s a softskin that is not often modeled; and, with the addition of the detail set, it has oodles of radios and other assorted PE and resin bits!

This kit is actually a re-issue of an earlier Steyr by Tamiya. For this kit they added four new figures (with an extra set of arms), in addition to the two from the original kit, and gave the whole kit an Afrikakorp theme. The new figures are suited for the desert as they are wearing ankle boots and shorts. One is bare-chested while the other three wear shirts with rolled-up sleeves. Personal equipment is also included: soft caps, pistol holster, goggles, pith helmets, DAK canteen, DAK large metal water containers (one with the lid off), large rolled tarp, and large bags. No weapons are included, which is a real shame. Also included as part of the new kit is a single grey sprue from the Tamiya German Jerry Can Set which contains three fuel drums with a tap and a hand pump, as well as eight jerry cans which are the later, more correct Tamiya jerry cans with the three pronged handle and separate filler cap.

I will address the rest of the kit during the construction posts.

Decals and painting guides are included for three vehicles:

·         Special Command Dora, Southern Libya, North Africa, 1942

·         69^th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 10^th Panzer Division, Tunisia, 1942

·         92^nd Independent Panzer Grenadier Regiment, Balkans, Spring-Summer 1944

I will include a post on Sonderkommando Dora soon!

Steyr 1500A/01 - The Real Deal

[For those of you following along, this might give you a hint as to my next project :)]

From the beginning of rearmament in the early 1930s, the Wehrmacht was keenly aware of the importance of mechanized units and of the need for reliable transport vehicles. Many different types were developed and tested but it soon became apparent that more efficient production was needed. The Schnell Program of 1940 standardized the production of wheeled vehicles for the Wehrmacht by reducing the number of truck- and passenger-type vehicles by two-thirds and by standardizing production into distinct classes of 1, 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6.5 tons.

One of the vehicles from the 1.5 ton class chosen for production was the Steyr 1500A. With its air-cooled 3.5 liter V8 engine and four-wheeled drive, the vehicle proved to be both rugged and reliable. The engine generated 85 horsepower and had an on-road top speed of 100km/hr. The body had a distinctive rounded hood and front guard and a front torsion bar and rear leaf spring suspension. The large ground clearance, a wading depth of 70 cm, and the air-cooling made the Steyr ideal for cross-country purposes.

The Steyr 1500A was produced in three main variants. The basic Steyr 1500 was a light duty pick-up truck. The 1500A/01 was a personnel transport for up to eight people and the 1500A/02 (Kommandeurwagen Kfz.21) was a luxurious, spacious command vehicle equipped with leather seats for five and a front seat that could be folded down into a bed. Many other variants were developed and refitted with different bodies for use as field ambulances, radio trucks, repair wagons, artillery tow vehicles, and field kitchens.

The Steyr was initially produced in Austria with 12,450 vehicles manufactured there between 1941 and 1944. An additional 5,600 units were produced in Germany by Auto-Union’s Wanderer factory at Sigmar and by Audi at Zwickau. The Steyr 1500A/01 with internal spare wheel was manufactured from September 1941 to around August 1942. Around August 1942, the superstructure was changed and the location of the spare wheel was moved outside of the car body. This model was manufactured until March 1944. Towards the end of the war some were produced with bulletproof windows and reinforced steel plates in the doors. Production ended with the bombing of the factories.

The Steyr 1500A was seen in every theater of war from the Balkans and Russia to North Africa and served in all Wehrmacht, SS, and Luftwaffe communications units until the end of the war. The Steyr rose to prominence in Tunisia where it was highly regarded for its reliable engine and performance and mobility.