Dragon Sdkfz 251/17 Ausf C Luftwaffe Version (2007)
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
Dragon Sdkfz 251/17 Ausf C Luftwaffe Version (2007)
Build Log for Dragon kit #6395 with Armorscale 2.0cm Flakrohr replacement barrel.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 05-20-2007
Work began today on this little project of one of the 251 variants that has always appealed to me, the drop-sided 251-17 outfitted with the Flak 38 and issued to the Luftwaffe troops in the Hermann Goering Division. Based on previous build experiences with other DML 251 kits, I decided to tackle the first 4 steps out of sequence in order to get the suspension and road wheels aligned properly on both sides. These 4 steps are pretty standard in the 251 series so some mixing and matching is possible and still come out with the same result in the end.
Step 1 deals with the installation of the non-visible interior guts and was skipped as a matter of course. None of the parts listed in this step will be installed.
Step 2 calls for the installation of the suspension arms and this is where I skipped around...I removed all the suspension arms from the sprues and cleaned them up but didn't glue them in place just yet. The armored housing, part D30, was installed as directed to the one-piece hull tub.
For Step 3, I assembled the front axle and suspension sub-assembly as directed, with only a minor problem with one of the wheel mounts, C30, being damaged on the sprue and requiring some repair first before it could be used. Because of the damage and repair, attachment arm that connects to C15 is a little on the weak side so the wheels won't be steerable, however the whole assembly can still rock laterally to help get a level position of the front wheels when the time comes.
This step also involves all the road wheels and this is an area that this kit has improved on according to the additional insert on the kit in terms of providing more accurate inner and outer road wheels. The instructions are not as clear as they could be since the replacement sprues are labeled as E...just like the old ones that are also included. The only difference is that the instructions have the new sprues and parts called out in Blue vs. Black for the old parts. This is confusing enough on its own, but it's compounded by the fact that some of the new parts and old parts have the same designation, for example both the outermost wheels and the second half of the paired middle wheels are labeled E2, just one is black and the other blue. One additional note on these wheels, the old ones are embossed with "Vorwerk" on the rims while the new ones have the familiar "Continentau"...so you'll end up with different manufacturers for the tires depending.
.
I also removed and assembled the main tires and wheels, these are the usual 2-part affairs and the slight seam that results was sanded down with a sanding twig.
Before attaching the road arms, I installed the bump stops as called for in Step 3, and the drive sprocket mounts, parts E10, as called for in Step 4 but didn't assemble the sprockets themselves just yet. Since these are handed, I will hold off until doing that later so as not to mix up which one goes where. Then the moment of truth...the suspension arms were glued in place. The reason I jumped around in these steps is due to the fact that the arms have a somewhat shallow join point to the hull that is paired with a locater pin, but the pin is not the same size as the mount hole and so has some play in it. This is critical as it can cause one side to sit slightly lower than the other if out by just a bit from one side to the other. To prevent this, I mounted all of the arms at the same time on both sides and then used blue tack to mount the road wheels and make adjustments to get the chassis to sit level with the wheels. This is somewhat of a challenge as the natural tendency of the wheels is to bow outward slightly if left to their own devices, so the blue tack is a handy way to simulate gluing to counteract this.
Next up will be the interior for the driver's area and floor.
Step 1 deals with the installation of the non-visible interior guts and was skipped as a matter of course. None of the parts listed in this step will be installed.
Step 2 calls for the installation of the suspension arms and this is where I skipped around...I removed all the suspension arms from the sprues and cleaned them up but didn't glue them in place just yet. The armored housing, part D30, was installed as directed to the one-piece hull tub.
For Step 3, I assembled the front axle and suspension sub-assembly as directed, with only a minor problem with one of the wheel mounts, C30, being damaged on the sprue and requiring some repair first before it could be used. Because of the damage and repair, attachment arm that connects to C15 is a little on the weak side so the wheels won't be steerable, however the whole assembly can still rock laterally to help get a level position of the front wheels when the time comes.
This step also involves all the road wheels and this is an area that this kit has improved on according to the additional insert on the kit in terms of providing more accurate inner and outer road wheels. The instructions are not as clear as they could be since the replacement sprues are labeled as E...just like the old ones that are also included. The only difference is that the instructions have the new sprues and parts called out in Blue vs. Black for the old parts. This is confusing enough on its own, but it's compounded by the fact that some of the new parts and old parts have the same designation, for example both the outermost wheels and the second half of the paired middle wheels are labeled E2, just one is black and the other blue. One additional note on these wheels, the old ones are embossed with "Vorwerk" on the rims while the new ones have the familiar "Continentau"...so you'll end up with different manufacturers for the tires depending.
. I also removed and assembled the main tires and wheels, these are the usual 2-part affairs and the slight seam that results was sanded down with a sanding twig.
Before attaching the road arms, I installed the bump stops as called for in Step 3, and the drive sprocket mounts, parts E10, as called for in Step 4 but didn't assemble the sprockets themselves just yet. Since these are handed, I will hold off until doing that later so as not to mix up which one goes where. Then the moment of truth...the suspension arms were glued in place. The reason I jumped around in these steps is due to the fact that the arms have a somewhat shallow join point to the hull that is paired with a locater pin, but the pin is not the same size as the mount hole and so has some play in it. This is critical as it can cause one side to sit slightly lower than the other if out by just a bit from one side to the other. To prevent this, I mounted all of the arms at the same time on both sides and then used blue tack to mount the road wheels and make adjustments to get the chassis to sit level with the wheels. This is somewhat of a challenge as the natural tendency of the wheels is to bow outward slightly if left to their own devices, so the blue tack is a handy way to simulate gluing to counteract this.
Next up will be the interior for the driver's area and floor.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 05-25-2007
Managed to get an early start on the holiday weekend today with some time on this project. I continued with Steps 5 and 6, installing the details for the driver's area that need to be painted the interior colors, leaving off the others that will be painted separately and installed. Some of the details are soft in this area, for example the heater pipe is molded in place and the driver's foot pedals are just square pieces with no detail, but these are areas that are hard to see anyhow so not a huge deal in the long run. The seats are dry fit for now with blue tack to protect their mount areas during paint and the seat halves themselves are also detachable for easier detailing.
Step 7 calls for the installation of the floor to the hull tub, but I held off doing this until I had Steps 8-10 also ready to go to insure a good alignment between the floor, the hull sides, and rear doors.
Step 8 deals with the side tub panels and the installation of the rear seats. Options are provided for either bench style seats or individual seats with support mounts. The one photo of the open rear area that I was able to find (featured online on numerous sites and also in the Squadron 251 In Action) seemed to show the bench style, so I went with that option. It's worth noting that if you choose the individual seat, you will have to fill the open mount holes in the floor that are meant to take the bench type base. I left the seat cushions themselves off for now to aid in their detailing prior to installation. Same thing for the crew MP40s that mount near the front of the compartment.
There were several large but not too deep sink marks to deal with on each side panel. Some were removed with the knife edge and light sanding, others required a bit of putty help. It was only after doing this and test fitting the location of the base plate for the Flak mount that I discovered that the middle sink marks are hidden from view, the others however would still be visible in different spots depending.
Step 9 has one of the more fiendishly complex constructions to deal with on any of the 251 Ausf C family, the rear door hinges. Each door hinge is "trapped" between 4 different supports and can be, if very careful, left workable to allow the doors to open and close. I fixed mine in position since I didn't want the aggravation of trying to make this work and had no need for the doors to be in the open position since this is an open topped vehicle to begin with. One thing that the instructions don't point out is that parts D4, which make up the upper half of the "trap" points for the smaller hinge arms, are installed on the upper hull portion part A27. The parts show up in the diagrams as magically installed on top of the hinge points instead of on the supports on A27 and nowhere in the instructions are D4 called out, so be aware of that in the assembly. In order to complete the door installation properly, A27 needs to be installed in this step and not wait until Step 10.
Step 9 also calls for the installation of the front and side visors for the driver's area. The parts are a mix of clear and regular styrene depending. The side ports consist entirely of clear parts while the front ports have the visors in regular styrene with only the interior parts in clear, something that makes more sense in my opinion although not sure why they did it for one set and not the other. The radio was also installed, taking care to align it in the proper position (slightly proud rather than flush) to allow for the necessary clearance with the instrument panel.
One of the modifications in terms of new parts for this vehicle is part F14, the roof of the driver's compartment. It doesn't have any details to it top or bottom, and while the old kit parts B32 and B33 are present on the sprues for the crew bump pads, the instructions don't direct their installation for some reason. It's an odd oversight since these should be present as standard features on all 251s, but it was easily enough corrected since the old kit part for the crew roof is also provided with locater marks on where the pads should go...so just a matter of setting the two side by side and then placing the pads.
For Step 10, I only completed part of the step before painting the interior. I installed the floor that was on hold from Step 7 and the hull side plates on hold from Step 8. Once happy with their placement, I installed the rear hull section which was a very good fit with only some light use of liquid glue and finger pressure to get joined up. I installed the bracing brackets for the exterior as well to insure the alignment was correct. These parts are incorrectly labeled as C37(38 ) in Step 11, they are instead F37(38 ).
I've test fit the front hull and everything looks solid, so I'll likely paint those tomorrow prior to installation. One thing that I've also noted is that the fender mount pegs will be visible at the rear area just behind the bench seat cushions even when the deck plate for the Flak is installed. These, along with the notches at the top of the rear hull section (left over from the original as the mount points for canvas support bows), will need to be filled first before painting. One of the consequences of using old and new parts I suppose but nothing that can't be dealt with using standard methods.
Step 7 calls for the installation of the floor to the hull tub, but I held off doing this until I had Steps 8-10 also ready to go to insure a good alignment between the floor, the hull sides, and rear doors.
Step 8 deals with the side tub panels and the installation of the rear seats. Options are provided for either bench style seats or individual seats with support mounts. The one photo of the open rear area that I was able to find (featured online on numerous sites and also in the Squadron 251 In Action) seemed to show the bench style, so I went with that option. It's worth noting that if you choose the individual seat, you will have to fill the open mount holes in the floor that are meant to take the bench type base. I left the seat cushions themselves off for now to aid in their detailing prior to installation. Same thing for the crew MP40s that mount near the front of the compartment.
There were several large but not too deep sink marks to deal with on each side panel. Some were removed with the knife edge and light sanding, others required a bit of putty help. It was only after doing this and test fitting the location of the base plate for the Flak mount that I discovered that the middle sink marks are hidden from view, the others however would still be visible in different spots depending.
Step 9 has one of the more fiendishly complex constructions to deal with on any of the 251 Ausf C family, the rear door hinges. Each door hinge is "trapped" between 4 different supports and can be, if very careful, left workable to allow the doors to open and close. I fixed mine in position since I didn't want the aggravation of trying to make this work and had no need for the doors to be in the open position since this is an open topped vehicle to begin with. One thing that the instructions don't point out is that parts D4, which make up the upper half of the "trap" points for the smaller hinge arms, are installed on the upper hull portion part A27. The parts show up in the diagrams as magically installed on top of the hinge points instead of on the supports on A27 and nowhere in the instructions are D4 called out, so be aware of that in the assembly. In order to complete the door installation properly, A27 needs to be installed in this step and not wait until Step 10.
Step 9 also calls for the installation of the front and side visors for the driver's area. The parts are a mix of clear and regular styrene depending. The side ports consist entirely of clear parts while the front ports have the visors in regular styrene with only the interior parts in clear, something that makes more sense in my opinion although not sure why they did it for one set and not the other. The radio was also installed, taking care to align it in the proper position (slightly proud rather than flush) to allow for the necessary clearance with the instrument panel.
One of the modifications in terms of new parts for this vehicle is part F14, the roof of the driver's compartment. It doesn't have any details to it top or bottom, and while the old kit parts B32 and B33 are present on the sprues for the crew bump pads, the instructions don't direct their installation for some reason. It's an odd oversight since these should be present as standard features on all 251s, but it was easily enough corrected since the old kit part for the crew roof is also provided with locater marks on where the pads should go...so just a matter of setting the two side by side and then placing the pads.
For Step 10, I only completed part of the step before painting the interior. I installed the floor that was on hold from Step 7 and the hull side plates on hold from Step 8. Once happy with their placement, I installed the rear hull section which was a very good fit with only some light use of liquid glue and finger pressure to get joined up. I installed the bracing brackets for the exterior as well to insure the alignment was correct. These parts are incorrectly labeled as C37(38 ) in Step 11, they are instead F37(38 ).
I've test fit the front hull and everything looks solid, so I'll likely paint those tomorrow prior to installation. One thing that I've also noted is that the fender mount pegs will be visible at the rear area just behind the bench seat cushions even when the deck plate for the Flak is installed. These, along with the notches at the top of the rear hull section (left over from the original as the mount points for canvas support bows), will need to be filled first before painting. One of the consequences of using old and new parts I suppose but nothing that can't be dealt with using standard methods.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 05-26-2007
First order of business today was to attend to the problem noted yesterday with the fender mount pins and the open hulls on the interior. I decided on using some sheet styrene, cut 3mm x 3mm, to blank over the hole and then sanded it down smooth with the surface instead of using putty. This allowed me to put off mounting the fenders and get the interior painted up sooner rather than later.
Next up, continuing the skipping around from step to step, the drop-down hull sides needed the hinge arms installed as further preparation for painting. The hull sides are identical but the diagrams call for the hinge mounts, parts F29 and F31, to be reversed depending on the side you are working on. Unfortunately, the diagram that is presented is itself backward but the visual layout of the hinge points is correct, the key is that the plates are flush to the edge and the semi-circular point is at the top. Took me a couple of minutes to get it straight and I only did one at a time until I had it figured out. This is a critical installation step since the hinge points need to be matched up correctly with the interior mount points to install the sides properly. The secondary diagram that shows how to construct the hinge arms in either the open or closed position also contains an error...it has the parts numbered backward to each other and again repeats the mirror error for the base plates (the key with this step is that the short arm mounts to the hinge base plate and the long arm rests in the semi-circular cutout). Ultimately I got all four installed in the closed position but the instructions were less than stellar in this particular area.
Everything was then moved to the garage for some AB work. I primed with Italian Dark Brown and then applied an overcoat of Afrika Braun which Testor's claims is RAL 8020. I decided to go with the RAL 8020 instead of the dunkelgelb base as it seemed more appropriate to me for Tunisia (using the Tigers sent to N. Africa as an example), although I will still apply the dark green stripes to the exterior.
I then set to work detailing the interior. Somewhere along the way I misplaced the decals for the instrument panel and ended up hand-painting them instead. Thankfully, all the details are raised, making it easier to use dry-brushing to bring them out. The PE backings for the seats were installed and the seats fixed permanently in position.
Then it was back to Step 10 to take care of some of the missing installations there, namely the hull top and engine access hatches. The hatches were a very tight fit with each other, requiring just a touch of liquid glue to secure in place. I also installed the armored vent covers and the rifle racks on both sides. I decided to leave the racks empty since all of the reference photos that I've been able to get my hands on show them empty. This step isn't quite complete, I still need to install the PE brackets and handles on the rear hull sides and attach the jerry can racks to the rear doors, but it's that much closer to returning to the "normal" order of the steps.
Next up, continuing the skipping around from step to step, the drop-down hull sides needed the hinge arms installed as further preparation for painting. The hull sides are identical but the diagrams call for the hinge mounts, parts F29 and F31, to be reversed depending on the side you are working on. Unfortunately, the diagram that is presented is itself backward but the visual layout of the hinge points is correct, the key is that the plates are flush to the edge and the semi-circular point is at the top. Took me a couple of minutes to get it straight and I only did one at a time until I had it figured out. This is a critical installation step since the hinge points need to be matched up correctly with the interior mount points to install the sides properly. The secondary diagram that shows how to construct the hinge arms in either the open or closed position also contains an error...it has the parts numbered backward to each other and again repeats the mirror error for the base plates (the key with this step is that the short arm mounts to the hinge base plate and the long arm rests in the semi-circular cutout). Ultimately I got all four installed in the closed position but the instructions were less than stellar in this particular area.
Everything was then moved to the garage for some AB work. I primed with Italian Dark Brown and then applied an overcoat of Afrika Braun which Testor's claims is RAL 8020. I decided to go with the RAL 8020 instead of the dunkelgelb base as it seemed more appropriate to me for Tunisia (using the Tigers sent to N. Africa as an example), although I will still apply the dark green stripes to the exterior.
I then set to work detailing the interior. Somewhere along the way I misplaced the decals for the instrument panel and ended up hand-painting them instead. Thankfully, all the details are raised, making it easier to use dry-brushing to bring them out. The PE backings for the seats were installed and the seats fixed permanently in position.
Then it was back to Step 10 to take care of some of the missing installations there, namely the hull top and engine access hatches. The hatches were a very tight fit with each other, requiring just a touch of liquid glue to secure in place. I also installed the armored vent covers and the rifle racks on both sides. I decided to leave the racks empty since all of the reference photos that I've been able to get my hands on show them empty. This step isn't quite complete, I still need to install the PE brackets and handles on the rear hull sides and attach the jerry can racks to the rear doors, but it's that much closer to returning to the "normal" order of the steps.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 05-27-2007
Finishing off Step 10 from yesterday, I visited the rear hull and installed the jerry can racks after test fitting the cans to make sure I could slip them in later after hull painting is complete. The fit is tight, but not enough to make the legs pop off, so ought to be easy enough to accomplish. I also installed the tow hitch and reflector and noticed some small gaps that will need putty and sanding before painting but nothing serious.
Just as I was ready to move on from Step 10, I was checking some reference photos and realized that I made an error in the installation of the rifle racks...2 errors actually. The first was I installed the rack for the barrel ends upside down...and the second was I'd positioned them too far back...so both were removed, the glue marks sanded down, and then repositioned in the correct spot.
Step 11 deals with the installation of the fenders and their accompanying details and this step has several pitfalls in the instructions to watch out for. The first deals with the storage boxes. The instructions incorrectly pair up F3/F2 and F4/F5 for the boxes on the right and left sides respectively. If followed, this results in a mis-match between the tops and bottom of the storage boxes. The box pairs have one large and one small box and, after checking the references, the small box belongs at the front on both sides. Once I figured that out, it was easy to determine which tops belonged with which bottoms, but the issues didn't stop there. In order for these to install properly, there are some rivets on the fender that need to be removed, something that the instructions don't indicate as necessary. They also give the impression in the illustration that there are mount holes or pins that are used to secure the boxes in place, but there aren't any. Lastly, it's necessary for the boxes to overhang the fenders and sit flush against the hull, not on the surface of the fenders directly, so I held off installing them until after the fenders were mounted to insure a good fit and proper location. I also needed to adjust the right side front portion of the rifle racks to allow the turn indicator to fit properly and align correctly with the storage boxes. Finally, the boxes once installed had a small hollow spot for the smallest box at the front that needed some putty to fill so it wouldn't show as open to the outside but rather as a solid box. I noticed this only after installation and it would've been easier to fix with some sheet styrene vs. the putty prior to installation.
The next potential trouble spot in this step deals with the mud flaps. These are parts F24 and they have some very nice detail in the form of the reflectors that are molded in place...however the instructions show them only from the rear (no detail indications) and if you aren't aware of the proper alignment, it's possible to install them upside down. The reflector portion belongs on the bottom and the tops attach directly to the fenders with a small surface area so some good strong glue is needed to get them in place vs. liquid glue. Last but not least, each flap has a large sink hole visible on the inner surface that needs to be sanded down.
As if that weren't enough, there are also some glaring omissions in this step. Parts B10 and B11 are the front tow hooks and these, for some unknown reason, are marked as "not for use" yet they show up as magically installed in this step and are a necessary item for installation. Also marked as "not for use" are the rear brake light and convoy blackout light. These are parts B13 and B9 respectively and install on the right and left sides respectively yet strangely they not only never show as installed, the fender details of their mounts are also not depicted. Reference photos show that both should be present, so these were also installed. I checked the fit of part F8, a strange tool/crank of some type that I admit I've no idea what its function is, but mounts on the rear left fender and one of the bolt heads in this area also needed to be removed in order to accommodate it in the proper spot.
As a final send-off on this step, the blackout head lamp covers are shown installed with the slits straight up and down vs. horizontal...something that's not possible with they way the parts are designed, yet this arrangement continues on in the remainder of the instruction diagrams, so don't be lured into the desire to try to modify these...unless of course you want a truly unique look.
Moving out of the jungle of Step 11, I finished off the remaining tasks in Step 12 by installing the hull drop down sides in the closed position. This step directed the installation of the lower hinge points, parts F30, but I did that in Step 11 before fitting the fenders in order to have more room to work with them. I also installed, 3 per side, the PE foliage loops. These are very nicely done in PE but very, very small. Fortunately there are a couple extras provided on the fret, since the handles are also PE and have shallow connection points. I only needed one of the spares and will have to be very careful handling from here on out not to loose any others.
With that taken care of, I plunged onward to Step 13 which deals with the Flak gun. These steps are all the same from their stand-alone Flak 38 kit and were refreshing territory since I'd built one previously. This step provides the option of using PE for the gunner's sight shield, but since PE isn't provided for the main splinter shield, I stayed with the styrene one-piece. The right and left sides of the mount were constructed without any issues.
Step 14 deals with the Flak barrel construction and I replaced the styrene barrel with the Armorscale barrel. The installation is pretty straightforward, just a matter of cutting off the matching portion of the styrene barrel and then drilling a hole to take the mount pin on the aluminum portion. The gun mount and bearings were constructed along with the portion of the splinter shield that attaches to it and the barrel itself left loose to allow for painting and detailing separate from the mount.
Step 15 deals with the details of the base and joining the two halves of the mount together. The choice of 0 degrees, 20 degrees, 40 degrees, or 60 degrees elevation is presented with corresponding parts required and labeled on the following page under Step 17 to achieve the desired elevation. I went with 0 degrees and installed everything accordingly.
The only thing I didn't install is the gun sight, leaving this off so I can better paint and detail it separately. The direct fire gun sight had its eyepiece drilled out on both ends with a pin vise since it's molded solid.
All that's left to do with this one is construct the main splinter shields (these will be painted off the mount and installed later to allow access to all the nooks and crannies) and do the same for the spent shell casing basket. Construction should complete tomorrow and painting begin if the weather permits.
Just as I was ready to move on from Step 10, I was checking some reference photos and realized that I made an error in the installation of the rifle racks...2 errors actually. The first was I installed the rack for the barrel ends upside down...and the second was I'd positioned them too far back...so both were removed, the glue marks sanded down, and then repositioned in the correct spot.
Step 11 deals with the installation of the fenders and their accompanying details and this step has several pitfalls in the instructions to watch out for. The first deals with the storage boxes. The instructions incorrectly pair up F3/F2 and F4/F5 for the boxes on the right and left sides respectively. If followed, this results in a mis-match between the tops and bottom of the storage boxes. The box pairs have one large and one small box and, after checking the references, the small box belongs at the front on both sides. Once I figured that out, it was easy to determine which tops belonged with which bottoms, but the issues didn't stop there. In order for these to install properly, there are some rivets on the fender that need to be removed, something that the instructions don't indicate as necessary. They also give the impression in the illustration that there are mount holes or pins that are used to secure the boxes in place, but there aren't any. Lastly, it's necessary for the boxes to overhang the fenders and sit flush against the hull, not on the surface of the fenders directly, so I held off installing them until after the fenders were mounted to insure a good fit and proper location. I also needed to adjust the right side front portion of the rifle racks to allow the turn indicator to fit properly and align correctly with the storage boxes. Finally, the boxes once installed had a small hollow spot for the smallest box at the front that needed some putty to fill so it wouldn't show as open to the outside but rather as a solid box. I noticed this only after installation and it would've been easier to fix with some sheet styrene vs. the putty prior to installation.
The next potential trouble spot in this step deals with the mud flaps. These are parts F24 and they have some very nice detail in the form of the reflectors that are molded in place...however the instructions show them only from the rear (no detail indications) and if you aren't aware of the proper alignment, it's possible to install them upside down. The reflector portion belongs on the bottom and the tops attach directly to the fenders with a small surface area so some good strong glue is needed to get them in place vs. liquid glue. Last but not least, each flap has a large sink hole visible on the inner surface that needs to be sanded down.
As if that weren't enough, there are also some glaring omissions in this step. Parts B10 and B11 are the front tow hooks and these, for some unknown reason, are marked as "not for use" yet they show up as magically installed in this step and are a necessary item for installation. Also marked as "not for use" are the rear brake light and convoy blackout light. These are parts B13 and B9 respectively and install on the right and left sides respectively yet strangely they not only never show as installed, the fender details of their mounts are also not depicted. Reference photos show that both should be present, so these were also installed. I checked the fit of part F8, a strange tool/crank of some type that I admit I've no idea what its function is, but mounts on the rear left fender and one of the bolt heads in this area also needed to be removed in order to accommodate it in the proper spot.
As a final send-off on this step, the blackout head lamp covers are shown installed with the slits straight up and down vs. horizontal...something that's not possible with they way the parts are designed, yet this arrangement continues on in the remainder of the instruction diagrams, so don't be lured into the desire to try to modify these...unless of course you want a truly unique look.
Moving out of the jungle of Step 11, I finished off the remaining tasks in Step 12 by installing the hull drop down sides in the closed position. This step directed the installation of the lower hinge points, parts F30, but I did that in Step 11 before fitting the fenders in order to have more room to work with them. I also installed, 3 per side, the PE foliage loops. These are very nicely done in PE but very, very small. Fortunately there are a couple extras provided on the fret, since the handles are also PE and have shallow connection points. I only needed one of the spares and will have to be very careful handling from here on out not to loose any others.
With that taken care of, I plunged onward to Step 13 which deals with the Flak gun. These steps are all the same from their stand-alone Flak 38 kit and were refreshing territory since I'd built one previously. This step provides the option of using PE for the gunner's sight shield, but since PE isn't provided for the main splinter shield, I stayed with the styrene one-piece. The right and left sides of the mount were constructed without any issues.
Step 14 deals with the Flak barrel construction and I replaced the styrene barrel with the Armorscale barrel. The installation is pretty straightforward, just a matter of cutting off the matching portion of the styrene barrel and then drilling a hole to take the mount pin on the aluminum portion. The gun mount and bearings were constructed along with the portion of the splinter shield that attaches to it and the barrel itself left loose to allow for painting and detailing separate from the mount.
Step 15 deals with the details of the base and joining the two halves of the mount together. The choice of 0 degrees, 20 degrees, 40 degrees, or 60 degrees elevation is presented with corresponding parts required and labeled on the following page under Step 17 to achieve the desired elevation. I went with 0 degrees and installed everything accordingly.
The only thing I didn't install is the gun sight, leaving this off so I can better paint and detail it separately. The direct fire gun sight had its eyepiece drilled out on both ends with a pin vise since it's molded solid.
All that's left to do with this one is construct the main splinter shields (these will be painted off the mount and installed later to allow access to all the nooks and crannies) and do the same for the spent shell casing basket. Construction should complete tomorrow and painting begin if the weather permits.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 05-28-2007
I got a late start today due to various other activities but managed to complete the final construction steps. First up in Step 16 was the construction of the shields for the gun mount. These consist of two shield halves per side plus the crescent shaped outer piece, parts A59 and A60. The instructions tell you to assemble the two halves together first and then attach the outer pieces however a slight modification has to be made to the upper shield halves as their slots aren't quite wide enough, needing about 0.5mm removed to get them to fit properly. After both halves were assembled, I attached them to the mount bar and then dry fit them to the gun mount directly to make sure everything was installed correctly and at the right angles. I left these removable to make it easier to paint and apply the camo pattern to the gun shields without getting over-spray on the other gun parts in the process.
Next up came the spent shell basket. This is a somewhat complex, and also fragile, assembly so it took quite a bit of time and patience to complete. Rather than construct the frame first out of parts A6, A3, and A46, I started first with the rear frame that mounts to the gun directly, part A6. The mesh is provided as delicate PE and careful handling is required to avoid tearing the mesh during installation. Part MC2 installs on the inside perimeter of A6 and with careful adjustment around the frame, fits perfectly and required just a touch of CA gel in strategic places to get it to stay put. Then part A3, the outer frame, is attached with 4 very fines pins as glue points, so this was set off to the side and allowed to dry along with the lower frame, part A6, also attached.
The toughest part of the assembly is shaping the outer mesh portion, part MC1, so that it droops properly between the upper and lower frames. This took quite a bit of back and forth, working from the inside to shape it, but eventually it took the proper form. Last but not least, the two pre-formed brass halves of the catch basket were assembled, although my two halves weren't a perfect match for each other and required soldering to get them to stay together. I also needed to use the Dremel to grind down some of the surfaces a bit as well, and a point did come where I almost abandoned it entirely but decided to stay with it. It took about 2 hours of very careful back and forth to get it built, so be sure you've got the time and willingness to attempt this one before starting in on it.
Step 17 calls for the construction of the base pedestal for the Flak gun. The base plate requires the installation of four brackets, parts F26, at each of the corners and the pedestal, F12, installed directly onto it. The pedestal also has a square plate for the underside and a disk, F13, that is meant to be left unglued to allow the Flak gun to rotate. This part produces a little bit of comedy...as the instructions seem to indicate that the square plate, F11, should trap F13 and hold it in place. The reality though is that F13 is exactly the same diameter as the opening in F11 and is not trapped and when I turned it upside down, it promptly fell out...what will hold it in place is gluing it to the base plate on the Flak gun itself and so long as it's not glued to either F12 or F11, will still allow the gun to rotate if desired. For now the gun is dry fit to the pedestal to allow for easier painting and detailing before final installation.
The feet of the pedestal required some extra finger pressure when glued down to insure the pedestal sat level, it had a slight warp to it that made one of the feet want to lift up a bit. Nothing serious and easily corrected once detected.
Last but not least, I checked out the fit of the base plate and mount to see how it would all look when it comes together. The instructions call for the installation of a spare barrel box to the top of the cab, just need to construct and install it and will be good to go.
Time didn't permit for the painting process to start today, so that will have to wait until next weekend. The final step, Step 18, deals with the tracks and that will be handled after painting.
Next up came the spent shell basket. This is a somewhat complex, and also fragile, assembly so it took quite a bit of time and patience to complete. Rather than construct the frame first out of parts A6, A3, and A46, I started first with the rear frame that mounts to the gun directly, part A6. The mesh is provided as delicate PE and careful handling is required to avoid tearing the mesh during installation. Part MC2 installs on the inside perimeter of A6 and with careful adjustment around the frame, fits perfectly and required just a touch of CA gel in strategic places to get it to stay put. Then part A3, the outer frame, is attached with 4 very fines pins as glue points, so this was set off to the side and allowed to dry along with the lower frame, part A6, also attached.
The toughest part of the assembly is shaping the outer mesh portion, part MC1, so that it droops properly between the upper and lower frames. This took quite a bit of back and forth, working from the inside to shape it, but eventually it took the proper form. Last but not least, the two pre-formed brass halves of the catch basket were assembled, although my two halves weren't a perfect match for each other and required soldering to get them to stay together. I also needed to use the Dremel to grind down some of the surfaces a bit as well, and a point did come where I almost abandoned it entirely but decided to stay with it. It took about 2 hours of very careful back and forth to get it built, so be sure you've got the time and willingness to attempt this one before starting in on it.
Step 17 calls for the construction of the base pedestal for the Flak gun. The base plate requires the installation of four brackets, parts F26, at each of the corners and the pedestal, F12, installed directly onto it. The pedestal also has a square plate for the underside and a disk, F13, that is meant to be left unglued to allow the Flak gun to rotate. This part produces a little bit of comedy...as the instructions seem to indicate that the square plate, F11, should trap F13 and hold it in place. The reality though is that F13 is exactly the same diameter as the opening in F11 and is not trapped and when I turned it upside down, it promptly fell out...what will hold it in place is gluing it to the base plate on the Flak gun itself and so long as it's not glued to either F12 or F11, will still allow the gun to rotate if desired. For now the gun is dry fit to the pedestal to allow for easier painting and detailing before final installation.
The feet of the pedestal required some extra finger pressure when glued down to insure the pedestal sat level, it had a slight warp to it that made one of the feet want to lift up a bit. Nothing serious and easily corrected once detected.
Last but not least, I checked out the fit of the base plate and mount to see how it would all look when it comes together. The instructions call for the installation of a spare barrel box to the top of the cab, just need to construct and install it and will be good to go.
Time didn't permit for the painting process to start today, so that will have to wait until next weekend. The final step, Step 18, deals with the tracks and that will be handled after painting.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 06-02-2007
A minor note from a previous post, I learned from an on-line buddy of mine also building this kit that I in fact did not misplace my instrument panel decals...because they aren't in the kit in the first place! Yet another case of the instructions indicating one thing and reality being something else...this one is also an odd occurrence as the inclusion of the instrument decals is usually on a small separate decal sheet and a common feature of the 251 kits...but doesn't make it in to this one, leaving hand-painting the instrument panel the only option. It will be interesting to see if the upcoming release of the CH 251/17 Command Variant kit repeats this or corrects it.
On to the day's activities. First up, the vehicle was broken down into component assemblies and prepared for painting. I filled in the post mount hole on the rear hull above the crew doors with putty and sanded it down and installed the spare Flak 38 barrel case on the roof as the last remaining to-dos before painting. The wheels were all removed and mounted on toothpicks, the flak gun, pedestal/base, spent shell basket, and main splinter shield were separated, and last but not least the interior of the fighting compartment masked off as a precaution to protect the interior work already done. I also prepped the 2.0cm ammo boxes and jerry cans on toothpicks for AB painting vs. hand painting.
Painting was pretty straightforward...the road wheels and main tires were all painted Flat Black and then the separate rubber rims for the sprockets were removed and circle templates used on all the wheels were needed. The vehicle was primed with Panzer Schwarzgrau and then base coated in RAL 8020 Afrika Braun. The Afrika Braun was applied in several mist coat passes until I had the arrangement I wanted as a foundation for the camo scheme.
The camo pattern, according to the instructions, was for Tunisia which makes sense given that Tunisia is more of a temperate zone vs. the normal desert environment of N. Africa. The pattern took the form of olive green stripes over the RAL 8020 in a criss-cross/diamond pattern, so I used some 50-50 mix of Russian Armor Green and Panzer Gray for more green and applied the pattern free hand. I came back over the pattern with the RAL 8020 and corrected most, but not all, of the over-spray, wanting to retain some of the look on general principles for this type of finish. I then sprayed a mist coat of highly thinned RAL 8020 over the whole vehicle to tie it all back in together a bit and that's where things stand as of the end of the available sunlight at any rate.
On to the day's activities. First up, the vehicle was broken down into component assemblies and prepared for painting. I filled in the post mount hole on the rear hull above the crew doors with putty and sanded it down and installed the spare Flak 38 barrel case on the roof as the last remaining to-dos before painting. The wheels were all removed and mounted on toothpicks, the flak gun, pedestal/base, spent shell basket, and main splinter shield were separated, and last but not least the interior of the fighting compartment masked off as a precaution to protect the interior work already done. I also prepped the 2.0cm ammo boxes and jerry cans on toothpicks for AB painting vs. hand painting.
Painting was pretty straightforward...the road wheels and main tires were all painted Flat Black and then the separate rubber rims for the sprockets were removed and circle templates used on all the wheels were needed. The vehicle was primed with Panzer Schwarzgrau and then base coated in RAL 8020 Afrika Braun. The Afrika Braun was applied in several mist coat passes until I had the arrangement I wanted as a foundation for the camo scheme.
The camo pattern, according to the instructions, was for Tunisia which makes sense given that Tunisia is more of a temperate zone vs. the normal desert environment of N. Africa. The pattern took the form of olive green stripes over the RAL 8020 in a criss-cross/diamond pattern, so I used some 50-50 mix of Russian Armor Green and Panzer Gray for more green and applied the pattern free hand. I came back over the pattern with the RAL 8020 and corrected most, but not all, of the over-spray, wanting to retain some of the look on general principles for this type of finish. I then sprayed a mist coat of highly thinned RAL 8020 over the whole vehicle to tie it all back in together a bit and that's where things stand as of the end of the available sunlight at any rate.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 06-03-2007
Today's efforts were all about the details. I started in first with the Flak 38 as it needed the most work. I painted the barrel with Metalizer Gunmetal and dry brushed it with Steel before carefully sliding it into place in the cradle and gluing in position. Once dry, the loaded magazine was installed along with 2 spares in the ready bin on the side. The instructions tell you to install 3 there, but the rack's only deep enough to hold 2, so the third one was left off. I also detailed the interior race bearings that elevate the gun cradle and the gun sight controls on the center console. The gun-sight was painted with Aircraft Interior Black and carefully installed onto its mount arm. The splinter shield was then attached and the spent shell basket mounted. All of the sub-assemblies, prior to installation, were given a light dry brushing of Panzer Gray to simulate light wear and add depth to the features. The Flak gun was then secured to the pedestal mount with the circular retainer that fits under the pedestal...requiring me to flip the whole thing upside down to accomplish. The gun can rotate freely on the mount but since I've installed the sides in the closed position, this doesn't do much except allow me to adjust the position slightly on final installation.
Next up were the details for the exterior. I started in with the pioneer tools, returning to the dreaded Step 11 where yet another error in the instructions is present. The shovel and sledgehammer are labeled C28 and C26 respectively on the diagram but are really parts B28 and B26. These, along with the pick (correctly labeled in Step 18 as B27) and crank tool were detailed and installed. The exhaust muffler also received its share of attention and the width indicators had their tips painted as well. Lastly, the 2.0cm ammo containers were installed on the drop-down panels.
Once that was taken care of, the road wheels were installed on both sides, with some minor adjustments needed on a couple of the arms to get all the wheels to contact properly and evenly with each other and the ground.
The final bit of detailing came on the rear hull. The jerry cans were given their white crosses to denote water cans using masking tape to create the patterns prior to installation. The mud flaps were painted with enamel Gunmetal and their reflectors, along with the rear brake light, painted with Tamiya Clear Red. The Notek convoy light had its lenses painted with Tamiya Clear Green and the kit part here isn't correct, it has 5 lenses molded when there should only be 4...I went ahead and painted all 5 so it would look uniform in its error at least.
A quick test fit of the Flak 38 in its standard position was done to see how everything looks together and the quarters are a bit tight. Now that the ammo cans are in place on the hull sides, the base plate has to be angled and slid into position vs. just a straight down drop-in, but still able to be moved in and out as needed. I'm not sure yet if I'll go ahead and install it or weather it separately from the vehicle, have to think about that one a little first.
Final task before markings and weathering will be constructing and installing the tracks, so getting close to the finish line with this one.
Next up were the details for the exterior. I started in with the pioneer tools, returning to the dreaded Step 11 where yet another error in the instructions is present. The shovel and sledgehammer are labeled C28 and C26 respectively on the diagram but are really parts B28 and B26. These, along with the pick (correctly labeled in Step 18 as B27) and crank tool were detailed and installed. The exhaust muffler also received its share of attention and the width indicators had their tips painted as well. Lastly, the 2.0cm ammo containers were installed on the drop-down panels.
Once that was taken care of, the road wheels were installed on both sides, with some minor adjustments needed on a couple of the arms to get all the wheels to contact properly and evenly with each other and the ground.
The final bit of detailing came on the rear hull. The jerry cans were given their white crosses to denote water cans using masking tape to create the patterns prior to installation. The mud flaps were painted with enamel Gunmetal and their reflectors, along with the rear brake light, painted with Tamiya Clear Red. The Notek convoy light had its lenses painted with Tamiya Clear Green and the kit part here isn't correct, it has 5 lenses molded when there should only be 4...I went ahead and painted all 5 so it would look uniform in its error at least.
A quick test fit of the Flak 38 in its standard position was done to see how everything looks together and the quarters are a bit tight. Now that the ammo cans are in place on the hull sides, the base plate has to be angled and slid into position vs. just a straight down drop-in, but still able to be moved in and out as needed. I'm not sure yet if I'll go ahead and install it or weather it separately from the vehicle, have to think about that one a little first.
Final task before markings and weathering will be constructing and installing the tracks, so getting close to the finish line with this one.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 06-09-2007
The final step on construction was completed today with the installation of the tracks. This turned out to be a somewhat more involved process than I at first anticipated, more on that later.
First up were the removal and clean-up of the links and block pads. These are the older-style tracks on the sprues vs. "magic" tracks, so each link had three sprue points and the blocks two, so that had to be taken care of first. I actually did this several days back gradually in the evenings while watching TV in anticipation of having them available for today.
The tracks assemble differently from standard indy links in that they have pins that nest in each other and are trapped by the block, remaining workable if you are sparing with the glue. I knew from previous 251 builds that around 53-55 links are needed per side, so I assembled 30 pairs for the first side to be sure I had enough on hand.
These were then assembled into groups of four links.
Then into groups of 8 links with one group of 4 left on its own.
These were then all connected up together and a test-fit done on either side to see how many additional links were necessary. The left side ended up with 54 links, the right side with 55. Both runs remained fully workable, making it easy to take them on and off and then paint.
One thing I did discover in the fitting process is that the new sprockets with their newly designed rollers don't quite fit with the old-style links which were designed to fit the old sprockets. This in turn produced a problem with the sag and the number of links per side used. If the sprocket isn't adjusted, the 54/55 links are too tight...but adding another link to either side makes them too loose...so it's a Catch-22. It turns out that the gaps between the rollers aren't large enough to take the guide teeth properly and have the track sit firmly against the rubber rims and produces just a fractional additional length to the track per link that goes around the sprocket so the teeth had to go, leaving only the teeth that didn't interact with the links remaining and solving the problem. The other alternative of course is to use the old style sprockets which are included on the original track sprues, but since I'd already painted and detailed these, I modified them to work.
Once the teeth were removed, the tracks fit properly and were painted and detailed. I gave them a base coat of Metalizer Gunmetal and dry brushed with Steel followed by a Burnt Umber wash. The track blocks were painted with enamel Gunmetal to simulate the rubber and they were installed on both sides.
Tomorrow will see everything get a coat of Future, markings applied, and the weathering process begin.
First up were the removal and clean-up of the links and block pads. These are the older-style tracks on the sprues vs. "magic" tracks, so each link had three sprue points and the blocks two, so that had to be taken care of first. I actually did this several days back gradually in the evenings while watching TV in anticipation of having them available for today.
The tracks assemble differently from standard indy links in that they have pins that nest in each other and are trapped by the block, remaining workable if you are sparing with the glue. I knew from previous 251 builds that around 53-55 links are needed per side, so I assembled 30 pairs for the first side to be sure I had enough on hand.
These were then assembled into groups of four links.
Then into groups of 8 links with one group of 4 left on its own.
These were then all connected up together and a test-fit done on either side to see how many additional links were necessary. The left side ended up with 54 links, the right side with 55. Both runs remained fully workable, making it easy to take them on and off and then paint.
One thing I did discover in the fitting process is that the new sprockets with their newly designed rollers don't quite fit with the old-style links which were designed to fit the old sprockets. This in turn produced a problem with the sag and the number of links per side used. If the sprocket isn't adjusted, the 54/55 links are too tight...but adding another link to either side makes them too loose...so it's a Catch-22. It turns out that the gaps between the rollers aren't large enough to take the guide teeth properly and have the track sit firmly against the rubber rims and produces just a fractional additional length to the track per link that goes around the sprocket so the teeth had to go, leaving only the teeth that didn't interact with the links remaining and solving the problem. The other alternative of course is to use the old style sprockets which are included on the original track sprues, but since I'd already painted and detailed these, I modified them to work.
Once the teeth were removed, the tracks fit properly and were painted and detailed. I gave them a base coat of Metalizer Gunmetal and dry brushed with Steel followed by a Burnt Umber wash. The track blocks were painted with enamel Gunmetal to simulate the rubber and they were installed on both sides.
Tomorrow will see everything get a coat of Future, markings applied, and the weathering process begin.
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Bill Plunk
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:18 pm
WIP 06-10-2007
More progress today. A sealing coat of Future was applied and allowed to dry for about an hour or so before I applied the decals. The markings for this vehicle aren't all that complex aside from the license plates which have to be assembled out of a "number jungle" sheet provided. It's worth noting at this stage that the photos/descriptions of the decals on the bottom of the kit box do NOT match what's actually provided in the kit. While the decals are printed by Cartograf, the bottom picture shows a decal sheet with a wide assortment of vehicle numbers and balkenkreuze (and oddly enough, also the missing gauge decals for the instrument panel!) that is the standard 251 type decal sheet but which has been completely replaced with a new and smaller markings sheet specific to the 251-17.
All of the decals went down smoothly and I applied a touch of Walther's Solvaset to each to get them to snug down tight against the Future coat. The rear fender license plates feature numbers of an actual vehicle as depicted on p. 42 of the Squadron "251 In Action" book although the shape of the license plates is different from what's provided in the kit, it didn't bother me as they fit just fine on the fenders.
Next up began the weathering process and, while I didn't finish everything today, did make some good strides. I applied a dot filter of first Panzer Gray then Raw Umber followed by a pin wash of Burnt Umber to get it to this stage. I've not yet weathered the running gear at all, that will be the next step. I had a small mishap at this stage on the left side fender...it seems that the Future coat I applied didn't coat as evenly as it should have in the recesses and I ended up with some small paint damage on that side. It also partially erased some of the green stripes from the previous paint effort, so these were dry-brushed back into place and a couple of new stripes added to help restore things back to almost normal.
All of the decals went down smoothly and I applied a touch of Walther's Solvaset to each to get them to snug down tight against the Future coat. The rear fender license plates feature numbers of an actual vehicle as depicted on p. 42 of the Squadron "251 In Action" book although the shape of the license plates is different from what's provided in the kit, it didn't bother me as they fit just fine on the fenders.
Next up began the weathering process and, while I didn't finish everything today, did make some good strides. I applied a dot filter of first Panzer Gray then Raw Umber followed by a pin wash of Burnt Umber to get it to this stage. I've not yet weathered the running gear at all, that will be the next step. I had a small mishap at this stage on the left side fender...it seems that the Future coat I applied didn't coat as evenly as it should have in the recesses and I ended up with some small paint damage on that side. It also partially erased some of the green stripes from the previous paint effort, so these were dry-brushed back into place and a couple of new stripes added to help restore things back to almost normal.