20mm WW2 British recce vehicle progress

Still aiming to reduce some of the clutter of unbuilt and painted kits, I've continued to progress my British recce vehicle collection.


This is the Airfix Cromwell with a HAT British crewman spotting from the turret.  The Airfix kit was an Aldi £5 bargain in stores last summer and sweet to put together.  I particularly liked the flexible plastic tracks, which are so much easier to assemble than the old rubber affairs that needed soldering with a nail in a gas flame!!!

I've managed a bit more detailing on the six vehicles I posted on most recently (on the right below), as well as working on an old Staghound kit I bought from Paul at the club (left front), a Ready to Roll Daimler II AC and a Ready to Roll Staghound.  Crew figures for the Staghounds again from the HAT tank riders box.  These are all at the same stage of detailing now - I just need to get the Cromwell to the same stage and I can finish them all off as a batch.

Then, because I like new and shiny things, here are some German vehicles, all from Early War Miniatures, two Hetzers, on the left, and an Sdkfz 140/1, based on the Panzer 38t chassis with the turret of an Sdkfz 222 mounted on top, forming a recce vehicle.  Again these have been base coloured and washed, but now need detailing.

I managed to get the Cromwell kit primed and after this picture was taken, I base coated it, so it is now sitting on the table resplendent in Vallejo Russian Uniform.

My wife bought me a copy of the Farnsworth guide to WW2 German uniforms as an early Xmas present, although it didn't arrive until well into the New Year.  Using the step by step paint recipies, I saw a nice rendition of the 41 splinter pattern, which I thought would fit the bill for a box of Caeser plastic infantry in Zeltbahn that I got from Will at the club (cheers Will).  So, I trialled the technique on a couple of batches of six figures and really like the finished product.  Once the box is done, I'll probably have a go at some paratroopers in a similar camo pattern, which is suitable to mix with my early war versions in grey-green for Crete.

Then I picked up a beat up mis-cast Jeep from EWM at a show last year.  All the bubbles were filled and I've crewed it with a couple of seated figures from EWM and a couple of tank riders from the HAT box.  This vehicle will make a nice FHQ for a British force.

Quite pleased with how this one turned out, again still needs some detailing.

I also drilled out turrets and hulls for the Ready to Roll vehicles and added rare earth magnets so the turrets firmly fitted the models.  This worked out well, thanks to the inexpensive Dremmel clone tool that I bought in Maplins a couple of years back.


So, once the Cromwell is at the same stage, I'll be decaling and dry-brushing with Iraqi Sand, before gloss and matt varnishing and basing (I'll add bases to keep the models safe in transit when I'm going to the club, etc.).


As ever, thanks for looking.