AFV Club Sd.Kfz.251/21 Ausf.C Drilling Halftrack

[OliveDrab]

This one was started in fall 2014, but was put on hold to participate in the Tiger I SiG in honor of Coen. Well, I've been able to sneak it onto the model bench latelty, while waiting for washes and such to dry on the Tiger.

First, the kit itself, and its a real stunner. I came across this kit (actually 3 kits in there) at a model show that I attended late last year. It kept tempting me each time I passed by the vendor table, and after about five looks, I caved into the temptation and it came home with me. (Thank you to the vendor for a very good deal, I forgot to get your name )
The 'Drilling' in the kit was actually started, the first few assembly steps were complete, and done nicely, so I dove right in to the liquid cement with this one!



I have not found many photos of the Ausf.C version Drilling, but this was all the inspiration I needed.



I had put this on hold with the lower hull and interior painted, and now have had time to get the interior weathering complete.









The MG could be kit in itself. Very nicely detailed, not the easiest to build with the large quantity of parts though. The gun shield is a photo etch part supplied in the kit, however I had problems with the fit. Long story, but I ended up making a new gun shield out of brass sheet. (I forgot to get a pic of gun shield).

[gustavlekstal]

Real impressive! Smashing work on the weathering and the gun looks menacing!

[Coen]

Oh Wow!!!
That's wicked cool OD!!! I'm loving the look of the drilling, that came out really well.

[rwsmith14]

Outstanding weathering !! interior looks !!!! You might of gave some inspiration to build my AFV Club Sd.Kfz.251 or at least dig it out from the back of the stash.

[OliveDrab]

Stunner... 3 in 1 taken literally there by AFV Club....

Sure is, my stash is now well stocked with Sd.Kfz. 251 halftracks!!!

Real impressive! Smashing work on the weathering and the gun looks menacing!

Thanks gustavlekstal, and your right about those guns too...

Oh Wow!!!
That's wicked cool OD!!! I'm loving the look of the drilling, that came out really well.

Thank you Coen, Once the Tiger I is complete, this one will get more attention...I hope so anyway!

Outstanding weathering !! interior looks !!!! You might of gave some inspiration to build my AFV Club Sd.Kfz.251 or at least dig it out from the back of the stash.

Thanks RW, its been a fun build so far, but certainly not a kit that's going to be built in a short amount of time...well not at my build rate anyway

[mannloon]

Wonder how this stacks up against the Dragon kit of the Drilling I have. Beautiful work on that interior. You really don't mess around.

[OliveDrab]

Some progress made on the Drilling:

The upper hull had some warp to it, but with some careful glue placement so as not to mess up the interior paint and lots of time to hold in place until the glue set, it was finally in place. (Note to self: next time maybe try super glue so you don't have to hold the parts until your fingers go numb )






A set of Hobby Boss tracks were assembled back when I started this kit last fall, so I don't remember how much cussing I was doing cleaning up the flash... (Maybe just a little )


The construction phase was completed, time for the basecoat.







Next I used a set of Techstar stencils to add some German crosses. This task nearly put this project back on the shelf I booger-ed up the left side cross by spraying the black cross off-center....really bad. The only thing to do was remove the 'bad' cross, and respray the whole thing, including the surrounding dark yellow. The second attempt turned out much better!

[burnie43]

another Master at work........
Really nice work, lovely painting , half tracks are really goood fun to build me thinks!
Thanks for sharing
Mark

[PaulAyrey]

Great work so far, very impressive.

[peppie]

Congrats on the interior, looks amazing, so realistic.

[hansolo]

What Peppie said, are my exact thoughts!
Top notch paint job!!

cheers

[mannloon]

Man OD, she's beautiful.

[OliveDrab]

another Master at work........
Really nice work, lovely painting , half tracks are really goood fun to build me thinks!
Thanks for sharing
Mark

Thank you Mark, your comments are too nice! Yes I see more half tracks in the future too

Great work so far, very impressive.

Cheers Paul, Thanks for the compliment

Congrats on the interior, looks amazing, so realistic.

Glad you like it, I worry sometimes about overdoing the weathering

What Peppie said, are my exact thoughts!
Top notch paint job!! cheers

Thank you Hans, the exterior looks a little bit too new right now though, don't you think? It needs some weathering me thinks

Man OD, she's beautiful.

Thanks Adam, like I mentioned to Hans, the weathering stages are up next. Nervous time for me, I always seem to think I'll "ruin" a very nice model (This must come from my car building days when just one spec of dust in the paint job was enough to ruin your day )

[rwsmith14]

Paintwork looks Excellent !!! nice, clean and smooth !!

[mannloon]

Thanks Adam, like I mentioned to Hans, the weathering stages are up next. Nervous time for me, I always seem to think I'll "ruin" a very nice model (This must come from my car building days when just one spec of dust in the paint job was enough to ruin your day )

I feel very much the same OD. Even paint, since i'm pretty new with an airbrush can go wrong.

[Timplastic]

Very nice work so far
The interior and guns are very nicely weathered
Look forward too seeing where you go with the exterior

[Donkeywalloper]

Congrats on the interior, looks amazing, so realistic.

Have to agree, the interior is top notch mate.
John

[OliveDrab]

The Tamiya Panther G kit was raided for some figures for the Drilling.

They actually are pretty nice. They received a basecoat of Floquil Grimy Black. The Grimy Black is the primer, and also the basecoat for the panzer black uniforms. (Nice to get 2 jobs done in one step )


Then began detail painting. Testers enamels were used for most of the detail painting.


After detail painting, oil washes were applied. After the washes, I used oils again for drybrushing. I mixed the oils to get a light shade of the various uniform colors. Then came a coat of Testors Dullcote.




I wanted some dried dirt on the boots and lower pants, so out came the pigments. Here's where I messed up. I applied Isopropyl Alcohol over the pigments to fix them, then it happened...a white scale effect appeared wherever the alcohol was applied Luckily, another coat of Dullcoat cured the white scale effect, but I lost some of my previous washes and drybrush work trying to correct the problem before then.


The same process was used for the gunner, just NO Isopropyl Alchohol on the pigments!








The finished figures

[Nige99]

That looks a lovely kit OD. You've worked your magic and turned it into a stunning build mate. Love your interior work. Paint job is awesome

[Coen]

Very nice stuff!
That camo on his pants is fantastic!!!

[Tiger131]

Your interior painting and weathering is spot on and them figures look superb

[demarcation]

Looks stunning mate!

[OliveDrab]

That looks a lovely kit OD. You've worked your magic and turned it into a stunning build mate. Love your interior work. Paint job is awesome

Thanks Nige, yes very nice kit, it had some warp on the upper hull, otherwise no complaints

Very nice stuff!
That camo on his pants is fantastic!!!

Thanks Mike, I was going for the fall/winter oak leaf pattern. Those bugger pants took FOREVER to paint!

Your interior painting and weathering is spot on and them figures look superb

Cheers Tiger!

Looks stunning mate!

Thanks for stopping by and viewing

[OliveDrab]

I'm calling this one done!!!
The look I was going for here was a late war machine hurriedly pressed into service in the fall of 1944. No time or materials for the factories or crew to paint camo, and with this Drilling rather new to the battlefield, I went a little light with the chipping and weathering effects also. For the crew, I pirated them from the Tamiya Panther G late kit from the stash. The story I'm going with here is, this crew just recently lost their tank in battle, and were hastily reassigned to the Drilling. I wasn't sure what type of uniforms the crew would actually have, so that's the story I'm going with

[mannloon]

Such great subtle weathering, awesome stuff.

[AgentG]

That is simply superb!

Bravo sir

G

[Donkeywalloper]

[gustavlekstal]

great work!

[Tiger131]

Cracking work love the final color of your ausf.c

[OliveDrab]

Thank you all...you are all too nice

[Nige99]

Great work OD love the weathering and your story. Figures are superb

[Donkeywalloper]

Yes the trousers (pants) are amazing. Real skill mate.

[martin57]

just an great job you have made of this kit loving the camo pattern on the figures , well done

[OliveDrab]

Great work OD love the weathering and your story. Figures are superb

Yes the trousers (pants) are amazing. Real skill mate.

just an great job you have made of this kit loving the camo pattern on the figures , well done

Thanks a ton chaps for stopping by and viewing...It really is very much appreciated I have gained some confidence in figure painting with these guys here, and would love to do more now!

[rwsmith14]

Well Done OD Looks great !!!!!

[Coen]

You knocked the right out of the park bud.
Completely!!!
The camo on the pants is especially awesome.

[OliveDrab]

Well Done OD Looks great !!!!!

You knocked the right out of the park bud.
Completely!!!
The camo on the pants is especially awesome.

Thank you guys, Model on my friends

[daveygoravey]

Super love the figures uniforms.