From: Think Tank Subject: Think Tank Vol.0010 30/10/1999 Think.tank@tesco.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS' INDEX 1: Russian colours 2: Tank track painting and weathering 3: Sdkfz 9 release date 4: My current research projects -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Marion Morris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Cooper, Mike [Mike.Cooper@reading.gov.uk] Subject: Russian colours Dear All Something of a can of worms here, as George Hogg and I have been in discussion with some Russian colleagues on this. I'll do some rather more considered notes over next weekend, but the basic position is this: The official base tone is a green, known as 4BO. 4BO is actually quite a grassy green. Camo tones with this are a brown, a sand and a lighter khaki, with of course black and white. Artillery tended to get camo more than AFVs. However..... Veterans and most Russian modellers say that practically anything went. Chips removed from Aberdeen Proving Ground's KV1 and some vehicles in Vienna all show various very dark tones, and Steve Zaloga is convinced that a black-green was used. The Germans say a range of dark green, and one German vet in the book of the War of The Century series says black (in Spain people said that Pz. Grey looked black..) My impression is than almost any dark green could be OK, but I'll mail the list with some recovered FS numbers. Note that in B/W photos Soviet tanks are the same tone - more or less - as Pz Grey German ones. So I make that a darkish drab green. Talking to Gerge Hogg and Mike Starmer, I've outline a strategy which says "Match recovered paint samples and make no claims to accuracy beyond that". More on this next list. By the way, I've just used Revell 65 + black + Humbrol 170 to match the Aberdeen KV colour. Mike Mike Cooper, EU Specialist Reading Reference Library Abbey Square Reading RG1 3BQ Tel: 0118 901 5955/56 Fax: 0118 9015954/5959 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: peter stuart [pestuart67@hotmail.com] Subject: Tank track painting and weathering Hello and thank you for your very useful advice on weathering of tank surfaces by pencil, the results are satisfying enough to put to you another question More model tanks come with separate track links, but which order to follow, glue them fist, paint them later, or vice versa and in which way do you paint? I would apply a ground layer of polished steel, wash with rust+black or olive drab, and drybrush with any colour resembling dust, but I'm not sure which result I will get in working it out that way please advise yours sincerely Peter Stuart I must confess to having missed the preceding posts on this subject but it is one with which I have struggled over the years. I have seen others achieve good results from several methods but what have the rest of you found effective? Listmaster -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: MALCOLM IRESON [ireson@carltons36.freeserve.co.uk] Subject: Sdkfz 9 release date I also saw drawing you refer to in your letter (thanks), on asking the release date in this country, I was told late January/early Febuary, hopefully just in time for the Leeds IPMS model show in Huddersfield. But if you look in this month's edition of Tamiya Model Magazine, they have a small picture of the parent mouldings. It looks rather nice, and I can't imagine it to be small, after seeing the real thing at Beltring this year. With thanks Malcolm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Listmaster Subject: My current research projects I am in the process of putting together a few articles on various US vehicles in British use, notably the M3A1 light tank in NW Europe and the M8 armoured car in Italy and Austria (and even NW Europe, although I am only aware of two in an armoured replacement group, so probably they never entered service there). Consequently, any information that anyone can provide would be most useful. The articles will cover both historical/user information and modelling notes, mainly on the changes made for British service. Many thanks. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Listmaster Subject: MarionMorris Does anyone have a current email address for this individual? The one from which he subscribed is being bounced back and I have no other means of contact. Thanks Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Lockie (Think Tank Listmaster) Visit the Miniature AFV Association website at http://homepages.go.com/~mafva/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume