From: Think Tank Subject: Think Tank Vol.0022 29/01/2000 Think.tank@tesco.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS' INDEX 1: Making your own decals 2: Small scale figures 3: Seen in newspaper recently -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: MALCOLM IRESON [ireson@carltons36.freeserve.co.uk] Subject: Making your own decals I know this may sound funny coming from an armour modeller, could anyone tell me how to make my own decals? The problem is, I am making a model of a Dragon Wagon, and I want to do it as "The Hush" as seen at Beltring last year; as there are no decals (that I know of) of this name and logo, i will have to make them up myself. Can anyone help? I have a photo of the logo, and the written name on the side of the DW cab; short of drawing it myself, which I’m not very good at, I’m stuck!!! With thanks, Malcolm. There have been some threads on SMML about this recently and apparently there was a whole article on it in a recent Fine Scale Modeler. From what I understand, the best way is to use an Alps printer but you can get a copy shop with a colour laser printer to make them from your own graphics and copied onto clear or white decal film. Not sure how you do white decals however! I think Steve Zaloga described it for a custom decal he made for his R35 in a recent issue of Military Modelling (Vol.29 No.10)as well. Need to do some digging to track it all down though. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Douglas Bauer [dbauer@access1.net] Subject: Small scale figures I've been searching the web for several days now, looking for a source for some well-executed 1:72 scale figures to go with my German AFVs...... Unfortunately, my search has been relatively fruitless. An outstanding small scale site, "On the Way" http://ontheway.home.mindspring.com/home.htm, has listings for several manufacturers, and I've been told that MMS and FAA - whoever they are - have some nice figures, but I've been unable to contact them. I know European manufacturers are partial to 1:76 scale, but I've found those figures to be just a tad too much out of scale for my tastes... perhaps some readers have the inside story on where some detailed 1:72 German/Soviet WWII figures (any medium) can be found. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Doug Bauer dbauer@access1.net The best small scale figures I have seen for vehicle crews are made by AB Figures/Wargames South, which has a website at http://www.ab-figures.demon.co.uk/aboutus.htm I have most of their packs, and unlike the usual wargames fare, they are well proportioned and a decent variety is available, including DAK, winter reversible suit, panzertruppe, overalls and graetcoats. I know you want German figures, but I feel that I must point out that AB also makes a very fine range of British, French and US crews as well, the former including 1943 tank suits, denims, BD and desert uniform. These figures are so good that they inspired me to restart several WW2 British projects which had been stalled for lack of suitable crew figures. The chap who runs MMS is a regular attendee at Cambridge MAFVA meetings so I see him most months. He does not have a website or email (yes, there are still some!) however. FAA is a wargames figure manufacturer from whom I have obtained significant quantities in the past, but no AFV crews as far as I recall. His stuff was certainly good, but they had a change of designer and I have not seen much of the new range. Mind you, I have not been to a show for some time, although they will probably be at Salute 2000 in April, which I will probably attend and can look out for a list. Wargames Foundry also makes some tank crews (I know of Russians but there may be more) but I don’t own any, although most of WF's range is pretty good. Wargames figures often tend to be on the large side so may be suitable for 1/72. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Listmaster Subject: Seen in newspaper recently Virtual kangaroos missile attack stuns army The reuse of some object-oriented code has caused tactical headaches for Australia's armed forces. As virtual reality simulators assume a larger role in helicopter combat training, programmers have gone to great lengths to increase the realism of their scenarios, including detailed landscapes and - in the case of the Northern Territory's Operation Phoenix - herds of kangaroos (since disturbed animals might well give away a helicopter's position). The head of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation's Land Operations/Simulation division {wonder how long his business card needs to be. Robert} reportedly instructed developers to model the local marsupials movements and reactions to helicopters. Being efficient programmers, they just reappropriated some code originally used to model infantry detachment reactions under the same stimuli, changed the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo and increased the figures speed of movement. Eager to demonstrate their flying skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the visiting Americans nodded appreciatively - then did a double take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the hapless helicopter. Apparently the programmers had forgotten to remove that part of the infantry coding. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Lockie (Think Tank Listmaster) Visit the Miniature AFV Association website at http://homepages.go.com/~mafva/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume