From: Think Tank Subject: Think Tank Vol. 0069 31/03/2001 Think.tank@tesco.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS' INDEX 1: Stowage of two-part ammunition 2: Re: Alan Fanning’s Landrover query 3: Casting large replica rounds 4: Re: Casting dummy ammo 5: Guy Mk.1 + Mk.1A Armoured Cars (Wheeled Tanks) 6: Elefant -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: lloydstaples [lloydstaples@lloydstaples.screaming.net] Subject: Stowage of two-part ammunition In the IS series of Soviet tanks (as an example) the ammunition is stowed as separate rounds and cases. Does anyone know how (or if) the open end of the cartridge case would be plugged on this sort of ammunition? I have made some cases for a diorama, and need to know what would be seen at the open end! Chris Lloyd-Staples -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Bill Scriven [bill.scriven@mail.which.net] Subject: Re: Alan Fanning’s Landrover query I vaguely recall seeing a photograph at the Museum of Army Flying of a Landrover carrying a missile. It might have been a support vehicle at a test range. I have a feeling that it might have been a specially converted 6x4, though that may have been a different vehicle. I only visited last year so the photo may well still be on display. Bill Scriven -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: nickbalmer [nickbalmer@ukonline.co.uk] Subject: Casting large replica rounds Hello Danny, Many years ago at school I helped make rifles which would present similar problems to "rounds", for a school play. We did this by making "skin moulds". To cast in RTV in the normal way would be ruinously expensive unless you were selling large numbers. We coated the wooden master in release agent, and then painted on rubber in a thin layer so that it was covering the whole surface about 3 or 4 mm thick. We then built a box long enough and deep enough to surround the shell by four inches on all sides. The rubber covered master was hung from the top so that it was about four inches from the sides and bottom. Plaster of Paris was then poured in until the level was at the mid point of the master. After the first half had cured, small bits of wood to form the pouring spout and air holes were placed so they butted up to the back of the rubber mould. Release agent was painted on the upper surface of the cured plaster of Paris. I think we used greaseproof paper. The second half of the mould was poured in plaster of Paris. Once cured the mould was carefully prised open and the master extracted. We poured our moulds with the two-part resin from fibre glass canoe making, mixed with black poster paint. You can probably get something more sophisticated nowadays. Good luck. Regards Nick Balmer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Paul Roberts [tankmodeler@home.com] Subject: Re: Casting dummy ammo 1 to 1 88 mm and 75 mm rounds, right? Dang, they'd be rather large! One way to reproduce such large shapes is to use fiberglass, like the large scale ship and airplane guys do. Make silicone rubber moulds of the round, in two halves with appropriate lap joint lips and all and probably a separate piece for the cartridge base and you could go into low rate production. Come up with a cheap, imitation wicker holder and the German aficionados at Beltring will probably eat them up for breakfast. Good luck, Paul -- Paul Roberts Scale Tech Distributing Contract Model Makers tankmodeler@home.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: IAN HANRATTY [ian@hanra.freeserve.co.uk] Subject: Guy Mk.1 + Mk.1A Armoured Cars (Wheeled Tanks) I am looking for any information on the above armoured cars/wheeled tanks. Can anyone help me with what units used these vehicles with the B.E.F. in 1939-1940? What would their markings have been, and what colours scheme would they have been in? Also can anyone help me with any info on the latter use of these vehicles? I have the old Dragon articles on the Belgium Armoured Cars Squadron; did anyone else use them?? The info is required to allow me to paint up the new Cromwell Models Combat Ready kits. Many thanks in advance Ian Hanratty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: MALCOLM IRESON [ireson@carltons36.freeserve.co.uk] Subject: Elefant I have just picked up the latest model of the Elephant by Dragon, and what a model. I have quite a few photos of it in the normal red/brown over sand camouflage, but does any one know of any other camo that this would have been painted in? Something a bit different or unusual. With thanks, Malc. As far as I am aware (having seen Blackwell’s photos on Missing Links), Dragon has produced the later, reworked version (uparmoured, mantlet armour reversed, circular cupola etc.). That means that unless you want to backdate the beast (Tankette 12/5 had a useful article by Harley and Taylor and more recently there has been the Panzer Tracts tome by Jentz), the scheme used at Kursk (olivgrün on dunkelgelb, in interlocking wavy lines) is out. Zimmerit will also be required for some of them. The "book of words" on the subject is probably the Combat History of sPzJagAbt 653, which I have consulted and it yielded the following (I have not yet read it - it is 558 pages long, after all) colour information from the colour plates.. I am aware that colour paintings are of course an interpretation of the colours but Münch seems to have undertaken an indecent amount of research and am inclined to believe that they are fairly kosher. 2 kompanie was using rotbraun patches overspray on dunkelgelb in the Saporoshje bridgehead in September 1943. No zimmerit. 3 kompanie was in plain dunkelgelb with a rough brush-painted white overcoat in the Nikopol bridgehead in December 1943. No zimmerit. 1 kompanie was in dunkelgelb with a light overspray of olivgrün in small patches in Italy in May 1944. Zimmerit. All the other (post-Zitadelle) ones illustrated are in the three-colour scheme. Naturally, if anyone else has information, please feel free to chip in. Personally I will be stuck with my old Italeri kit, which I was congratulating myself on having tracked down in 1999 ;-). Ah well, there is probably more of a challenge than just making a new kit! Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Lockie (Think Tank Listmaster) Visit the Miniature AFV Association website at http://homepages.go.com/~mafva/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume