Arab Israeli - Egyptian ISU 152

More plastic from BF, suitably up detailed. Plastic set of five ISU 152's ( I have plans for the other two!) converted into Egyptian modified 152's plus the command version. 

I filled the hulls with polyfilla to add some weight, small touch, but then it's all about the little details!

As usual hatches drilled and opened out, together with plastic card hatches which are more in scale. 

Next up was to remove the handle mouldings ( see far hull above) and replace with brass rod. This was a bit of a tedious process and at the cost of several micro drills, but I think worth it in the end. (Yes I know I stopped at the handles on the engine deck, well for now anyway)

I added the front stowage boxes and fuel/water tank and also the rear fuel tanks with revised carrying brackets.

The command version is fairly simple, all I had to do was add some welding beads around the gun mantles blank.

The cages around the lights were complicated but I think I pulled it off! 

Based as per the SU 100s, although the command version may well get a bigger diorama style base to reflect its purpose. 

All three together, ready for priming and crewing. 

White primer, just a light unifying coat at this stage, as I expect I will be adding more detail before the paint stage, alongside the SU 100's . Need to work out what to regards crew, the BF plastic set is great but gives in five I can use directly, so I guess there's going to be some Peter pig head swaps......

Gaming?

Not sure if these ever crossed the suez in'73, but useful to have as options, maybe they'll provide a surprise for some SAM hunting IDF recce on the West Bank. 

I am considering developing this little October War expedition into another display game. Whilst I have been extremely successful in the past, time and real life has prevented me creating anything over the last year or so. Plans are afoot for possibly 26 foot of Sinai ! We'll see.....

And...

Am working on some QRF Mi-8 "Hips", lot of work needed,  but I think they'll come out fine. 

Arab Israeli - Egyptian SU 100

I

Small addition to my Egyptians for the October war, up detailed Battlefront plastic SU100's.

I'm really liking the emergence of plastic, in both 1/100 but more significantly 1/56, as the possibilities of conversions and detailing, not to mention level of detail and stability of materials is simply impressive. 

The BF SU100 has the additional stowage box on the front right side of the superstructure on the sprue so all I had to add was the track tensioners on the left hand side and some moderate up-detailing.

 I decided to open up one, so chiselled off and cut out the drivers hatch on one, and using a hatch cut and thinned from the spare hull one and cut out, opened up the drivers position. 

(Note I didn't glue the hull at this stage as I would need to add a driver at a later stage)

I also thinned out the track guards but only the eagle eyes would notice!

The forward hatch was also opened up and I decided to add fuel tank supports on the rear. I also modified the mantlet casting to reflect the troughs for the securing bolts seen on the few reference examples.

I then added a simple base ( warbases again) and primed up ready for painting. 

Next up will probably be the plastic BF 152's, with some usual conversions but I'll save that for later! 

A sneak preview of the Israeli howitzer M50 SPG now available from S and S models, this one built as-is but I have three detailed ones in the works. 

Tinkering with.... S&S 20mm SHILKAS

Again, had these floating around for a while, these are S and S Models ZSU 23-4 Shilkas. Great looking vehicle, and for their age a fair rendition ( I believe Shaun may revisit these moulds in the near future).

These are my guinea pigs really; I'm using these as my "mood" boards for my 15mm AIW, i.e I'm using them to practice some paint concepts. Currently, I think one will end up in Egyptian colours and I suspect the other two will be Syrian, one with a red camo over sand and the other the more familiar grey/green/sand "blotch" scheme.

As always, I have to play a bit, so have opened up a TC and Drivers hatch and modified the cast on stowage at the rear ( pet hate!!!!) fairly minimal really.

Ok, so whats with the funny colours? ( you may ask!) Well, as with all resin, it needs to be primed properly! As these are a "paint-along" they effectively the ginger-step-children of my painting desk and rarely get any undivided attention so they are subject to the whims more loftier "commission" pieces. Basically, I had a commission batch off for priming so these slipped in before full assembly. What you can see is the result of a plastic primer, black undercoat, white metal kit parts, green filler and green stuff! They will need another primer touch up and a final enamel coat for completeness but they will be fine in the end. 

(Words of Warning! I let my guard down recently and didn't plastic one of my paintalongs...... I thought it would be ok.....oh no....flippin nightmare, many hours wasted and all my own fault!)

And who's this little fellow? (you may ask!)... this will be the recipient of all the hard colour work, a 15mm QRF Shilka. I have done quite a bit of work on this and its brethren, opening up solid white metal is not for the faint hearted! but a unit of three of these will look awesome!

Modified 15mm QRF Shilka