Duncan, you asked about the 234 series and I had built the 234/4 version last year made by Dragon. It is a really nice kit that has the ability to produce a nice KO vehicle, but you will probably need the PE fenders. That way you won't have to fight the plastic when cutting open the storage doors.

For this campaign, I'm going to do a small dio of Dragons M4A3 ETO kit with extensive track damage due to mines. I found several pictures in various books I have that show different Shermans in November 44 in a sea of mud with the tracks all wrapped up around the hull due to mines. In fact the vehicle should be arriving in the mail this week.

Good luck and great photos from everyone. They really get the creative juices flowing.

Later,
Kevin

Phil... Thanks for the photo's there are some great KO'd AFV's there.

Kevin.... Your M3A4 with mine damage sounds great, will you be doing the sea of mud?

Thanks for the advice about the 234's I may still build one, (adding it latter) but to begin with I going for an Dragon early Hummel/SdKfz.165 I had heard bad things about these early Dragon Hummels but, after reading the PMMS reveiw and now looking at the kit I must say I am very pleased with it, even got some 'Cavalry Division Florian Geyer' Horses/Figures but I wont be using these!
I am going to use the TriStar suspension/wheel set as I can use the wheels without tyres in places to simulate burnt-up/damaged wheels etc. This kit has yet to arrive??? so I may steal some of the suspension and wheels etc, of an un-built Dicker Max I have.
The plan is for a badly damaged Humnmel languishing in a vehicle dump maybe with a 234 or similar pushed up next to it.

Yes, I plan on building the M4, planting it in the sea of mud and then painting the entire project at that same time to meld the colors since the mud will have splattered all over the bottom of the vehicle. In fact the M4A3 arrived in the mail last night so I'll start that after I finish my current project which is an old 1977 casting by Tamyia of the M8 howitzer mortar carriage.

A year or two ago I did Dragon's Nashorn and soon after I finished that one, they came out with the new Nashorn kit. What a bummer, but the older kit did well and I used Dragons' winter flak crew for the it's crew. I modified some of the figures to make them fit and hold the bigger 88mm Nashorn shells. It turned out very nicely so good luck with the Hummel, it's built on the same chassis as the Nashorn.

Yeah I think/hope that the individual links will help make it a little easier to give the look that im looking for
@ Phil nice photos but I'm not going to be going for the total destruction look
Made some progress on the upper and lower hull

not much but hopefully more tomorrow

P.S. By the way for those who claime i build too fast did I mention that I retired on Friday so now I have even more time Now if only I could get some sleep

Sal,

You lucky dog, retired and building models! What a great gig if you can get it; someday I hope to be there myself one day. Enjoy your retirement.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin I have just been trying to decompress from all the stress I had over the past few years
So on to my build, here is some progress

Top half of the hull is dry fit and the build is like 99% complete should be primed by tomorrow the latest

Sal, I just read of your retirement. Congratulations my friend!

Soon your blood pressure will return to normal, stomach troubles will disappear, and more and more kits will make it to the shelves.

Enjoy!

G

Ok here is the other side of my kit with some of the battle damage

its all primed now I need to throw some paint at it and I think I will use some pastels on it

Looks great Sal - This is the 'Good' side!

Thanks Greg, here are some more progress pics


If the dead solider is insulting to anyone please let me know and he will be removed from future pictures but I plan on having him fall out the back like that which is sort of like a photo I saw

Made some more progress

Marking on figure still needs more work


keep in mind here that I am not modeling anyone particular photo but a mixmash of several photo that I have seen

Sal: Looks great. Congrats on your retirement. I suppose we should be expecting a build a week now?

Happy Modelling, -zon

Back in 2003 during the invasion I seen the craziest thing. A T-55 that was knocked out problay by air. Anyways the turret was blown off the hull and was flipped in the air and came down barrel first into the hull. It looked like a giant sucker. I was look What the heck!. Man I should have taken a picture that day but I was kind of buzy at that moment if you know what I mean.

Sal... Firstly enjoy your retirement, and as Zon said I expect one model a week from now on! I think you comment ...
''...keep in mind here that I am not modeling anyone particular photo but a mixmash of several photo that I have seen [/quote]''
... is a great bit of advice, as trying to copy exactly a KO'd AFV would be very tasking (not impossible) but definitely harder.

Joe ... Shame about the photo of the T-55, is this what you intend to build? (the new Tamiya Enigma T-55 is out now I see = very nice!)

My Hummel is coming along nicely, a lot of sub assemblies at the moment, but the weekend should see it coming together, I must admit to enjoying this older Dragon kit compared to the Smart Panther I'm building.

Getting close to starting this campaign. I'm just about done with my M8 HMC for the allied campaign and my home improvement project is moving along. I figure by Monday I'll be photoing and starting a new build.

thanks.

Thanks Zon and Duncan but I don't know about a build a week the Honey Do list is long
But I did make some progress

The base is Mini Arts Ruined Garage that I used in the Urban Warfare Campaign

I'm pretty much finished with the build and weathering just need to update my rubble on the street

and Dull coat to finish it all off

Comments and suggestions are always more then welcome
Just noticed that I need to add some more grime in the engine compartment

Ok, today I was able to start my M4A3 for the campaign so I've enclosed two photos to start the process.

Here in the opening shot is the model, todays paper and a book that holds a couple of great reference photos that I will use to produce the finished project.



This shot shows where the progress stands at the end of the day. One sprue of boggies are completed and one sprue worth of parts lays there mocking me, waiting to be done but that will have to wait for another day.

I will say that building these boggies were much easier to build and do produce great looking boggies. I've built other Sherman variants by other manufactures and they were more difficult to make and needed additional work to clean them up in order to get them to look as good as these by Dragon. One thing that Dragon would need to do to make them better would be to include the bolt holes on the empty side of the boggie.



Thanks

i have been kicking a round a few ideas for this campaign.before i get started i wanted to ask if the San Diego tank rampage would count as being knocked out?i ask due to it not being combat related and the end result was the cops killing the guy.

Nicely torn up flag Sal

Sal, I agree with Greg; nice flag. Is that the Archer transfer on aluminum foil?

Checking the interwebs, it was in 1995, and the tank was stuck straddling the concrete freeway median with one track off and the engine stalled, when the police cut open the hatch and shot the driver. That sounds knocked out to me!
My two cents.
-Sean H.

thanks guys, it is plain old printer paper that was folded over once sprayed with watered down Elmers glue then the red was touched up with cheap craft store acrylic paint

Sal: very nice.

Happy Modelling, -zon

Thanks Zon Ok while i staring at the pics I felt it need some more weathering

So now I added some ans some more rubble to the scene as well

and Im ready to call this campaign and finally call the Urban Warfare Campaign finished as well

just need to post in the gallery

Sal: Nice. the extra rubble really helps ground the 251.

Happy Modelling, -zon