Hi again

Manufacturer Tamiya
PE - Lion Roar
Barrels LR/ RB

The rear view mirrors are switched left and right. But yeah... I couldn't do that PE work, very nice!

Nice. One of the cleanest, sharpest kits I've seen yet. Cant wait to see the finished effort. What are your ideas for camo/paint/weathering?

Well, that certainly makes my 'Coming back to the hobby, straight from the box' build of this kit look pretty darn plain

Beautiful work - I am really looking forward to seeing what she looks like all painted up!

Rafal;

NICE! All of that brass... wow! You certainly have your PE all in line. ENVY.

This kit is on my closet shelf, along with a much much simpler PE kit... It, and its Fu-wagen brother, are long-time favs of mine - first badly built one back about 1972 or so. Eventually I'll pick mine up and do it - But I sure am glad I'm not planning on building it to compete with you!

But, alas, I have a serious "wet blanket" I must sadly flop your way... The SdKfz 222 and 223 cars had 4-wheel steering, just like their parent Horch chassis. The parts are well-shown in the Tamiya kit.

So, I think you need to either have them all pointed straight (I know, BORING), OR you have to cock those rear wheels over the reciprocal angle (which really will look pretty cool!)

It would be a world-class shame to have done all of that splendid work and then put this out and have some judge (at a show or on a post ) gig this! Imagine seeing a Corvette with rear-wheel steering!

Beautiful job!!

Really nice work.

That PE work looks so impressive that it almost seems a shame to paint it!

- Steve

Yes and no. While they did have 4-wheel steering, it was optional to use. The driver could choose 2-wheel or 4-wheel steering via a shifter lever in the driver's compartment. The 4-wheel steering feature was removed from the production line sometime in 1942 due to the problems it caused accident wise. Therefore, Rafal's build is good to go.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

This is confirmed in Nuts&Bolts vol.4 - Sd.Kfz.222 and 223.
As with all vehicles in this series the vehicle had four wheel drive and all wheel steering (rear wheel disengagable
The Nuts&Bolts book is a great source for anybody planning on building an interior for these cars!

Chris, Frank:

Thanks for the filip on the technical details, gents! I stand (OK, sit - standing while typing does nada for my spelling, etc.) corrected! Took me quite a while last nite to find any notation to this detail, but I finally did.

My POINT, in posting my prior on this, is that probably about everyone who has ever read any reviews and the "common" references to these vehicles - including most show judges and viewers of this and other modelling sites - will KNOW about this cool feature (the 4 wheel steering). Hey! that's why I posted to this!

I think modelling the 4-WS can only ADD to the coolness of Rafal's already stellar (IMHO) build. While there was a 2-WS operator's option, modelling it that way has two likely consequences - the trivial one being that, while being historically accurate as an option, it adds NO dramatis to a otherwise great build- sort of like minimizing the modelling opportunity (that "coolness" aspect some of us modellers like). The other one is that most interested but "less-expert" viewers will, sadly, "gig" the model as they are ignorant of the technical detail revealed here...

I confess that I would likely have done just that, were I to see it as a judge at a show! And I, and others I am sure, have seen any number of tiffs when judges don't know some subtle (and this is) historical fact being shown in a model. The displayer would be in a bad spot...

I greatly appreciate the clarification on this technical aspect of what is perhaps my fav alltime WWII vehicle- life-time learner that I am, I now have in hand one more piece of its puzzle!

Rafal: I still offer to you the suggestion that you model it with the portrayal of that 4-WS feature- it will make your already coolest kit pop all the more!

Your build has inspired me to go get my old Tamiya out, and I'll go the 4-WS for sure! Because it's historically accurate, cool-looking, and the kit has the parts to do it!

Pax!

Base color, artistic oils & pigments.
Next stand:









RJ

Great finish Rafal. The figures look great squeezed into the turret, Its a pity you didnt add some colour contrast to the monotone colour finish, like stowage tarps or similar ... the open stowage door is not showing anything either. Without decals, I believe it needs something else as the figures are only visible from an arial view.

nice, very very nice. always fun to see your progress on these projects Rafal because of the attention to the build and weathering... top notch work once again. cheers, bd.

One of my fav WW2 AFV and you've certainly done it justice. Great build and nice paint job! It's crying for a base and perhaps a small diorama?

Nice build then nice finish. Great.

Thanks for your nice modeling and presentation.

S.i.Nam

When first looking at the photos with all that PE, I thought it was a Lion Roar advertisement, beautiful work.

Ralph

Rafal,

Great looking build, this little guy is begging to be put on a base or in a dio

Hi Rafal this is awesome i love all the brass on the build and the painting and weathering is beautifully done it made me happy just looking at it

Thanks Guys, soon gallery:


cheers
RJ

Wow. Phenomenal work. I have the Tamiya 222 coming in the next couple weeks, but I'm a beginner and never touched PE before, so I'll stick with the "bland" build - though that thing is gorgeous.

Thanks Tirso.
Final photos:













Regards
RJ

OUTSTANDING WORK!

congrats

cheers

It's nice to see a Luftwaffe vehicle here for a change. I like the monochrome finish as well, these days it's practically daring to be different.
There are times when one tries to be diplomatic about someone else's work, to overlook a problem here or there, or to focus on the better points of the build and to encourage improvement. I'm happy to say none of this is necessary here, this work is a masterpiece, and there is nothing further that needs be said other than the fact it's based on a 40 year old kit merely raises the achievement.

Rafal,
Nice work on the old beast! It's nice seeing an such an old kit built up like this.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures
Toadman's Place