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MENG 1/35 GCT 155mm Auf1 '' During the IFOR m
hummingbird
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: March 06, 2012
KitMaker: 120 posts
Armorama: 118 posts
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 - 07:23 PM UTC
Good day to you guys. Hope you all having a nice sunny, summer days. Weather here in London is crap though.

Anyway,I just finished another Kit. It's the GCT 155mm AUF1 from MENG. I'm not going to put in here how is the kit as a lot of review has already covered that when it came out. However, if you are building this, glue the infernal suspension (unless you want to put this on a diorama) and invest in another track set ( either metal tracks or other plastic offering).

For colour, I bought some AMMO paint to test it out.

The interior is painted using Tamiya light blue and Vallejo ModelColour White. Tamiya light blue has a very strong blue tone ModelColour white was use to bring it down. The chipping inside and outside are done with AMMO chipping colour.

Since I knew this was going to be a hard edge, I bought the pre made masks from J's model works.

Wanting to show a used up vehicle, I opted to use the IFOR decals from the kit and put on the '' Mont Igman 1995 '' decals to depict a vehicle used in the IFOR mission. As such, I decided to go heavy on the chippings, mud and dusts and throw some busy stowage on the little rack at the back.















Well, that's about as much I can sum up about the build. More informations and more photos ( many more) can be found on my blog -
http://modeller-innovation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/meng-135-gct-155mm-auf1-during-ifor.html
Please do have a look and thank you so much in advance for any feedback you guys may have. C&C are welcomed. Just be gentle... LOL.

Until the next launch .
stephane
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Hauts-de-Seine, France
Joined: October 10, 2005
KitMaker: 432 posts
Armorama: 429 posts
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 - 08:39 PM UTC
Hello Gary
Your model is superb, you did a great work on the paint!!!
The colours is very nice for French "nato" and the weathering is impressive.

Just have to say that the tracks aren't accurate for an IFOR vehicle. All the one in Bosnia were equiped with the late tracks (Friul and Trumpeter offers both a set and the late sprocket is on Meng sprues).

The Meng kit depict too a version that is a bit different than the one in Bosnia (but who care, rare will be the modellers who will see that).

You can be happy of your model!
stephane

ps: today , here in Paris we have too a rainny day.
bison126
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Correze, France
Joined: June 10, 2004
KitMaker: 5,329 posts
Armorama: 5,204 posts
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 - 09:01 PM UTC
Very nice rendition of the French SPG. As a sidenote to what Stephane wrote, I guess the Mont Igman decal is not correct for an IFOR vehicle. It was painted after the operation as a tribute to the gunners who served there.

Now let's hope MENG will release some more variants on the AMX 30 chassis !
Olivier
hummingbird
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: March 06, 2012
KitMaker: 120 posts
Armorama: 118 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 08:42 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hello Gary
Your model is superb, you did a great work on the paint!!!
The colours is very nice for French "nato" and the weathering is impressive.

Just have to say that the tracks aren't accurate for an IFOR vehicle. All the one in Bosnia were equiped with the late tracks (Friul and Trumpeter offers both a set and the late sprocket is on Meng sprues).

The Meng kit depict too a version that is a bit different than the one in Bosnia (but who care, rare will be the modellers who will see that).

You can be happy of your model!
stephane

ps: today , here in Paris we have too a rainny day.



Hi stephane... Thanks for pointing these out. I was walking in the dark with this build. I couldn't find enough informations and the references are not that solid enough that I made this mistake. I was aware of the late track ( something with the two rubber pad ) but I never new ... dang.. should have got it ...

but still, like you said, it came out very satisfactory so I guess I'm happy ...
hummingbird
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: March 06, 2012
KitMaker: 120 posts
Armorama: 118 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 10:00 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Very nice rendition of the French SPG. As a sidenote to what Stephane wrote, I guess the Mont Igman decal is not correct for an IFOR vehicle. It was painted after the operation as a tribute to the gunners who served there.

Now let's hope MENG will release some more variants on the AMX 30 chassis !
Olivier



Thanks Olivier... I honestly wasn't sure myself.. after research, I found out that Mont Igman was an actual place or something and I saw a photo of the Auf1 with that decal on so I assumed that would be used in the IFOR.. .
oh well...
Armored76
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Bayern, Germany
Joined: September 30, 2013
KitMaker: 1,615 posts
Armorama: 1,500 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2014 - 12:11 AM UTC
An astonishing build! Thanks for sharing! And don't get yourself crazy about the markings
justsendit
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Colorado, United States
Joined: February 24, 2014
KitMaker: 3,033 posts
Armorama: 2,492 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2014 - 12:47 AM UTC
Hi Gary,
I like the left-turned turret -- shows attitude and brings this monster to life. Nice work all-round! Thanks for sharing.

--mike
Belt_Fed
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: February 02, 2008
KitMaker: 1,388 posts
Armorama: 1,325 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2014 - 01:07 AM UTC
Great looking model! How did the Ammo acrylics perform for you?
bison126
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Correze, France
Joined: June 10, 2004
KitMaker: 5,329 posts
Armorama: 5,204 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2014 - 04:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks Olivier... I honestly wasn't sure myself.. after research, I found out that Mont Igman was an actual place or something and I saw a photo of the Auf1 with that decal on so I assumed that would be used in the IFOR.. .
oh well...



Don't worry too much about the name. I told this just for your information
andromeda673
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Wisconsin, United States
Joined: July 30, 2013
KitMaker: 584 posts
Armorama: 525 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 02:04 AM UTC
nice work man! looks great
Paulinsibculo
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Overijssel, Netherlands
Joined: July 01, 2010
KitMaker: 1,322 posts
Armorama: 1,239 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 02:27 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Very nice rendition of the French SPG. As a sidenote to what Stephane wrote, I guess the Mont Igman decal is not correct for an IFOR vehicle. It was painted after the operation as a tribute to the gunners who served there.

Now let's hope MENG will release some more variants on the AMX 30 chassis !
Olivier



Thanks Olivier... I honestly wasn't sure myself.. after research, I found out that Mont Igman was an actual place or something and I saw a photo of the Auf1 with that decal on so I assumed that would be used in the IFOR.. .
oh well...



Well build!

Mount Igman was the high ridge south west of Sarajevo, not far from the airport. It was the point from where NATO troops opened fire on the Serpska barracks in the East. Also Morrocan troop were stationed there. I have visited them quite often during the siege of the town as an ECMM member. The French troops played an important role in and around Sarajevo.
hummingbird
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: March 06, 2012
KitMaker: 120 posts
Armorama: 118 posts
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 01:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Great looking model! How did the Ammo acrylics perform for you?



It looks as though the paints have too much surface tension which causes them to pool and not adhere properly, appears as though the paint is separating on the surface, similar to the effect caused when mould release is present on plastic.

It was a bit of hassle to paint it but I over came it with some difficulty. The finish is absolutely stunning though.

If anybody ask '' would you buy more of these , Gary?? '' ... well, I can't say yes nor no .. gonna see if they are aware of that and wait if they do any improvement
sampiero
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Cote-d`Or, France
Joined: January 14, 2008
KitMaker: 257 posts
Armorama: 250 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2014 - 09:18 AM UTC
hi Gary
I spoke not for the work you have done, there is nothing wrong because I'm like you ... I always used to build tanks.
I confirm that the tracks are really poor quality and very fragile, when suspensions must think about what you want to do.
I doubt very much on advertising Meng mobility caterpillars.
greeting
jo
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