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This is the AFV Club Stuart, done with distressed paint as described in a Marcus Nicholls article a few months ago. The green paint is severely mutated XF-62. The tank had some fairly extreme weathering, and I used some Value Gear stowage on top (they are the best). I wasn't crazy about this kit, incidentally, especially compared to other AFV kits I've built. However, it was built more as a 3D canvas for my paint experiment than anything else. Enjoy!

Looks nice. Your weathering has depth.

Two things I noticed: 1) your roof spotlamp seems to be unattached and 2) don't place stowage atop the turret -- that'd be bad for the TC's ability to scan for targets

Having built and enjoyed the late M5A1 kit from AFV Club, I'm curious what you didn't like about yours?

There were a couple of fiddly fit problems with mine, but generally mine went together well and looks the business.

Paul

Roy, its unattached because I lost the part and didn't remember to replace it! And the stowage is deemed to be 'temporary' as in a parked vehicle, that they'd move inside once they got going. Its just a helmet, canteen and pack. Thanks for the tip, I will reconnect that light. My floor monster had a nice snack with that one.

Paul, two things: the back of the tank is open; you can see through the top deck to the ground. there are pieces they should have put in but didn't at least on this version; like having open sponsons. Also I didn't like the fit of the hatches and turret top; they weren't horrible but not great. Again, it wasn't a bad kit by any stretch but I didn't feel it measured up to most of the other AFV club kits that I've built.

Gotcha.

Yeah there were a couple parts on the late M5A1 kit that didn't fit well at all. The rear hull plates and doors, the exhaust deflector and a few more.

But I never expect a model to fall together, so I guess it didn't cause me to twitch _that_ much.

Paul

Agree! The engine deck has way too many sections to carefully align - the slightest fit error will cause gaps between them. The deck could have been moulded with fewer pieces. But once you get past that, it's a very nice model, and by default, the best one. I believe Formations make some parts to go under the engine grates.

Paul, two nights ago I started on the AFV Valentine MkII, and that starts with the hull assembly. Big difference; the hull is very solid, and so far the fit of the panels is top notch, much better than the M5. Such an unusual little tank, too! I'm doing the 3 tone camo (sand/ms/azure) for it; the masking should be a challenge but I expect it will be fun. The Germans and the Brits must have looked at each other's tanks back then and thought, "what the heck were they thinking?"

Bill, very nice build!!! Thanks for the tip on value gear. I had it on my list but had not seen to many comments. Maybe Santa will surprise me

Bill,

If by 3 tone you mean the angular "Caunter" scheme, beware! there is no azure (blue) in it. The three colours are Light Stone (or Portland Stone) with "Silver Grey" and "Slate" as the middle and darker tones, respectively.

If you want Tamiya mixes for those colours I can get them for you.

Paul

paul, i would be greatly appreciative for that!!

Nicely done!

From mixes "approved" by Mike Starmer, the acknowledged expert:

BS.34 Slate

At last the final colour for Caunter. Specified as the darkest colour to be used on vehicles painted with the Caunter scheme. Came into use in 1940 and apparently retained as one of the alternative colours to be used with the 1942 patterns.

Mix: 1 pt XF24 + 1 pt XF4.

This is a fraction dark compared to the standard but a touch of white or light grey will tone it down.

BS 64 Portland Stone

Mix: 6 pts XF2 + 1 pt XF3 + 1 pt XF57.

It could stand a fraction more XF2 and perhaps a fraction less XF57 but if I tweaked it then the proportions of the other colours would be really silly.


BS 61 Light Stone

BS 61 Light Stone as used from 1940 till 1943.

Mix: 7 pts XF2 + 2 pts XF59 + 2 pts XF3.

The result may shock some modellers but it is just slightly lighter than my 1930 sample, certainly near enough. Light Stone 61 is yellow. The railways colour is buff, it was BS.58 Light Buff or Deep Cream 53 used as an interior colours and Humbrol used to have buff in their railways colour range eons ago, like pre-authentics. Some military modellers used it on desert vehicles back then.

BS.28 Silver Grey

This is the official colour used as one of the disrupters with Slate in the 'Caunter' scheme. In use on all types of AFVs and other vehicles in Egypt from mid to late 1940 till cancelled in December 1941.

Mix: 7 pts XF21 + 1 pt XF19 +1 pt XF4

Be careful with XF4 as even a little too much will throw this colour far too green. Err on the light side.



HTH

Paul

Paul:
Thank you so much for this. But now I'm a little confused. The paint scheme I'm trying is tri-tonal, and on the instructions the three colors are azure blue (which I'm guessing is the slate), sand, and middlestone. Your instructions have four colors; can you please tell me, basically, which one goes where?
By the way, I have the hull done and am starting on the suspension. So far I am very happy with the kit; the fit and detail are excellent. What an interesting tank! I don't think I've ever built a vehicle with this many vents. A great example of why I love building armor so much in the first place.

The Portland Stone and Light Stone are interchangeable in the orders as the basic vehicle colour though it seems the vast majority of actual vehicles used Light Stone as the basic colour. Then Slate was the darker colour with Silver Grey being the middle tone in the painting diagrams.

Check out this thread for photos.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/thread/1197314788/Honey+Caunter+camouflage

Also look at this. What looks to be blue is the silver grey.



Paul

Fantastic, Paul! Thanks so much for the info; I will post the finished product early next year.

Very nice. I've done one so far and really liked the kit. Not shake n bake but looks the part when done. Think you did a great job on yours.