Hi Chaps. Just finished this off yesterday after battling a bad cause of modelling-block for the last 2 months.
Built OOB, except for some extra stowage in the inside and soldering wire for the hydraulic hoses for the crane. A very Big thank you to Trackjam (Paul Fredenburg) for sending me some amazing line drawings to help make some sense of it. I have removed one of the cables, where I coiled thin brass wire around it, as I wasn´t happy with it. Will make it again and add when this fixing to its base and crew are added! I have a few pieces of external stowgae to add also.
Click here to see build-up, finished interior and unpainted figures.
As usual all comments and critic are welcome. Cheers.

I only have good critics,
this is just awesome, great wheathering, good rust, the dust all over the vehicle is great
and the most beautiful of all is the interior.
Are you going to put this model in a dio?

A very good job Frank!

Greetz Rob!

Frank
Outstanding job. Glad the drawings proved useful.

They might have been more useful if I had rembered to wire up the inside as well before I glued on the top.
You know that deep gaze you get sometimes ...as the glue sets perfectly ..... "did I forget something?" #:-)
Thanks Paul, I really appreciate that you sent me those. Id actually consider doing this kit in the future sometime .... maybe the Aussie version! Maybe my scratch skills might improve a bit. This could be the start of something. This kit needs those hoses. It´d be naked without them.
Thanks for the kind words Rob and Paul. Much appreciated. Do you think its over weathered? Like the exhaust cover, for example. To used to doing WW2 stuff.


Not a dio as such .. more a simple base as there will be some figures. See below

Looks Ok to me.

Frank,

I don't show you as being enlisted. If you get this fixed then I'll give the award.

Paul

Frank

Sorry I'm late on this one. As usual, great work here.

You've got some nice subtle shading changes in coloring on the body--really an interesting and eye appealing model accomplished through a monotone paint scheme. Pretty cool how the different color on the side tanks adds some visual snap to the whole thing--very very nice. This would make a great Models on Display or Feature with a write up once completed, (hint, hint). By the way, your figs added to the 113 in your other thread really bring it all together. Once on a base, its another winner for you.

Again, you set the bar.

Steve

That is a great looking Fitter. Paint job rocks. Just enough color to make it not too bland

Very nice build as usual Frank. The weathering is just right. The paint job is perfectly done. Are you going to add stowage to the racks on the left side? thats the only thing that seems to be missing. Personal gear and stowage.

Great model Frank the weathering is fine, the desert is a hard mother no respecter of paint , what base colour did you use.

Thanks guys for your comments. Much appreciated.
Thanks Paul for sorting out my enlistment. Proud to have the campaign ribbon beside my name!
Scott .... That stowage item was painted seperately and is already added ....will show in the final display when figures and base are all added.
I sprayed first with earth as a preshading, then tamiya desert yellow,then desert yellow and buff mixture in the middle of panels. I thought this was a bit too yellow for the Israeli colour, so there were a few filters with earth brown green and grey, to tone down washes and dry brushing and also to blendin the decals.
The figures are added now and Im waiting for some Verlinden Israeli roadsigns I bought from E-bay, to finish up. I´ll gloss or stain the base then. Here´s the lates version.








Close-ups of the figures can be seen in this thread; Academy IDF crew with Hornet heads

Well done Frank. It looks like it is an inservice Fitter. You tied everything torether very well with your weathering.

Nice build. Only thing I'd say is the engine access hatch is one heavy mother to lift to its open position, let alone all the way up as you have it. That and if I recall correctly the internal spring won't allow it to go that far. Its been awhile and I might be mistaken on the last part, but I'm pretty sure on it. Other than that, a great looking Fitter. IDF stuff is one of my favorite subjects. Lots of diversity to work with. Again, nice build, "Q"