Hi Everyone, I have been busy assembling and modifying figures to use as tank riders while my celluclay has been drying. I would like to thank Mike (Blade48mrd) for sending me some figs to use in this project. I really appreciated it!!! Here is what I have come up with so far. There will be 4 Panzer 3 tanks with riders. Please feel free all comments are welcome.
Tank riders first group


Tank riders second group


Tank riders third group


Tank riders fourth group


Thanks for having a look!! Cheers Kevin

It's looking great so far.
Without knowing the setting for your project, I would have been a bit "angry" on the soldier blocking the drivers wiew on the forth group (I command armoured vehicles for a living), but for a static display it works exellent. Looking forward to see the finished result.

Cheers
Erik

Looking good Kevin, although I agree with Erik's comment regarding group 4 if these tanks will be moving. How about an early look at your base?

Keith

Very nice! Cant wait to see them all done

Looks good Kevin, I just have a question. Which tanks are moving? I think on those that are in motion, that the figures MUST be holding on to somthing, otherwise they risk be dumped off and run over by the next tank in line!

I am not too thrilled with the first one. The kneeling guy back right the tank is disrupting the 'flow' of the figures posture. There are three guys looking down right and one pointing at something. I personally would try to get the pointer to point at what the three are looking at and then move the kneeler. Or if possible, twist the kneelers head to his right a bit.
The two guys whos torsos are the same in the last images need to be broken up on different tanks. They're to uniform and you'll notice if they're to close.

Looks great...and big! Tell us more about the dio!
I have to agree with slodder about the 2 guys on the last tank...put them on different tanks, or on opposite sides.Show us the base!!

Hi Kevin,
Looking very good. Though I do have to agree with Scotts comment on the two figures the same torso. I would say the best solution would be to move one to another vehicle. But other than that I think it looks great! Can't wait to see more

Hi Kevin

Looking good few figs to paint there mate...Iam sure you are going to move them around and i agree with the comments from the other posts ,but as i said iam sure you will move them around a lot before you decide on a final position.
Really looking forward to seeing the dio develop and if any of your other work is anything to go by this is going to be a Gem,keep it up mate.
Regards to you both.
Cheers Chris Tango 20

There is just something about tank riders that make them so cool. Looks like moving the guy sitting in front of the driver's port is the solution to not block the driver's vison

Looking great so far, Kevin. Nice to see several sets of Dragon figures in use. Who makes the resin figures in the last 2 pics ?

This is gonna be one HUGE diorama

Cheers !!

Alpen

Hi Everyone. Thank you for commenting. To start this isnt the final positions for the figures, its just to show the different ones that I have gathered for the dio. Your input has all helped. I will try to make the figs all look like they are holding on!! Scott thanks for the heads up I really didnt even realize that the two guys on the last group have the same body. It appears I was shorted a fig and had it replaced with one already in the set. Thanks for pointing that out. Alpenflage the last set is from Carter and Crowley. They seem to be ok as far as molding goes and I was wanting another option than the dml figs. A lot of you have asked to see the ground work so far, its pretty boring to look at but here are three pics of it in its celluclay and sand.



Again all comments are welcome. Please fire away!! here is a reminder for those that have forgotten what this dio is all about and those who havent seen the previous post.
Thanks for looking, Kevin

thats just awesome kevin, personally i would be freaked out having to paint all of them haha. May i ask what make are the white figures....or are they just dml's primed white? Cant wait to see your tanks weathered, keep us posted!
Ian

How true to that pic are you planning to build?

Hello, Ian those figs are by Carter and Crowley. Alan, this is a tough question. I should say it will be based loosely on this picture. To make it accurately The base would have to be bigger but I limited myself to 3ft x 2 ft for restrictions on getting the dio moved around to shows and things. I also plan to add a few things that arent in the picture so I guess you could say the pic is jjust a guideline. Cheers Kevin

Kevin:

Your base looks great. I wish I had both the space and the time to work on dioramas that large! For me, that would be a decade project! Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

Keith

Kevin,
One quick comment, this appears as if it will be an early war scene. If that is the case you might want to have the guy on top of the turret in the second group have something different to hold beside the panzerfaust. The early panzerfaust didn't go into production till August of '43, this one appears to be one of the later models that didn't go into production till the summer of '44.

Mike

Frankly i dont think there would be any right or wrong for this dio although it would be common sense not to have the driver's view blocked especially while the tank is moving.

I really admire your courage to build a dio this big but i do look forward to seeing your progress and eventually the final product.

All i kept thinking about is how much $$$ is going to go into this massive project.

Did you secure any sponsors?

I always admire the guys, like Kevin, who have the gutts to attempt such large dioramas and being able to keep their focus until the end.... It's an extreme task to mind all the details, from start to finish. Kevin is a master as it comes to both details and large dioramas... excellent work my friend !!

I have the biggest confidence that this will become another masterpiece ! Be sure to keep us posted.

Ola Kevin

This is very promising. All the figures look very good apart from the guy blocking the Vision port of the driver and moving one of the figures on the front of group 4 but I don`t tell anything new now as others mentioned it before me. Of some figures I kinda have the idea if the way they are standing/Kneeling if that would be a nice way to stay on a moving vehicle as a tank on that terrain but I think that is more for personal choice.
What I`m eve looking more forward to is the start of the groundwork. Knowing you it will be stunning as usual.

Looking forward to future progress

After seeing all that work I might just have to revive my Bridge Too Far dio of Shermans lined up just before the XXX Corp Holland breakout. I have collected at least a dozen British vehicles.

Thats a huge dio and knowing from the start the planning i have to say that i admire the courage to make it !!! The tank riders look good and i know they will be rearranged whern time comes . Haver the dtrenth to go on and this will definately be a winner !!!

Awesome, Kevin! How long do you guesstimate it's all gonna take?

I think the figures all look cool. But I agree that they should be holding on. There is no way someone could sit on a moving track the way the soldier with the MP38's doing. Also, some insights: I have served as an infantryman in combat (no, not in WW2 ) and have occasionally ridden a track (mostly BMPs and once on a Saracen) and there is no way I would ever sit/stand/crouch anywhere forward of the turret. 1) Perfect place to be shot at; crouched behind turret's good. 2) Have one's arse kicked by the track commander for obstructing the sweep of the MGs. 3) Ever heard an MBT's cannon go off while you were sitting next to it? :-)

Cheers & good luck, mate. Hope to see lots more pix.

Kevin, figures are looking good . Also the idea of the diorama is great, i want to see more asap.
Greetz 043

Tjhose figure were actaully released by cromwell models about 5 years back under Gross Deutschland tank riders set they were pretty pricey at the time ..only thing I'd say to you is watch with the DML figures by the looks of it you have used sets from 1940 through to 44 period so there could be differences in uniform ect also depending on time scale was the panzerfaust in use?

best of luck with the dio