Here is what ive completed so far. I repainted the halftrack black around the edges of panels, then repainted with dark yellow. After this I added chips and scratches with a scour pad dipped in black paint. After that i did pin washes and used a variety of oil colors, putting little dots all over the vehicle, then followed by a large brush dipped in thinner, streaking downwards to remove most of the oil. This creates the effect of rust streaks, fading etc. I added the wheels and next step will be the tracks Crying or Very sad and painting the tools etc. Decals and a misting and that will be all she wrote! I put the halftrack on the base and this is what it looks like.

Here are some pics...

Very good action capture. The techniques are spot on. Nicely done.

One question - the side vision ports appear to be missing. Is this a planned omission?

Hi Ian. I like the close up photos, it adds to a very dramatic action scene. The figure just shot, adds a lot of realism and enforces the action. For a "moment caught in time", this is a stunning little diorama. Nice one.

Thank you guys, really means alot coming from you two. Scott, I will double check the instructions but im pretty sure the Sdkfz 251/1D didnt have a whole new vision port on the sides. Looking at pics right now it appears that it just had a slit.
Ian

Gday Ian
The weathering and finish of the halftrack is very subtle and consequently quite effective! The colour depth you are getting on your uniforms are really great also...
Although in the 4th and 5th pics the rear soldier appears that he is not coming to grips with bailing out of the vehicle! :-) :-)
Love the ground work...
Cheers
Brad

Hi Ian

The pics you have sent are awesome!. The sense of movement is well captured and the figure animation is excellent! I also like the ' casualty' falling and must say that the overall effect is very good.

Well done,

Garth

Hi, this is getting really good.

Apart from the eternal discussion if a vehicle could ever be so rusty,
your rust technique is great and absolutely realistic.
I'm still not convinced that the rear guy will ever make it out of the halftrack :-) , but your intend to show the surprising attack is very well rendered.
I nearly feel sorry for them to be traped in there!

Cheers
Claude

Thank you guys for the kind words and encouragment, it really keeps me motivated to complete this badboy. I really tried in this diorama to create a sense of urgency, chaos and forward movement that would overwhelm the crew in a battle situation and most importantly in an ambush. Ive pretty much finished my halftrack and just need to wait for a better camera to arrive to take pics, then it will be finishing the groundwork and vegitation.
Ian