19/02/2012

This year's first batch of desert stuff

Something of a mixture, I bought a bag of Airfix Matador bits at the Recon show, It contained one complete matador plus bits for most of another, a 5.5" gun plus all but one part for another. Luckily I had a spare matador already, it just needed repainted from green and the bits box contained the missing part so I could assemble a second 5.5" gun. So now I have enough for a RF Medium Artillery Battery

The dingo is a repaint job of a vehicle from another club member.

What's needed now is to find some suitable plastic figures to use for gun crew. Ideally I'd rather not use the Airfix 6pdr gunners.

Sharp eyed observers will notice the lack of decals, that's firstly because I'm waiting to see what units I have to build for the big game and secondly I need to find the correct AOS and formation markings for the medium guns - I think they were army level units, but I'm not sure yet.

10 comments:

Greek_Geek said...

I've used the HaT WWI British Arty crew set for mine, but they are painted for use in Europe. Check to see if you can find Italeri/Esci 25-pounders as these have crews with the appropriate dress.

Dimitri

Broeders said...

Nice looking units Will.

Archduke Piccolo said...

I was about to suggest what 'Greek Geek' has: the crew figures of the ESCI British 25pr gun/howitzer set. Nice figures, though you have to glue the arms on. Several stripped to the waist, as you might expect in the Western Desert, or Europe in Summer - not to mention Burma at any given time...

Anonymous said...

If you have them, the Airfix Magazine in the mid 70's had some good pictures of converted Airfix figures as 5.5" crew. These were in the John Sandars articles on the Eighth Army. I could find them with a bit of effort.

Rodger said...

Very very nice indeed.

Stryker said...

Hi Will - by a strange coincidence I've just converted a gunner from the machine gun loader in the Airfix 8th Army set. A little bit of green stuff to add a shell and he looks pretty good along side the figure with binoculars. I will be posting on him soon if you're interested.

Ian

Anonymous said...

Airfix Magazine July 1975. For 6 crew he used:
1 figure from RAF emergency set with extinguisher cut away
2 figures holding hoses with an added scratch shell cradle from RAF emergency set
1 RAF ground crew set figure holding a rammer
1 Airfix commando set radio operator
1 standing figure from 6pdr set
Picture on page 662

Fire at Will said...

Anon, thanks for the details, I thought I might use some of the figures from the emergency set, but useful info.

Greek Geek, yes I had considered the WW1 artillery and swopping the lower half.

Archduke Piccolo - they are nice figures but quite an expensive route unless I can find the figures for sale separately, ditto using the 6pdr crew from the Esci 8th army set.

Styker, good idea about using green stuff to make the shell.

Anonymous said...

I can send you a scan of the Airfix Magazine article if you tell me your email.

Fire at Will said...

Thanks Fire-at-Will-at-live.co.uk
just change the second at