GERMAN 5 TON HALF-TRACK DIANA Sd.Kfz.6/3 7.62cm(R) ANTI-TANK GUN BRONCO 1/35

I made German half-track Diana of the Afrikakorps. It is a considerable volume kit. Built from March to April 2014.

Now I run out of thinner and surfacer, I can not paint the other two under making tanks. I began to make this, German 5t half-track “Diana”.

There is a heap of parts…

I had made two Bronco kits in the past, and compare with them, this Diana is excellent. The past two also not so bad, but it’s easy to assemble.

The dragon models half-track that I made before also has the engine. These inside contents are disappearing portion when all completing.

Although inside is individually unnecessary, when it turned and sees as this photo, I’m very satisfied that all the parts are arranged exactly as the real vehicle. It’s a big difference between tanks and truck models.

There are many parts and some of them are tiny but no problem. Like the side panel small photo-etched parts, there are so small as 1/10 size of a rice grain, can you see the photo-etched parts on the panel?
(06-March-2014)

I just assembled each part roughly. Radiator filter was painted in black before attaching to the body.

Now handling really tiny parts. It’s good if there are many spare parts in case of lost.

I’ll hold this body for a little, tiny photo-etched parts attaching should have been later. Actually, I lost 3 peaces and searched them , re-pasted up.

Small gap on the bonnet, it is necessary to correct later. I decided to stand a windshield.

Usually, I hardly used movable track, it’s fresh for me to make a movable half-track caterpillar. It’s very interesting.

It is an assembly of 76.2 mm field gun M1936 captured from Russia.

It’s better to have adjusted and fixed the angle at this stage because the main barrel interferes with a standing windshield.

The assembly of the field gun was completed. I didn’t know that whole field gun on a half-track and continue using, and this gun was from Russia.

In order to attach to 5t half-track, gun mount was shortened. The long stick in this photo was the left long mount.

It’s wonderful that the main gun inside has rifling.

The complicated mechanism of the back side is nice taste.
(10-March-2014)

Because it’s difficult to paint after all assembled, I stopped to this. Though I usually like painting after assembling completion.

Blew surfacer lightly.

I found a very nice figure for Diana. It’s DAK panzer & Artillery Crew Libya 1941 set from Dragon Models. The left two crew, a good pose. An illustration of Mr. Volstad is cool, precious historical document. I’m thinking about right two crew, that it’s matched for panzer III in North Africa in my stock kits.

Linkage of the camping pot and both hands finger-tip was the most important in this figure, I adhered it first, I can take care of both shoulders later. Small finger-tip adjustment is sensitive work.
I used the same shape camping pot in the days of a child. Because there were many parts which learned the modernization of army from German military, Japanese army influenced such a small part. For instance, the schoolchild’s satchel, too.
(19-March-2014)

Completed two soldiers. It is very rare that plastic injection kit desert soldier in North Africa.

It’s not difficult assembling of coat parts.

The expression is not good-looking as the Hornet, but is enough tasteful faces. I suppose it’s skillful model sculptor’s handling, of the German soldier kit who are changing its clothes which I assembled before and this North Africa kit.
(25-March-2014)

I made trial and error and finally completed. What I regretted is having glued a caterpillar with the body. I should have put it on after painted it.

I think I’ll paint coats of the figure again, because Mr. color yellow ocher which is indicated in the instruction manual is different from my image.

I had the camouflage painting of the red brown this time. German gray of the groundwork is left here and there. Originally there is not the conclusive evidence painted in German gray, this is my feeling. In other words, it is an image of the North African painting of German vehicle.

Regarding the white aviation identification mark, I thought that decal was in the box but wasn’t there, I must paint it by myself. I masked it and now painting matte white.

I blew sand dust. I found a white identification mark is run off here and there, need to repaint later. The open top vehicle has many painting areas and hard working. There are a lot of processes to the final completion.
(01-April-2014)

This is the 5t half-track tied up the 7.62cm field gun on the loading platform which was captured from Russia. Full length of the models is 18 cm.

Nine vehicles were produced, and this type of vehicle was operated all in the North Africa as the 605th tank hunting battalion. So a small number of productions, you may think it’s same as a trial manufacture vehicle or vehicle for emergency.

I did the weathering paint exaggeratedly because the hard condition of the vehicle in the severe climatic of the North African battle front.

Good accent of measurement pole vivid color.

The bottom of the box compartment where an antitank gun was in only blew earth brown lightly, but I should have done more tipping weathering. I feel it’s a little simple.

Loader area was shone in silver and looking good.

Bronco prepared many decals for dashboard panel and after using them, like real stuff.

Because it was the place where a gunner worked busily, I painted the floor with rust and soot moderately. I think the gunner’s area is very narrow space.

There is a rack in the rear side, I painted the rust and I shone in silver some edge rubbing place.

I did weathering like after deluge of rain especially on the seat. Long distance moving outfield in a hard condition climate, many places were beaten.

I wanted to make the feeling that the painting came off and show up the German gray undercoated., but the hue of the gray painting part was too dark.

Camouflage of the red brown was too much contrasted at the beginning, finally matched with the base color dark yellow.

Caterpillar was made of metal and rubber, side was metal and I shined by drybrushing. I painted the rectangular parts in rubber black.

This kit includes helmet and shell, putting them on the rear rack as during operation.

Artillery crew are relaxing now for serving coffee.

After finishing both the face and the coat by oil painting, drawing brush spot has appeared. I can not see these spots as far as decorated on my shelves, but unpleasant when took a photo especially zoomed up. I’m not good at handling oil painting, maybe I should have thinned down by thinner or something.

All two of them looked down and hard to take a photo, this shot is from underneath by force. The oil painting is easy to do blending, but drying time too much longer. It takes for a few days until I can touched it without problem.

I need to do trial and error a little more for figure painting. These figure’s back site also good looking. The color taste of the coat matches this vehicle.

The crew of pouring coffee is a sergeant and the other is the command sergeant major. The piping color of the artillery is red in German Army.

This kit was considerably substantial contents. The notation of the assembling manual was careful and good quality. One point I would like to say is that the price of Bronco Model merchandise is higher than other maker, if their price falls a little, there are not the words.
(13-April-2014)