Sunday, 14 October 2018
Lynx Construction Complete!
Well yet again I've built this kit in about five days, more speed building. I'm liking this retirement lark! The kit has been great fun to build with only a few areas that need improvement and the fit has been excellent too. That's probably why it's been built so quick. So the model will be off for a careful wash before primer, what's next on the bench I wonder?
Saturday, 13 October 2018
ERC Lynx Fast Progress
The lynx is building up really quickly and I'm really enjoying the build so far. The two rear deck trunking assemblies have now been sorted and fitted and the two hull halves glued together. I've also started adding all the detail parts to the hull. I have found that the plastic doesn't like CA glue unless you rough up the surface where the parts should go. I think this is down to mould release oil on the sprues so I should have washed the parts prior to building.
Friday, 12 October 2018
ERC Lynx Getting Stuck In
Work on the lynx has been going well all be it with a couple of minor niggles. The first of these concerns the road wheels & hubs attached to the hull. No problems with the front ones as they locate via a notch onto the hull for the correct fit. I glued and fixed the wheel hubs in place as well here. The middle & rear wheel stations however don't have any positive locator's which means the mounts can move freely which will put the ride height out of whack.
You can ignore the middle station as the wheel height is movable thanks to two poly caps. Some time was spent making sure that the rear hub was in the correct position and that the suspension spring assembly was mounted properly. Once all glued and cured the model sits perfectly on it's wheels. Also I found that the hubs, parts numbered B25, B26, B27, B28 needed the holes for the wheel mounting pins drilled out fully. By doing this the wheels all line up correctly and a more positive joint can be made later.
The final niggle is with parts K3, K20, K17, K6, K7 & K4. These all make up some sort of trunking on the rear deck. On the real vehicle the trunking is just one piece, in the kit it's multiple parts that really don't fit well. I've used some plastic sheet and filler to get them smooth before I start sanding them into shape. A lot of work for a small part that would have been better made as one piece I think.
You can ignore the middle station as the wheel height is movable thanks to two poly caps. Some time was spent making sure that the rear hub was in the correct position and that the suspension spring assembly was mounted properly. Once all glued and cured the model sits perfectly on it's wheels. Also I found that the hubs, parts numbered B25, B26, B27, B28 needed the holes for the wheel mounting pins drilled out fully. By doing this the wheels all line up correctly and a more positive joint can be made later.
The final niggle is with parts K3, K20, K17, K6, K7 & K4. These all make up some sort of trunking on the rear deck. On the real vehicle the trunking is just one piece, in the kit it's multiple parts that really don't fit well. I've used some plastic sheet and filler to get them smooth before I start sanding them into shape. A lot of work for a small part that would have been better made as one piece I think.
Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Mexican Lynx Making A Start
I've now started the build and followed the instructions to a fashion beginning with the turret. A few improvements have been made as well as adding a some missing weld beads using stretched sprue. With the barrel & that massive muzzle the turret looks awesome.
On the lower hull you get a choice of suspension units, you can use the normal all in one units or use some nice metal springs. I've used the springs as there is less clean up and the detail looks much better. The units are not movable so the springs are just an enhancement. I've also looked at the plastic tyres, they assemble well but have a different tread pattern compared to the rubber tyres. The tread pattern on the rubber ones matches my references so that's what I'll use on this one.
On the lower hull you get a choice of suspension units, you can use the normal all in one units or use some nice metal springs. I've used the springs as there is less clean up and the detail looks much better. The units are not movable so the springs are just an enhancement. I've also looked at the plastic tyres, they assemble well but have a different tread pattern compared to the rubber tyres. The tread pattern on the rubber ones matches my references so that's what I'll use on this one.
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
Tiger Models Panhard ERC-90 F1 Lynx
Here's my next victim, the very smart tiger models ERC Lynx. This kit is the export version so you get markings for one Argentinian vehicle & four Mexican ones. I'm building this for the new group build over on Modellers' Haven Online forum as well.
I've had a good look and slight drool over the contents of the box today so here are my thoughts on it. First the parts are very crisply molded and have almost no flash or knock out marks that I can see.
My only gripe is the colour guide, you get a full colour all sides view for the Argentinian version and that's the only one in a single colour! All the Mexican vehicles only get a one sided view. Very annoying as you will have to either guess the front, rear and other side camo pattern or try and find a colour profile or picture on the net.
Why Tiger do this I don't know but I wish they wouldn't! 😡 However things get better with some super decals, a small etched set and really nice clear parts. There seems to be lots of periscopes so perhaps the French army version is not too far away. There are also two sets of optional springs for the suspension so maybe it can be made workable, I'll have to check during the build.
A nice inclusion from tiger is a set of stickers for your sprues to help you identify them easier. Perfect if you use a sprue rack or similar or just struggle to find the right sprue all the time.
You also get a choice of rubber or plastic wheels which is great as I always prefer the plastic versions. Both have side wall details and makers names.
The hull, turret and the rest of the parts are really well done & the barrel lurking on sprue C is a single piece only needing a seam line to be sanded off.
I'm very impressed with this kit and will be starting the build tonight, I'm going for a Mexican version by the way. The shape of the vehicle is so out there it just has to be a French design!
I've had a good look and slight drool over the contents of the box today so here are my thoughts on it. First the parts are very crisply molded and have almost no flash or knock out marks that I can see.
My only gripe is the colour guide, you get a full colour all sides view for the Argentinian version and that's the only one in a single colour! All the Mexican vehicles only get a one sided view. Very annoying as you will have to either guess the front, rear and other side camo pattern or try and find a colour profile or picture on the net.
Why Tiger do this I don't know but I wish they wouldn't! 😡 However things get better with some super decals, a small etched set and really nice clear parts. There seems to be lots of periscopes so perhaps the French army version is not too far away. There are also two sets of optional springs for the suspension so maybe it can be made workable, I'll have to check during the build.
A nice inclusion from tiger is a set of stickers for your sprues to help you identify them easier. Perfect if you use a sprue rack or similar or just struggle to find the right sprue all the time.
You also get a choice of rubber or plastic wheels which is great as I always prefer the plastic versions. Both have side wall details and makers names.
The hull, turret and the rest of the parts are really well done & the barrel lurking on sprue C is a single piece only needing a seam line to be sanded off.
I'm very impressed with this kit and will be starting the build tonight, I'm going for a Mexican version by the way. The shape of the vehicle is so out there it just has to be a French design!
Monday, 8 October 2018
IPMS Belgium 2018 Plastic & Steel Show Report
This weekend saw Stonehenge Modellers make our annual pilgrimage to the continent for the IPMS Belgium show. This year was their 50th anniversary so we were really looking forward to it. The usual format of an oh Christ o'clock start and a very uneventful drive to the Eurotunnel at Folkestone was the order of the day. For once the M25 was not busy and the only traffic we hit was just before Aalst on the E40.
We arrived at the venue and were warmly greeted by Erwin and the crew and set up in double quick time.
It was then off to Aalst and our hotel and a quick beer or two!
Which quickly turned into a bit of an Affligem Blonde fest when we ventured into town!
Fast forward to Saturday and the show proper. The hall was packed with lots of clubs and traders this year, more than last year so there were plenty of new models and traders to discover throughout the day. We also had an adopted member for the weekend in the shape of Paul Badman from Modellers' Haven Online forum, who again endured the arduous journey from his home in Germany to the show via the train with six models for the competitions and, more importantly a crucial consignment of German curry ketchup!
This year myself and Brian decided to donate a special prize in the competitions for the best post 1945 military vehicle. Here's the trophy we had made for the award.
We both selected the model we felt was the best from all the entries and I must say it was a difficult task due to the exceptionally high standards on display. But in the end we went for a superb Russian Zil 131 truck. Subsequently on Sunday afternoon during the awards ceremony Brian presented the winner with the Stonehenge Modellers annual trophy.
Both the competition and the club displays around the hall had some superb models which were really inspiring. It was also great to meet up with friends again and it was nice to spend some time with Guy from MHO who unfortunately couldn't stay long. Hopefully next time Mate! I also finally met Thierry who has followed my blog from the start. Thierry has his own blog, http://sizemilitarymodels.blogspot.com/ and makes some superb models. He also entered a couple of excellent dioramas in the competition and came away with a bronze for his efforts. Talking of the competition Paul managed to swipe 4 awards for his models and I think he was pretty chuffed with the result!
Here's a selection of pictures from the show.
As ever the opportunities for lightening the wallet were varied and I took full advantage of this as evidenced below!
I think this for me was the best show I've ever been to. The variety of models on display, the friendly atmosphere and the sheer quality of the exhibits are hard to beat. The show just gets better and better. So a big thank you must go to the IPMS Belgium team whose hard work always results in an excellent and enjoyable weekend. If you get the chance to visit the show then go, you won't be disappointed.
After a wind down few beers Sunday night and a good sleep the journey home was a chance for Brian and myself to discuss the weekend and start planning forthcoming builds, of course that will include tons of tangents from Brian which will bog him down on the completed kit front! I've got some great ideas and inspiration from the show so expect some interesting models here soon!
We arrived at the venue and were warmly greeted by Erwin and the crew and set up in double quick time.
It was then off to Aalst and our hotel and a quick beer or two!
Which quickly turned into a bit of an Affligem Blonde fest when we ventured into town!
Fast forward to Saturday and the show proper. The hall was packed with lots of clubs and traders this year, more than last year so there were plenty of new models and traders to discover throughout the day. We also had an adopted member for the weekend in the shape of Paul Badman from Modellers' Haven Online forum, who again endured the arduous journey from his home in Germany to the show via the train with six models for the competitions and, more importantly a crucial consignment of German curry ketchup!
This year myself and Brian decided to donate a special prize in the competitions for the best post 1945 military vehicle. Here's the trophy we had made for the award.
We both selected the model we felt was the best from all the entries and I must say it was a difficult task due to the exceptionally high standards on display. But in the end we went for a superb Russian Zil 131 truck. Subsequently on Sunday afternoon during the awards ceremony Brian presented the winner with the Stonehenge Modellers annual trophy.
Here's a selection of pictures from the show.
I think this for me was the best show I've ever been to. The variety of models on display, the friendly atmosphere and the sheer quality of the exhibits are hard to beat. The show just gets better and better. So a big thank you must go to the IPMS Belgium team whose hard work always results in an excellent and enjoyable weekend. If you get the chance to visit the show then go, you won't be disappointed.
After a wind down few beers Sunday night and a good sleep the journey home was a chance for Brian and myself to discuss the weekend and start planning forthcoming builds, of course that will include tons of tangents from Brian which will bog him down on the completed kit front! I've got some great ideas and inspiration from the show so expect some interesting models here soon!
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