SPA Modeler

Well, it's May and I have a short tour to offer everyone. All aboard the trams everyone!


Starting in the Motor Pool, we have some small progress done on the Iranian Chieftain. Using the pictured jig, we got the tracks assembled and installed:



In this next bay, we got the German Landwasserschlepper marked up with the decals:



Next to that is another German project, the SdKfz 9 Early version with the crane. This one got the engine and transmission installed:



In this next bay is an ACE kit of the British Forlite staff car. However, when I looked inside it had a paint scheme for a civilian car so that is what I decided to do. I got it all assembled to this point so far:



In this next bay is the Canadian Churchill. I didn't have the decals to make a specific tank so I winged it using the standard format for decals on Canadian Churchills to make this one look like a Canadian Churchill. It's done and incorrect, but this is how it's gonna stay:



Moving on to the next bay, we have the almost final assembly of the LRDG truck ready for paint:



Later we got the base paint down on the British LRDG truck:



More details were then painted. Note the machine gun in place of the 20mm cannon; I had lost the parts tree for the cannon, so I improvised:



In this next bay, I did some additional work on my Russian P-15 radar truck. A good friend told me that mesh was needed to be added to the radar dishes, so I found some that looked about right and went to work, adding it to the framework with Gator's Grip glue::



Here it is some hours later, all glued down and dried. This is how it's gonna look. I also had broken off the radar base from the truck and made it so the whole radar turns since that is how it's supposed to be:



Lastly in this next bay is the radar system for the P-18 radar truck. It took some doing and isn't lined up properly at all, but it is done:



Next will be some final additions and then assembly onto the truck. This radar will turn as well.



That's all for the Motor Pool, let's do a quick swing through the Shipyards....

In this first slip is the HMS Westminster, her hull is completely painted and now the photo etch details can be added:



In the next slip, the keel has been laid down for another British ship, the HMS Tiger:



Later the superstructure was added:



Finally in this last slip, the keel was laid for another ship. This one is the USS Alaska CB-1:



That's as far as I got on this. Thank you all for taking my tour and don't forget, comments are always welcome; thanks for looking in.

- Kari

Not large in number of subjects compared to most of your updates, but definitely lots of variety on this edition of your tour.

Superb stuff Mark - Love the radar truck!

Thank you Tom and Kari!

Thank you Carlos! I did need to vary things a bit from my armor; I don't want to get burned out on it and miss getting my milestone early.

Thank you Stuart! That radar truck is a challenge, but I'm enjoying this a lot.

It's been awhile since I posted last due to a very brutal month of May for me, causing me to lose mojo and my drive to do anything. June has been slightly better which has allowed me to get a lot more done on my workbench again. I know many don't take my tours because of the length and slow load speeds; but today I have a long tour to try and catch everyone up who decides to join this tour.


Trams are waiting, all aboard for those who wish to join.....



Our first stop is in the Motor Pool where my continued efforts to achieve my next milestone have been the focus of my work.


This first bay is a German Krupp Protze truck that I started from ICM. It was extremely delicate and required some finesse. First, the chassis and suspension parts were done:





The interior was added and attached to the chassis:





While that was drying, the bed was assembled:





Later everything was put together. This was starting to look like a truck:





Wheels and final details went on next:





Paint was applied next:





Afterward, decals were applied, bringing this truck very close to completion:





In the next bay I started a Hobby Boss armored train car, the panzertraegerwagen. Mostly all I did was build up the main car:





In the next bay over, I went back to another project, the SdKfz 9 with crane. The chassis had been mostly assembled, so the main body was started:





Once it was mostly completed, the body was installed on the chassis:





More details were added, and the engine closed in by the hood (or bonnet if you prefer):





Paint was applied next:





After adding the tracks, I built the crane and installed it. I then started the rigging:





Once that part of the rigging was done, more paint was added to bring this closer to the finish:





Moving, on; in this next bay we have the Iranian Chieftain that got additional details added:





Next is photo etch application....


In the next bay we have the final painting and detailing on the Russian P-18 Spoon Rest radar system:





I also made it so it will turn just like the real one:





In the next bay, I decided to start the PST ZIS-10 tractor Trailer since it's such a cool kit and rare in my scale. Firs was the chassis and suspension. PST is notorious for having the axle rods molded too short, so I pulled out some polystyrene rod to make the axles so the wheels were properly positioned and that the linkage connecting the transmission and differential would be the proper length:








It's almost a given that every PST truck needs this treatment...


Once that was done, the trailer was built up:





This truck was starting to look good:





I then started some painting on the tractor, and then added windows using the Micro Krystal Klear window cement since this did now come with clear acetate or parts:





After all that dried, the while thing got a coat of paint:





Moving on to the next bay, I had also started this Modelcollect tractor trailer towing a Tomahawk cruise missile launcher. Chassis and engine were first:





The rear parts of the tractor were added next:





While that was drying, I assembled the launch tubes:





Later I added all the panels for this and then built up the resat of the trailer to put it on:





As you can see it also lowers so I can position it in either launch or stowed position:





This is another long truck:





Next I added the windows and doors to the cab; and installed the cab interior to the chassis:





You can see I left the cab off to paint the interior and also to paint it separate to keep dullcoat from fogging the windows when I shot the rest of this.


And then paint was applied. Due to delicate parts; I opted to freehand the camouflage with a brush:





Wheels were added, and the cab closed up, this one is close to being finished:





And the launcher still raises to the launch point:





And that concludes our tour of the Motor Pool; since no other work was done in the Hangar or Shipyards, we'll move on to the Spaceport...




Here in the Spaceport, a good amount of work got done. First though; I found this jun little kit in my stash and figured it had to be built:





It just needs paint now and some details and it'll be finished.


Speaking of Flying Saucers; in this next bay we got a lot of interior painting done. It still needs some touch ups, but overall it's close to done. Here's the four views of the interior:














Moving on to the next bay, we got the crew together, (sans Chewie who was out scrounging parts) for the Falcon, along with a few interested Stormtroopers:





Meanwhile the Falcon herself got the top and bottom hulls mated together:





Afterward, all the side detail was added all around:








Some of the crew decided to try out the cockpit seats:





All the final details are on this and she is now fully ready for paint:












And that concludes our latest tour of Maddog Manufacturing for this month. Thank you to all who took the tour, comments are welcome.

Return of the Duke! (cue dramatic theme music)

Good to see you back here Mark!

My, oh my! What a neat collection of updates. Good to see.

That Falcon is excellent -1/72?

Superb builds all Mark, I love these Russian radars you're building.