I made this 1/35 Tamiya Sd Kfz 223 in lockdown, painting it with brushes, a limited number of paints and even less know-how! Bolstered by the satisfaction I got from tackling my recent SAS Jeep build (utilising an ancient airbrush, a groovy little compressor, a wider palette of paints and the knowledge I have accumulated from watching an unhealthy amount of YouTube tutorials), I’m going to have a go at giving it a face lift.
I’ve made the decision to depict the antenna in its stowed state (see work in progress). This involved some careful cutting …and one not so careful cut. It’s fine. My left thumb was slightly too long anyway.
I’m also going have the figure outside the vehicle to add a bit more interest, so this means having the mesh screens open. Unfortunately, this now allows you to see just how sparse and incorrect(?) the interior appears to be! So, I’m considering draping a tarp or some camo netting over the ‘turret’ to hide the void. The moulded camo that came with the kit is pretty ropey so that’s already destined for the dump! I’d be interested to hear any suggestions as to how I might deal with this issue.
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Apologies for photo-bombing but you asked for suggestions – the issue is moulded/replacement camo? Paper towels or tissues rolled up & soaked in dilutions of camo colours, tied with black or brown thread. Mine’s at least 25 years old and I don’t remember anything about the build, so I was surprised when I took these photos today to find a radio op lurking within – was he in the kit? I’ve no idea what happened to the gun but the commander’s clearly still looking for it…
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Thanks for sharing those photos and the tips for using paper towels etc. There wasn’t a radio operator included in my kit and the interior detail is basically non existent. Having been down a deep rabbit hole of research it’s thought that Tamiya based their model on a partially complete restoration project that was missing the central gun mount assembly. It seems that they’re available to buy, but attempting to instal one at this point feels a bit excessive and I’ve got a new Sherman model waiting in the wings. So… I’m going to pursue the plan to partially cover the gun shield area with camo net or a tarp.
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I made the kit donkeys years ago and there was a radio operator, but he didn’t have any legs IIRC. The interior was pretty sparse, I seem to remember a radio set moulded in one piece for the legless man to work. The point was to stick the commander in the turret to hide the fact there was nothing inside.
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