2022 Year in Review

2022 is now in the logbooks!  Looking back there were several enjoyable builds and a few which were problematic.  I am struggling to determine any which truly stand out, I didn’t really build anything particularly unique or show stopping in any way.  I did have fun though which counts for something, but I do feel you can have fun and also build something unusual.

I attended five IPMS model shows in 2022, even after missing a few due to conflicts with my daughter’s volleyball tournament schedule.   The shows I did get to were the Dayton Wright Field Modelers, the Indianapolis Roscoe Turner show in Lebanon, Military Modelers Club of Louisville, a new show held by IPMS Duneland in Hobart, Indiana, and the Cincinnati show held at the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Batavia, Ohio.  Two of the shows I skipped entering models – Dayton so I could spend the afternoon in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and Hobart because it was a new show and I didn’t know what to expect.  Hobart turned out to be a full-fledged show right out of the gate with a great vendors’ area and over 500 models on the tables.  I’ll definitely bring some entries next year!

2022 Cincinnati show at the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Batavia, Ohio. You have to love the 1:1 scale entries!

The publishing industry seems to have picked up some, and there are finally titles making their way down to the overstock and secondary market which is where I pick up a good number of books.  I have also been listening to audiobooks while I model, downloaded from the Indiana State Library.  Listening at the bench is a good fit, as it doesn’t interfere with modeling in any way.  Sadly, two authors which are well represented on my shelves passed away this year, Jerry Crandall and Lawrence J. Hickey.  Both will be missed.

Blog Statistics and News

The Inch High Guy blog has completed year four!  A big thanks to all who visit on a regular basis and I am happy to report that I again managed to make a post each day.  Total posts surpassed 1,500 last week, so there is a backlog for any new followers if you’re interested.  It’s gotten to the point where even I’ve forgotten some of the posts!  The blog received 168,566 views and 66,305 visitors this year, up from 139,675 views and 55,483 visitors in 2022.

I have never counted the models lurking in the display cases in the Secret Underground Workshop, but given that I post 2 completed builds per week with 8 photos each, that’s over 400 models and 3,200 photographs so far.  The problem with that is, even with new completions, I will run out of finished models to post sometime this year and will have to upgrade my WordPress plan as all the storage space will be filled.  The other topics regularly in the rotation show similar numbers – 200 book reviews, 200 walk arounds, etc.  It is likely that there will be some point where the blog will only be updated a few times a week instead of daily.  This may open up other possibilities with other formats, time will tell.

Models Built in 2022

41 completions, 31 aircraft and 10 vehicles. When I counted them up I was surprised that this was 7 more than last year.  Only 3 figures this year though, which is down quite a bit.  Everything was built to 1/72 scale as is my preference.  The mosaic has a picture of each build, construction posts and additional finished pictures can be found by searching the blog.

Pavla Curtiss AT-9 Fledgling (Jeep)

AZmodel Vought OS2U Kingfisher

Hasegawa Brewster Model B-239 Buffalo x2

Hasegawa Curtiss SOC Seagull x2

Special Hobby Seversky P-35

Revell Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther

Dragon Jagdpanzer IV L/70

Revell Sturmgeschütz IV

Arma Hobby North American P-51 B/C Mustang x12

Arma Hobby Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate “Frank” x6

Hasegawa Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate “Frank” (Repaint)

RS Models Kawasaki Ki-100

North American B-25 Mitchell x4

Airfix Sherman Firefly Vc x2

Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart Honey x3

Vickers Light Tank Mark VIB Resin Prints x2

What’s Ahead in 2023

What IS ahead in 2023?  Boy, I could really get into politics here, both international and domestic.  Let’s leave it as hopes for a just end to the war in Ukraine, and a lack of interest on the part of other dictators in starting new conflicts.

On the modeling front, most of the immediate plans are for my typical builds which are gradually becoming more routine.  There are also a few ideas for unusual subjects, but these are more involved and tend to take much longer than shake and bake kits.  I am always kicking around ideas for another ship, but ships in any scale tend to consume bench time at incredible rates.  I’m not sure that 50 work in progress posts on the same subject is a good thing.

On the home front Ms. Inch High’s weakness for dogs manifested itself again and we’re now up to four.  Both of the new arrivals were rescues adopted in the same week.  Franklin had been returned to the shelter a couple of times but is a great dog, Elenore was rescued from a dog hoarder and had had a rough life.  She was traumatized but has really come around now and is the most energetic of the pack.

Old dogs Jezabel and Teddy in the chairs, puppies Franklin and Elenore on the floor. This is why I don’t get to sit in my library on some days.

May you each live long enough to build every model in your stash!

Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart Honey in 1/72 Scale

These are builds of the Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart, representing ANZAC vehicles in North Africa.  The Plastic Soldier kits come three to a box and are intended for the wargame market.  The box contains no decals, so the markings here are from Star Decals sheet 72-A 1065.  The kits are simplified and quick to assemble, I added a few details such as headlights, grab handles, and tarps.  The .30 caliber guns on top of the turrets are from the Academy deuce and a half kits.

Construction posts here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/11/11/plastic-soldier-m3-stuart-honey-build-in-1-72-scale-part-i/

Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart Honey Build in 1/72 Scale Part II

The models were primed with Mr. Surfacer 1000 to check for flaws.

I just had to finish one in the Caunter scheme. It appears the light blue color has fallen out of favor, replaced with a very pale green. I had intended to mask and airbrush the camo, but it soon became obvious that masking over all the corners and protuberances was just not going to work so this is brush painted. There are some guys who are wizards at this but I still need some practice.

This Tan over Olive drab scheme was also brush painted. I had trouble with the camo colors blending with the Tan base coat, so I sealed the base coat with Testors Glosscote and then built up the Olive Drab in two thin layers.

The Plastic Soldier kits do not include any decals at all, the modeler is left to their own devices. I used Star Decals sheet 72-A 1065 which has markings for several ANZAC subjects. I had trouble getting the decals to lay down over anything but a perfectly flat surface, even with repeated applications of Solveset. Finally, I applied a single brushful of MEK, which dissolves decal film. If you try this you want to do it quickly and only once, if you try to brush on a second coat you will brush your decal away.

The figure looks a little on the big side for an Inch High Guy, but he looks the part in the turret. I checked the dimensions of the models, they are spot on in width but a little long in length.

Here are all three builds together. The replacement machine guns are a prominent feature. Antennas are Nitenol. The canvas stowage is made from masking tape. I like building these even if they wouldn’t quite fit in on the contest table, and they will look good in the case.

More completed photographs here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/12/01/plastic-soldier-m3-stuart-honey-build-in-1-72-scale/

Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart Honey Build in 1/72 Scale Part I

Plastic Soldier has released a series of simplified kits aimed at the wargame market. They come three to a box, and include parts to build multiple versions of the subject. They generally include some optional parts to help customize the builds to a degree. For me these are fun builds which allow for some opportunities at improving a basic kit and practice painting and weathering armor.

The parts are few but the molding is crisp. There are parts to build either the flat sided or round turrets, and both come with the option of posing the commander’s hatch open. The two partial figures represent either American or British uniforms, your choice.

The running gear comes as a single piece for each side, with or without dust guards. Some accuracy has been sacrificed for improved durability and ease of assembly. These don’t look bad under a coat of paint but compromises have been made here. You are given choices for the storage boxes, but these have sink marks which will need filling. The lower hull and rear plate are at the bottom right. This is a little puzzling to me as the only thing keeping you from building six Stuarts to a box is there is only one lower hull per sprue – all the other major components are there!

Here is the running gear. I have opened up the spaces in the idler wheel on the left, a quick job which improves the look. If you look closely at the top of the fender you can see another sink mark. I generally fill these with superglue, hit them with accelerator, and file them smooth. Only takes a minute.

The tracks don’t mate to the lower hull cleanly. Test fit and trim off some of the material on the key which slots into the hull until the dust guards mate with the hull properly. The headlights are just blobs on the fenders. Stuff like that bugs me and will have to be fixed.

The turrets needed a little filing and filling to eliminate the seams. Here I have filled the seams at the sides of the front armor with superglue and the top seams with Perfect Plastic Putty.

The kit includes a ridiculously out of scale .30 caliber machine gun for the turret. I used the guns from the accessories sprue included in the Academy deuce and a half truck kits which is a much better representation.

Assembly is complete, with various detail improvements. The headlights are Evergreen round stock with the backs tapered down, their brush guards were made from flattened solder. Replacing the kit machine gun barrels is also a simple but noticeable improvement.

Plastic Soldier M3 Stuart Honey Build in 1/72 Scale Part II

Part II here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/11/18/plastic-soldier-m3-stuart-honey-build-in-1-72-scale-part-ii/

Plastic Soldier Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Assault Gun with Concrete Armor in 1/72 Scale

Another Plastic Soldier StuG III, this time with the Saukopf gun mantlet and concrete armor added to the front of the fighting compartment.  The concrete armor was added to some StuGs late in the war.  The Schürzen armored plates were designed to offer protection against the Soviet PTRS-41 and PTRD 14.5 mm anti-tank rifles which were produced in great numbers and proved capable of penetrating the side armor of the StuG III.  The skirts also proved useful against hollow-charge weapons such as the American Bazooka.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More StuG III builds here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/07/28/trumpeter-sturmgeschutz-iii-ausf-g-assault-gun-in-1-72-scale/

Plastic Soldier Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Assault Gun in 1/72 Scale

This is a Plastic Soldier Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Assault Gun.  These kits are intended for the wargaming market and come packaged three kits to a box.  I built this one to represent a StuG III on the Russian Front during 1943 / 44.  I replaced the overly-thick Schürzen which also helps hide the rather basic running gear and added various other details to spruce it up a bit.  The commander figure is included with the kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More StuG III builds here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/plastic-soldier-sturmgeschutz-iii-ausf-g-assault-gun-with-concrete-armor-in-1-72-scale/

Plastic Soldier Sturmhaubitze 42 in 1/72 Scale

The Sturmhaubitze 42 was a variant of the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. F or Ausf. G which replaced the 75 mm anti-tank gun with a 105 mm L/28 howitzer.  The choice of gun options is provided in the Plastic Soldier StuG III kits although this is not explained in the kit instructions.  My StuH 42 also carries Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste made from Mr. Surfacer 500.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More StuG III builds here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/plastic-soldier-sturmgeschutz-iii-ausf-g-assault-gun-in-1-72-scale/

Plastic Soldier StuG III Ausf. G Assault Gun Build in 1/72 Scale Part III

Here is the Sturmgeschütz III with the added concrete armor after painting.  I completed most of the assembly first and painted in the details.  Painting the rubber on the bogie wheels is not difficult if you thin the paint and allow capillary action to carry the paint around the rim, filling in the rest of the color after.  The simplified suspension is not as glaring as I feared but it still does not stand up to close examination.

The same StuG after washes and weathering.  The model was first coated with Future (Klear) to protect the paint.  Decals from the spares box were then applied and a second Future coat sprayed to seal them in.  Next they were washed overall with Tamiya Black with Brown added for the tracks.  The loader’s machine gun shield was fixed in the stowed position, if it is shown raised the loader’s hatch must be opened as the front half props up the shield.  The hatch is provided as a separate piece and can be posed open but I lacked an appropriate figure to fill the opening.

A tighter shot of one of the other StuG III showing details.  The radio antenna are made from 0.005” Nitenol wire set into 0.5 mm tube.  The advantage of Nitenol is it is flexible and does not bend or break so any bumping of the antenna will cause no damage.  The bore cleaning rod was scratched, Jerry cans are from the spares box.

Here are the Plastic Soldier commander figures.  I replaced their headphone supports.  These guys are a little hard to paint in this scale but I’m working on that!

All three of the Plastic Soldier kits posed together for a group shot.  I tried to make each one a little bit different than the others.  The Schürzen are in place which helps the appearance.

One of the Plastic Soldier StuGs on the left compared to the Trumpeter kit on the right.  The Trumpeter StuG is a more finessed display model as you would expect, but by the same token it would not stand up as well to handling for use in wargaming.

 

SUMMARY

I really didn’t know what to expect from the Plastic Soldier kits.  They are intended for wargaming and are certainly well suited for that use.  There are several concessions made to ease of assembly and strength of the finished model which makes them quite robust when put together.  There is also a generous array of optional parts which facilitate construction of different variations.  While these are not called out in the instructions, modelers with even the most basic of references will have no trouble determining which parts are required to make these.  For their target market they will do nicely especially given that there are three to a box.

For a display model they need a bit of work but not a prohibitive amount.  The biggest improvement needed is replacing the overly-thick kit Schürzen which has the added benefit of concealing the simplified running gear.  These are not the best place to start on a super detailing project for a contest model, but they are not intended to be either.  Having said that I may sneak one onto a contest table just to see how it will do.

In the end these are fun little kits which turned out better than I feared they might.  I think they will look right at home in the case!

Completed builds here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/07/07/plastic-soldier-sturmhaubitze-42-in-1-72-scale/

Plastic Soldier StuG III Ausf. G Assault Gun Build in 1/72 Scale Part II

Modifications are shown on the Trumpeter StuG.  This is the one kit of the four with detailed running gear so I will leave off the Schürzen but this particular subject vehicle still had the support rail.  I fabricated this from Evergreen stock with supports made from Tequila bottle seal for strength.  The kit was missing the towing padeyes on the front of the hull.

The “fencing” around the engine deck was installed at the factory on many StuGs and varied in configuration, for wargamers this would make a natural holder for a six-sided dice.  I also constructed the sheet metal dust shield over the mufflers under the rear hull and drilled out the exhausts on all the kits, although this is barely visible here.

I like making Zimmerit!  Most StuGs appeared in the Alkett “waffle pattern” Zimmerit.  I can’t make that accurately, but this particular StuH 42 carried the troweled line pattern which I have made here with Mr. Surfacer 500 and a jeweler’s screwdriver.  The Mr. Surfacer is very forgiving, any errors can be erased with thinner and applied again.

Plastic Soldier represents the Notek driving light with a molded-on bump and ignores the travel lock for the gun.  Neither is particularly difficult to construct and makes a nice improvement.

I shaved off the molded-on towing cables and substituted extras from the spares box.  The Trumpeter kit had no cables at all.

Some StuGs had their armor supplemented by filling in recesses in the forward fighting compartment armor with concrete.  My concrete is made from Perfect Plastic Putty which is easy to work for applications such as this.

This StuG will have the Saukopf gun mantlet as well as the concrete armor.  Visible on the hull front is the mounting bar for a length of spare track which many crews carried there to supplement the armor.  Photographs show spare track was carried in several additional locations by some StuG crews.  I really wish kit manufacturers would provide several extra track sections to allow these variations to be more easily modeled.

This StuG has two towing cables which are already shackled to the padeyes at the rear of the hull.  This was often done to facilitate a quick recovery if the vehicle was damaged in combat.

This vehicle has the “winged” MG shield for the loader.  Plastic Soldier provides a part for this style and the flat foldable version, but both parts are rather thick.  The Trumpeter parts are very nicely done, but the kit contains only one of each so additional shields will have to be scratch built to equip all four models.

I have made the Schürzen from Evergreen sheet to replace the overly-thick kit parts.  These will be painted and installed separately near the end of construction.

Part III here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/07/03/plastic-soldier-stug-iii-ausf-g-assault-gun-build-in-1-72-scale-part-iii/

Plastic Soldier StuG III Ausf. G Assault Gun Build in 1/72 Scale Part I

Over the last few years there have been several 1/72 scale armor kits released which are specifically aimed at the wargame community.  Plastic Soldier, Armorfast, and Italeri have all issued kits, usually multiple vehicles in the same boxing.  The kits are designed to be easy and quick to assemble, sacrificing detail for speed and durability.  I became curious to see just what these kits were all about and whether they could be spruced up into presentable display models.

This is a sprue shot of the Plastic Soldier StuG III, you get three of these sprues in each box.  Obviously a low parts count!  The parts are robust compared to most display model kits, being designed to resist handling.  Details such as pioneer tools are molded on.  The running gear is simplified to speed assembly and prevent breakage.  PS has provided some options – there are three different barrel assemblies allowing for the Saukopf mantle, the standard 7.5 cm StuK 40 gun, and the 105 mm gun of the StuH 42.  The loader’s and commander’s hatches are separate pieces and there is a half-figure commander.  Both types of MG shields are provided, and a set of rather thick Schürzen are also included for those modelers needing protection from Soviet anti-tank rifles.

The instructions underscore the simplicity of the kits and ease of construction.  No mention is made here of the additional parts included or the various vehicle configuration options they provide, so the modeler will need to consult references to get the most out of these kits.

As a control I will build a display model alongside the Plastic Soldier kits, in this case the Trumpeter Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G.  This will allow for direct comparison with the PS parts.

Being optimized for detail the Trumpeter kit has many more parts.  For 1/72 scale armor kit this is still not a high parts count, even though Trumpeter has also provided for several options.  There are three different fighting compartment roof pieces, two rear hull pieces, two styles of return rollers, and several choices of guns.  All hatches are molded closed and there are no crew figures.  The kit has no Schürzen included, but the attachment fittings are molded into the mudguards.

I completed the lower hull assemblies and filled them with BBs fixed in casting resin.  It is a bit of nonsense I know, but I like the heft of extra weight.  This picture does illustrate what I believe is the major liability of the Plastic Soldier kit as a display model – the running gear and tracks are over simplified and look it.  Rather than trying to make improvements here I will take the easy way out and use Schürzen to hide most of this from casual view.

Not so easy to conceal are the spare road wheels which were carried rather prominently on the engine deck.  On the left is a Trumpeter road wheel and at the center of the photograph is the stock Plastic Soldier version.  I slotted the wheel with a razor saw, trimmed off the excess rim, and drilled out the limber holes to improve the appearance.  Not perfect but definitely better.

A comparison of both kits from directly above shows several differences in the ways details are represented.  It is also apparent that the Plastic Soldier kit is a little larger than the Trumpeter.  Compared to the George Bradford drawings, the Plastic Soldier kit is slightly oversized and the Trumpeter kit is slightly undersized.

Part II here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/06/26/plastic-soldier-stug-iii-ausf-g-assault-gun-build-in-1-72-scale-part-ii/