Mark I 'Dingo' Scout Car

The 'Dongo' was a small two man scout car first conceived in 1938 as the British army started to embrace the idea of mobile armored divisions. Several concept designs were produced, all roughly similar, but it was the BSA prototype that was eventually selected, although they kept the 'Dingo' designation that Alvis had given their rejected prototype. Initially armour was only designed to resists infantry rifle fire but on the army's insistence the frontal armour was increased to 30mm. However it was the vehicles low profile and speed, even cross country, that was its main defense. 

The Dingo had an extremely long range and relatively tight turning circle making it ideal in its role as a scout or recon vehicle. The transmission consisted of a pre-selector gearbox, with five forward gears and five reverse gears, allowing steering with all four wheels. The system was very flexible but difficult to master and later models just has front wheel steering. 

The car was usually armed with a removable cal. 0.303 (7.7 mm) Bren gun, with a dozen spare magazines. However this could be swapped for a heavier Boys antitank rifle (0.55 in/14 mm).

The Dingo saw service throughout the war and continued in the British Army well into the 50's and 60's and in overseas forces even into the 1970's. 

The model is from Zvezda and is a relatively simple to construct and paint. The model clips together although I used glue to strengthen the joins and fill any gaps. In the end I spent more time working on the base than on the vehicle. I particularity focused on making the ground look wet and muddy, to emphasis ths vehicles exceptional off road ability. I did this using a Vallejo texture paint, plenty of varied vegetation and by using a mix of varnishes. I used a brush on Dullcoat (Testors) for 'dry' areas which gives a perfectly flat finish. For the wet areas I used Windsor and Newton Gloss because it gives a really nice shiny finish. 

Tanks begin to roll in

After my recent play test of the new What a Tanker! rules I decided I wanted to play more of this game and that I want run a game at Reject HQ as soon as possible. I have a random selection of 15mm tanks left over from when I sold most of my collection a few years ago. I have enough 1944/Normandy tanks and terrain to play games in this period but in the end I decided the call of the Western Desert was too strong. Despite amassing a large 6mm collection for this theatre the chance to repaint some early desert war tanks in 15mm was just too much of a temptation. Nearly a hundred quid and 16 tanks later I have ordered a range of British and Italian armour to play What a Tanker! in the setting of Operation Compass, late 1940 early 1941. 

The first batch of models arrived yesterday, with some M13/40's from Old Glory. I haven't bought from this company before and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the castings and the speed of delivery. Apart from some minor warping of the tank deck (which won't show once painted) the casting is perfect and quite detailed. I'm  looking forward to slapping some paint on these.

I've also bought some Battlefront M11/39's and L6/40's to get me started with the Italians. For the British I have managed to get A9 & A10 Cruisers from PSC, some Valentine II's (also from Old Glory) and a Matilda II from Zvezda. An eclectic mix that will arrive over the next few days. I'm like a kid in a candy store and my enthusiasm is evidenced in the rolling of my wife's eyes whenever the post arrives!

Zvezda Panzer IV Auf D

Following on from last weeks post about the Zvezda Opal Blitz Truck I found and built here's another neglected kit I also found. Some readers said they hadn't seen the inside contents of these kits so I thought I'd share some pictures of this popular model as well. Once again the quality of the kit which cost me just £2.50 is very good. There are few mould lines and the parts clip easily from the two spru's in the box.

The Pz IV was the workhorse tank of the German Army and served throughout the whole war. 

Inside the box are two spru's and all the parts are clean and perfectly cast

Its best to remove the parts with a proper pair of clippers like these although a minimal amount of cleaning with a knife will also be necessary. 

The detail of this supposedly 'cheap' kit is pretty good.

Seven easy to assemble parts make up this kit. No glue is required. 

All parts clip together easily

The completed Pz IV

Note the little detailing on the hull. This really is a nice kit for the price. 

The range of models is increasing all the time and its hard not to be impressed with such a good quality kit at such a cheap price.

Zvezda T34/76

Back at SELWG in October I bought a couple of the plastic Zvezda 1/100 vehicles including a German Panzer III and a Russian T34/76. These sets are very cheep and easy to assemble and the quality of the casting is excellent considering the price range. I didn't buy either model for use in an army, I just thought I'd give them a try-out to see what they were like.

To be honest I sort of forgot I had them so when I uncovered the two boxes yesterday I decided I had found something to keep me amused during my lunch break. I've only assembled the T34/76 so far but I have to say I'm impressed both with the detailing on the model and its easy of assembly. I used clippers to remove the model from its sprue but that wasn't really necessary and a quick scrape of a fingernail removed the small amount of tailing where the sprue met the model.

The range is focused on Operation Barbarossa so is firmly an early war collection of vehicles for the game Art of Tactic. Other models in the 1/100 range include:

German

Opelblitz Truck 1937-1944
Sd.Kfz. 251/1 AUSF.B
Pz.Kpfw. 38 (T) Light tank
Pz.Kpfw. II light tank
Pz.Kpfw. III G medium tank
Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D medium Tank

Soviet
ZIS-5 Truck
BM-13 "Katyusha"
KV-1 mod. 1941
BT-5 light tank
T-26 M light tank
T-34/76 (mod. 1940)medium tank


I haven't considered whether to paint this model yet, but as a quick diversion it fitted the bill. And at just £2.50 each I can see how they could easily be used to build a cheep force to start off a Tank Company or two. I may buy several of the German Opal Blitz trucks next for use as scenery or objective markers.

SELWG Loot

Just thought I'd show off some of the stuff I bought at SELWG. Nothing too dramatic as I am saving most of the money I made on the Bring and Buy for a particular purchase online. Having said that coming home with a bag full of goodies is always great.





Shows like SELWG are a chance to stock up on consumables without the added cost of postage. But often a bargain can also be had and these can of Purity Seal at £5 each couldn't be ignored.

I've been wanting to get my hands on some of these Zvezda models for a while and at just £2.50 each they couldn't be ignored. I picked the Panzer II and T34 just because I like these vehicles. Now that I have seen the quality of them I may pick up some others in the range.

This was a last minute purchase just because I like bunkers and because they were 15% off. I'm a sucker for a discount. I was considering scratch building some bunkers but was unsure about the scale. Now that I have this set I have a frame of reference and feel a little happier about making some.

I wanted to buy three of these Puma Armoured Cars but there were only two in stock at the show. I bought them anyway and will try to get the third online or at a later show. I do like these vehicles and look forward to testing out their performance in battle.

After my last FOW game I realised how hard it can be to keep track of the number of hits (vital for determining if a platoon is pinned down or not). These small counters from EM4 were just £1 and I hope will prove to be very useful in the next game.

Another last minute purchase and one of my favourites of the show. There were a whole range of resin buildings in 15mm and this set came in a single pack for just £13. Its meant to be a courtyarded farm, similar to La Haye Sante at Waterloo. However it could easily be painted to look like any similar farm complex in Normandy 1944. Of course I could also use the buildings individually and as such I think these represent excellent value.




OK, this I'll make this the last word on SELWG. One blog I read commented on the limited frontage of some of the trade stands. This make getting to the stock for a close up look quite difficult. I noticed this problem as well, although it has to be said I understand the pressures on traders to balance costs verses sales. I don't know how much SELWG were charging for a plot but clearly some traders could have benefited from larger display space.

Airfix P-51D Mustang

I recently bought an Airfix Minikit while I was at the Rampage show a week ago. This is a 1:100 scale painted model that just requires assembly. I bought this model on a whim, just to give it a try, and I quite enjoyed putting it together.

The models come pre painted but you have to be a little careful when cutting them from the sprue. Small areas may need a little touch up of paint if you've been a bit slopping cutting it out. I also found it useful to be very sparing with the glue as any that got on fingers soon eneded up on the outside of the model. Having said that the build was very easy indeed and the whole thing took less than an hour to assemble.

1:100 scale models are almost perfect for 15mm wargaming much better than the 'official' FOW aircraft scale of 1:144 which comes up a bit small looking. This range of models also includes the P-47D Thunderbolt which would fit nicely into my US Flames of war forces, providing some much needed air support.

Tabletop Gaming - Scale Guide

This chart of scales/sizes has been compiled from various sources and is my attempt to bring some clarity to the subject of scale and more importantly what alternatives are compatible with your chosen models. I have deliberately limited this guide to the range of tabletop gaming scales encountered on this blog and have left off anything smaller than 6mm (1/268th) or larger than 54mm (1/30th).

There are two measures of scale that seem to get used interchangeably between different manufacturers, groups of gamers and collectors. However where applicable I have also referred to the equivalent Railroad Scale as it is often possible to use buildings and models for tabletop gaming purposes.

• Ratio or Fraction (i.e. 1:72 or 1/72) – The number on the right shows how many units (Inches, centimetres it doesn’t matter) on the life sized object are equivalent to one on the model. So a 1/100th model that stands 1cm tall represents a real object 100cm tall.
• Size (i.e. 15mm or 28mm) – This is usually taken as the height of the average male figure and is measured from the bottom of the foot to eye level. But this isn’t standard across the industry and a lot of variation has resulted in “scale creep”.

The following table refers to the Ratio/Fraction in the first column and gives the equivalent Size next to it in the second column. I have highlighted the “scale” as it is referred to by gamers (i.e. 1/72nd, 15mm) in bold.

Fraction	Size	Common Applications(& Example Manufacturers)
1/268	6mm	Equivalent to 1/285 scale and 1/300 scales. Popular for ‘Micro armour’ games.
1/220	7mm	Z scale model railroad scale
1/200	8mm	20th Century armoured vehicles and aircraft
1/161	10mm	Fantasy, historical and science fiction. (Pendraken Miniatures)
1/160	10.06mm	N scale model railroad scale. Trees in this scale work well with 10-15mm models.
1/144	11.2mm	Official FOW Aircraft scale (Battlefront)
1/107	15mm	Popular Wargaming scale. Official FOW infantry scale (Battlefront / Old Glory / Peter Pig)
1/100	16.1mm0	TT Gauge. Alternative for 15mm
1/87	18.5mm	HO scale. HO Buildings are suitable for 15mm models (Hornby / Airfix / Revell)
1/80.5	20mm	Skirmish-level 20th Century Wargaming.
1/76	21.2mm	OO scale. Plastic miniatures and kits are available in this scale for aircraft, ground vehicles, and soldiers. (Hornby)
1/72	22.4mm	Popular for die-cast toys and plastic kits. (Revell)
1/64	25mm	S Gauge. Traditional Wargaming scale. Fantasy Wargaming, historical skirmish-level games, science fiction, and for use with role-playing games.
1/58	28mm	Sometimes referred to as "large" 25mm figures. Popular size for roleplaying models. (Games Workshop / Perry Miniatures)
1/54	30mm	Another scale used for pre-20th Century miniatures.(Enigma Miniatures)
1/50	32mm	LoTR’s models (Mithril Miniatures)
1/43.5	37mm	British O Gauge based on 7mm to the foot
1/48	33.5mm	US O Gauge which is 0.25 inches to the foot and referred to as "quarter inch scale". Popular for plastic aircraft kits. (Tamiya)
1/40	40mm	ACW & Napoleonic figures (Old Glory / Eureka Miniatures / North Star Figures)
1/38	42mm	Roughly corresponds to old B Range (Irregular Miniatures)
1/35	46mm	Plastic kits of armour. (Tamiya)
1/32	50.3mm	I scale.
1/30	54mm	Sometimes called "Toy Soldier" scale

Links to Sources and Further Reading:
The Miniatures Page - Wikipedia - Model Makers Resource - Antenocitis Workshop
There is also an excellent series of articles about scale creep and figure proportions on the blog The World According to Tom

I'm treating this as a work in progress (like so many other things) so please let me know if I've made any glaring errors or omissions. Once I'm confident this is accurate and comprehensive I'll post the table as a Page for ease of reference.

Tamiya Weathering Stick - Review

A few weeks ago I picked up a Weathering Stick by Tamiya. A couple of people were interested in how good this product was but at the time it was new to me too. I've now had a chance to use this product... and I like it. The Tamiya Weathering Stick is a pen-type tool advertised as "achieving realistic finishing effects on scale models". I bought the Mud pen for use on my growing WWII Panzer Company but at £4.95 it wasn't cheep. Now that I have used it I consider this a good investment.

The Pen has a twist delivery system whereby the Mud stick is propelled from (or pulled back into) the dispenser. The Lid provides an air tight seal preventing the Mud from drying up. The Mud itself is sticky and clumpy but quite soft and is easy to apply. My only gripe with the dispenser is that the Mud comes in a flat head approximately 5mm in diameter. Personally I found this a rather 'blunt instrument' compared to using a brush. Indeed the Tamiya site itself suggests using a small brush to transfer the Mud from the pen to small details for more precise application.

My first impression of the Weathering stick is that it produces a similar look to dry brushed weathering but unlike dry brushing the Tamiya pen leaves behind three dimensional mud. For example I used the pen to put mud on the tracks of my latest Tank Platoon and the tracks got filled up with 'clods' of earth while the sides of the tanks were streaked with 'splashed' mud. I then used a toothpick to pluck out the excess. At this stage the material is still soft and pliable but dries hard on exposure to air. I haven't varnished over the Mud yet but I doubt if this will give any problems.

I think these pens were designed for application on larger models (1/35 and above) but I think the effect looks pretty good even on 15mm 1/100th scale models. The Mud colour I used (and shown above) isn't overwhelming and certainly suits the models and the battle theatre I am using it for. Having used this accessory I will definitely be buying some of the other Weathering Pens in the Tamiya range.

Alternatives to 15mm Buildings

Now that I'm getting into 15mm with Flames of War I'm constantly on the lookout for scenery and buildings in this scale. Having never played this scale before I'm effectively starting from scratch and it's proving a costly business. One suggestion put to me was that railroad HO scale buildings could be used as an alternative to true 15mm buildings. I've often seen these buildings sold cheaply at boot sales so they could prove to be a fugal alternative to regular 15mm scenery.

Here are the various scales that border onto 15mm and a discussion of their suitability as 'alternative' scales for buildings and scenery.

1/144 (11.2mm) - Roughly equivalent of N-Scale railroad models. This is a popular scale for die-cast metal Aircraft and some action figures. However vehicles in this scale look very undersized next to 15mm models. Buildings also look far too small, particularly domestic buildings. In FoW aircraft are represented in this scale.

15mm (1/107) - The FoW website describes the game as being "15mm (1:100) Scale". My understanding of scale is that 15mm and 1/100th are different sizes (see below) but I suspect the models are 1/100th to the top of the head with eye level at 15mm, hence the dual scale description. There are plenty of buildings for 15mm wargaming from a wide range of manufacturers.

1/100 (16.1mm) - The true scale of FoW miniatures. Some plastic kits are available in this scale. Modern military vehicles also come in this scale, in both metal and plastic. Alternatives to Battlefront minis in this scale include Peter Pig which are also 1/100th. Buildings at this scale are usually described as 15mm although architectural models are also available.

1/87 (18.5mm) - Otherwise known as HO scale, this is a popular model railroad scale. Buildings can vary a little in proportion so some manufacturers 'under size' their buildings. Consequently HO can be used as an alternative to 15mm. I've been told that this works best with 'industrial' buildings but that houses etc. look a little too big next to 15mm figures. I touched on the issue of scale in this blog some time ago and found that this is one subject guaranteed to put fire in the blood of any gamer/modeler. The above descriptions and suggestions are based on feedback I got from The Miniatures Page message boards (Here and Here) and various other forums online, as well as my own experience of size comparisons.