Churchill
Mk I Dual 3" Howitzers - Tunisia 1943 |
Tamiya + IMA, 1/35 scale |
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by Michael Rinaldi |
Introduction
During a lull in the fighting as the North African campaign wound
down, there was a great deal of experimentation on the Churchill.
Developed in the field by Captain Olgin (REME), a reworked Mk I had
its turret 2 pounder removed and replaced by another 3” howitzer.
This acted as a ranging weapon for the hull gun and allowed a
greater deal of indirect firing accuracy. A single photo of such a
conversion is found in David Fletcher’s “Mr. Churchill’s Tank”.
The model depicted here is a
veteran tank relegated to training duty in Tunisia just prior to the
landings in Sicily.
Construction
IMA (available
from Mission Models) makes a fantastic resin conversion allowing
one to recreate this unique variant of the Churchill. It is used on
the venerable Tamiya offering and is very easy to perform. Making
straight cuts in the base kit is where care must be taken to insure
an accurate fit.
Other than that, everything is
just a simple replacement of the plastic pieces. Friulmodel tracks
were also assembled and set aside to be added in the end.
Painting and Chips
Once primed, the model was first
sprayed in Lifecolor's Brown acrylic and then post-shaded with
lightened shades of the same color. I few drops of white and yellow
are added in progressively lighter shades. I also wanted to show
some heavy wear so I proceeded to apply chips and scratches over the
entire model with a kitchen scouring pad and some Tamya XF-69 NATO
Black. Dabbing the pad on a paper towel first, I then carefully
applied it to the model.
Concentrating the chips in areas
of crew patterns, sharp changes in metal, etc. which look a bit
intense under the studio lights and Macro lens, but are quite
pleasing to the eye from normal viewing distances. The generic
markings were recreated using a simple White Prismacolor pencil.
Weathering
I like to layer my weathering
applications to generate unique looks. This model was first given a
very light dusting of pigments around the lower hull.
Next I oversprayed the entire
model with a filter made from Humbrol's 84 Midstone as a base for
the next step. Winsor&Newton oil paint filters followed this,
including some spot washes to highlight detail and create stains.
More Mig pigments were applied on top on these layers, blending the
colors together somewhat and then some graphite over this as a final
touch.
Neglected stowage was placed on
the rear and the previously Friulmodel tracks were treated to a
couple of soakings in Blacken-it and then mounted to the model. My
idea was to show a well worn tank in the final stages of neglect
before retirement from action.
Photography
All the photos were taken with my Nikon D50 and 18-55mm AF lens in
auto-focus mode with the main dial set to "A" and the f-stop at the
maximum of 32 (camera controls shutter speed). I use a tripod and
the delay timer button so the camera is extra steady at the slower
speeds it requires. A single, large fluorescent drafting desk lamp
is used for lighting against a white background with white cardboard
cutouts used to help bounce light into the shadows. I shoot only at
night to avoid any color alterations that can occur in daylight from
shoot to shoot, and use Photoshop on my Mac to cleanup and create
the pure white background.
This model will also be featured in the new Model Military
International, Issue #2 May 2006.
Click the thumbnails below to view additional images:
Model, Images and Text
by Michael Rinaldi Page Created 05 May, 2006 Page Last Updated
04 May, 2006
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