Revisiting The DML Hornisse #6165

[Kreighshoer]

i need to bridge the days until berlin 1945 will be opened so i decided to dust off another one of my shelf queens - this time the old venerable DML Hornisse, kit n°6165 (NOT the premium kit, that one was released immediately AFTER i had bought this one! grmpf!)

my initial approach was to represent the very first production vehicle, presented to hitler in late 1942! the idea was to paint the lower hull grey while the casemate would be primer red!

having screwed up my very first attempt of a washing i lost interest and for years now this poor little kit stared at me whenever i was at the bench and i heard voices in my head saying "finish me! please! me sad! me crying!"

so earlier this morning it took the kit and dusted it off!

at the moment i'm scratching my head if i will use a combination of horrible DML Winterketten on sprues with horrible old DML standard tracks on sprues or go with some leftover magic tracks!

Patenbrigade: Wolff - Stalinallee

that's where we are at the moment (before dusting off!):

only minor repairs to do and then repainting fun starts!

 

[Iron Mike]

 

[lupanzer]

Hi Laura!

...succeess on this old one!

Regards!

Luiz.

 

[Brokeneagle]

B) Hey Laura, I really like what you have done. The idea is original as well. I would continue as the base coats you have done look great!
Looks tough!
:evil:

Ian.

 

[Kreighshoer]

oh my god - what fine mess i have gotten myself into! :S

did i write something about just repainting this kit? oooooooooh LOL!

plan #1 was to simply repaint the hornisse in dunkelgelb!

-> dumped! after having finished applying the dunkelgelb i realized how much tired i am of that color! furthermore i noticed loads of not filled KO marks i had to fill!

plan #2 was to copy exactly what i had done five years ago!

-> dumped! me genius had applied some wonderful mud prior to repainting the kit!

plan #3 now is to depict this one as prototype while firing exercises on a proving ground with the original primer red/dark grey color combination i had this kit painted in!

-> found myself banging my head on the bench for almost half an hour upon noticing that i had to somehow rework the front and rear travel locks from secure to combat positions! no fun! no fun!

Ministry - Land Of Rape And Honey

well ... that's where i was this morning before i repositioned the rear travel lock and basepainted everything in black - oh mother of mercy, is this the end of rico?

 

[slodder]

You have to love it when a simple idea turn very "bad". A five minute fix runs into an hour and the fun just doesn't stop.
It just means the project will be done right that's all.

 

[Kreighshoer]

oh yes ... i'm "loving" it! a simple idea becomes a pimple on a place where no one needs it! :S

well i was on a roll and airbrushed both colors, was quite happy and then, after having cleaned up the airbrush it hit me like a lightning, the next fumblethought of the day was

"hey! wouldn't it be a nice touch if the figure behind the gunner would look through a scissors periscope instead of binoculars?"

... and what have i thrown away a few days ago?

a trumpeter scissors periscope plus mounting i thought i would never need again!

isn't it funny how stuff keeps collecting dust for ages and as soon as you throw it away you find a perfect use for exactly that part?

after having gently searched the trashbin (no one asks now! ok?) i found both parts and was happy to mount them until ... until i realized that i cannot use the mount as is!

hahaaaaaaaaaaaa!

location of the dicker max scissors periscope = right! location of the hornisse scissors periscope = left! argh!

so i cut the mount into pieces, drilled small holes, cut wire to length and assembled the mount mirrored!

from time to time i could slap myself in the face to cause me extra work what should have been a simple repaint job! :S

a test fit with figures turned out fine!

everything dryfitted in the pics:

 

[moon puppy]

Looks like the hard work and search and rescue paid off Laura. Fine work.

so here's the question one would like to ask but never had a chance to ask. The scissors periscope, what's up with them. Were they also range finder or something?

 

[Kreighshoer]

moon puppy wrote:

Were they also range finder or something?

yopp!

here's a page with a technical description of a scissors scope: http://home.arcor.de/thuernagel/sf14-e.htm

 

[johnbowery]

Laura,
Hang in there. It is coming along nicely and you are gaining great experience :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :evil:
Cheers
John

 

[Matt Stephenson]

Laura,

I really like this idea and from the pics you've posted, what you've done so far looks great! Keep going with it and Im sure it will all come together just as you wanted in the end.

I look forward to seeing more progress pics soon.

Matt.

 

[Kreighshoer]

here you are! two sessions of messing around with oils - surely not HQ ((ian) hill quality) but i'll try to take my approach slow! i'm thinking of two or three more sessions until i have the effect i want!

i'll have to take care of all those gaps anyway so there's still a long road to go and this kit will be put aside on monday anyway and further work only done occasionally as a sidestep - berlin45 has priority from monday on!

Ministry - You Know What You Are

 

[moon puppy]

Really like it Laura, very convincing.