Roden 1/35 British Armoured Car Pattern 1920

Yet again my modelling buddies decided we'd tackle something entirely different as our challenge subject for this years Australian Model Expo and therefore settled on the Roden 1/35 scale British Armoured Car, which is not known for being the easiest kit to build.

As per the instructions I started on the chassis, which consisted of a myriad of parts that all required a significant amount of cleanup. Assembly of the chassis also proved to be a bit of a challenge as many of the parts are quite small and very delicate and require a lot of care to ensure that everything is properly aligned and square, but once assembled it does make into a very rigid structure.

With the chassis, engine and running gear completed I then moved onto the bodywork with all of the parts requiring a small amount of cleanup as well. Although assembly of the bodywork is fairly straight forward care also required to ensure that everything fits and this is particularly relevant when it comes to assembling the turret. With the bodywork completed it was then fitted to the chassis and thankfully all four wheels sat perfectly flat in contact with the ground, with no twists or misalignment, which is something that could've easily ended up being very different.

With all of the assembly completed I then brushed a coat of Mr Surfaces 1000 over the entire bodywork and turret - not the rear tray - to give it some texture, followed by a coat of primer. I then used the roundel decal to make a set of paint masks, which I used to mask off and spray the three colours on the top of the turret. This seemed to be a much easier way of tackling the area instead of trying to get the decals to conform to the hatch and rivets. The rest of the model was then sprayed using Gunze Mr Hobby Color paints and weathered with AK Interactive filters and washes.

To give the model some life I decided to add a figure, but had nothing in my collection that was really suitable. Fortunately for me though a friend of mine who has a large collection of figure parts, which he allowed me to go through and take whatever I wanted. From this I was able to cobble together a figure and finished it using a range of Vallejo paints.

So was this model really that much of a challenge to build? Most definitely! But one concern I still have is about the longevity of the vinyl tyres as they have a very sticky feel to them, which persists to this day. Despite being washed in a strong detergent, having been wiped with a mild solvent, having been sanded, been primed and sprayed with a coat of paint it seems to have made very little difference. Therefore, if your thinking of building this kit one day then definitely invest in a set of resin replacement wheels.

The Australian Model Expo 2016

Mark Carlisle won the 'Best Of Show' award with his 'Sygma Ophidian Adept'

Railway Workshops (Newport)

I pass by the railway workshops in Newport every day on my commute into the city and have always been fascinated by the Victorian era buildings, as well as the many sidings that are filled with a unique collection of trains and rolling stock. However, it seemed to be one of those places that was either inaccessible or out of bounds, that is until I discovered their annual open day. 

This is organised by the various railway preservation societies that utilise the facilities and is held over 3 days. For a reasonable fee, it  allows you to walk around the many historic buildings on site, view work within the enormous workshops and see a selection of restored trains in operation. It was a great experience, full of smells and sounds from a bygone era and a day that I'll definitely be marking down in my calendar for next year.

Tyabb Airshow

This is arguably one of the best Warbird airshows in Victoria and is held bi-annually at the beautiful Tyabb airfield, located on the Mornington Peninsula. Although it had rained in the week leading up to the event, on the actual day the weather was near perfect with just some overcast and a light breeze all day.

Both the general public and enthusiasts turned out in huge numbers and as the day progressed this made getting something to eat or drink a real challenge, as there were long queues at all of the catering outlets well into mid-afternoon, with many having already sold out well before then.

Despite some aircraft from further afield not making it due to the weather the lineup of Warbirds on display and included in the flying program was nothing short of spectacular. For me the real standouts were the Sopwith Snipe replica, F4U-5N Corsair and Grumman Avenger, which were all displayed to absolute perfection.