German transport

I have recently gotten around to completing a couple of Heer transports that have been lurking on my workbench for the longest time, and have managed to photograph a third that was completed a while ago.

First up is my interpretation of the plastic Sd.Kfz 251/1 C from Warlord Games. Despite their plastic range being released for years now, this is the first Bolt Action plastic vehicle that I  have built. Measured against recent scale model kits from manufacturers like Tamiya and Dragon, it seemed flat and uninspiring to me. But it went together well enough, and parts of the kit are streets ahead of similar resin offerings from Warlord. I liked the tyre and track detail. I really don't like the gunner figure, and I think in time I am going to replace him with a metal vehicle gunner from the Company B Kubelwagen crew.

I added a few baggage items from various sources - some from Die Waffenkamer and Company B. The large tarpaulin is from the plastic Bolt Action Universal Carrier (which is a much better kit, I think, despite not matching their resin Universal Carriers in scale) with a bit of greenstuff work to adapt it to the Hanomag.

Then there is an early Steyr RSO by Die Waffenkamer. It is such a simple, blocky vehicle, and the kit does a good job of trying to create interest in that simplicity. The track castings especially are very fussy and demand careful cleanup, and the cab part needs a fair bit of work to fit accurately over the chassis, but the resulting depth is worth the effort, I think. I ran out of enthusiasm while trying to paint up a full load for the Steyr, and given that it will be used primarily as a tow for anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, I took the short-cut and painted up the canvas tilt.

Lastly, there is another kit from Die Waffenkamer - their Sd.Kfz 11. Not sure why this project was never photographed and published, but it has been a while. This vehicle has seen plenty of table time already, and has acquitted itself well - towing either a Pak 40 or a Flakvierling. What a great kit. I really enjoyed building this little beauty. The finicky little details that Jeff Trnka manages to cast surpass any other resin kits I have seen. This does come at a cost - you usually have to wait a while for your orders to arrive from Jeff, and I suspect it is because his casting standards are so exacting. And cleaning such delicate castings does require extra time and care. Crew are from Die Waffenkamer and Warlord Games, and baggage from a range of suppliers.

And just for fun, a recent "family portrait" of my Heer transport pool as it currently stands.