SWS Flak43 German Half-Track Heavy Military Tractor Italeri 1/35

It is a German army half-track kit of Italeri. They were completed in October 2015.

There became considerably much stock of my plastic models. It’s various releases from 30 years before to recent ones. It is what I want to make now. The modeler’s eternal theme is balancing the amount of the stock and making speed. A modeling style is up to the people.

The beginning is from a chassis and assembling of the axles.

It is not sticky even if I sharpen the plastic of this Italeri kit. It’s like dry feeling plastic and is very comfortable for me.
(06-October-2015)

This Italeri kit has a connection-type caterpillar; I like it very much.

At first, I thought to wind a little by little, these tracks are two kinds, like a king tiger and T-34, and the size was relatively small, so first, I stuck them to a double-stick tape, and they are fixed.

I blended Mr.Cement S and Mr. Cement Deluxe to adjust the viscosity for these tracks. Quick work is required. There are no spare caterpillar parts, so they can’t be lost. You might be able to wind slightly well. It was good to be able to wind up well.
(08-October-2015)

I have finished winding up both sides safely. There is mold in the backside of the caterpillar, and it is enough quality.

The front wheels are movable. It is a type to burn the pinpoint by the heated driver. Because of the inflammable plastic and paint, including the thinner pile up in my room, I must be careful about handling the fire. Frequently used at dinner, this heavy stable candle stand is made in Italy favorite one is to turn it off and hurry up when I finish my work.

I don’t know how to intervene with other parts, so I stop a driver’s compartment putting together around here.

As for the front wheel, movable around 30 degrees on the right and left; since other manufacturers’ armored car tires are still rare, This ITALERI kit is over 15 years old, but this spirit is wonderful. The movable part isn’t strong, so it’s better not to hard handling.
(13-October-2015)

Having assembled a loading platform, I adjust it with the driver’s seat. All the frames of the carrier opened. The wire netting parts of the mesh are effective in detail.

As for all the antiaircraft guns and the cannons, small parts are complicated. If it is a tank, I insert a big pipe, and that’s all. Because I don’t have much experience with the Italeri model, it accelerates difficulty not getting used to an Italeri manual.

I assembled it a little. Because I do not understand the basic structure, it isn’t easy.

An antiaircraft gun was made roughly. I will soon combine them into one.

The tip takes care of horizontal and vertical. This could not say perfect because it seemed to be broken if the parts which must be perpendicularly were diagonal. I cared about it. Small parts are still left.
(16-October-2015)

A carrier and a driver’s seat are glued together on a chassis, and the interior is painted. Even if I look into it, it seems not well visible.

The assembly was completed.

The shells were loaded rather much. Painting seems difficult.

A gun was turned to the top. The angle of the gun is mobile smoothly. But, there is no strength of the parts so much.

The impression of the assembly and parts adjustment is better than I thought. There were pin marks of injection and dented parts here and there; I corrected them.

The dent mark was left slightly on the bulletproof board. Seeing from the side, an iron plate of the front part of the bonnet is thick. This is for protecting an engine from shooting from the front. Types of front armor 16mm were produced in the last years of the war.
(18-October-2015)

I am painting the whole with blackish paint.

It was the base after having torn off the aqueous hobby colors.

I mixed a pastel with a matte medium. It’s a three-dimensional expression of the mud. There are not many meanings for mixing a pastel at this time. Maybe it’s a smooth surface if only mat medium, after mixing pastel changed the rough texture.

It was only the dark yellow single color on a painting instruction. It was monotonous, so dark green was added like a box picture and made a camouflage in two colors.

The SWS Half-track was managed mainly in the later period of World War II. Each part was simplified, high-speed running wasn’t asked, the driving performance on the muddy road was considered, and a caterpillar was broader than the past models.

The SWS half-track is a maximum speed per hour of about 30km. Compared to 50km of other half-track models, it is pretty slow. However, a carrier was broad and stable, so various derivation vehicles were made. The model mounted with this antiaircraft gun is one of those, too.

The SWS half-track is released from Bronco and Great Wall Hobby now. This Italeri kit may be very good, too.

I expressed the detachment of the painting in the hair spray technique. I wouldn’t say I like water-based paint very much. After all, it is necessary when I use this technique. The kind of paint will increase variously, Mr. Color, Mr. Color water hobby color, TAMIYA enamel, oil paint, pastel, marker, etc.

I used the Mat Medium as the material that seemed stuck in three-dimensionally dry mud.

The body’s lower part had dried weathering.

The right side and left side dirt with the same pattern.

A compound wheel is a feature of German vehicles. The road ability improved by this, I suppose. Maintainability and productivity fall substantially. The German vehicle quality could not compete with the Soviet Union or the United States’ mass production.

The shells were small, so the painting was complex. There are some places where I failed when not getting close to seeing; it isn’t conspicuous.

I drew the big wooden bench at the driver’s seat with effort. I suppose it was quite a good finish.

I sharpened some edges of the bulletproof board and thinned it for a more realistic expression.

The empty cartridges are included with the kit. It was arranged after painting.

Usually, it is going to be stored in this empty cartridge case. Judging from this site, it seems to become full immediately. There were nine empty cartridges at; first; I lost one before I was aware. Strangely, I cannot find it even if I look painstakingly. It should be absolutely in this room. It’ll stick to clothes and have moved. But the parts lost in the room had lain in a bathroom the other day.

Because the antislip dots were molded on the carrier, I emphasized it by drybrushing moderately.

I had a long dark green pattern of vertical and back and forth horizontal to have a sense of unity in camouflage paint.

The total production amount of this heavy tractor seemed not to reach 1,000 cars. Signs of defeat were strong, and were there many weapons that took priority?

Some molds of the flash hider at the end of the barrel are emphasized.

I had to line the number decals separately one by one straight. The WH number is the German army. The WL is the Luftwaffe. This is the German army vehicle.

I cannot dilute the gold of the Tamiya enamel with the enamel thinner, which is separated. Usability is poor, contact for customer service and is still dilution is terrible. But I melted it correctly with the Creos thinner of the Mr. Color. Ummm, it’s almost the same usability as Mr. Color gold.

I’m satisfied with this half-track painting finish. Because it is a significant manufacturer representing Europe, I would like to make a lot more if there is an opportunity for future choices. It was still two items to complete Italeri kits.
Come to think of it, a future day in the very popular movie “Back to the Future” was yesterday. Well, it is early that time passes. I’d like to see the trilogy again. It was an excellent movie.
(22-October-2015)