Aufklarungsabteilung: Problem children - Indians & Honeys-modelling madness part 2

Sunday, 17 August 2025

Problem children - Indians & Honeys-modelling madness part 2

The title refers firstly to the discovery that the Indians I had primed needed some remedial Greenstuff work and unfortunately, the primer on the bases had started to peel...

After the Greenstuff, they received some PVA with white acrylic watered down - fingers crossed it seems to have taken.

While I was at it, I carved about and swapped some heads with the Atlantic Indians - they will probably become 3rd Indian Motor Brigade...

I also did some more from the Strelets box but have not yet primed them.

While the peeling paint tested the patience, it was nothing compared to what followed....

I first tackled the IBG / World at War A10 Close Support cruiser - a relatively smooth build only handicapped by a small part pinging off and an inability to find the razor foil I had used on the other A10 - after a frustrating and fruitless search, I ordered some brass mesh.

The only problem was having to rely on a PDF set of instructions for the A10 cruiser 2 pdr version - there were some differences, but nothing too challenging; I even found a replacement box....

Putting the A10 to one side, I started the Mirage Honey.....

It is said that the name "Honey" was given to the M3 by a British driver testing one of the first vehicles...."It's a honey sir"

All I can say is that I cannot say the same about any of the 1:72 M3 Honeys I have built!😠

It would be fair to say, this was a "challenging" build.....while a plastic kit, it comes with not only photo-etched brass parts but also 3d printed resin....

The first problem was that many of the parts were so thin and tiny, despite care, they broke an removing from the sprue. The instructions were....well interesting and not always very helpful, but I followed as best as I could. The wheel assemblies while detailed were unnecessarily complicated and again, when removing I broke one of the "arms" connecting the wheels.

I progressed to the tracks - two options were provided; rubber band type and 3D printed. After the Hasegawa model, I opted for the 3D printed tracks. They had to be removed from the supports - what I didn't realise was they also had support material between the teeth across the tracks....

This led to some problems getting them around the wheels and needed a lot of work to get them to fit.....disaster! One of the flimsy wheel assemblies broke and it and a road wheel disappeared never to be seen again.....(I did however find the part from the A10 that had been lost!)

I also discovered, that all the fine parts (MG , light brackets) fitted as per instructions had broken in my struggle to fit the tracks and the tension had detached one of the rear wheels.....

At this stage, it all went back in the box and I packed in for the weekend.....😠

The following week, I dug out a 1/87 Sherman wheel of roughly the correct size and repaired the missing wheel. Again, back in the box to await this weekend when I finished the repairs and built the rest of the model. The turret was a nightmare; a long scored piece of plastic to fold for the side, separate top and turret parts, none of which, it has to be said fitted very well......

I also found it simply sat on the hull. No key or peg to hold it in place. As I had not fitted the front visor and driver hatch plate, much of the inside was visible. It was at this point that the insanity took over....😕

I decided to fit a driver and somehow replicate the internal turret basket which would be just visible through the driver hatch......😛

Repaired wheel (front|)

Turret fettling a steel washer and some cut about plastic tube...

Driver - the 3D printed figure supplied cut about into a sitting driver in the early US crash helmet...

Can you see me?

Not finished with me, you can see one of the brass straps which pinged off and had to be replaced...

The A10 was finished once the mesh arrived - early cruisers had an exhaust guard

The missing box was replaced

And in all it's clunky goodness....in two minds whether to fit the auxiliary fuel tank on front fender

I then moved on to the IBG Crusader 1 CS version - some PE parts...

All in all a reasonable quick build, with some (IMHO) unnecessary complex separate parts. Only problem was on fitting the PE brass part side skirts, I discovered that the instructions were wrong....you are provided with 3x sets of fenders - presumably for the different versions made - and there are spare redundant parts such as the 2pdr barrel. It was only when I fitted the side skirts, I realised the suggested part was in fact wrong - it was another of the supplied fenders as it lacked the detail on the front corner. I resorted to removing the corner from another set and thinning it down - I couldn't face removing and replacing.....

Here they all are with some AB crew figures to see how they will look...