War Thunder and War Thunder Ground Forces

Well, I am totally addicted to this game. I have added a link here for you to use to join.  If you do, you get some bonus gold to use to buy items and you will help me too.  I have been flying for months now (pics and vids of planes later).

The game is currently a plane game full of fighters, fighter bombers and all sorts of bomber that start out in 1930s and go to the Korean war era.  EXCELLENT game.  Also they are conducting a closed BETA that I am a part of, that have tank warfare from the same time period.  The game is WAY better than World of Tanks and WORLDS better than World of Warplanes.  Here are some pics for you to look at. 

http://warthunder.com/en/registration?r=userinvite_13008118

Stug

BT7

T28

KV1

Some AT 57mm Zis SP type tractor

Panzer III E

Panzer III F

 

The tanks are all good.  Even though they are early type tanks.  Nothing is over powered or underpowered.  There is NO hit points to grind down before you kill a tank.  It's all about the shot and where it hits. 

 

The art work is of my doing.  I like to keep the art work the same to keep consistent so people start to know it's me on the virtual battlefield. 

 

Below some pics of other available tanks and TDs. 

 

 

Here is the view I had in my KV-1 while I was up on a hill behind a low rock formation looking down at these two panzers.  I put 3 rounds into that Panzer III M.  1st round busted the track and it could not move, you can actually see the tack dangling and the skirtzen piece is missing from a previous hit.  The 2nd round jammed the turret as I aimed for the turret ring.  The 3'd round set it on fire (engine area) and the fire exploded the tank.. KILL.  The Panther knew he was ambushed and drove off. 

 

And here is some video footage from the game.  I am in a Panzer III E.  The tank I killed on the fly was Soviet BT-7.  One shot killed the crew or incapacitated them enough to get me the kill.  The tank just rolled to a stop!  Other times, it explodes or if you set off the magazine, it goes off like a roman candle. 

 

 

Oldie but a Goodie (TBT) - T-55 in Bosnian-Serb service

So around 2003, an old friend sold me an Esci kit for $5.  I figured, hey, what the hell.  As soon as I bought it, a few years later, Tamiya puts out a new T-55.  But for $5, you cant go wrong.  But being we are SICK in the head in this hobby, I had to buy the Etched brass.  Not only for the Esci kit, but for the Trumpeter kit as well CAUSE I had purchased it by mistake.  Add a new barrel for the T-54/55 and new workable plastic tracks and now I'm in for quite a bit. 

So, I started building this sucker and get hung up on the fuel lines.  The model then takes its place on the shelf of unfinished models.  Fast fwd 10+ years later, It finds its way back to my workstation.  This time I am armed with the FAQ2 book and a few good forums.  I attempt to try a few new techniques I learned.  I figure what a better way to learn, try on an old model. 

So I finished the fuel lines using CAT5 strands, #12 electrical wire for bars around turret, finished the rest of the model and the tracks and started painting and weathering.  I didn't really do a good job on the paint job, so I put most of my attention into weathering.  I decided on a Bosnian-Serb tank because I was not interested in making a Soviet tank, and not in the mood for an Afghan tank either.  I wanted this one to have something different about it.  So, I decided on the Bosnian-Serb tank as I had a friend that is Serbian, I had seen photos of Serb tanks that were "irregular" and had M2 .50 cals on them and cool looking battle slogans.  This was the end result.

Photo taken sometime in 2003 or 2004.

Never added satin in the paint, and turned out I could not do my weathering, so I had to spray it with Krylon Satin....went on a bit heavy. 

Adding the battle slogans and Serbian insignias to differentiate the Christian Serbs from the Islamic Bosnians.  The tank was originally in Bosnian service, so that is why the new owners have all sorts of slogans and symbols.  They are part of an irregular militia, NOT Yugoslavian forces.

Sheen from satin removed.

Old pattern wheel taken from other kit.

First time painting wooden crates.  Methods learned from Mig's FAQ2 book.

DONE!

 

Follow My Blog Fellas!

C'mon guys, follow my blog officially as a follower.  +1 my blog on Google+.  Leave some feed back.  Link my blog to your blog, and let me know if you would like the same.  You assistance is greatly appreciated. 

Thanks!

Panzer Bill

F4U-1 Final Photos

Here are the final photos for the F4U.  The lighting shows off the high light more in the photos than in person. 

P-40B - Final Photos

Here are the final real photos of the P-40B Tomahawk.

Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33B - Update and Finale.

Some final touches with the pigments and fixer.  I had some issues with the fixer, I think the batch that I had might of been bad-ish.  But I got it to an ok point.  Being this was a test model, I am not looking for perfection on this one. 

DONE!

Some earth effects (Ammo of Mig) and pigments and off to the model display case.

 

It's a sickness! But a good one...

So here are the models I have accumulated since 1997.  There are more hidden models on the top shelves and tucked behind some others, But you get the idea.  THEN, most of the stuff on the right and on the floor is new, from last YEAR!  There are also loose sets of etched brass etc around.  I also got rid of about 15 kits, sold it to a buddy of mine for $100, etched brass and all!  He made out like a champ.

Oh yeah, and there is another shelf system full of mini kits (Flames of War, Games Work Shop Products, Perry, Bolt Action etc....It NEVER ends. 

 

 This here is where I build (on the left) and paint (on the right).  TONS of paints and weathering products.  All my Tamiya paints are in a draw for better storage. 

Sig33 Ausf PZIII - An old project about to be finished - TBT

So, I have already mentioned that I have a serious case of ADD when it comes to model building.  I started this sucker over 10 years ago.  It was built and painted grey.  After reading Mig's FAQ2 book, I decided to give his weathering techniques a try and THIS was the first model I tried all his techniques on, being it was an already painted model.  I should have modulated a little bit, but oh well.

I had never done these before, well, the way Mig instructs.  So, here is what I got... These photos are from almost 2 years ago.

 

 

So, after some practice on this old shelf queen, I decided to bring her back out and finish her off...errr, that sounds wrong! LOL.  Here are the latest photos.  ALSO, the commander is my first real attempt at a 1:35 scale figure.  I am afraid of figures in this scale, BUT I need to get over my fear.  He still needs to be sprayed matt.  Building the tracks which I hope to have done and mounted by next week!  Then one more model to add to my collection.  The photos below are from last night. No weathering has been done since two years ago.  It's all about the tracks now, building and painting.

 

 

 

Up Next?

So what is up next on my work bench you ask?  I ask myself the SAME question.  I need to FINISH some old models that I have started years ago...and I mean YEARS ago.  BUT I have all these cool NEW models now too.  I MUST finish what I start though and the next model on my bench will be the OOTB DEMAG D7 Flak 38 I have from Italeri. 

This is where I stopped building.  I am only adding a turned barrel on this model, and MAYBE aftermarket tracks, cause the kit tracks which are link and length are very weak looking.  Not chunky enough. 

I have all the running gear to build, as well as the Flak 38 2cm cannon. 

P-40B Update and Finale

I have FINALLY finished this P40B.  Washes on, used AMMO of MIG washes and Floquil Figure Flat after my Alclad 2 Aqua coats.  I wasn't so impressed, and to be honest with the model, I lost interest once I saw the fit problems with the model.  I did my best to salvage it and paint it nicely, but there were a number of mistakes and problems with it that will prevent me from entering this in any shows.  This will just be a display model in my war room.  (what is my war room  you ask?  wait and see). 

I liked the subject in this model, but Trumpeter has to make some improvements on fit, and some other items that needed attention.  Here are the photos of the finished model.  Thanks for following.

Yes I know, I haven't added the light's plastic piece yet.  I need to locate it, it went into the void....I am still looking.  :-)  Also, I just HATE how bulky the canopy is on this model.  Too chunky.  I wanted it to be in the open position, BUT it does not fit well this way and had to pull it closed.