Desert War Modeling

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Over the last century, wars have been fought across almost every continent and in all manner of geography — the islands and atolls of the Pacific, the jungles of Burma and Vietnam, the mountains of Kashmir and Kokoda, and the frozen hells of the Ardennes and Chosin. But one place that has seen combat in World Wars I and II up to today is the desert. Open terrain, long distances, and the lack of cover make the use of armor and aircraft essential in taking and holding key strategic locations. But the harsh combination of sand, sun, and heat is taxing on soldiers and machines alike. That may be why modeling desert war subjects remains popular; a tour of any model club or contest room reveals plenty of models of…

Sometimes it’s nice just to build something. When I picked up Italeri’s Carro Armato L6/40, I decided to eschew aftermarket products and use only what was in the box (which even provided a little photo-etched metal (PE) to detail the light tank). Alignment Some armor kits come with the lower hull molded as a single part. But Italeri chose to make the L6/40’s hull from four flat components. It fits well, but it’s important to pay attention to the alignment of the major components. A slight deviation at this stage is magnified as construction progresses, causing parts not to fit. So, take your time, dry-fit, and double-check any less-than-positive fits before finally committing glue to plastic. I didn’t have any major problems with the L6/40’s hull, and I fit the…

In preparation for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, British army vehicles were sprayed with desert sand camouflage over the standard green and black. This lighter paint wore on edges and corners, giving heavy vehicles, such as the Challenger 2 main battle tank, a slightly tatty appearance. In addition, the heavy MBT churned up lots of sand and dust, quickly coating surfaces. I wanted to recreate this look on Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Challenger 2 (desertized) model. Here’s how I did it. Keep in mind that while these combined techniques work well for this modern AFV, they are also applicable to German and Allied armor in North Africa during World War II, as well as many vehicles used in the Arab-Israeli wars. Now at www.FineScale.com To see how Aaron masked and painted…

The China-Burma-India theater usually comes to my mind when someone mentions the P-40 Warhawk. Almost instinctively, I imagine an airplane with a threatening shark mouth painted on the lower engine cowl, Gen. Claire Chenault at the stick. I also remember the 1942 film Flying Tigers with John Wayne racking up enemy kills. Rarely did I think of P-40s flying over North Africa. Then I saw color photos from World War II showing Warhawks doing just that, and I was hooked. I picked up Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale P-40K (No. 09659) and SuperScale’s markings for a P-40K-1 from the 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, in North Africa, 1942 (No. MS481261) — one of the first U.S. fighters in action there.…

I had wanted to build a B-24 Liberator for a long time — but I didn’t have the space for a 1/48 scale bomber, and the only 1/72 scale Liberators I knew were old kits. However, my friends talked me into giving Minicraft’s B-24D a try. It dates from 1991, but it’s not a bad kit. Still, I could see plenty of room for improvement. References Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Vol. 1, K. Janowicz & A. Jarski, ISBN 978-83-7237-130-0, Vol. 2, ISBN 978-83-7237-141-6, Vol. 3, ISBN 978-83-7237-145-4 B-24 Liberator, B. Holder, ISBN 978-0-89747-489-4 Combat Legend: B-24 Liberator, M. Bowman, ISBN 978-1-84037-403-2 Planes, Names & Dames, Vol. I, L. Davis, ISBN 978-0-89747-241-8 Detail & Scale: B-24 Liberator, B. Kinzey, ISBN 978-1-888974-17-1 Sources Vacuum-formed canopies and turrets, Squadron, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com…