Coftyran Chyweethl Tractor

 The Chyweethl light tractor is one of the first two injection moulded tractor kits (the other being the Crusader Ailthean light tractor).

The Chyweethl is a very old design, the first rolled out 140 years previously (though there has been a lot of internal changes over this period). It uses the Pedrail system for locomotion. Though it looks a bit like the caterpillar track used by our tanks, it is not. Each of the "feet" are mounted on a rail that runs round the vehicle. Great for cross-country movement, but not so much on paved roads.

A fixed mount gun reduces the weight and height of the vehicle, but requires coordination between the gunner and the driver. A large hatch on the roof is the main entry and exit point.

It is worth watching the video by Josh Qualteri here.

The kit comes in a standard  Wargames Atlantic box.

The instructions are printed on the rear of the box.

The kit is comprised of two sprues (one full size, one smaller one).

The first sprue contains the pedrail system and the main parts of the hull.

The second sprue has two half crew figures, stowag, the hatch, gun and drivers compartment.

Construction was simple, the only thing to bear in mind (as mentioned in the video, but I did not watch that until after I had built mine) the top hatch is intended to be left separate, so you can pop a crew figure into it. This may come back to bite me in the revised rules including tractors.

Side view with a plastic Quar from the command set.

Comparison with the Fidwog Fynrydhad Tractor.

Comparison with an Empress 1/50 scale BMD-1 AIFV

Renedra 20 foot container as cover

 I reviewed the Renedra 20 foot container earlier , but mentioned that I would take some photographs of the container in use as cover.

Empress Miniatures HMMWV.

Empress Miniatures GAZ Tigr.

Empress BMD-1

Clockwork Goblin/Warlord M8 Grizzly walker.

Warlord M4A4C

The cupola peeking over the container.

Empress Miniatures Challenger 2.

Empress BMD-01 progress

 As mentioned back in February, I received a BMD-1 from Empress.

It is now assembled and base painted.

So the detailing included an aerial on the left rear deck, cables attached to fittings on the hull nose and stretching back to the rear of the hull. Rubicon cable ends were used, the cable is brass wire. Holes are drilled into the hull a distance from end point (the distance being such that the cable ends will hook over the bracket and the ends of the wire). This secures the wire (the hole at one end is made very deep so that the wire can be tensioned by pushing the wire into the hole) and gives the impression the cable end is attached to the cable.

Notches were filed into the nose for the two bow mounted machine guns.

A rotating periscope on the rear hatch. A piece of thin plastic card is placed into a paper punch and a circular piece cut from the plastic. A piece of Slater's 0.06" microstrip makes the periscope.

The aerial is a piece of 1mm brass rod. The base is made from a piece of Plastruct rod.

It was at this point I noticed that the model was missing the periscopes just behind of the turrets. Again strips of Mircostrip provided the periscope heads.

The periscopes were painted with Humbrol 34 White acrylic (shown in the above photographs). They were then painted with Army Painter Deep Blue. The headlights are also Humbrol White.

This is the base painted model with Rubicon Soviet Tank and T26 decals. The numbers are from the Soviet Tank set (DCSV01) and the number in a triangle from the T26 set (DCSV05).

The grills have been shaded with Citadel Camoshade, as has the periscopes and hatches.

It now awaits final weathering and shading.

Empress BMD-1 IFV

 After "One Thing and Another", and before the current unpleasantness, Empress released a range of Cold War Soviet Paratroopers as opposition to their BAOR British infantry. I have just got round to ordering them. So they do not have to walk very far, and to give them some punch, here is the Empress BMD-1.

This has been re-worked from the HLBSCo version, an example of the original HLBSCo BMD-2 has been featured here, and is still awaiting finishing.

The first thing you will note is that the track guards are now metal, a major improvement as at some point before assembly I managed to break the resin ones on the BMD-2.

This will not have as much stowage as the BMD-2 as it will be representing a vehicle early in the conflict and so will be regulation rather than many years in the field (and having been air-dropped).

It will need the periscope fitted to the rear hatch, some aerials and probably the bow mounted machine guns.

Some research is required on the equipment placing.

Empress 28mm BMD-2 IFV - part 4

So, further progress on the BMD-2.

The camouflage-net over the nose has had some additional bits added.

I was staring at the front of the BMD, and thought, maybe some additional armour would be nice.

I was looking through my bits and pieces and found the Crooked Dice Mattress set. The lower front of the hull is angled, so I used my trusty razor saw to first cut one in half but with an angled cut. I then made a similar angled cut so the two halves came together at a shallow angle. The two parts were then superglued to the hull front. The gaps were then filled with Greenstuff.

If I had thought about it earlier, I would have added some on the side.

Straps and a sling were added to the ammo box on the port side.

A similar sling was added to hold the Rubicon crate. A rolled tarpaulin was added to the two pegs, again out of Greenstuff.

Starboard side.

Port side.

View from above.