Jeep and Figures
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Various Kits, see below
Jim loves doing figures as they are extremely challenging. The Jeep is the excellent updated Tamiya (TAM35219) kit with DEF model weighted Jeep tires. The trailer came from the ancient Italeri Jeep kit with Tamiya Jeep tires. The Jeep crew are from Hungarian company Bodi and are made specifically for the kit. The Bodi figure heads seemed a little under scale so those were replaced with Hornet helmeted heads. The drive figure’s chevrons and those of the tech sergeant Garand gunner are from the Archer “textured” US chevron set.
The infantry figures came from the excellent Tamiya M4A3 105mm Howitzer kit. Rifle slings are from MJ Models resin set. It included other useful items. Those slings were a challenge to remove from the modelling bloc, clean up, and get the right length for each figure. The trick was to use CA glue to fasten to the point where the hands hold each weapon or where there is bonding point somewhere on the weapon. The pieces are flexible enough to bend a curve into them. Compromising slightly on the details. The resin parts take AK and Vallejo acrylic paint well.
The uniform colors came from color period reference photos. Experimentation was necessary to find acceptable colors. As there were many variations, a lot of latitude is available.
Final decision on how to display these items is still up in the air. Maybe figures will end up with the M4A3A8, or their equally dramatic M-10, or maybe in an Ardennes diorama.
