Eduard's 1/16 scale
Schwimmwagen

by Jay Laverty

Interesting build...

When I learned this kit was coming I was pretty excited. I had long contemplated the MPM 1/15 scale version, but it is a lot of cash to part with. So for £49.99, this model seemed a real bargain. I feel that 1/16 scale is a perfect scale for Armoured cars and vehicles like the Schwimmwagen, as they become quite an impressive centrepiece when finished.

When I first received the kit I looked excitedly in the box, I found it very well moulded and with some etched parts included for detail as well as some impressive tyres with inner tubes. I was anxious to get underway. As I looked closely I found that there were no locator pins and that this was going to be a bit more work than, for instance, a Tamiya kit.

As I merrily went along I was encouraged to find that, in general, the fit of parts was very good and needed little work, but there were points where the fit proved problematic. The largest hurdle I found with the assembly was the seam that ran along the interior of the shell where the top and bottom meet, and this took several tries with several fillers to fix, and at the end of it I was not completely satisfied and have to confess to hoping that it wouldn't be too noticeable on the finished model.

There was a few bad spots during the rest of the build, but to be honest and fair they really aren't anything that a modestly skilled modeller could easily overcome.

The tyres provided are worth mentioning as they are simply superb. They are very well rendered and with their inner tube, they look very convincing on the finished model.

As is my usual practise, the model was painted using Xtracolor German armour colours, which having been matched to actual Bundesarchiv chips are the most accurate colours you can get. If you have used Xtracolor before you will know how well they spray. If you haven't, then I suggest giving them a go.

With the camouflage pattern on, a coat of gloss acrylic is applied, the decals added, and the Raw Umber wash can be applied. I prefer to use Winsor and Newton's artists oils for this as they don't react at all with the acrylic varnish protecting the paint underneath. This then receives a coat of matte varnish and the rest of the weathering can be completed. I use CMK Stardust weathering pigments as they are pretty versatile and have a very convincing finish.

The pigments came in handy as well, when it came to applying the mud to the vehicle as it was added to the mixture of Garden mud and white glue, for colour.

To achieve the “spattered” look I simply flicked a paint brush dipped in a diluted mixture of the “mud” against my finger, working hard to keep at a convincing angle.

Despite the few drawbacks to this kit, I would recommend it to anyone, as it does build up to a superb looking model. I think Eduard should be commended for tackling this subject, since Tamiya left it alone even after releasing the two versions of the Kubelwagen. I would buy another large scale release from Eduard, knowing what to expect, and hopefully they will keep releasing subjects in this scale, learning from the feedback from each one, and improving with each successive release. Much like they have done with their aircraft.

Ingredients

Xtracolor paints are available from the Hannants web site although shipping restrictions mean it is best to wait until you need to order a kit to get them.

• X801 Signal Braun

• X805 Dunkelgelb

• X806 Olivgrun

CMK weathering pigments are also available from Hannants although once again there may be a more local stockist to you.

• CMKSD05 Dark Earth

• CMKSD08 Light Earth

Winsor and Newton's Oil paints are available from art and stationary shops and I have provided a link to a UK based discount mail order shop...

http://www.artboxdirect.co.uk

There will be a full build article appearing in an upcoming issue of Military Modelling

http://www.militarymodelling.com/pages/index.cgi
 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2005 by Jay Laverty
Page Created 06 July, 2005
Last Updated 06 July, 2005

Eduard's 1/16 scale Schwimmwagen is available online from Squadron.com

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