Wednesday, December 29

Updated preview VI: Complete! Igor's build of MiniArt's StuG III Ausf.G Feb 1943 Alkett Prod. Interior Kit

Today we look at Igor Sydorenko's finished kit of the 35th scale StuG III Ausf.G Feb 1943 Alkett Prod. Interior Kit from MiniArt. The sixth part of our rolling preview shows the exterior of the kit completed with three figures. See what it looks like in the flesh in his final part...

Updated preview VI: Complete! Igor's build of MiniArt's StuG III Ausf.G  Feb 1943 Alkett Prod. Interior Kit

StuG III Ausf.G  Feb 1943 Alkett Prod. Interior Kit
From MiniArt
Kit No #35335
1/35th scale
The kit contains five marking choices in the box.
Five crew are included
Photo-etch & clear parts are included

The kit from Miniart:
The first in the new StuG Ausf.G series from MiniArt. This kit features a full interior, and accurately depicted driver's compartment and a fighting compartment with full ammunition. All of the hatches can be modelled in open or closed positions and the transmission compartment is accurately represented. A full engine included also.
The tracks are the workable type and clear parts are also included for the transparent parts like the opticals in the cupolas. We also know that some photo-etch is included in the kit.

Building the kit:
Miniart's building team have begun to make the kit, they have shared with us the build process, it might show a little of the internals of the kit, so we thought we would share it with you also...

The floor of the hull and roadwheel axles go down first...
The gearbox is assembled, as well as the driver's seat
The gearbox is attached to the floor and the rear compartment wall
The floor of the hull is added to with the driver's compartment, the front gearbox, and driveshaft tunnel which goes back to the engine compartment...
Each side of the bottom of the hull is started with the drives attached to them...
We already see the ammunition cabinets, the furl tanks installed at this point.
The main parts of the lower hull before being assembled...
The sides go together.
You can see the detail here. with the pedal linkages of the driver, the gun pivot mechanism and ammo storage in place.
The Maybach engine is ready to be installed in the compartment. This IS a full interior kit!
The compartment is fast filling up, with the major components of an engine, fuel tanks and radiator in place...
The main armament of the StuG is inserted into place
The large fans that help cool the radiator are ready to be installed.
And in they go!
The lower hull, with the gun in its complete form and hull full of powerplant, equipment and ammunition. The top part of the kit was the next to be built in part II.
Painting of the kit:
We now go through the painting sequence of the interior as the insides that were built so well come to life in colour. 
First, the left hand (driver's side of the inner hull painted with red oxide primer and the Cremeweiss white colour for the fighting compartment.
The right-hand side is where the gunner/ radio operator sits with full rounds already set in storage in the racks.
The hull floor and the drivetrain. The red oxide floor and engine compartment with main parts while the gearbox is in the medium grey.
A reverse view showing the driver's side of the hull floor. The white walls denote the rear interior fighting cabinet.
The main gun mount is placed in the tank, with the small traverse and elevation depression pivot in place.
The other side of the kit showing the drivers' (left hand) side.
The 7.5 cm KwK 40 (7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 40) German 75 mm Second World War era vehicle-mounted gun is painted up (minus the barrel) and ready to place on the mounts...
Ready to go, but just minus the barrel, the gun is in place now.
The gun, gearbox, driver's seat, the Maybach engine compartment are full, this tank is nearly ready to see the completion of the outside of the tank.

Pt IV: Containing the build process: Finishing the top of the upper hull:
The sides of the upper hull are populated with radios, equipment and all of that internal cabling you see attached to the walls of the interior.
The upper superstructure secures together and sits neatly on top of the already built lower hull. The parts join along natural seams.
The rear deck is finished with photo-etch grilles and those road wheels stacked up aside the cooling vents. and the rear of the hull with all of those big bolts is also constructed. As you can see the hatches can be posed opened or closed
The very full detailed interior is now complete with the engine and accoutrements in the rear and the ammo, crew stations and gearbox installed.
The front glacis and front horizontal plates are installed with the two hatches for the driver and radioman/MG gunner opened - or closed it is the modeller's decision.
The sideskirts are covered in the correct mesh pattern for the type. Tools are already added and secured with photo-etch clamps.
The sideskirts are installed...
The roof of the tank, the rear deck and the top of the hull parts are assembled, ready for installation...
The roof of the tank has the self-defence MG 34 added to the hatch.
The top of the superstructure is covered (for now) with the roof of the tank.
First, the main gun must go into position...
The sides of the casemate / upper hull - 
The view of the whole tank, ready to be sealed up (or not in this case, as it was taken apart again to paint the insides) - more of the paint in the next part of the build...

Pt V: Containing the build process: Colouring the rest of the interior...
The driver's controls are painted and recalled (some decals cover the dials of course)...
The driver is painted and test fitted into his position.
The front view of the tank, with the front of the gun a flat plate that is joined to the barrel.
The rear and sides of the internal hull are painted in  'cremeweiß' cremewiess - and shaded with washes to add depth and shadow
Red oxide primer colours most of the floor of the vehicles in both compartments...
The internal hull engine compartment is dirtied and dusted in readiment of the next step with pigments.
The fun is installed one last time (for good this time)
the interiors of the engine and crew compartment roofs are carefully painted to match their correct shades...
A good view of the contrast of the front fighting compartment and the dirty engine compartment
Tracks assembled, these will wait until later to be attached (after paint & weathering...)
A view of the rear with cargo rail attached.
The tank finished inside - the next part is the exterior to paint, weather and finish...

Pt VI: The finished item...
Igor's build is now complete. We are sorry we do not have any photos of the exterior paint going down, but this version of the kit.

The version he is making is this one below, from the Eastern Front, used by the Grossdeutschland regiment, in the Ukraine in 1943
Her is Igor's version of the tank, with two crew poking out of her hatches...
Here is another of the figures in the set, draped rather like the male model over the gun.
This kit is now available from Miniart's distributors Worldwide. See more about all of MiniArt's kits on their website...