It's a Knockout!

[Rubicon Models]

Here's a fun little project our new Community Rep, Steve Perry, been working on
over the last few days. A snippet from Operation Crusader called 'It's a Knockout!'
All done in Vallejo acrylics.

What do you think? Would you like to see more projects like this?









Enjoy!

[ripley]

WOW ! Nicely weathered and rusted . I would like to see a few more of these dioramas , maybe even with a "  how to " build and paint kind of article to go with it ?

[Rubicon Models]

WOW ! Nicely weathered and rusted . I would like to see a few more of these dioramas , maybe even with a "how to" build and paint kind of article to go with it ?

It was a burnout effect on the Panzer III.  Desert don't rust much...
Will try to get Pez doing a few of these "how-to" video on YouTube soon!

[H0ffmn]

Nice job on the models. I especially  like the Crusader 1. That version of Panzer 3 is inaccurate  for the time of operation crusader, still a nice diorama.

[ultravanillasmurf]

Very nice.

[Yaquir]

Looks very good!

[Ballardian]

Very nice diorama (but arrghh, now I've got the bloody theme tune rattling around my head! - For anyone fortunate enough not to know what I'm talking about, it was a slightly surreal comic 'sporting' competion, actually international, where the competitors often wore ridiculous huge costumes - one episode even had some of the more minor British Royals take part!).

[Pinky]

It's a great way of selling the fact that the latest Rubicon kits are 'seriously' models as well as wargaming pieces.  And the Crusader is still one of the best.  It's also one of the classic images of the desert war (there are several photos - probably posed - of the same Crusader passing a burnng Panzer).  The wrecked Panzer III is nicely done (he even managed to recreate a broken track) - I don't really mind that it's a 'fake' earlier model.  The burnt effects are really well done.

On the minus side, I don't like the flippant title.  And the rocks in the Crusader's path would have broken its tracks - this kind of thing is common with smaller scale dioramas.  It would also have been nice of the Crusader had featured some typical desert stowage.

[ultravanillasmurf]

On the minus side, I don't like the flippant title. .

Pinky does have a point, the Panzer III had a crew of five.

[ripley]

From the state of the fire damage I would say the Pzr III was knocked out some time ago , not by the passing Crusader . To me its just a scene of two opposing sides vehicles , and the diorama is  more focused on weathering , rust and dust ( hence the Vallejo logo ) than an actual real life type  scene  . Yes it could use a lot of on tank stowage , crew figures , etc , but I don't think that's the point of this diorama . This kind of stuff seems to pop up a lot in many of the newer monthly  modelling  magazines , for better or worse . I'm more a fan of the old 70s style Verlinden or Shep Paine style dioramas , using all sorts of plastic  kit parts , figures  and what ever else they could find  to create an awesome historical , sometimes sketchy scale wise  scene .

 (1970s Monogram 1/32 Pzr IV and Grant  - Shep Paine )

[tyroflyer]

The terrain on the 1970's diorama is excellent

[ripley]

Look him up on Yahoo , a true master





He also did a lot  of Napolionics using Historex figures

[Pinky]

Shep Paine was a big inspiration for me.  The first 'serious' AFV kit I built was the Monogram M3 Lee, and I spent ages poring over Shep Paine's leaflet.  Of course, my attempt fell short on every level.  I think the most impressive thing about Shep (apart from his flair with figures) was the way he improvised, at a time when there was very little in the way of of-the-shelf accessories.

Shep's original Grant diorama may have been the inspiration for Crusader diorama.  Or it was the photos I mentioned earlier, supposedly showing a Crusader during Operation Crusader:





Note that the Panzer IV is burning in the second photo - obviously the photographer wanted a more dramatic shot.