DAK halftracks, Sd.Kfz250/251?

[Alanmccoubrey]

Life Color actually do acrylic paints of RAL 8000 and 8020 which were the two base colours for DAK vehicles. The former looks great when used over a base of Panzergrey as happened in early 1941.

[yantaylor]

Morning Alan, I have tried the new Tamiya dark yellow, I think it is XF-88. It is supposed to look like faded sand but like all acrylics, it never covers the undercoat and the more you brush, the more it seems to come off!!!!

Ian

[PanzerModeler]

Tamiya XF-88 "Dark Yellow" is actually supposed to be the Dunkelgelb from the three-color camo, rather than a faded sand. But you're right something just looks off about that color.

And yes, the Tamiya colors seem to really like to soften up and come off when you go for a second coat. I don't think the Testors ones were ever like that. I avoided them for the longest time until I got an airbrush. I don't know if it's my (lack?) of skill, but when I dilute them for use in airbrushes I get fantastic results with the Tamiya paints.

[yantaylor]

I think that Tamiya should explain that their paint is for airbrush and not brushing, I have ruined the paint job on nealy £100 worth of kits. I have also bought a lot of Tamiya paint which I havent even openned yet.
Trouble is, that I have another £100 worth unmade kits, so I am put off painting them now.
I have never airbrushed and the price of them is beyond me at the moment.
I also have hundreds of 1/72 figures mainly all based, but again I am reluctant to ruin these too.

Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, Tamiya paint gives me a headache when I try to use it but I think yours will be worse after reading that ! You can remove paint from models by putting them in Detol disinfectant, Just sink them in it and leave for a few hours and then wash them off, as long as you haven't used any enamel paints the Tamiya paint should brush off, I use an old tooth brush. Then wash the models in washing up liquid, like the dishes, and start all over again with Life Color !

[PanzerModeler]

I think that Tamiya should explain that their paint is for airbrush and not brushing, I have ruined the paint job on nealy £100 worth of kits. I have also bought a lot of Tamiya paint which I havent even openned yet.
Trouble is, that I have another £100 worth unmade kits, so I am put off painting them now.
I have never airbrushed and the price of them is beyond me at the moment.
I also have hundreds of 1/72 figures mainly all based, but again I am reluctant to ruin these too.

Ian

Hi Ian,

Tamiya paints can, theoretically, be used for brush painting, but I have to admit that when you do it you have to basically slap down a thick layer and be done, and not spend too much time coming back to go over the top. I have done NATO three-color camo in Tamiya paints and using the right technique it came out just fine. I will admit...I had a learning curve at first, and you can tell that I definitely did just slap down one very thick layer and let it dry. Certainly the Testors acrylic doesn't seem to be anywhere near as bad about softening under multiple coats.

Airbrushing kits is...Well it's a thing of it's own. I started with a very cheap, very simple "single action" air brush and it was utterly horrible, my results were total trash, etc, and I regretted ever trying it. I then upgraded to a more expensive, gravity fed, "dual action" airbrush, and it's been quite enjoyable. It's a $99.96 (£79.63) set on Amazon that consisted of a small compressor, inexpensive dual action air brush, hose, etc.


If brush painting is your only option, I suppose you might try clear-coating between acrylics?

Typically I air brush on all my base paint, acrylic clear coat, and then weather in enamel washes. I'll use acrylic clear coats to help separate enamel washes, so I might first do a panel line and general dirt and grime wash in enamel, seal it in with an acrylic clear coat, then apply an enamel dust wash, seal with acrylic, etc.

Maybe it just isn't worth it but you might try using some of the flat model spray cans between acrylic colors? It would help seal them in so they wouldn't soften and brush off.

[yantaylor]

Well guys, I am going to try spray paints on my new vehicles. Going to buy some Tamiya dark yellow, Olive green and Panzer grey.
I already have a Tamiya surface primer so I will see if that helps. Just hope that when I apply camo, it doesnt lift the spray paint off.

Thanks for all your advice too, you two seem to know more about this then I, as I have just started up again after a 35 year break, which is good for keeping me busy during lock down, but the availability of kits has gon right down.

Ian

[yantaylor]

Here is a classic photo showing StuG IIIs along with panzer grenadiers in Sd. Kfz 250s and 251s, apparently taken at Kursk 1943.
Was it usual for both the Sd. Kfz 250 and 251 to serve together in PzG units? is there a KstN with these two halftracks serving together and organic to the company?
One thing that I may add is that I have the full version of that picture in a book from 1970s, it shows more vehicles then this edited version, but I couldn't find the full verion on line.

kursk.jpg (32.67 KiB) Viewed 682 times

Ian

[yantaylor]

BTW; I forgot ask you guys about Vallejo Desert Dust wash, will it help to cover my bad paint job?
I have never used washes before and wouldn't mind having at least two types, one for north Africa and another for Europe/Russia.

Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, that can't be Kursk all those SdKfz 250 are "Neu/Ausf B" (take your pick) and they weren't in production yet.

You do sometie fond SdKfz 250s in command roles in Panzergrenadier units but I have never seen a KStN calling for such a mix, they probably just used what they had.

[yantaylor]

Right you are Alan, I didn't check that out because both photos were titled Kursk.
It certainly looks like Russian, but it is a pity I can't find the full version along with all the huge shell craters which was probably from a pre-bombardment.

Ian

[apollo111]

This is Romania, summer 1944.

[yantaylor]

Thank you Apollo, Romania! about twelve months later.
Is there any more data about the photo, what units, or was a it a counter attack? The halftracks at the back look like they are in reserve. Plus it seems like there could a smoke screen being used too, unless a burning German vehicle has been hit and went into that ravine.

Ian

[apollo111]

Photo from article: https://warspot.ru/4501-chyortova-dyuzh ... kogo-udara

[yantaylor]

What I would like to know, if that photo was took during the actual attack and the German photographer was ahaed of that attack, then he was one brave man.

Ian