Featured work - Florin David's mobile FLAK 43

Sometimes I think that I shouldn't look at other peoples' work. Today is one of those days. You know it's going to depress you when you start out by thinking 'that's a nice 1/35th model' and then - with horror - you realize it's a 1/72 model!

Simply beautiful.

If you have a masochistic streak you can go and see more of Florin's wonderful SPAA project here: Braille Scale Enthusiast - sWS with 3.7cm FlaK43

Shell Hole Scenic's M40 Nimrod - Part 3

It's delay after delay with this model. I'm really keen to start the turret scratch build, but I've been so engrossed with getting the hull to a state I was happy with that it's taken me a lot more time to get this far than I anticipated. But, I have now definitely done enough work on the hull and I've given it a primer coat of paint (mainly so I can check to see if I smoothed out all the blemishes in the metal).

I've added the little features that mark this out as the Finnish version of this AA tank rather than Shell Hole's Hungarian Nimrod. I've also added new headlamps and adjusted the drivers hatch so there is a bit of space on the left side (your right looking at the above photo).

At the rear, I'm quite pleased with my quick and dirty single pipe exhaust. It's funny how a coat of paint over your patches of filler can make a model look a lot better...

I do have to say that Shell Hole did do quite a nice job with the road-wheels, and even though the tracks are simplified - with no realistic tread - they compare well with some of the quick build kits I've made.

So, let's get that bloody turret started!

Shell Hole Scenic's M40 Nimrod - Part 2

Despite promising myself not to muck around too much with this model I ended up doing more tweaking of the front hull than I intended - so the turret will have to wait!

Basically, I wanted to do a minor conversion to the Nimrod's front hull to make it look more like the Finnish variant. But while doing this I ended up hacking around with the drivers hatch area, which I think Shell Hole Scenics got wrong. It's still far from correct but I'll settle for this...

And I modified the rear hull, giving it a pretty rudimentary Finnish-style single exhaust. To be honest I could have made a better job and added more detail, but I just wanted to give the impression of the Finnish tank, not build a display model...

Finally, while I liked Shell Hole's Bofors gun for detail there was something about the diameter of the 40mm gun barrel that was niggling me. If I had to guess, at 1/76 this looked more like a 30mm cannon, it just looked a bit too small to me. So I bought a turned brass barrel from Millicast for £2.50 and it's much more to my liking...

So, having taken a bit of a detour with this project it's time to get back on track and deal with the main focal point of this model - the turret!

Next: Converting a Hungarian Nimrod turret into a Finnish Landsverk turret!

Shell Hole Scenic's M40 Nimrod - Part 1

As mentioned in my first post about the Shell Hole Scenic’s Hungarian Nimrod AA tank model I am more impressed with this product than I was with their awful T20. My main criticism of white metal models thus far has been about poor fitting and the surface pitting.

Left: A lovely shot of the Hungarian Nimrod. Source: WWII in Colour

But this model seems to fare better on both accounts. Additionally the level of detailing is quite nice, with additional smaller parts provided to make - what I assess to be - a fairly passable looking Hungarian Nimrod...

Shell Hole Scenics Hungarian Nimrod

Above: L-62 Landsverk Anti II anti-aircraft tank from Anti-aircraft
Museum, Tuusula, Finland. Source: Wikipedia

You ever done that really embarrassing storming out of a house after cross words thing only to discover you have left your car keys or jacket behind and then had to timidly creep back in to retrieve them? Well this is kinda like that...

In my post about the Shell Hole Scenics T-20 artillery tractor I was hugely critical about the quality of their white metal kit and vowed I wouldn't buy another of their models...Er, well...

I mentioned in my Finnish Army post - Planning a Finnish war game army Part 2 - that I was stumped as to where to lay my hands on a  model of the Landsverk Anti II AA-tank. Well, Steve from the excellent Society of Gentleman Gamers forum got in touch and pointed me towards - you guessed it - Shell Hole Scenics! Bum!

Shell Hole Scenics sell the Hungarian Nimrod, which was a license built copy of the Swedish Luftvärnskanonvagn L-62 Anti II tank. This Swedish 40mm AA tank was also the basis of the Finnish Landsverk, and - as much as it pains me to admit it - the photo of this model on the web site kinda looks OK (and at £8.50 it is definitely the right price).

Photo: Shell Hole Scenics

However, Steve let me have a face saving get out clause (should I really want one). He also passed me a picture of a resin and white metal Nimrod made by S&S models. I think the S&S model is under a tenner too.

Oh how I hate to eat my own words, but I am tempted to buy the Shell Hole Scenics version - the tracks look better than the S&S one...

Above: Photo of the S&S Nimrod, made and painted by Søren Juul for

his review on the Danish Military Historical we site.