Kleines Kettenkraftrad SdKfz.2

Awarded: Gold

Users' choice

This gallery has 27.59% of the users' votes.

By: Alvaro Rodriguez

Manufacturer(s): Academy

Description: This is the Ketten included in the first Academy 1/72nd (combo) vehicles set. The model is OOTB. The only modifications were to thin the drivers seat with that the front license plate was broken during assembly and, then, removed and not replaced. I added few accesories at the rear. The fuel can is one of the included in the same Academy set. The two wooden boxes were scrachted using a piece of styrene from the spare parts box that has a nice timber texture and the tarp was made with Kneadatite epoxy putty. The painting was done with airbrushed Tamiya acrylics for the base coat and camo and with Vallejo acrylics for the details. The weathering and paint chipping was done with Vallejo acrylics and MiG Productions Abt. 501 oils. It is supposed to be a werhmacht vehicle at the time of the Normandy campaign.

Judge 1: This is a simple little model, practically a toy, but you have done a great job to make us believe it's a real vehicle. First of all I’d like to mention thin and even base coat and well-applied transfers. Tonal variation is nice, pin washes are put carefully and in appropriate places. The same is true for dust and paint chips. The only thing I advice you to do is to put some graphite on tracks and more dust on wheel disks.
Judge 2: What a beautiful little model you've made, especially when one considers its miniscule size. The excellent photographs you presented us with are equal to your painting skills and it's a credit to you that this little model can stand up under such extreme magnification. As has already been pointed out the road wheels seem out of place, a heavier treatment of dust and mud would tie them in with the weathering on rest of the vehicle. This aside there isn't much else you could have done to improve this tiny gem. Keep up the good work.
Judge 3: Nice job on a very tiny subject. You’ve done a great job in weathering and conveying a sense of depth to the finish. I also like how you’ve varied up the colours of some of the detail parts. This makes the subject much less monotone and more interesting to the viewer. The chipping is nicely done as well, conveying a sense of a well used vehicle. The running gear too looks good though a bit of drybrushing to the edges of the track links would help them look a bit more used. A smidgeon more dust on the outboard side of the rubber portion of the road wheels, also wouldn’t look out of place. A slight undercut/scoring and a dark wash at the interface of the wheels and the track would also help convey the impression of a multipart assembly. The wee bit of stowage is well done and finishes this model off nicely. Well done! Wayne