- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 12,985
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- First Name
- Ron
I bought this kit at Cosford last year. It was loose in a poly. bag with no decals and the instructions were water damaged and barely readable....but it was dirt cheap!
The weird Luchs had two steering positions, one at the front one at the rear. All 8 wheels could be steered and it could swim! 408 were made and it remained in service until 2009.
In 2001 Prof. Otto Seydlitz, a Lecturer in Art and Design @ Kiel University and self confessed 'Tank Nut' came up with a revolutionary type of armour camouflage. He noticed that trees and shrubs were not (as painted on most armoured vehicles) relatively large areas of colour, but more a smaller patchwork of greens and browns. Based on his observations, he designed a radical type of camo. and called it S.N.O.R. after his, and his wife's initials......
He presented his idea to the German Military, who chose a Spahpanzer Luchs to test the Professor's paint scheme on. On completion, although thought a good idea, the process was deemed to be too complicated and expensive, and was rejected. Other nations took notes........
I brush painted the model with Vallejo Model Air acrylics. I've kept to a small amount of weathering using a watered down beige and coated the whole of the model with a large, flat headed brush, allowing the paint free range to settle where it chose to. The wheels I simply painted, and then rolled the model through some floor sweepings.
After marking out the 'Square Pattern' I brush painted the squares freehand with a very small flat headed brush, making the colour combo. up as I went along......
Here is the Amphibious Luchs painted in Otto's S.N.O.R unique three colour camouflage. Sorry, its just O.O.B.
Strange, the instructions showed one of the step-ups upside down, so right or wrong, that's how it got stuck on!
The crazy and rather flimsy looking all wheel steering gear.....
One of the two propellers which can swivel through 180 degrees.
The vane in the operational position when swimming.
The base is a bit of old, battle scarred 4mm white faced hardboard which was originally the backing of a kitchen unit. I cut out the hole for the model, then painted the white surface with some left over brown fence panel emulsion. I've deliberately left some streaking on the surface. Once the model was in situ, I made the wake using clear silicone.
The vegetation and trees were provided by Mother Nature. The rocks are bits of polystyrene.
Here is the Luchs 'Doin' a' wot comes nachoorally!" Vane up...vane down.
The vane in use....
'Otto's Luchs', as it is fondly called, is currently owned by a private collector, who has a small military museum in the Baltic coastal town of Sassnitz.
The curator kindly sent me a picture of the Luchs on display.
Cheers all and I hope this crazy vehicle passes muster.
Ron
The weird Luchs had two steering positions, one at the front one at the rear. All 8 wheels could be steered and it could swim! 408 were made and it remained in service until 2009.
In 2001 Prof. Otto Seydlitz, a Lecturer in Art and Design @ Kiel University and self confessed 'Tank Nut' came up with a revolutionary type of armour camouflage. He noticed that trees and shrubs were not (as painted on most armoured vehicles) relatively large areas of colour, but more a smaller patchwork of greens and browns. Based on his observations, he designed a radical type of camo. and called it S.N.O.R. after his, and his wife's initials......
He presented his idea to the German Military, who chose a Spahpanzer Luchs to test the Professor's paint scheme on. On completion, although thought a good idea, the process was deemed to be too complicated and expensive, and was rejected. Other nations took notes........
I brush painted the model with Vallejo Model Air acrylics. I've kept to a small amount of weathering using a watered down beige and coated the whole of the model with a large, flat headed brush, allowing the paint free range to settle where it chose to. The wheels I simply painted, and then rolled the model through some floor sweepings.
After marking out the 'Square Pattern' I brush painted the squares freehand with a very small flat headed brush, making the colour combo. up as I went along......
Here is the Amphibious Luchs painted in Otto's S.N.O.R unique three colour camouflage. Sorry, its just O.O.B.
Strange, the instructions showed one of the step-ups upside down, so right or wrong, that's how it got stuck on!
The crazy and rather flimsy looking all wheel steering gear.....
One of the two propellers which can swivel through 180 degrees.
The vane in the operational position when swimming.
The base is a bit of old, battle scarred 4mm white faced hardboard which was originally the backing of a kitchen unit. I cut out the hole for the model, then painted the white surface with some left over brown fence panel emulsion. I've deliberately left some streaking on the surface. Once the model was in situ, I made the wake using clear silicone.
The vegetation and trees were provided by Mother Nature. The rocks are bits of polystyrene.
Here is the Luchs 'Doin' a' wot comes nachoorally!" Vane up...vane down.
The vane in use....
'Otto's Luchs', as it is fondly called, is currently owned by a private collector, who has a small military museum in the Baltic coastal town of Sassnitz.
The curator kindly sent me a picture of the Luchs on display.
Cheers all and I hope this crazy vehicle passes muster.
Ron
Off to Google a certain Proffessor.
.
