Dragon 1/16 Screaming Eagle

  • Thread starter Deleted member 6559
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
100_4715.JPG

I've been bitten by the plastic bug somewhat, so have decided to carry on with Dragon and Tamiya figures for a while (plus perhaps a Miniart?!). I've made all of them before, but it's always worth seeing if the earlier efforts can be improved upon.

Quite a simple kit:

100_4716 (2).JPG

A bit of work required to knock this one into shape and perhaps a head change. I believe the mohawk/warpaint combination was just worn for publicity and not in combat, so I won't be going down that road. Also, the uniform colour will be green olive drab - the khaki colour shown on the box art and perpertuated by modellers did not exist. Airborne clothing was modified from the standard infantry pattern and would have only have become lightened after extreme weathering.
 

Steve Jones

Steve Jones Scale Modelling Site
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
6,698
Points
113
Location
Plymouth
First Name
Steve
Pulled up a chair front and centre. Big fan of the Airborne. Good luck
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
Ralph - I intend to!

Steve - I've been watching re-runs of Band of Brothers on one of the Freeview channels - so well done.

Neil - Well I can't not change the head after that plea!

It's now ready for the paint:

100_4717.JPG

Quite a lot of work was involved in preparing this. The join of the two body halves was a bit messy and needed a lot of sanding and filling. The trouser pockets are supplied as separate parts and there were large gaps where the straps met, so I decided to replace them with metal foil to improve the look. I've swapped the kit water bottle for a Verlinden version and added a pistol and grenades by the same manufacturer.

Fortunately, I had a nice Alpine head from Ralph's stash, and I've made some chin straps to give it an Airborne look. As I had the tweezers and scalpel handy I also made the rifle sling at this stage. All of the straps are a combination of paper, thin wire, scrap plastic and Aber buckles and strap ends.
 

JR

Member of the Rabble and Pyromania Consultant
SMF Supporter
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
17,215
Points
113
Location
lincs
First Name
John
Peter are you ok,:flushed::flushed::flushed: I read the words MiniArt, I myself have conquered the fear and am filling one or two modified one now.

If you have any old ones available it would be nice to have a comparison when these are finished.
John.
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
John - I'm a glutton for punishment. I've ordered the Athenian Hoplite as I don't currently have one in the cabinet (made it before).

Ralph - Thanks. The Alpine head from the group you sent me is a perfect fit.
 

SteveH

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
1,293
Points
113
First Name
Stephen
Morning Peter

Well done with the construction and strap work too.

The box art looks very good for publicity as you said, not too bright to go into combat without your steel helmet in place though!

Looks like it will be a good long Bank Holiday weekend for painting.

Hopefully rain soon up North to keep me safely inside and trying to finish the bust

Thanks for the guidance too.

Have a good day with the head

Regards

Steve H
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
Morning Steve. There are a lot of photographs of US paras with Mohawk hairdos and warpaint, but they were all obviously taken for publicity purposes back at the training camp. If anything, faces were blackened for combat and even insignia were removed - Band of Brothers had characters removing the Stars and Stripes from the right arm and pocketing them.

On that point, Dragon had modelled some nicely defined insignia on the arms, but it was a bit big and stood too proud. As I had this rather nice sheet of Peddinghaus decals in the cupboard, I thought I'd use those instead (also easier than painting!):

100_4719.JPG

I actually did quite a lot of gardening today, so hopefully I'm off he hook, and yes, lets pray for rain shall we? Hope the face painting goes well.
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
Ralph - Cheers.

Neil - That's a relief! From now on I'm never going to be able to paint ahead without thinking of you....
 

rtfoe

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
7,465
Points
113
Location
Malaysia
First Name
Richard
Hi Peter, wish I had this figure to compliment my British Paratrooper. Before you paint his tunic, the light color of the fabric was due to the surplus used in the North African and Italian campaign. They were still in use during D-day including buck skinned gloves that were even brighter. These brighter battle dress ahd darker material sewned patches for the knee and elbows and lots of straps to hold in the often overloaded pockets.

The paratroopers started wearing the darker colored uniforms from Market Garden onwards. Newer patterned uniforms replaced the older pattern for operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine.

The head looks good. :thumb2: You've got to add the netting and familiar bandage strapped to the helmet.

Cheers,
Richard
 

Neil Merryweather

SMF Supporter
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
4,384
Points
113
Location
London
First Name
Neil
But seriously, Peter, I was actually looking at buying this recently and I didn't because of the head.
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
Richard - Thanks for that. I will do the uniform in a light olive drab, but definitely not the tan khaki often used. I was actually thinking of Market Garden, as I recently watched the Band of Brothers episode about the attack on Neunen, which impressed me a lot. Probably won't be able to do the netting, but may be able to do a bandage, but then again, invoking artistic license, a few discrepancies don't matter in my book.

Neil - I used the same head on this chap:

100_4582.JPG

I don't think it's that bad, though admit that the present Alpine one is better.
 

rtfoe

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
7,465
Points
113
Location
Malaysia
First Name
Richard
Richard - Thanks for that. I will do the uniform in a light olive drab, but definitely not the tan khaki often used. I was actually thinking of Market Garden, as I recently watched the Band of Brothers episode about the attack on Neunen, which impressed me a lot. Probably won't be able to do the netting, but may be able to do a bandage, but then again, invoking artistic license, a few discrepancies don't matter in my book.

Neil - I used the same head on this chap:

View attachment 342895

I don't think it's that bad, though admit that the present Alpine one is better.

Hi Peter, if its Market Garden then the netting and bandage can be left out. They dropped in daylight so finding the first aid pouch was much easier. New equipment and uniforms would have been issued when refitting for this campaign. The individual paratrooper didn't carry as much having had the experience of their last combat jump and transports and supplies were airdropped simultaneously as the main drop. They retrieved most of it unlike the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem.

Cheers,
Richard
 
D

Deleted member 6559

Guest
Cheers Richard - It's all very complicated isn't it?

Having assumed that the uniform would turn out quite dark, I've ended up with this:

100_4724.JPG100_4725.JPG100_4726.JPG

The colour is based on Vallejo's Russian Uniform, which makes a nice olive drab. Another lovely figure from Dragon, with superb detailing.
 
Top