I am three quarters of the way through building the second 20mm Plastic Soldier Company halftrack and thought at least one reader may be interested to see how simple a kit this is, so I have taken a number of images of progress
Several areas of the kit need to be undercoated before assembly - I could just undercoat the whole thing, I suppose......
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A nice, simple assembly instruction sheet
The drivers had to be painted up prior to commencing the build
Sides attached
Front and rear pieces added next
Front wheel assembly
Track assembly
Wheels and tracks attached to the underside
Jerrycans, rear MG and rear storage added - kit now 90% completed in about ten minutes
Today, being a very pleasant sunny day and around 18 deg C (late winter here in Auckland), we decided to have our first walking trip of the "new season"! The trip was about an hour's drive out to the east coast just south of Auckland, to Waitawa Regional Park.
There were four trails available, and we chose the Piwakawaka trail, named after the New Zealand Fantail. I have tried many times to catch a picture of these friendly little birds, but although they are well known for flying very close to people and trailing them for several hundred meters at a time, I have never been able to get a decent shot - so these are from the Web
View out over the gulf towards Waiheke Island
It was a pretty stunning day, as is evident from the pictures!
Rangitoto Island, which is opposite the Auckland CBD, is just visible in the following picture
A couple of traditional images of native bush follow
The smell of the yellow broom and gorse flowers was strong but quite pleasant
And it would not be New Zealand without sheep - its lambing season so some pretty cute little animals around
Down on the beach for a brief period
Before a traipse across some farmland
We followed the red trail in the map below - around 9km in total, it took us around 2 hours
And more or less back where we started
A very nice way to spend Sunday morning/early afternoon. Home by 1430 and a relaxing cuppa, then cut the grass, had a shower and headed over to the neighbours place for a couple of beers, home around 1800 as the sun started to fade in the west and the temperature dropped.
Look out for more of this sort of stuff in the coming months as we head out on numerous bush walks.
That is a lovely little kit, but those views - wow!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael, glad you liked my Tourism NZ promo!😂
DeleteHave to agree with Mr Audrey. Wow. Met a Kiwi couple in Cardiff the other week who voluntarily sold up to come to Wales. I’m sure there must have been a VERY compelling reason to leave.
ReplyDeleteThat's a rather strange move to be making JBM....I have been to Cardiff......! 😀
DeleteThose views are fantastic
ReplyDeleteCheers Scotty...you will be sick to death of them by the end of May 2023!
DeleteA very nice kit, and a beauty of a walk.
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg
DeleteLooks like a quick build. 18C in late winter? As I type it is 11C here in late summer! Gorgeous scenics.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is a quick build, Jon, but still has plenty of detail! That's pretty cool for this time of year in your neck of the woods, isn't it?
DeleteBeau landscapes sir!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it Michal.
DeleteLoved the walk and pictures! :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers,
David.
Thanks David, I am pleased you appreciated the walk pics!
DeleteI have always wondered how easily the PSC kits go together so that is quite instructive. They are nice little models.
ReplyDeleteThey are very well made and super simple to put together Lawrence. If you have a need for what they produce, I can highly recommend them.
DeleteGreat job on the model! it looks very nice.
ReplyDeleteA good walk to take on a sunny day and you have taken some lovely photos. You weren't tempted for a swim at the beach? 😊 Probably a little chilly.
No, no temptation to dive in yet Ben....maybe in January/February 😊
DeleteSeeing a sprue like that takes me back many, many decades to the joys of opening Airfix or Matchbox kits:). Things have come on a long way since then in terms of quality and ease of assembly. Great to see you are able to start your walks again and also to get some extra shekels from the NZ tourist board for your promotions of the wonderful country;).
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, yes, these kits are significantly easier and better than most of the Airfix ones we all remember from the Seventies ( or in some cases Sixties!). If only your latter sentence were true....it would be nice to have a secondary income to fund figure purchasing!
DeleteThanks for the walk through the kit and the lovely scenery.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Richard, my pleasure!
DeleteReally good idea to paint the crew as part of the initial build.
ReplyDeleteThanks Norm...it's the kind of thing I never did when building Airfix or Marchbox kits, fifty years ago. It's good I have actually learned something in the intervening decades!
DeleteAre sheep a big thing in NZ?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very pleasant day all around. 😀
Hi Stew. Sheep used to be a much bigger deal. Today, there are 5.6 sheep per person in NZ, but in 1982 the ratio was 22:1 ..and I expect if you went back to the early twentieth century, it might be forty or fifty to one! It WAS a good day, although spending a nice, sunny day locked inside with half a dozen weirdos playing with toy soldiers, would have been even better😀😂
DeleteThat’s a nice simple looking but effective kit Keith…
ReplyDeleteAnd the views are as ever delightful.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly....elegantly simple....that's how I think I would describe the PSC offerings!
DeletePSC make good uncomplicated kits I find, nice scenic shots as always!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain, yes, PSC has just the right amount of detail, without being too fiddly to put together!
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