Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf. L "Luchs"
by
Andrew Judson
Description
Now here is a kit that is definitely worth having in your
collection, especially if you are an armour nut like myself.
The kit is from a "new kid on the block", Tasca. It is kit number
35-001, Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf. L "Luchs".
The kit is quite complex with four sprues of parts and a small
photo-etched fret, so it is probably not for beginners. While
building the kit I found that I needed to put a bit of thought into
sequence of construction, otherwise some parts will be difficult to
paint later on.
Two things that particularly impressed me were the working
suspension with moving torsion bars and the high quality of parts
fit.
Painting
Painting was conducted in two stages. First I completed the lower
half, then painted and weathered everything. I ten constructed the
upper half, masked off the lower then painted the base colour and
camouflage scheme. The masking was removed and weathering of the
upper half was done, making sure to blend this in with the lower
part completed earlier.
All paints were sprayed through an Aztek A470 airbrush.
Weathering
The tedious job of paint "chipping" was next. A dark brown colour
was used, followed by a misting with a dusty finish to tone down the
final effect.
Dried mud, dust and mud was added using MIG Pigments mixed with
water and applied heavily. Once dry, the effect looks like real
caked-on mud.
The dust was brushed on dry, as was the rust effect on the
exhaust and muffler.
The only addition to the kit was the tracks. These were sourced
from WWII Productions. These amazing tracks are individual resin
links which click together and remain fully workable - very handy
with the working suspension!
Figure
Last but not least is the figure, which was supplied with the
kit. Normally, I would at least replace he head with a resin item
but not with this little gem. I painted the Commander in a basic SS
Panzer uniform and then picked out the wonderful detail with a fine
brush.
Testor's Model Master enamels were used for the flesh tones.
I really enjoyed building this kit and look forward to future
releases from Tasca.