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Thursday, 24 October 2019

Rubicon Models 28mm Kübelwagen

Having made it safely to the half term break, I had great plans as to how I was going to push things along for the Schloss Itter project, but as we rush towards the end of the week, and I start to take stock, I feel that not as much has been achieved as I had hoped for!  It is not all doom and gloom, we have another terrain piece in the offing that we hope to share before too long, James has completed the base boards and I have collected together, and in some cases converted, the miniatures for a few more of the characters.

I have also, finally, completed my Type 82 Kübelwagen from Rubicon models.  This was my first Rubicon Models kit and I have to say that I was mightily impressed.  A hard plastic multi-part kit, it went together well, with clear instructions and a few variations available.  It comes with the option to have a driver and a set of waterslide transfers that allow you to base it on campaign in the African desert or the Western Front. 
Not an expert in this particular era, I went for a relatively straightforward paint job, but embellished it, a tad, with some mud streaks and general wear and tear.  It feels a little small, particularly when seen next to a standard 28mm miniature, but I wonder if this was because I haven't based the piece at the moment?  This doesn't detract from the quality of the model and the more I read about this Porsche design utility vehicle the more I have come to appreciate it.  
The Kübelwagen plays an important role in our story insomuch as it is the vehicle the Major Josef Gangl takes to meet up with the Americans at Kufstein.  Travelling under a white flag, Major Gangl persuades the American Capt. Lee to help rescue the prisoners and the pair travel back to the castle in the German officer's Kübelwagen, which is now proudly sporting an American star, supposedly on the flag. 

I wanted to include this lovely detail, but couldn't understand how it worked, a white star on a white flag?  It is entirely possible that I have misunderstood the reference, but if anyone has an idea as to how I might make this work then do let me know. 


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64 comments:

  1. Fantastic looking vehicle Michael, and a great bit of history as well, no idea on the flag I'm afraid so can't help on that one

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    1. Thank you Dave, it was a lovely little kit to work on.

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  2. Jus for interest - if you anticipate more panzer grey vehicles, MIG pigments do a wonderful weathering/streaking set.

    I hear you on the scale issue, on a suitable base the vehicles don't look so small.

    The flag conundrum, hummm, dunno. Was the star actually applied to the flag of truce ? or was a different flag used ? Peraps a star was quickly applied to the white flag and then the rest coloured in with something they had to hand ?

    It looks great, regardless.

    Zzzzz

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    1. I keep saying that I wanted to try some of those MIG weathering sets, I must give them a go. I am starting to wonder if a different flag was used, or if it was daubed on the side of the vehicle?

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  3. Nice looking kubelwagon with Boris Johnson dressed in a German army uniform, all good!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you Iain, not seen Boris until you mentioned it. :D

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  4. Awesome Kübelwagen, brilliant work Michael!

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  5. Rubicon does produce very nice kits indeed and you've done this one up very nicely! As to the star on flag conundrum: what is the exact wording of the sentence stating this? Was it in German?

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    1. Thank you Sander, the wording is, "Gangl in his Kübelwagen, the white flag on its radio antenna now supplemented by large white stars crudely painted on either side." The word supplemented led me to think that it was the flag that was 'supplemented' by the stars, but reading the comments and thinking it through it must be the Kübelwagen itself that was 'supplemented' by crudely painted stars. Now reaching for the white paint!

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  6. I reckon it Looks small due to the basing. As for the flag with a White star? Would be odd to add a White star to a White flag of surrender. I´ve re-read all the Reports and they only Mention a "large White flag of surrender" but Nothing on stars..the only Mention of Star is to do with the Tennis Player Jean Borotra being a Tennis star.

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    1. Thank you Paul and I may yet base this, just waiting to see what the courtyard will look like first. I am starting to wonder if I have read the text wrong...

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  7. Very nice kubelwagon, Michael. I like your weathering too.

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    1. Thank you Dean, always worry about adding weathering but it probably could have taken a bit more.

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  8. That's a nice little Kubelwagen, Michael :)

    As for the size, putting it on a bse will help, but you have it alongside an Artizan (I think) figure, which would be closer to 1:50 than 1:56 - maybe a 1:48 scale kit would look better?

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    1. Thank you Tamsin, my new favourite vehicle! Spent far too long watching youtube videos of them dashing around the countryside!

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  9. great looking vehicle Michael

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  10. Nicely done Michael! I haven't bought any Rubicon models. The difference in scale can be off-setting, thus once I pick a manufacturer for a certain vehicle, I buy all of that vehicle from that manufacturer, thus mitigating the difference. This mostly pertains to things like tanks / halftracks. I would suggest getting your jeeps if any from Rubicon as well so they should match each other scalewise

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    1. Thank you Terry and that is a fair point. Have got most things needed from Rubicon, just need to build them now!

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  11. I think it looks great and would grace any wargames table! Top work ol' chap!

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    1. Thank you so much Ray, hoping to have some more bits to show you soon.

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  12. A neat little piece of kit, Michael. As for the star conundrum, I would hazard a guess that the star was a US forces white one hastily painted on the sides of the vehicle.

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    1. Thank you A.J. I am starting to think that must be the answer regarding the star. The mention occurs when the vehicle is leading the American column back to the castle so it would certainly make sense if it was marked accordingly.

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  13. I think with a base it'll look just fine. They weren't large cars in any case and checking out online pics of reenactors next to them your own is not far off the mini's scale.

    Painting wise, I think you've done a fab job. Feldgrau may well have still been in use so late in the war more due to budget constraints or purely for the fact that the vehicle may be left over from an earlier part of the war. So it works and looks great.

    I love Rubicon models though as well - my Studebaker Truck (That I've yet to paint up...) for my Soviets was a joy to put together and I'm wondering what else in their ranges might fit in with my collection.

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    1. Thank you Dai, I did wonder about the colour as I had seen a lot with a camouflage pattern, was this more of the norm late war?

      Really impressed with Rubicon and have quite a few other pieces to try before we are finished.

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    2. Typically, late war they were more likely to have been painted in one camo or another. But like I said, this one could have sat in a warehouse for a bit and only got brought out due to late war necessities or even being that this is a prison, may well have not thought needed a repaint? (Camo in a prison? nah...)

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    3. Thank you Dai, so as a rule of thumb front line should be in cammo? Like the idea of this been an impromptu staff car so stayed the colour it was.

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    4. Yeah pretty much. Staff cars would be camo too, but I'm imagining seeing as these lads were in Germany and not front line, you can get away with the Feldgrau just fine.

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  14. Tis a lovely thing. Wish we had a half term

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  15. Fine work as usual Michael. Very nice.

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  16. I've seen a couple of Kübelwagens in museums and they are not big vehicles but as you say it does look a little small compared to the figure. Basing vehicles - the eternal debate!

    Looks pretty though so my advice is don't stand figures too close to it.

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    1. Thank you John, certainly the images I have seen would suggest that they were relatively small, but not overly worried. Love the advice, which I shall be using. :D

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  17. Great little model Michael! Easily one of my favorite vehicles and now that you've completed your first Rubicon kit I'm sure you will doing more in the future 😀 Rubicon has quickly moved to the top for best 28mm vehicle manufacturer imho.

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    1. Thank you Ivor, really liked this kit and have a number of other Rubicon models waiting in the wings.

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  18. Nice work Michael, personally I don’t base vehicles as you know and as I occasionally mix scales I think it helps as it it one less reference point for a any slight variation. I certainly have a couple of rubicon but they are slightly small than others.

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    1. Thank you Matt, I may yet put a base on it, but as it is going to be, in effect, a terrain piece parked up in the courtyard I will probably leave it as it is.

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  19. HUGE congratulations on making it to the half-term break in one piece, Michael ;)

    I really love this little Kübelwagen - it certainly looks the business, with just enough weathering, and those super transfers. Making plastic kits normally brings me out in a cold sweat, but you're clearly the Master of that craft - I'll pass on my plastic-kit biplanes to you, shortly!! ;) Really lovely work, Michael.

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    1. Thank you so much! It was a lovely little kit and certainly brought back fond memories of the Airfix kits of my youth.

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  20. I applaud you Michael for your attention to detail with this project and viewing the finished article will be a must.
    Lovely job with the vehicle.
    Pat.

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    1. Thank you so much Pat. Your work has been a huge inspiration to us, we were just looking through 'Setting the Scene' the other day to borrow more ideas. ;)

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  21. A fine looking piece of German engineering you‘ve got there Michael! Well done on the weathering too. Just enough to hint at some previous action but not overdone.

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    1. Thank you so much Nick, I have become rather fond of this vehicle and delighted to have added one to the collection.

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  22. The ubiquitous Kubelwagon looks great and is probably probably madet to a scale, that the current trend in wargame figures tend to lack - being rather more like charicatures.
    I think you missed a trick not having clear bases on your figures and I don;t like seeing vehicles on bases, but it'll be the only wat to have the Kubel looking more in keeping with the figures.

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    1. Thank you Joe. I did consider clear bases, but went instead for smaller 20mm MDF bases. The idea being that they smaller area would be easier to move around the castle. At the moment the idea is that Defenders will have grey bases, whilst the attackers will be brown.

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  23. Great work. I think they would have painted stars on the doors and any flat area of the kubelwagen itself.

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  24. Love how your Kübelwagen turned out. Seeing how good these smaller scaled vehicles look sometimes make me wonder if I made a mistake heading towards the 1/35 scale military model territory.

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    1. Thank you. I think you would find the lack of detail frustrating, but for this scale it is a delightful model.

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  25. It's a lovely little model, but does indeed look a bit on the small side next to the officer in the first picture.
    Beautiful brushwork Michael.

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    1. Thank you, I think you are right, it may well need to go on a base to help it tie in more with the miniatures.

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