Nice work going on here as we reach the actual anniversary!

I'm still struggling with a choice, with the options now being an M3A1 half track or an Eduard 1/48 Mirage. Also struggling with when I'm going to start, but I guess it had better be soon!

Michael

My entry will be the Revell H-34 in Israeli markings.

Hi Guys, WIP update things are going well,with my Centurion a fine kit, also downloaded Steven Pressfield " At Lions Gate" at the front during the Six Day War great listening while building your kit

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Ken, Your Centurion is coming along nicely. I'll be interested to see how it turns out as it's one on my wish list.

Bob, an interesting choice and I think the first helicopter in the campaign so far.

Did a little more on my Mirage the last couple of nights.
First job was to plug up the slots under the wings with some scrap plastic and filler. Lost a little bit of the raised detail as it's on the bottom I'm not too concerned.





Also finished off the seat with a wire firing handle and then attached the pilot.



All being well I should be able to get the fuselage halves together by the weekend.
Looking for something else the weekend I found another two of these kits at the bottom of a box along with Matchbox's effort. They may not be perfect, but will make a nice little collection.


Michael, it would be interesting to see what you do with your Mirage if you choose it. The Eduard is a great looking kit. I ordered the Weekend Edition the other day (arrived this morning!) to reward myself for persisting with this. I was surprised to find it has exactly the same decal option as the Airfix!

Stephen, I looked around for an Avia S199, but the price was too prohibitive. And I like the H-34 plus the camo scheme was interesting.

Ken, nice job so far on the Centurion.

Bob

What scale Avia were you looking for?
KP's 1/72 is pretty reasonably priced in the UK. Not sure what else is available in anything bigger. I vaguely remember somebody doing a 1/48 years ago. Hobbycraft perhaps?

Stephen I had been looking the Hobbycraft 1/48 kit.

Bob

Bob,

While not a bad kit, the Avia was retired after the War of Independence and didn't participate in '67.

Michael

Michael, I will stick with the H-34 then. Thanks.

Bob

I found (3) schemes for the H-34.

Bob,

I'm afraid misrepresentations of IAF color schemes was an industry standard at one time.

According to my sources (IsraDecal and SAM), IAF S-58s (H-34s) were sourced from either the US or West Germany. The US machines were painted in standard IAF colors of RAL 5008 blue and FS30215 brown over RAL 7044 light gray. The German bought 'copters came in RAL6014 olive green and the Israelis overpainted that with FS30215 in a disruptive pattern. I think that was overall with no light grey undersides. I'm not sure if they stayed that way through the war.

In the pictures you have, number 27 would carry the olive/brown scheme. Examples of the blue/brown/gray scheme would be 13 or 15, neither of which had that framework or antenna array on the nose that 27 did. I don't think any would have three digit numbers in '67.

Hope this helps!

Michael

Michael, thanks for the help I will do some more research.

Bob

A little more work done this weekend and thought I would also try out the camera on my new phone. Seems to be better than my last but still need to play about with it.

So, fuselage halves are glued together. Fit was pretty lousy and needed some persuasion to stop splitting apart in a few places.



One thing I noticed while doing this was that Airfix did not mold the cannon troughs on the underside of the intakes. Given the age of the tooling I can only imagine that Airfix based the kit on an early example of the Mirage, which did not have cannon fitted. Dassault envisioned the Mirage as a missile only interceptor and it was only with the sale to Israel that cannon were fitted at the insistence of the IDF.



As these are very prominent I decided to have a go at making the missing troughs. I suppose that's one advantage of playing around with these old kits, you can hack away and not risk making a major mistake on something better and more expensive!
I used the smallest round file I had and filed in the troughs. I tried to make them deeper toward the rear so I can fit in a small section of rod for the barrels. I think still need to take a little more plastic out. I'm fairly happy with how they turned out. Looks better for them anyway.

Nice work on that old thing Stephen!

I've decided to go ahead and go for the Mirage myself. I'll be using the ProfiPack boxing of Eduard's 1/48 initial release.





Here's the photo etch instrument panel:



And the fuselage together:



Love that black cockpit:



Ultimately this will be part of a three aircraft collection of a Mirage, Nesher, and Kfir of 101 Squadron. Ultimately.

Michael

WELL! Everyone is having fun and my kit has not arrived yet.

Thanks and yours is looking good too.
The instrument panel is very nice.

My H-34 arrived today so I can start building and looking for a scheme for 1967.

Bob

At the moment I'm painting hull and wheels:



This easy and quick build, most of the time goes to painting (and lot of paint is still missing).

Pasi, Your Isherman is looking good.

Bob

Hi,

Please find my mid-build photos here. I had a bit of a hiatus in building while I worked out how best to paint it (artists block?) but I have got myself back in the zone and I will crack this asap. I am still going for an OOB build, and using the decals provided with the kit. The model will represent a recently activated tank before it reaches the combat zone. Eventually I might build a diorama involving reservists, but that is for the future.

Looking good, David!

SO many nice Shermans here, I'm thinking of switching...what's your opinion on the "Arab" Panzer IV's, Michael? Would that be a viable candidate?

As long as they used them in June '67, you're good to go, Clayton!

Michael

Shweet! I owe you one, Michael!

Oy! Never posted the pre-building kits. Good thing I checked as I started. Here's the parts for my Revell/Monogram Magach 1 fresh in their bags.