I have been trying to intersperse more realistic or more involved projects with one such as the one being described here.

This started out as a 3D print of an Alvis Salamander fire vehicle in 1/72 scale. However, on inspection, it was pretty basic and would much work to bring it up. Besides, I managed to get an injection moulded kit of the same vehicle, to be done at some later data. Therefore, I decided to turn this one into a fantasy vehicle. After assembling the basic kit, I detailed it with various parts of spare models. There are bits of F-35, Eurofighter, Tiger I, T-34, German half track on it, as well as photo etch bits and oil drums. At the end, it vaguely reminds me of something from Mad Max or the 1980s Flash Gordon film.

Following priming, I sprayed it a metallic silver colour. After this, I sprayed on chipping fluid and then a yellow colour. I then distressed the finish with much chipping of the paint. I suppose I wanted it to look like a well used maintenance vehicle. Details were painted with the other paints shown below. Various decals – including the Alvis badge, Spitfire dials and German turret numbers – were then placed on it and the entire vehicle washed with “Starship Filth” oil paint.

Wanting it to be on a base, I cut one out, tilting it slightly for a better view and to provide space for something underneath the base (see later). Some 3D printed figures – not quite in pressure suits but more like biohazard ones, were got at the same scale. I used various red diorama products from Green Stuff World to create a red planet, complete with some vegetation. The figures were painted as shown below.

Finally I wanted to play around with LED lightning. So, again from Green Stuff World, I got a switch and a LED light set to flicker blue to mount in a spare plastic tube. It works nicely. I think of it as a beacon light which needs repairing and apparently it takes four of them to fix it…

Anyway, it was a fun distraction and good to use something which would otherwise have been left unused. I might do some more of these…