RFR/Able Archer - The Israeli army for the Lebanon campaign of 1982 in 1...

First of all a big thank you to Neil Patterson for reminding me of CMSC and its history, as I forgot the name of this lovely brand in my Syrian army video. Also the "Fabbri" and other nonsense I said in this and the previous video about mystery resin and metal "collectibles" were in fact 1/87th scale Salvat models, as I checked in old posts from my blog. Fortunately I keep on finding them in flea markets and 2nd hand shops. Again you can see plenty of Roco Miniatures (1/87th scale) together with Peter Pig and QRF (1/100th). Some of the M60 MBT are Chinese toy models, and after covering them in ERA they play the part very well and are almost as good as the Roco or Salvat models. The infantry are whether Atlantic plastics or Peter Pig. The Aircraft are all 1/100th scale from Tamiya, Fabbri diecast and Revell.

Models to Swap (2) - 1941 Russian 1/87th scale tank force (ALREADY EXCHANGED)

Here is the deal: my idea is to get rid of all my built, crewed, stowaged and painted 1/87th Premo scale 1941 Soviet models as I built my German oponents in 20mm.

What I propose to any of you is to exchange this collection for a reasonable number ( not necessarily the 19 1/87th scale models shown here ) of 1/72nd- 1/76th scale models of any brand, material (plastic, resin or metal), painted, unpainted, built or boxed, tanks, artillery or Infantry.

 The models I'm after are:

- Modern Russian, US, German Vehicles

- Chieftains

- Early WW2, Polish, Russian, German, and (specially) French (WW1 also)

- Old Airfix ACW

- Chinook and Huey helicopters

- 30YW Revell

Leave a message here and then we can talk by mail, Messenger, FB or whatever.

If we reach an agreement then we can post our stuff to each other free of charge for any of us.

If you have other 20mm stuff to swap, let me now because they may be of interest to me.

  

Don't be shy. This is an ecological way of getting rid of unwanted stuff and save the oceans!!

T-35 

T-28 

BT-7

 T-26

Diecast Salvat (1/87th scale) KV-1 and early T-34. 

Lebanon 1982 - 1/87th scale Syrian and Israeli latest MBT's

My AWI armies are having a break and I'm also having a break from them. After a while something bangs your head and you're back to something you left behind.

Lately I've been around Lebanon 82 again, something I never forgot as I was 14 years old when it happened and I still remember the TV news with tanks and air battles on the Bekaa Valley and Beirut.

The left Magach was born as a Salvat (Andrea Miniatures) M48 and the  one to the right had an even more difficult and unknown childhood starting its life in a Chinese toy shop. I already looked for more but nothing...

Plenty of pieces were added specially styrene for the Blazer armour.

 Here you can see them painted with the Vallejo Surface Primer IDF Sand. In 1982 the grey sand was still in use in the IDF as recently they seem to have changed to a greener and darker tone. 

 

 

The T-72K to the left is a Salvat so nothing special just say its a very nice replica of the real thing. The one to the right was more troublesome as it started its career in the armed forces as a Salvat T-80. A lot of Evergreen plasticard, cutting, sanding and moved parts were necessary to turn it into a T-72.

 

The final result is quite pleasing. I did the same to a number of Revell T-80's in 1/72nd scale that were turned into Iraqi T-72's. But that is for a series of articles on my Iraqi 3rd Saladin Armoured Division for the Gulf 1991.

 

 

 

The final result after painting and basing.

 

 

And another T-62 and T-55. No please, they are not drying their pants, no. The grossly exaggerated flags are made to represent command vehicles on K versions of the tanks which externaly only differ from the normal MBT in their 4 meter antennae. This lot of 4 Russian tanks was bought in a toy fair, nowadays one of the few places to get the nice Salvat model tanks in 1/87th scale.  

 

 

 

Lebanon 1982 - 1/87th and 1/100th scale Israeli army

This is the Israeli army I managed to put together up to now. One of the Merkava was painted just a few days ago but most of this collection has already many years. 

The same is happening to my Syrian army were I also use both 1/87th and 1/100th scales. If I had started these armies recently I would have stuck only to one of these scales. 

But in the late 80's and 90's the variety we have nowadays didn't exist and I was mixing all 'small scale' (these two I'm referring) and keeping the 'big scales' (1/76th and 1/72nd ) together for other modern conflicts like Vietnam, Angola or the Gulf. 

Starting with some heavy stuff I managed to build up to two battalions of Merkava I. They are all collectable Salvat 1/87th scale from a nice collection we had in Portugal over 15 years ago. This collection was made by the Italian Andrea Miniatures company. I run to all paper shops I could find even in other towns. 

When the Salvat Merkava came out the collection was maybe in its middle and these guys were already hard to find opposite to the number 1 which normally floods the market. 

The M577 command vehicles and the M152 jeeps are Roco Minitanks. 

The Salvat/Andrea Miniatures were very nice models made in both metal and resin. The original painting was not very good but it was a useful primer and detail is good enough for washes and dry brush. 

Only the second M60 Magach to the left is Roco, all others are Chinese copies I found don't remember where. As the Magach was covered with Blazer armour most of the inacuracies are hidden with plasticard pieces. The top right M60 is the only Salvat model I could place my hands on with added plasticard grading it to Magach. 

This is the final result of the Chinese copies.  The commander is a resin copy from the set of US vehicle commanders. 

The Centurion Sho't are also Salvat covered with Evergreen Blazer armour. 

The M109 are old 1/100th scale Eko while the Lance recharger, the truck and the M107 are 1/87th scale Roco. The crew for the M107 is 1/100th scale Peter Pig. 

I built a set of two frontal stowage equipment for the M109 and cast a few copies in resin enough for an artillery battalion. 

The Vulcan to the right is a CMSC model. Years later CMSC was closed and I scratchbuilt the one to the left on a Roco M113. The figure is a soft plastic Atlantic 1/87 taken from their small naval and  landing craft box. 

The Israeli mechanised infantry is made from 1/87th Atlantic infantry with loads of conversions as charged arms and added backpacks, antennae, Dragon missiles and RPG's from Esci ( yes, different scale but only you know). The M113 are Roco and the M125 mortar versions are Eko. 

The Roco M113 have added extensive stowage all over, rear fuel drums, MG's and an Evergreen exhaust pipe to the right side. 

The RPG's conversions. Parts from Atlantic and Esci and arms from GreenStuff. 

And the Dragon conversions (Roco Dragons and Atlantic bodies). 

This other mechanised infantry group is all 1/100th scale metal mostly Peter Pig which makes some very nice Israeli infantry and vehicles. I base the 1/00th scale vehicles in the same base as the 1/87th if, as it is the case of M113, I use both scales to the same vehicle.

The Chaparral is Roco as well as the other M113. This group is the beginning of a divisional command and/or other divisional assets. 

Still to be found/done: 

- 2 Merkava (1/87th scale) for the command of those tank battalions. 

- 1 M60 Magach (1/87th scale) for the command of its tank battalion.
- 2 M48 Magach half made and 5 new ones I have to find somewhere.

- 3 Sho't (1/87th scale) to finish the battalion. 

- at least 2 other Vulcan and one Chaparral. 

- 2 M109 (1/100th scale) on the way from Zvezda. 

- 3 M577 and 3 M125 in 1/100th scale to complete the vehicles for the last 3 infantry battalions.

- enough figures for 2 infantry battalions. 

- some helicopters, Defender and Cobra  in 1/100th or 1/87th scale.
- plenty of planes in 1/100th scale, Mig, Phantom, etc...

Let's begin the work and may the Force be with me. If the Force isn't, I'll return to the AWI...

Lebanon 1982, 1/87th &1/100th scale Syrian T-55

The T-55 was still in good use by the Syrians in the 1982 Lebanon campaign, but was already beeing replaced by the T-62. Nevertheless was still used by the 58th mechanized bgde of the 1st armoured division, the tank battalions of the 85th infantry bgde and of the 62nd independent bgde.

The first is a pair of 1/87th scale Salvat collectibles repainted for some of the T-55 of the 85th Inf. bgde seen in Beirut.

 These ones are CMSC 1/87th scale and sport several camouflages, including the 1973 scheme of brick red/sand/ and green outlined in black.

 This pair is Roco 1/87th scale. In the previous and following picture you can see the many details added to these old kits: figure; drum barrels; MMG; antennae; search light and stowage.

And now for the 1/100th models. These two are  Skytrex and really nice.

These four are Eko and had the same amount of added details as the ones from Roco in 1/87th scale.

The full group: the 10 of the top rows are for the large battalion (5 companies) of the 58th mechanized bgde; the 6 of the bottom row is for any of the other tank battalions (3 companies).

Lebanon 1982, 1/87th &1/100th scale Syrian T-72, 82nd armoured bdge

Let me stress this. These articles aren´t in no way any sort of marketing for the Assad regime and family. If these guys weren´t born the world would be safer (and this apply also to many of the Israeli leaders). The interesting thing about the modern Syrian army is exactly the fact that beeing a dictator's country, its army remains obscure and AFV markings and camouflage only now are seen in quantity through TV and photos thanks to the nowadays uprising.

In the 80´s and 90´s photos of the Syrian army were so rare that collecting it was a true challenge.

So, after some basing, let´s start with the Syrian T-72 from the 82nd armoured bdge of the 3rd armoured division.

These are 1/100th scale Skytrex and QRF. They were painted in different stages with slightly different colours and styles which is OK as Syrians aren´t rigid in those terms. We can see in the nowadays photos coming from Syria that there isn´t an AFV that looks like the next.

Petner Panzers and Salvat (resin and metal collectibles) in 1/87th scale. All these tanks have extra tarpaulins, flags, crewman (Rocco, CMSC, etc).

 There are two 1/87th scale T-72 that are transformed Salvat T-80. From the top you can see the major changes: Evergreen rear and side boxes and the Schnorkel in the turret, as camouflage netting and terpaulins to cover other details, reposioned rear bins and 12,7mm MG.

 Since 1973 the camouflage of most of the Syrian AFV´s are grey and sand (different tonalities) over the factory green. Nowadays they tend to be even more flexible... a little bit like germans in 43-45.

 The full brigade.

To the front the 1/100th battalion and to the rear the two 1/87th battalions. The bases for both scales of models are the same (4,5cm X 8,5cm) in a way to blend them.

Its funny to see that the two scales seem close. But this is really a fake as there is a big difference between both scales. But a son always smells nice to a father....