Model-making try-out: colour modulation on an AFV

[major_clanger]

My main model-making interest is in aircraft, but there are a couple of AFV (armoured fighting vehicle) kits I'd like to tackle, specifically those of the ex-Soviet SA-8 mobile missile system and ZSU-23/4 mobile anti-aircraft gun, because in the late 1990s my job involved helping support the examples of each the RAF operates at the Spadeadam

Comments

[hano]

looks good. I'd love to see what you do with a ZSU 23/4. I didn't realise there was one at Spadeadam though. I guess it wasn't widely advertised :)

[major_clanger]

It's not a particular secret, and indeed I think some of the ex-Soviet equipment is occasionally put on public display, which explains this photograph of an SA-8 in the middle of Carlisle.

Russian SA-8 missiles "protect" Carlisle during #AFD2014 (from RAF Spadeadam) pic.twitter.com/CWsta8HFsS
- Defence Photography (@DefencePhoto) June 28, 2014

As to where some of the spares came from, that was rather murkier. We would talk to a US Army organisation, which liaised with [TLA REDACTED] who Knew A Bloke in [COUNTRY REDACTED] and so on...

[major_clanger]

Oh god, talk of spares in this context reminds me of the time a Very Senior Officer came to visit our organisation. M, one of my colleagues, was talking about the challenges of equipment support.

"So where do your spars come from?" asked the Air Marshal. I'm not kidding, he had the sort of John Cole Ulster accent that meant he pronounced 'spares' as 'spars'.

"Pardon?" said M.

"SPARS!" retorted the Air Marshal. "Replacements. For. Broken. Bits!"

"Oh, you mean spares" replied M, enunciating it something like spay-yur-es, as our unit CO tried not to visibly hide under a desk in embarrassment as one of his junior officers corrected the non-RP accent of his AOC.

[hano]

hehehe. I'm guessing it's a case of 'best not to ask about this box of stuff that fell off a lorry in [REDACTED]' :)