1

Editorial (aka Rob’s Rantings)

AMMS Brisbane News

out anything I have

touched, but prefers to

chew his latest treasure

rather than give it back to

me! Makes sure that if I

drop anything on the floor

I find it fast before Chaka

does.

There is at least one

model which has had to

have some brass parts

added because the plas-

tic version fell on the floor

and boofhead found it

before I did.

I wonder what polys-

terene plastic does to

Labradorian digestive

tracts?

Last but not least, many

thanks to all those who

have contributed through-

out the year, your efforts

have been appreciated.

A Merry Christmas and

happy and safe New Year

to all!

I wonder how many read-

ers of these words of wis-

dom (stop laughing

Rusty!) realize that next

year (2012) is our eighth

year of publication.

That‟s an awful lot of arti-

cles in that time, and goes

to prove we have a lot of

dedicated club members.

That said, however, there

is a small core of mem-

bers who can usually be

relied on for an article

most months—what about

the rest of you ?

In the first issue my edito-

rial concerned modeling

with help in the shape of a

certain small tabby feline

who insisted in taking up

residence on the work-

bench and generally mak-

ing a pest of herself while

I was trying to work. Be-

lieve me, having a cat

resident on the work-

bench does not exactly do

wonders for keeping hair

off the models!

Having retired recently, I

decided I needed some

company and bought a

black Labrador pup, which

we called Chaka.

At least he doesn‟t climb

up on the workbench, but

he hasn‟t exactly done

wonders for my nerves ei-

ther. He loves my company

(yes, there is at least one

critter in that category!) and

will happily lie around my

feet while I‟m working.

Trouble is, he moves so

quietly that often the first I

know of his having moved

is when I move the chair

and there‟s a deafening

yelp beside me as the

wheel runs over his foot, or

worse, his big floppy ear!

The other problem is that

Mr Radar-nose can sniff

Inside this issue:

David‟s drivel 2

Modeller profile 3

Fake Hornet heads 3

Japanese armour snapshot 4

AMMS Decade of Displays 5

Laugh a minute 6

2011 QMC 7

Special points of interest:

Fake Hornet heads

Japanese armour snap-

shot

AMMS Decade of Displays

03 December 2011

Volume 7, Issue 11

Another Scorer find (above).

2

David’s Drivel

Page 2 Volume 7, Issue 11

Model Bases Custom Boards - any material, any size, polished or stained. Contact Paul Pearson -

Mob. 0423 758 578 eMail pearsonpaul6@gmail.com

The Base Place - bases, plaques & shields, trophies, routing services, manufacturer of timber trophy compo-

nents. Contact Matt Fulton Tel. 07 54839900 fax. 07 54937200 eMail enquir-

ies@thebaseplace.com.au web. Www.thebaseplace.com.au

Well that's another packed year gone. I hope everyone found something to inspire them, or perhaps even motivate them. I know there were a few challenges put before us, however I'm quietly confident that as we move into our 10th year we will overcome them and continue to advance AMMS as "the" place to be if you‟re

an armour modeller in south east Queensland.

2012 is starting to look like a year of change, from the revamped QMC to the newly installed Management Team, and as such I ask everyone to join in with the spirit of that change, and assist wherever possible, and in whatever form required. I've said this before but, you get out of AMMS exactly what you put INTO AMMS. This is your club, it may not be run like a normal club with a constitution, minutes, reports, voting and all the other overtly heavy and debilitating constraints they have, but it is still your club, you the members make it what it is. Again, I've asked and offered in the past, and it remains as current now as then... if you have an idea, comment, suggestion or concern regarding AMMS, no matter what it may be, let us know, either send an email, or approach us (core member or management team member) at a meeting. We are always available and open minded for genuine feedback to im-

prove AMMS, its operation and future direction.

On that note, I would like to thank those members who have assisted throughout the year in a myriad of roles to help make AMMS what it is. There's always something to do prior, during and after the meeting that the general body of members don't see or know about, that doesn't make your contribution any the less important, it's the quiet achievers that help form the bedrock that supports the larger body that is AMMS, and on behalf of the Core members I take this opportunity to say a genuine "thank you" to each and every one who has in one way or another, small or large

helped this year, your help has been, and always will be, most heartily welcomed and appreciated.

I'll sign off now & leave space for others to say a few words, I look forward to 2012 and the challenges it will bring and will see you all in the New Year. My New Year‟s resolution is a modest one... My aim is to finish something that I

started during 2011 & have it in the QMC... something modest !!! How about you ???

Here's hoping you all have a safe and happy Christmas, full of the things you want to do, see and partake off and the

best of wishes for a prosperous and rewarding New Year.

Regards,

David Scorer

AMMS Brisbane coordinator 2011.

Vallejo Paints (thanks Chris Bond)

Hi Rob Thought this might interest some of the guys found this ebay site selling VALLEJO paints ,I got 30 for just over $90 and got to choose which colours. Hope this is what you‟re after if you need more info let me know http://stores.ebay.co.uk/GB-Models/Paints-Pigments-/_i.html?_nkw=vallejo&submit=Search&_fsub=196301013&_sid=797059783

Thanks Chris Bond

3

Modeller Profile

Page 3 Volume 7, Issue 11

Fellow modellers

It has been a club practice for some time now that if you win the monthly door raffle, you have to write a modeller‟s profile (preferably on yourself) for the newsletter. To date, this has worked very well, with all except one member pro-viding the profile as required. There have been some exceptional contributions too, especially the last one by Andy

Reid.

The problem I have, however, is that I like to get the newsletter emailed by Friday night at the latest, and have to have sufficient time to put it together, which is difficult if I am waiting until the very last minute for the modeller‟s pro-

file, as I don‟t know how long it is, whether it contains pictures, or whatever.

Please, if you are lucky (?) enough to be writing the monthly modeller‟s profile, email it to me by, at the latest, the

Thursday night before the meeting. Thanks, Rob.

Fake Hornet Heads

We are spreading this press-release written by Roger Saunders (sculptor and owner of Hornet

models) and invite all AFV-NEWS Readers to buy just original products.

“At least one company in China is now mass producing ‘1/35 heads’ and offering them for sale

over the internet.

The pictures used are of genuine Hornet heads downloaded from my own site, but the products

can only be illegal copies

Hornet does not license reproduction by anyone else.

Copying is a huge and widespread problem that is gradually throttling honest manufacturers, and

if their quantities are as stated this one company alone has more stock per item available for

sale than I do myself!

Copying on this scale means that the heads have to be remoulded at least twice. Each time an

item is remoulded it becomes smaller, distorts slightly and loses detail. A pirated head on a fig-

ure tends to look like a pea on a pylon.

Human nature being what it is, some people will find and buy these knock-offs anyway. Eventu-

ally complaints will appear on forums that an alleged ‘Hornet head’ is below par and I get hit a

second time because it will be said (unfairly) that my standards are slipping.

In your own interest, and mine, please specify only genuine products. And give lots of negative

feedback if your purchase turns out not to be!

Roger Saunders (sculptor and owner of Hornet models)

4

Japanese Armour Snapshop—Gripper Pins

(thanks Al Kelly)

Page 4 Volume 7, Issue 11

On a visit to Saipan in the Mariana Islands in 2001 I noticed on one of the Type 97 Chi Ha medium tanks on display there, some

bolts on some of the track links. Enquiries and research revealed that they were pins secured to the tracks to provide better grip in the icy expanses of northern Manchuria. So what were they doing on a tank in the steamy Central Pacific?

In 1975 Mr. Shiro Shimoda, a veteran of the 9th Tank Regiment which fought on Saipan in the middle of 1944, recovered two of the Saipan Chi Has and returned them to Japan. In his book about the recovery he says, "I noticed the gripper pins on the tracks. In Manchuria, the gripper pin was used to prevent skid-ding when running on a frozen plain. Not having a time to remove

them, we went to Saipan and entered the fight."

According to a US Intelligence document, „Japanese Studies on Manchuria, Volume VI, Armor Operations,‟ tank expert IJA Colo-nel Yoshinobu Shinogawa stated that “where ground contact is hard, glassy, and small in area, vehicles tend to skid. Gripper pins must be installed (at the rate of one pin per three links) if armor is to negotiate icy surfaces, operate on sloping highlands or fight across furrows and trenches in particular.”

Clearly, in terms of gripper pin distribution, this doctrine was not followed. Photographs of tanks operating in Manchuria show spac-ing at more like one pin per every five to eight links. On the Saipan tank, however, the pins are much more closely spaced (see photo). It can also be seen clearly in the photo that the bolt-head was hex-agonal with a conical crown, similar to other bolts found on the Chi Ha.

Happy super-detailing!

Sources

Japanese Armor in Manchuria 1931-1945, edited by John L. Under-wood Jr, 2001

Recovery of Japanese Tanks from Saipan by Shiro Shimoda (with thanks to Akira Takizawa for translation of the relevant passage)

Japanese Tanks and Armoured Vehicles published by Argonauts Publications 2000

The interesting pic at left was sent in by Clayton—looks like it would make a good diorama.

5

AMMS Decade of Displays

(thanks Russell Hall)

Page 5 Volume 7, Issue 11

Hello fellow AMMS members, As part of the newly appointed management team, I have been tasked with looking into ways of upgrading our cur-rent QMHE display. After initial discussions with members, some ideas have come to the surface that I would like to put forward for discussion. 1. Possible inclusion of 44 gallon drums as a base for our display. 2. Possible inclusion of sandbags or other Militaria to create a visual link to the models. 3. Replace current blue material of display with something of a camo variety. 4. Replace the rotating KV2 turret. As you can see these are not wholesale changes but simply ways of enhancing what we already have. This brings me onto the next point I wished to throw out for general thoughts and discussion- Display themes for QMHE. Suggestions have already been put forward by Murray Smith, (thanks Murray) and I have included them here in a table format for your perusal, please take the time to read them, feel free to offer alternatives or elaborate on those already there. The team and I are looking forward to discussing any ideas you may have that will help us improve on what we al-ready have so that we can continue to put on a first rate display to the benefit of AMMS and the viewing public. Regards, Russell Hall

AMMS BRISBANE EVENT COORDINATOR 2012.

2012 1942 70th ann Africa/Dieppe/Stalingrad

2013 1943 70th ann Kursk/Italy

2014 1944 70th ann D-Day

1914 100th ann Start WW1

2015 1945 70th ann End WW2

2016 1916 100th ann Tank Debut

2017 1917 100th ann Russian Revolution

2018 1918 100th ann End of WW1

2019 1939 80th ann Poland

2020 1940 80th ann France/Norway

2021 1941 80th ann Pacific T.O.

Some more of Dave Scorer’s rural Queensland finds (above).

6

Laugh a Minute (thanks Greg Neal AMMS Sydney)

Page 6 Volume 7, Issue 11

Contribution from Greg Neal AMMS Sydney...... 1. My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30 this morning, can you believe that? 2:30am? Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes. 2. The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death. 3. Paddy says, "Mick, I'm thinking of buying a Labrador. "Really," says Mick "have you seen how many of their owners go blind" 4. I saw a poor old lady fall over today on the ice!! At least I presume she was poor - she only had $1.20 in her purse. 5. My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet. 6. Woke up last night to find the ghost of Gloria Gaynor standing at the foot of my bed. At first I was afraid then I was petrified. 7. The wife has been missing a week now. Police said to prepare for the worst. So I have been to the charity shop to get all her clothes back. 8. A mate of mine admitted to being addicted to brake fluid. When I quizzed him on it he reckoned he could stop any time. 9. I went to the cemetery yesterday to lay some flowers on a grave. As I was standing there I noticed 4 grave diggers walking about with a coffin, 3 hours later and they're still walking about with it. I thought to myself, "These guys have lost the plot!" 10. My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were $70. "Blow this," I thought, "I can get one cheaper off the web." 11. Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarves are not happy. 12. I was at an ATM yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance, so I pushed her over. 13. I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move. 14. I was driving this morning when I saw an RACQ van parked on the side of the road. The driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable. I thought to myself, "That guy's heading for a breakdown."

15. I just met a fat, alcoholic, transvestite. He wants to eat, drink, and be Mary.

Editor’s (and Dave’s) note—we don’t write ‘em, we just pass them on . . . .

Some more pics from Clayton’s visit to

the Rockhampton military museum.

7

2011 Quarterly Modelling Competition (thanks Jamie)

Page 7 AMMS Brisbane News

Well another competition year has come to an end and once again it was pleasing to see a number of high standard

entries on the table, and it was also very pleasing to see many of this years entries also receive medals at QMHE.

Unfortunately this year did see a drop in the number of models entered, compared to the average for other years.

There are probably a number of reasons for this, but an upside to this drop is that it has been a bit of a catalyst for a

re-assessment of how the current system operates. As Brad outlined at the last meeting he will endeavour to imple-

ment any changes deemed necessary as we seek to enhance the current system and I would urge anyone who has

any thoughts or suggestions to approach him with your ideas.

No competition system is perfect and different systems have different aims. A good example of this is the AMMS

QMC compared to QMHE. The QMHE competition, as we all know, is simply a first past the post system. In contrast,

one of the primary aims of our system is to provide feedback for the modeller, I personally believe this is its most im-

portant aspect. AMMS judges do have extensive knowledge, over a variety of subjects from different vehicles, to

building and to painting and weathering and the feedback suggested by the judges can be of great use for those

modellers striving to improve. For those members who don‟t currently enter into the competition I would urge you to

give a go, as it can be of great benefit to your modelling.

Dave’s Latest Discovery (thanks Dave)

Dave Scorer, who, unlike the rest of us, has time to go wandering about the countryside wildly taking photos of any-

thing military, has sent in the pics below which are of the vehicle in front of the Roma RSL. Dave doesn‟t know what

the engine is, just that it is obviously not original, and wonders if anybody knows what it is ?