The WWI Armored Russian Railcar Strela history is here
This article was first published on May 02, 2018
The build:
The assembly was done from scratch simply by the use of 0,5 plastic card. At first, I did not see the photo from inside with the engine, so I thought both sides were symmetrical, and so the door should be at one end, and then I realized that was the crank of the engine and so probably the other side was intended for the access door, which explains all the subsequent putty. The trunk above the crank probably contains a water tank for the radiator with its inlet pipe because the engine is just below. I think the front and the back are symmetrical although there is no certainty. I do not know what can be used for the two small circular hatches at the front and at the back and the two horizontal bars (firing hatches, hooking system). We do not have a view of the roof but I think that we must see the periscope or periscopes. In the history the author speaks of a circular periscope but if there is only one, the two turrets diagonally prevent to see the front and the back so there are two (one at the front and one at the back), or there is none. As on the other hand there are eight slits of vision, I preferred not to put periscope.
The color is rather clear on the photos, it is proposed as sand on a color profile of a Russian book but hey I like the gray so …., Especially since it seems that from 1917, by lack of green color gray color was quite used.
PS: I think I shall add before paint a draw hook in the center of the two horizontal bars at the front and back, I do not see what else they could serve.
Finally, the figurine will be the magnificent female political commissioner of evolution miniatures.
the paint:
The paint is classic, the letters are recomposed from decals of latin letters. The railroad track is plaster painted and embellished with various pigments.