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Bill Koppos
119 articles

If it looks like a Turtle…

December 16, 2015 · in Armor · · 27 · 2K

So it will be nicknamed. The Skoda PA-11 was a Czech design from the interwar years. For it's history see here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OA_vz._27

As far as the kit, it's 's new release and it's a fun one. It goes together fairly easily, just needing some fiddling and filler to get the upper turtle shells together. The paint job-now that's something else again. There are several styles of multi-color camo one could do, I chose this one because it had no black outlining to the colors and I liked the "art-deco digital" look of it. A large pile of masking tape was harmed in the making of this paintjob, cut out one piece at a time, for 5 colors, using a less-than stellar painting guide. But I like it in the end, it sure is a different kinda fella. And yes, it can be driven in either direction! Even turtles don't do that.

Reader reactions:
8  Awesome

8 additional images. Click to enlarge.


27 responses

  1. I'd venture a guess that masking/painting took a whole lot longer than assembly, right? Turned out well, though.

  2. That's really cool! I love the paint work. Looks like an armored and up-gunned Fiat 500.

  3. I know this Armor car and like you model kit build and paint .

  4. Bill, good work on this, you really captured the look of the era. I can't help but think this would be the perfect rig to drive around town !

  5. Now that's different! And the scheme just adds to it, no less.
    Did this see much use? First I've heard of it. Did the Wehrmacht use it, after they took over the country?

    • See the Wiki article. They made 12 of em the Czech Army used them, some were sold to Austria. Yes the Germans had some too converted to radio cars, unarmed. It's one of the options in the kit, with a surround type radio aerial. It's all grey and BORING.

      • Bill, thanks, missed the link.
        I'd guessed the heavy MG was a swartzlose, I once saw an article in the English Scale Modeling mag. Amazing the stuff I recall.
        Considering how many were built, and how long they lasted, they really got around.
        Fascinating vehicle and story!
        Thank you!

  6. What a fantastic piece of machinery! I wonder how they managed to make those armoured plates? Good looking model!

    Magnus

    • Funny you should ask. In one of the references maybe the instructions, it says the plates were made using techniques similar to making suit-of-armor plate. And difficult it was.

  7. 🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
    Very nice model and work Bill, really looks like a piece of history. Just by looking at it, takes one back in time.
    Thank you so much for sharing this Bill.

  8. Bill, Well done here. You have really captured the era.

  9. Love the shape and look of this! The cammo is wonderful!

  10. Interesting Type and nice work!
    just a small correction: I just read the wikipedia- article. The Type is PA II (roman 2) and not PA 11

  11. Great job as usual. Masking madness and another mastery of mud 'n' crud on that underbelly. Speaking of which, the pics of the underside and the pile of removed masks are very different and refreshing.

    When you were little, "The Ugly Duckilng" must have been your favorite bedtime story. 😉

  12. Bill, Nice build. You did a great job capturing the era. It looks like just the right rig to get the perfect parking spot

  13. I've been wanting to try the splinter pattern on a Viggen, but haven't yet got the nerve (72 scale). You seemed to pull it off well here - might inspire me to give it a try!

  14. Nice build and paintjob!
    One question: How did the guy or guys manning the machine guns see their target?

    • Thanks. Good question. I can only assume those slots molded into the tops of the mounting balls were the peep holes. The view outside of this thing for anybody didn't look too hot.

  15. Bill, looks really good, you have really captured the era here. Looks like the right rig to get that perfect parking spot

  16. Well done Bill, this really captures the era, and is the just the right right to get that perfect parking spot

  17. Nice Bill, you have really captured the era with this one.

  18. Well done Bill, really captures the era. Perfect rig for a night on the town !

  19. Bill, My apologies for making so many reply's. I was having posting problems and was trying to assist our imodeler people in narrowing down the problem. Therefore over that last few days I attempted numerous times to make entry',s and you model here became my target. As you see now the problem has been fixed, and all my reply's all got posted. (on the bright side, I made your model look very popular )

  20. Bill, if you should happen to read this nearly seven years on, and remember what the kit was like, I have the HobbyBoss version and have long wondered what went behind the driver's slots to prevent bullets from going into the voids. Does the Takom kit have a clear part or any kind of framing structure behind the slots?
    Congratulations on your great painting job and very neat assembly!
    Yrs,
    CTew

    • Reply nearly a year on hehe
      Back in the early days it was look out the slit and hope. I believe the slits were just smaller than a rifle caliber bullet so if one hit dead on all you would get was an eyeful of lead or jacket fragments instead of the whole projectile. In the 30's I believe these types of thing were made with more of an eye for crowd control than actual combat.

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