HobbyBoss 1/35 ZSD-90 IFV

Hello Dear readers.... 

I have another finished kit to share with you. and no, this is not the T-80 I have been building. Yes the T-80 is finished but I haven't got around to taking photo of it yet. 

Anyway, this is a kit that I bought on impulse. I was at Hannants one day grabbing some paint and Tamiya cement and my eyes fell on this little IFV with a retail price of £25 so I bought it on impulse. Little do I realize that this will be Part of my IFV fleet after I am satisfied with my MBTs and SPGs fleets. 

The box contents consist of 10 sprues, lower hull, upper hull, single chain links, copper wire, PE parts and a decal sheet. The parts are very fine and clean sprayed -. beautiful details and absolutely clean, the kind of quality one can expect from 2010+ HobbyBoss kits. To my surprise, the single tracks in this kit is workable. You just basically click it on but it's not that well made so it falls apart so frequently BUT it made putting on the tracks a wee bit easier. All I had to do was glue them once I have successfully installed them. 

A little bit information about this vehicle, I don't know why HobbyBoss name this kit ZSD-90. This is the IFV version of the ZSD-89 ( type 89 ) APC armed with a unmanned turret with a 25mm and a co-ax 12.7mm machine gun. This IFV version of the ZSD-89 is actually known as the YW-307 IFV in the PLA arsenal. ZSD90, known also as Type90, is an entirely different machine. However, some sources say the exact opposite of what I have just typed. At this point, I really don't care what is what any more. Researching about PLA machine is just too hard.

The entire kit was painted with Mr.Hobby Aqueous as it was the most closest and best colours for the PLA vehicles. I painted the ZTD-05 with the same paints and in turn, the ZTZ-99 and I was happy so I just used Mr. Hobby Aqueous.

The paint scheme is obviously the digital camo from the 60th Anniversary Parade. The instruction do not show any example of the digi cam and I haven't seen videos of picture of the machine taking part in the parade or with this scheme but I wanted to paint it in the digi cam regardless. The  vehicle number is my girlfriend's birthday, July 13.. well, my ex-girlfriend now as of since yesterday (Nov 11). Had I knew that this would happen, I would have put on a different number. Oh well, I guess we just can't foresee things. ''' sigh ''' :( :(. ( I'm ok.. well, trying to be ok.)

Much like the ZTZ-99, I used pre-cut masks. I just recycled the masks I used for the ZTZ-99 so as to save valuable masks.

I was going to build it absolutely weather free but I didn't like how it looks. While pin-washing it, an idea struck me - '' what if I weather it entirely with oil? '' and that's just what I did. I am quite weak in applying dusts so I killed 2 birds with one stone with this. I thinned down Naples yellow just a little bit and started making streakings with that colour. In that state, Naples yellow lose its yellowish colour and become more of a grey colour. Once dried, I thin it down to completely milky consistency, pour it in my Airbrush and apply a layer with low pressure. I then wet ( just slightly ) a brush with white spirit and started blending the first layer. It takes me 4 layers to achieve this looks

It's time for the photos - 
(Just click on the smaller ones and they will pop out )

 The running gears -

Some close ups of the sights ( here you can see how Vallejo Matt Varnish F**ked up my finish... damn you Vallejo) -

And as usual, my show case photos from various angles -

This is not one of my best works but my experiment with the oil only weathering was a bit of a success IMO. I'm actually very satisfied with this except for one thing - the F**King vallejo matt varnish f**ked up the finish by leaving those bloody white frosted blobs ( you will see some of them in some of the close up photos). I try and I try but from time to time, those white frosts happen. "££$£DRHEB TY$%^$%T$£%$%"$£%%&%^~@{%$}$£&$%^ 

Ahem.. forgive me, lost my temper there. Anyway, does anybody know how I can avoid that? Cos it's really annoying the F out of me. I don't have that problem with the Vallejo Gloss or Satin varnish but only with Matt Varnish. Can anyone, someone, help me with this? :( 

I couldn't keep building if not for my supporting friends and comrades. Thank you guys for always supporting me. Thank you dear readers for your patronage as well.

Until Next time.

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HobbyBoss 1/35 ZTZ-99B of the PLA

Good day to you Gentlemen.

I have here another kit that I have been working on for quite some time. With every new addition added to the log, this one get push further and further behind along with 2 other kits on the bench.. It was a struggling effort to finish this as I cannot resist the call of the new additions but I pulled through and finished it finally. 

The kit is very well detailed and has excellent mouldings of the details.  Very little cleanup is needed.  A PE fret is included for the engine vent screens. The add on armor packages and slat armor are extremely well done and simply need to be removed from the sprue and glued in place. There are many smaller bits that add detail to the kit, such as triangular lift handles, that are often left off of other kits. The main gun looks great out of the box.  There is minimal filling needed, and most of that is on the bottom of the barrel since the connection for the sleeve is at the top and means a bit of a visible seem is a good thing.  

A little informations that need to be known with this kit is that even though this is named 99B, it's actually a 99A1. There is no 99B in the world, only 99A1 which is the currently latest version used by the PLA while the 99A2 is undergoing trails and development.

As much as the kit is great, I couldn't resist getting the Voyager Upgrade kits for it. It did help with quite a bit with how the kit looks but there are a lot of stuffs on the upgrade kit that I didn't put on. In hindsight, I do regret spending money to buy the Voyager kit as the kit is great by itself.

The entire kit was painted with Mr.Hobby Aqueous as it was the most closest and best colours for the PLA vehicles. I painted the ZTD-05 with the same paints and I was happy so I just used Mr. Hobby Aqueous. 

The scheme is obviously the digital camo from the 60th Anniversary Parade but the turret number is my girlfriend's birthday, July 13, as she insisted that from now on, all the vehicle numbers are to be put on in this. ( I'm pretty sure you guys are aware what I have to go through .. hehe ). I was going to build it absolutely weather free but I didn't like how it looks so I put on small amount of dust effects on the wheels, tracks and lower part of the hull to depict a vehicle that is going back to the garage/base by the end of parade.

Last time when I built my ZTD-05, I cut my own patterns and it resulted in crooked and uneven lines. So this time, I look around and found pre-made masks from J's Works. I jumped at the chance and bought it ASAP and using it makes me a happier man. 

Well, that's about as much I can sum up about the build. 

I know it is not perfect but this is probably one of a very few kit that I am very happy with and is totally satisfied. I really loving how this came out.

It's time for the photos - 

(If you think some are small, just click on them )

The running gears -

 

Some close ups of the sights -

And the lights -

 

And as usual, my show case photos from various angles -

And as usual from me, the Gary Wintin Shot  -

Well, that's all I can say about this. As you all know, my patience is my bane so the usual hiccups are met but nothing I can complain. I could have done a better jobs on colouring the periscopes, some of the P.E works and also on some of the over- and under-sprays but at least it is presentable. All in all, this was a very enjoyable build apart from those hiccups but still, I am more than proud to have this on my shelf.

I couldn't keep building if not for my supporting friends and comrades. Thank you guys for always supporting me. Thank you dear readers for your patronage as well.

Until Next time.

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