SS Wiking Sdkfz 250 Neu

I happened to pick up one of Rubicon Models' 1/56 Sdkfz 250/1 Neu kits a few months ago on sale and I'm so happy I did. This was just an amazing model to assemble and paint. I was astounded by just how much detail went into this kit, considering it's made for wargaming. Assembly was a breeze - the pieces fit well, instructions were clear, and there was virtually no flash. The only small criticisms I have are that the fit between the upper and lower hull is every so slightly askew, leaving a very small gap between the pieces if you fit after painting the interior and that the MG shield has a rather large mold divet on the reverse which is tough to fix. Honestly though, these flaws are so tiny they're hard to notice and I didn't bother fixing them.

Painting the AFV itself was mostly straightforward. It is primed in Krylon Red Oxide with hairsray applied after for chipping effects. The interior is Vallejo Olive Green, chipped and with highlights of 50/50 Olive Green/White, then washed liberally with Vallejo European Dirt wash and some thinned GW Earthshade wash on the floor. The exterior basecoat is Tamiya Buff, with hard-edged camouflage of Tamiya Red Brown and Flat Green. I then added decals from Rubicon and Italeri, sealed, and did my normal oil rendering. Once that was complete, I added so dry pigments around the lower hull in the track and wheel wells.

A shot of the gorgeous interior detailing including a full instrument panel, seating, stowage bins, and weapons racks. This is not the historically correct interior color (exposed surfaces would have been Dunkelgelb) but I wanted the color to pop to emphasize the detailing.

A shot of just how tiny this AFV really is. Hard to believe you could fit more than 2-3 guys fully kitted out in here.