Renault UE: The Real Deal

As the French army underwent mechanization in the 1920s, the need arose for a small, tracked armored vehicle capable of transporting supplies and weapons to the front lines and towing light artillery. In October 1930, Renault's armored carrier UE was chosen by the French army from several competing designs and production of the first 60 operational vehicles was completed by September 1932.

At 2.8m long, 1.74m wide, and 2.6 tons fully loaded, it was a sturdy, compact design that featured a riveted joint hull construction and a reliable suspension with garter beams supporting the road wheels. The two-member driver/navigator crew was housed in a central compartment, but since their heads protruded from the chassis, special domed-shaped hatches were mounted to augment the carrier's 9mm armor and protect against small-arms fire and shrapnel. A 38hp gasoline engine enabled a road speed of 30km/hr, while over 1 ton of cargo could be carried on the tiltable rear deck and towed trailer. Approximately 4,900 armored carrier UEs were produced until June 1940, including the UE2 variant which featured 4-speed transmission instead of 3-speed, and tow shackles in place of the pig-tailed hooks.

When France capitulated to Germany in June 1940, approximately 3,000 captured armored carrier UEs were pressed into service with German forces, which used them as transports, artillery and aircraft towing vehicles, and as modified self-propelled guns.

--Source: Tamiya

Beach Build Sept. 2012: Renault Armored Carrier UE

Before heading to the beach, I rummaged through my stash looking for a kit that I could conceivably complete during the week, that would lend itself to varying modeling times, and that would require a minimum of tools. Ideally, I would be able to return home with construction completed and could proceed straight to painting and finishing. The kit I decided on was Tamiya's 1/35th scale French Armored Carrier UE.

As soon as we checked into the house I began scouting for a suitable workspace. I immediately spied an out-of-the-way table with a view of the beach and not far from the fridge!

Projects and More Projects

It's been some time since I posted, but not a whole lot has been built during that time. I've begun several new projects to add to my "in progress" list so I thought it might be good to summarize where I stand on all of them.

Stug III (F1) and Finnish Army Stug III Ausf. G (New)
These are both in the initial stages of construction. I'm building them for an online build for the "Tanks and Things" forum. I'll get separate postings done for each soon.

Marder II (New)
I saw this kit at HobbyTown and bought in on a whim. Ordered an after-market barrel and other goodies for it and dove right in. I'm currently constructing the gun. Post coming soon.

French Armored Carrier UE (New)
Rescued this kit from my stash and took it to the beach with me back in September. I completed construction on it and its trailer at the beach and it's now ready for the paint booth. I'll post photos soon.

T-34/76 Model 1941 (35th Scale)
I'm noodling over the attachment of the ice cleats to the fenders--how many groups to attach and which ones. These involve fiddly PE straps and buckles. Also, I'm still worrying over the square fuel tanks for the rear deck.

Steyr 1500A/01
The wiring of all the radios and electrical gear is proving to be quite a hurdle to get over. 'Nuff said about that.

Kfz.13
I'm back to the suspension with all it's PE and small plastic bits. Then all that's left is setting up the MG and adding details.

I think that's it . . . certainly enough to carry me through the winter. Now to get to those four new posts and photos :)

Kfz.13 - Body Work

It's beginning to look a lot like a Kfz.13!

Since my last post, I've attached the "tub" to the frame along with the front section, armored grill, and the rear fenders.

Next, it's back to the frame, suspension, and the addition of some "goodies" to the tub.

35th Scale T-34: Hull Work

I've made a little progress on the hull. The upper section has been glued to the bottom. Fit was generally good with the only gap being left at the very rear. I'll fill this with a combination of plastic strips of the appropriate width and putty.

As can be seen above, I attached the engine screen housing after airbrushing the inside with Vallejo Russian Green primer. I then attached the rear access hatch, exhausts, and jack blocks/chocks to the rear fenders and extra track links and attachment points to both sides.

I'm still undecided about which auxiliary fuel tanks to use. My initial thought was to go with the Aber PE square fuel tanks on the rear. After seeing how difficult it was going to be to bend them to the proper shape, I decided to go with the kit-supplied rectangular fuel tanks on the sides. Accordingly, I added the jack blocks (or chocks) to both rear fenders. Then I acquired the resin square tanks from Mig USA but, when examining them after they arrived, they look to be too large. So now the PE tanks aren't looking so bad but that means I'll need to remove the jack blocks/chocks from the rear fenders to get the square tanks to properly fit. I guess I won't make the final decision until I get to a step from which I can't easily recover :)

Kfz.13 - Back to the "Tub"

While I'm waiting for my squarish fuel tanks to arrive from Mig USA for my T-34, I thought I'd spend some time on the Kfz.13 armored car I began several months ago. I've added the front and rear body sections to the floor and have constructed the support system and seat for the MG-42. I'm leaving off the machine gun, shield, and doors at this point to facilitate painting the interior.

The photo below illustrates why this car was termed a "bathtub on wheels."

72nd Scale T-34: Finished!

I've messed around with the finish on the tank and with the ground work about all that I can, so here are photos of my completed T-34/76 Model 1941, 1st Tank Brigade, Poland, 1945.

While not totally happy with it, I've learned some valuable lessons to apply to future builds. Stay tuned!