Building the Tamiya 1/35 Scale Flakpanzer IV “Wirbelwind” 2003 vs. 2016

This video is a model building, painting, weathering, and comparison of the same Flakpanzer model I constructed in 2003 vs. one I built in 2016.
The lighting is poor throughout the video. A re-shoot of the final reveal is included in a slightly updated version of this video and is viewable on Rumble.
(I diverged a little from my aviation themed channel to work on my amateur model making skills by building this armor piece).
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Video Intro Background: Pixabay.com
Music:
Intro, in the video, and outro: "Dangerous"
by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@lawrencereid9375]

13 years of EXCELLENT progress! Well done. I especially like the weld seams on the turret of the 2016 version. Keep up the good work.

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks for the encouraging comments Lawrence!

[@TDog-ic7do]

Great paint job! Great build!

[@MaxAfterburner]

Hi TDog-ic7do, thanks! My only armor build for the channel so far... 😉

[@seorwulf1049]

Thanks - great video, like others I especially loved the tip on weld seams (looked good and never occured to me) and the bby powder for corrosion.

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks Andrew, I hope those help if you use them!

[@ozzy7348]

that looks great. the wash made it look good too

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks!

[@robbo1068]

I have to say that the 13yo build was pretty snazzy one....I remember some of mine at that age and have to admit that they were very ordinary. The 2016 model is an improvement especially painting of the camo and the texture of the model.....a bit of experience makes a big difference! Your work is always a great watch so, with that in mind, I will continue to do so 👍.

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks Robert 😊

[@waltuh11121]

Very good work!

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks!

[@walterg1526]

I like the new finish built better that the 2003. I love the idea of using talcum power to create the corrosion effect. good job!

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks for the kind comments, and thanks for watching!

[@TowMaters]

Looks good man.... They both look good lol....

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks TowMaters!

[@adamcohen6289]

Awesome

[@MaxAfterburner]

Hi Adam, thanks very much! This one hasn't gotten many views over the years, but I'm glad you liked it. 😉

[@jpegwithallthecrust2649]

Damn, that's good.

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks Dr Breen! I think my final lighting could have been so much better ;-)

[@montyenright]

Terrific job, Max ! Just bought this kit and as I always do, go to KZbin and check out those who have built it and how they progress. You really know how to show your work. Not like others who open a box and 'rattle-on' about what is inside. You get right down to it, build it and then voice over the video. I just subscribed to you.... Do you have a pay site to help with costs? Let me know. Wunderbar !

[@MaxAfterburner]

Hi Michael, and thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the productions. I don't have any pay accounts set up. Just receiving nice comments like yours is "payment" enough for me! :-)

[@milky55way2012]

Nice for someone who doesn't do much armor....a nice effect with the Buff is to hold the airbrush perpendicular to the road wheels, which you can adjust depending on how dusty you want it. Biscuit Tin? That's a funny one! I know there has been some debate over the accuracy of the turret and its interior.

[@MaxAfterburner]

I know Tamiya is doing some re-tooling with some of their kits and adding brass photo etch and such. Maybe this one is headed that way and will have more turret detail as well.

[@godzilla36]

I mainly do armour, but I'm moving onto aircraft, I'm building an AH-64d apache at the moment

[@MaxAfterburner]

I've never built a helicopter. I'd like to see what you come up with!

[@knucklehead7456]

When painting small motorcycle parts during restoration we lay them on a window screen and they dont move AT ALL....dont know if it would work for parts that small and light but....🤔

[@140289EP]

Hey, looking good! Can you tell us a little more about the talc on the exhaust?

[@MaxAfterburner]

Hi 140289EP, I just mixed in a little bit of the talc powder into the brown paint, swirled it around until I got a consistency that I liked, and then simply brushed it on. 🖌️

[@garoscale2587]

the flak magazines must going to otherwise? nice model!!

[@MaxAfterburner]

How'd I miss this comment? Thanks!

[@2000spqr]

looks like a unit that participated at Kursk! nfm!

[@MaxAfterburner]

Thanks 2000spqr, armor is not my usual area of model building these days.

[@godzilla36]

if you do another armour piece you should look at the hairspray technique

[@MaxAfterburner]

The hairspray technique is great, but I'm a lazy model builder!

[@ryanyoung8245]

If it doesn't look right, at least it will smell good. Hahaha. Nice build.

[@Krejii05]

Whats oilwash? Is just just very watery paint? Or like a seperate product? Literal just oil?

[@MaxAfterburner]

Hi Krenzi_Fur, it's a watered down type of paint that creates shadows and the look of grime that enhances the detail while also giving the model a more realistic and used look. It can be any paint base, but often it is an oil based paint which gives the modeler a longer working time and easier ability to adjust the outcome. 👀

[@Krejii05]

@@MaxAfterburner ah nice, thanks

[@douglasstreet7304]

Good job, some of the decal clear backing comes thru in the video though. Not picking on you, I like the build.

[@cod_cape5483]

PLASMO not PLASMA lol. Nice job as always!

[@MaxAfterburner]

Yup, thanks Cod_Cape 😉

[@philbateman1989]

Bit of useless trivia, here in the UK, if a little wooden stick has a point at one end, it's a toothpick, if it's pointed at both ends, it's a cocktail stick.

[@MaxAfterburner]

The secret is out!

[@lmju21]

😅

[@johnadams-wp2yb]

FYI. All German AFVs were hand painted with a brush. Not sprayed. When I build, I hand paint the camo. Just saying. PS don't buy the ACADEMY Flakpanzer kit. Very confusing as... other tank model parts on sprues, woeful instructions, some parts don't fit, and guns hideous to assemble.

[@indrwrtzk]

You're right, i got one wirbelwind from academy and i think that there's not enough instruction. Takes a lot of time to figure it out myself.

[@0donny]

Actually Germany used airbrushes when painting AFV's as did the USA. Britain and Russia on the other hand, used brushes more often than not. Initially in 1941 winter camo (whitewash) was applied by whichever means were available to the crews (often brooms). When camo was approved by the German forces, crews would use brushes to paint brown onto their German grey AFV's (some of these examples are still displayed in museums). Also starting in late 1943 all of the camo on German AFV's were painted in the factory. Prior to this, crews painted their own patterns with approved green and/or brown combinations using airbrushes or paint brushes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHuth4irfpxqo5I 00:29

[@johnadams-wp2yb]

@@0donny Thanks for the info. I was told on 'Combat Dealers' that camo was applied by brush, at the factory. This made sense as 3 camo colours applied by spray would be very inconvenient with the paint floating everywhere. I'm still a bit confused.

[@johnadams-wp2yb]

'Wise maintains that vehicles were most often sprayed for camo. However, he maintains that hand painting was often used if the local commander wanted a "harder" pattern especially if the patterns were also outlined with one of the three colors'.Crews carried 3 tins of the camo colours, for this purpose. I will therefore still hand paint my camo on AFVs., correct or not. Thanks again John.

[@0donny]

@@johnadams-wp2yb German field maintenance crews were issued spray guns (as seen in the video i linked). However crews could/would and did apply paint by the most expedient ways possible, so if a brush was handy, a brush was used. I've seen a number of videos of crews (mid/late war) pulling into a field maintenance area, spraying whitewash or a camo pattern on their tank and moving out again in less than 5 minutes. Also, the main reason the factories used spray guns for the base colour and then ultimately for the camo as well, was it saved paint and man hours as spray guns covered more area for less paint faster, this also helped reduced the amount of low priority supplies being shipped to the fronts. There is no wrong way to apply camo to your models, there was such huge variations during the war that every way was and is possible. As you mentioned local commanders desire to improve their camo, is absolutely correct, one of the most famous is the King Tiger octopus camo. Good luck and have fun with your modeling!