New 1937 Chevrolet Truck at 1/72

We are happy to show our SCW latest release at 1/72^nd scale: the ubiquitous 1937 Chevrolet 1.5 ton Truck. Produced at several factories all around Europe --one of them, located in Barcelona--, this light truck saw intensive action not just in SCW but also during WWII, either in Axis or Allied hands.

As it can be seen through the picture above, this our new model kit consists of just 14 parts and is made of resin mostly, with a few pieces in hard plastic (fore wheels) and white metal (bumper). Kit includes an also resin SCW driver.

It's already available at www.minairons.eu website, and hopefully soon from our main retailers and distributors too.

SCW Basic Painting Guide 01: Republican Army

After some user requests about the painting schemas at our figure boxes reverse (some of which are seemingly controversial), and after a little thinking around the issue, I've finally taken the decision to publish a SCW Basic Painting Guides series, that will be given PDF format and will show as a single sheet plate, just as that one you can see above.

I'm not pretending to present you any comprehensive, scholarly treaty on Pantone ranges applied to SCW. Instead, the idea behind is to show users a handful of options, so that everyone can choose the color combinations matching each one's own tastes, painting method or paints availability. Hope this initiative becomes helpful to you all.

Our SCW Basic Painting Guides will be Free PDF Download. The first one, devoted to the Republican Army, is already available right now at Other Stuff/Rules & Books/Free Downloads section of www.minairons.eu website. For getting it, one has just to add it to his/her cart, like any other item (only that this one is completely free, of course!). At the end of checkout process, you'll be shown the link to download file.

Otherwise, if wishing to avoid such bureaucracy, you can simply download it by clicking on the image above. Be aware though that, if the original file were updated in a future, then this link might become no longer valid, so that you'd have to go for our website.

Stands, Magnets and Trays

It's time for one step forward - so we've ventured into a partnership with the recently born Valencian brand known as Caliga Accesorios, so as to retail their wide (and ever growing!) range of PVC plastic stands, movement trays and base magnets --and hopefully to distribute them abroad too.

Their current ranges include round, elliptic, hexagonal, square and rectangular bases ranging from 15 to 120mm size, always made of 2mm thick white PVC plastic, as well as matching magnets made of flexible, autoadhesive magnetic sheet 0.75mm thick, and movement trays (either rectangular or "warband" style) for the most common wargaming rulesets.

While awaiting first orders to come in, we've already started introducing this new range in our Website (Other Stuff/Accessories Section). In the next few days we'll have it all inside. Please take a little patience with us!

Renault TSF Tank available

Accordingly to our expectations, it is now available our second Interwar range AFV at 1/72 scale - the Renault TSF command tank. One of these tanks was purchased to France by Spain, to be used as company command vehicle in the Rif War.

Model itself is quite simple, for it essentially consists of four hard plastic parts gently provided by HäT, complemented by four parts else in resin, these latter reproducing this version's fixed casemate. Set is completed by a decals sheet with markings for SCW Basque and Communist, both WWs French and VBCW Anglican League service.

Our new kit has been given reference 20IGV004 and can be purchased in our website at €10.95.

End-of-August State of the Thing

Now that Summer is about to leave us, let me explain what we have been working on, all this time. Just for starting season, Our next release will be the 1/72 scale Interwar Renault TSF command tank, all of whose components are ready right now. Releasing date will fall around next weekend.

Little afterwards we shall launch the 1/72 scale version of Chevrolet 1.5 ton truck, most of whose components are ready too --this is a real SCW and WWII must! We're just awaiting box designing and printing, as well as metal casting of mudguards. Its release can be expected for the second half of September.

Good news for SCW 15mm gamers too --for our first release in 1/100 scale is going to be the UNL-35 armoured car. A first batch of this nice AFV is already cast, and a couple of samples has just been painted by Heresy Brush. Please watch them right below. We've planned to launch it just behind the above --so you can expect it for late September or early October.

That isn't all. Another model almost ready is the also SCW 1/72 Landesa artillery tractor --in our kit, it will be towing a Vickers 105mm gun. All parts and figures have already been cast, so that it is simply awaiting its turn for release. A first sample of it has been painted by Heresy Brush too:

Other two models that are currently waiting their turn are related to WWII, rather than to SCW. The one is the flamethrower version of T-26 tank, that will be released at 1/72 scale during Fall season. Again, take a glance at one of them superbly painted by Heresy Brush

The other one, deviced to be released at 1/100 scale first, is the Japanese Ha-Go light tank. first casting trials of this latter have recently started.

At earlier, design workbench stages, there are still a few models else: Trubia Naval "Euzkadi" tank, Lancia Ansaldo armoured car, CV-33 tankette along with its flamethrower version, and Landesa tracked "tiznao" (an improvised tank). As you can imagine, not all them can be expected to appear altogether, but slowly in the few next months, as while as we can get funded by your kind purchases ;)

A last word regarding figures: no I'm not forgetting them. We have just started the process of defining our new 1/72 SCW Militiamen set. Pictures of it soon!

New Moroccan Regulars HQ & Weapons

We are glad to announce the release of a new boxed set within our ever expanding Spanish Civil War 20mm figures range. This time it's been the turn for Moroccan Regulars Command & Weapons, a set of 12 figures and 2 weapons models that come to complete our formerly launched Moroccan Regulars boxed set.

Sculpted as usual by Xan, a sample set has been masterly painted by José A. Bustamante. Please take a look on his superb work at the pictures below:

As with other command sets, box includes the textured paper flag of a Regulars Tabor (=Regiment) and is already available from our website at €15.95.

What can you see in this picture?

Prior to holding this picture in my hands, I'd by no means suspect such an odd hybrid AFV would have ever existed! --I had learnt something about several improvement trials being done on Panzer I ausf. A chassis, in order to increase its firepower. One of such experiments consisted of what you can see in the picture below --but I had so far believed such hybrids had been discarded after the Breda 20mm gun "Modificado" version was ultimately adopted...

This picture was taken in Barcelona's Diagonal Avenue in 1939. Therefore, this is a demonstration that at least one Panzer I ausf. A with T-26 turret was operational throughout the Spanish Civil War --for it arrived in Barcelona!

Built Rosa Luxemburg Battalion

A user has kindly granted me permission to show some captions on the Rosa Luxemburg Battalion he's recently built and painted, to reinforce his 20mm SCW Republican Army. It comprises a Minairons 20GEF011 Militiawomen set, completed with a couple of poses of plastic figures by B.U.M. to fill up ranks. Group is supported by two 20GEV003 Bilbao armoured cars and one 20GEV024 Ford ambulance, also by Minairons. Enjoy the pictures!

This user's original posting at Benno's Figures Forum can be read here.