Corona Build 1

It's just a little Saracen APC, a British armoured personnel carrier from the early 60s.

'Corona Build?' I thought it was about time I made a model, what with all this virus imposed isolation and how we're meant to be active with all sorts of creative hobbies and not just vegetating in front of the telly. I've spent most of my time during the lockdown reading, and this is necessary variety. In fact, I had a notion to see if I could make a model in a day. With a low standard of finish, this isn't difficult at all, but I wanted this for a post war British scenario and it had to pass muster. So, what about a subject like this, 1:72 scale, with a simple colour scheme, no clear plastic etc.?

But it wasn't the low hanging fruit I was expecting. The chassis/suspension, which you can barely see here, was unbelieveably fiddly, with a multitude of tiny parts which didn't fit well even after a lot of cleaning up. Instead of one day, this one took four. At least it's decent enough, although strictly speaking it's anachronistic, because the scenario I was talking about was an airfield scene from the 1950s. This will have to do, because vehicles from around that time aren't really falling into my lap.

Also, let's not gloss over the associations of its image, since this particular vehicle type featured prominently in several 'civil emergencies' in the post war years, notably the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It's glaringly a military vehicle. It's not 'evil' in itself, but it's a sign that we've lost our way when a vehicle like this finds itself being used for policing in a civilian context.

Will there be a Corona Build 2? Yes, it's satisfying to finish a job, and good for morale, and I've got back in the groove. What I can't say is if I'll build a model in a day. It should be possible, but it'll need to be carefully chosen. None of those biplanes I have in my stash are obvious picks! :)