I decided to build this kit mainly because it included an E-100 hull, and it was a gift from Erhan Atalay. The E-100 is one of my favorite tanks, and I’m planning to build other kits of it in the future as well. I also started this kit to get some inspiration for future projects.
The kit also included etched metal parts. Modelcollect is already known as a high-quality manufacturer, and I had no issues assembling the plastic parts. I chose to assemble the hull without the side skirts, as I personally prefer the look of the model this way.
Before painting, I primed the model using Mission Models MMS-003 Grey Primer. The main issue with Mission Models paints is that they tend not to adhere well to plastic surfaces. To avoid that problem, I preferred to use a primer.
After the primer dried, I painted the entire tank with Mission Models MMS-014 RAL 7021 Panzer Grey. To modulate the grey areas, I used Mission Models MMS-061 FS35189 US Blue Grey. Once the paint dried, I masked the grey sections.
After masking the grey areas, I applied Mission Models MMP-001 White. Once the paint dried and I removed the masking tape, I faced an unpleasant reality: despite using primer, the paint had not adhered properly to the plastic, and large sections peeled off with the tape. I then masked the white areas and repainted the grey sections—but this time, the white paint lifted. In the end, I had to touch up all the damaged areas by hand.
Once the main hull painting was finished, I moved on to the details. There wasn’t much extra equipment on the tank. I painted the tracks using Vallejo Air 71080 Rust and dry-brushed them with Vallejo Air 71065 Steel. I painted the protective housings on the sides of the hull in the same steel color.
After finishing the hull painting, I moved on to painting the missile mounted on the vehicle. I used Mission Models MMS-061 FS35189 US Blue Grey on the lower part of the missile. For the upper section, I used Mr. Hobby Aqueous Hobby Color H048 Field Gray (2), which leans more toward green than grey.
Once the painting was complete, I varnished the model using Vallejo 70522 Satin Varnish. After the varnish dried, I applied decals that I had sourced myself. Following the decals, I applied another coat of varnish and then used Winsor & Newton products to apply grey, white, and blue filters.
I did not apply an overall wash to the model—only pin washes. For this, I used Humbrol AV0201 Black Enamel Wash. I didn’t wash the missile at all; instead, I used Tamiya 87131 Panel Line Accent Color Black to bring out the panel lines.
After the washing stage, I varnished the model once more to prepare it for weathering. I used Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish on the hull. The slightly rough surface created by matte varnish helps pigments adhere more easily during weathering.
For varnishing the missile, I used Vallejo 26517 Gloss Acrylic Varnish. Since missiles are not used extensively and are usually launched shortly after production, I assumed they wouldn’t show much wear, so I preferred a glossy finish.
As always, I started weathering from the lower areas. I added a dusty look to the tracks and wheels using AK Interactive AK042 European Earth Pigment and AMMO by Mig Jimenez AMIG0037 Dark Earth pigments. I used the same pigments to dust the front and rear sections of the tank as well.
I later realized that I had forgotten to paint the two exhausts at the rear and decided to weather them directly using pigments. For this, I used Vallejo Pigments Art. 73194 Rust & Corrosion Set. However, without a dark rust base over the grey paint, the effect didn’t look very natural. This turned out to be the most significant mistake in this build.
I didn’t weather the missile, but I tried to heavily fade its color using Winsor & Newton Titanium White oil paint. While it looked quite natural in some areas, it stood out awkwardly in others.
I created streaking effects on the guard in front of the missile launcher using Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna oil paint. However, since there were too many decals in that area, I couldn’t quite achieve the natural look I was aiming for.
Finally, I highlighted the edges of the vehicle using a graphite pencil. I also rubbed a graphite art pencil on the raised details of the hull to enhance the metallic appearance. With that, I decided the model was finished.
Building a model of such an unusual vehicle—one I had never encountered before—was very enjoyable for me. With this project, I also built my first model of a flying object. I placed the model in my display cabinet and started browsing my stash to decide on the next project.
