Old Diorama

It all started with this Diorama 2 years ago where I painted and built it within a rush time of 9 days for the First Tamiya competition. My return to model making after 15 years of break. That opened the way for me to enter into the hobby again. It was a scene where the French brokered the peace deal in the early eighties in Lebanon.

The Merkava was one I built in 1982 and weathered it all over again. The figures are Verlinden, Dragon, Tamiya and Academy.

House was Verlinden clay type I bought from Mok from Orchard Store in 1981 for $11.90 then. Which was huge money for plaster of paris parts.

Foreign Legionnaire is from Dragon kit. Arab is from Verlinden.

Stowage from scratchbuilt and Italarei.

Interlocking stones mat from Tamiya, the 106 gun is from AFV.

Table is from Sylvania House. Table cloth and curtains made of lead sheets. Stones and reinforced concrete made from epoxy putty and wires.

yawning tank crew is from Academy

RPG gunner from Dragon set modified

Tank Commander is from Verlinden

This tank commander is from Tamiya kit original

Stone driver is from Academy kit

Won one of the prizes, lost to the one with the Molotov cocktail of a scene in Iraq with the Japanese crew. Only thing, the guys there are Mujaheedin, which are Afghans not Iraqis.....so much for arm chair warrior accuracy....sometimes you lose because you are not a brother. That is why this year we boycott it. Call it sour grapes whatever, if you do not uphold justice and good standards, the competition will lose meaning, quality and lastly profitability.