gorby
Looks very interesting. I'll take a seat at the front. 🙂

Robert Podkoński
I'll take a seat next to gorby here 😉

Mathias Decommere
OMG, I was planning the same subject for this year 😯

Rui S Author
@ Gorby, Thank you for your interest, be more than welcome, and you better bring everything else you need, because you know I'm a sllooowwww modeler.

@ Robert Podkoński, You're more than welcome. Thx for your vote of confidence;

@ Mathias Decommere, yes, I had that impression, but I didn't see any progress on that. I also had this idea a long time ago and I know we have similar tastes, like here, in mine:

The unexpected Finland resistance - T26 | Album by MIG (1:35)

and your:

David against Goliath - Winterwar - Raate Road, Finland - 6 januari 1940 - Final Album | Album by Artro Poda (1:35)

Will it be a group build "Norway"?
My focous will be not so much on the advance stage, but more on the ambush/pinned down/and small arms fire suport. that's why I started with the bicycle and afterwards will be the mortar. Only later will I move on to the Panzer I, that we have in common in our projects and albums.
It's good that there's no deadline, because I'll certainly take much longer than you 😄

Mathias Decommere
Hey Rui, I'm planning a lot of time ahead, planning to do all the major events kind of chronologicly. The vietnamgroupbuild was an event that came on my path but gave a delay on this project. So yes, everything on hold. My concept of Norway isn't definitive, so a lot of thinking and sketching to do. It could be that I'll starting this from august on. Is there a Norway GB? Not all kits are available at the moment. I'm very interested what you will make of it!

Rui S Author
Hi Mathias, that's another thing we have in common, the chronological of events, but I can't assure that I stick to it (but for sure I stay only in WWII).
I've all allready planed for this one, in my head, I will try to somehow replicate the 3 original photos (seen in the start of this album), but my last project sarted with a ruin building from Miniart chronologicly in Poland and it ended up in Mariupol (because of the date of production of the BMW sidecar), without any ruin 😄.
Well, I'm 3 and a half months ahead, but in August I'm not going to do anything, except go on vacation. So, we'll see what state my progress is at that time.

Neil
Following this, and of course an excellent start too 👍

Darren
Wow, at 1:35 this thing will probably be huge! Keen to see where you land with this very interesting subject matter 😀

Jakko ‌
Are you sure the chain is on the correct side of the bike? I've never seen one with it on the left side of the frame …

Rui S Author
@ Neil, Thank ou very much for your suport. Apreciated.
@ Darren, I'm not planing a huge dio but only a relativally longer base 🤔 Glad you are following and find it interesting. Thx.
@ Jakko, in life, there is always a first time for everything 😉 maybee this one comes from an anglo saxon country 😄 😄 😄 Never thougt about that. I was so amazed with the P.E. chain from the MB kit that I wanted to show it in full, on the tamiya kit when I lay this bike over the right side.

sheldonbrown.com/org/gunnar-index.html

As side note, there are a few more examples of Left-side drive in BMX and Felt Team USA's Cycling pursuit bike.

Jakko ‌
I have no doubt there are some bikes with the chain on the left, but the vast, vast majority of them have it on the right 🙂 But hey, chances are nobody else will ever notice this anyway, so go for it 🙂

Rui S Author
Yap, you are right (more over in those times), but now that you "drop the bomb" I don't know. We will see if this Byc is an exception from my workshop, or if it will be changed 🙂 Anyways a vast vast majority of this bikes also didn't have 7cm wide spokes 😉 so I don't know... 🤔

Mathias Decommere
Hey Rui, I wanted to let you know I'll be covering another aspect of the Norwegian campaign. It's not because of your choice. I had two scenario's in mind. Seeing your project set-up helped me go for the other idea, but the main reason is that the figure kits I wanted are not available at the time. So I'm very excited about your project. I'll be covering a Gebirgdjäger unit that get's ambushed around Narvik. Kits are ordered. Cheers

Rui S Author
Hi Mathias, thx for your message and suport. I also look forward to see your project started asap and its inventory. Happy modelling

Rui S Author
The second bike (MB kit), ready for paint. I've used some pieces from the Tamiya kit on it and choose to turn the front wheel.
On a side note, I would say that the MB plastic it's softer than the Italeri one 🤔

Neil Patrick
I bought the Tamiya bike kit too Rui. Had a vague idea of a France 1940 dio with a Somua S35. Now I see all the work you have done I think I might chicken out and go hunting for a 3D printed one. Anyway I will follow this and Mathias' work for sure as I reckon the Norway Campaign is full of potential for interesting models and almost no-one ever creates them. Neubauharzeug in Oslo anyone?

Rui S Author
Well Neil, I know for sure, that you are not the type of modeller to chicken out with any old kit, so I look forward to see your dio.
I agree with you "Operation Weserübung" is full of potential, even for ship modellers. I have a Neubaufahrzeug Type I, in this project inventory and in my stash, so maybee the next one 🤔

P.S. I've also decided to build all the 4 Panzer I A chassis I've in the stash at the some time to see & check the differences.

Neil Patrick
Look forward to your Panzer I ausf A check out Rui. I don't have a Dragon one, but I do have the original Tristar in the stash, plus the Flakpanzer I version. PS I just had a moment of madness on Ebay and bought all three of the old Tamiya US halftracks...

Rui S Author
😄 😄 😄 So, it just proves what I've written. You like kits from the last century 😉

Neil Patrick
I do. I confess it Rui! Francois Verlinden and Shep Paine are mostly to blame. Those guys created magic from kits that most modellers today reject out of hand because there are 'better' kits on the market today. 'Better' is highly subjective.

Sy Bar
Loving the work so far and can't wait to see it all come together in what should be a great diorama. The ref photos are amazing

Neuling
Looking forward here ..... the bicycle is setting a very high standard already .

Jeremias H
Already impressive detailing! Looking forward to the upcoming builds.

Rui S Author
@ Neil Patrick, I tend to agree with you, both Masters have influence me too as you can see from moust the kit's I've built so far, (as yourself I simply don't reject any kit), but I think it as to do mostly, with how many rivet's modellers want, or need, to count 😉

@ Sy Bar, thank you so much for your kind words and for your vote of confidance. I've some more very nice reference photos from this scene maybe I wil share than latter 🤔

@ Neuling, I'm glad to see you back onbord, on this one. You know I'll try my best, to bshow this kits in a somewhat a diferent way;

@ Jeremias H, thank you for your nice words, I'm hopping not to desapoint anyone, but I'm also very interested and excited with this project;;

@ Lorraine Lin, I'm really glad to have you onboard, it means a lot to me.

The Tamiya 81mm Granatwerfer (GrW) 34 Mortar, kit is done. Nice like piece.
Next, something I've never done before. The simultaneous build of 4 Panzer I A, chassis.

CaptGPF
Taking a seat - on the modified bike!

Erik Torp
Following

Clair Greenwood
Gosh I love Lorraine Lins cat pictures.... LOL Im keeping up with ya here Rui 🙂

Rui S Author
@ CaptGPF, be welcome, but I must reserve it. Wich bike do you choose? the Mb or the Tamiya 😄
@ Erik Torp, welcome, I hope you will enjoy the build log;
@ Clair Greenwood, I also like her work 😉 Keep in here. I'm hopping that I can deliver all of Us, some nice / "Beautiful"? 😉 work 😄

CaptGPF
The MB, I'm all about avoiding needless pain and suffering!

Rui S Author
I see what you mean, but I do not avoid a challenge, so I will reserve the other one for someone else like me 😉
No pain, no gain 😄

Sergio Ordonez
I am taking a Seat and watching your progress with great interest, Rui.
Iam new at dioramas and I thing you are goong to show us a lot.

Ryan L.
Amazing attention to detail on the seam lines, i wouldn't even notice without you pointing them out 😅. Looking forward to see the project come together!

Anthony lfk
Wow, your diorama project are very ambitious indeed, we are all very lucky & privilege to have you sharing this with us ! Hat Off !

Rui S Author
@ Sergio Ordonez, be welcome Mate, Glad to have you onboard, I'm following your dio efforts too 😉
@ Ryan L., Thank you for your praise, I used to be completely fundamentalist in erase every single seem line, but nowI've changed a bit and I'm trying to Keep the ones that may also exist in the real thing;
@ Anthony lfk, I agree with you. I'm hoping, I'm not trying to take a step bigger than my leg 😄 😉 but it's always most, my pleasure, to share my work here in scalemates. Scalemates made more for my modelling work, than many of my old (not many) modelling budies 🙂
Please all, don't forget that I'm a slow modeller and sometimes "lose" some modelling time because I'm here, you know why... 😉

Rui S Author
For those who might think from the comments on the new photos, that I'm complaining or that I'm a masochist, no, the comments just intended to show to those like me who don't have or don't want to spend more than €25 on a kit, or are new in the hobby, that this beautiful hobby always offers much entertainment on this oldies. 😄 😉
One thing that may be a good choice here, is that the lower hull and all the boggies are to be glued in a separate lower hull plate.
That's a new for me and may help painting this separately from the rest of the kit... 🤔

Guy Rump
Looking good, following. 👍

Rui S Author
Thx & Wellcome abord.

Sergio Ordonez
You are speaking truth, mate. For me, as I usually do not go for a "from-the-box" assemblies, modifications over 60€ kit are scary. And oldies always provide a saber spacen for improvement.