Mirage Hobby - 1:35 Vickers-Armstrong 6-Ton Light Tank

[wasdale32]

Something a bit unusual:



Going to use this image as my inspiration (taken at Bovington Tank Museum)





Three-colour scheme known as "Japanese-style" used by the Polish army prior to WW2.

Mark

 

[wasdale32]

Opening the box...




Parts look nice and clean but detail a bit soft in places...

And the individual link tracks..

 

[wasdale32]

The instructions - must brush up on my Polish!

 

[wasdale32]

Build starts with the mantlet and guns:



First problem:



And the machine gun housing doesn't look right against the original:







And the turret has no rivet detail where the original is very obvious



and that's just the first 6 parts!

 

[Ian M]

Watching this one I have the mk E in the stash... Also a mirage with Polish instuctions .

 

[wasdale32]

Ian

I can't find enough detail online to work out the difference between some of the models - obviously some had twin turrets but all the images I've found for the single turret version (except the T26 Russian variant) look very similar

There are several images showing Polish Army vehicles with the 3-colour scheme - so I'm going to try that.

Mark

 

[Steve Jones]

Well I am definitely up for this one Mark. Looks a wonderful subject to build. Really looking forward to seeing how you get on with the camo scheme.

As for the differences you are experiencing this is because the Bovington tank is a Mark E Type B. However the kit one is a Vickers Mark F.

 

[Dave Ward]

Mark,
These Polish tanks are rather confusing - as you say some had single turrets, some twin, some were built in England, some elsewhere and not a lot of contemporary documentation! Best guess from a photograph is your way forward!
Good Luck!
Dave

 

[Steve Jones]

Would I be right in saying Dave the Poles had the Mark E's and ended up making their own or modifying the Mark E extensively??

 

[Steve Jones]

Found them Dave. They were the 7TP's and 9TP's. Well there's an idea for a future project

 

[Peter Gillson]

Mark

Nice choice of subject, its going to be interestin to follow.
I'm sure some of the guys here will be able to help with the reference material.

Peter

 

[wasdale32]

Thanks for input guys - I think some of my confusion is down to a lot of mis-labelled images online

The kit seems to comprise most of the parts for the earlier model but includes the longer fighting compartment of the modified F version. it also includes some "long-gun" parts - presumably the same sprues are in the T26 or similar kit.

I think I'm going to apply a bit of poetic licence here and use the three-colour scheme anyway.

Regards
Mark

 

[Jakko]

They were the 7TP's and 9TP's. Well there's an idea for a future project

A Polish company released a kit of the 7TP in the 1980s. I forget the maker’s name, but I got two of them via a Polish pen-pal at the time, in exchange for kits like Italeri Panzer IVs. They were cleanly moulded (in light blue plastic) and fit well, though detail was a little on the soft side back then, and severely lacking by today’s standards. Still, kits I have fond memories of it — and I don’t recall if I ever built the second one I got … I’m fairly certain I still have it in its box, but possibly built.

 

[Dave Ward]

Mark,
the tank at Bovington is painted to the scheme selected by Vickers-Armstrong for their commercial display vehicles, used at sales exhibitions. ( from the Tank Museum website ).
I think a lot of confusion is from the mis-identification of Vickers, 7TP and T-26 tanks, all of which were similar, also earlier vehicles were updated to later specs, introducing more errors.
Although Vickers 6 - tonners were never adopted by the British Army, enough tanks were exported to keep the Vickers Factories open - and ready for rearmament.
Dave

 

[wasdale32]

Hi Dave - I really should read the signage at Bovington when I take photos!

however there are a few pictures online of tanks in Polish service with the 3-colour scheme - these below seem to be 'E's - one modified with the large air intake and one unmodified




I've made a start on the turret - added some old school rivets - 0.5mm holes and stretched sprue - I haven't counted the heads or micro-measured the spacing I just went with something that looks about right in the scale - should look better when painted

 

[wasdale32]

More (oversize) rivets on turret, Wheels & suspension prepared and primed






And starting on the hull "tub" - side panels need amending by removing the highlighted portion

 

[Steve Jones]

Coming along nicely Mark. Have had a chance to start the tracks yet?

 

[wasdale32]

Hi Steve

just started the "knitting..."



The tracks are actually really nicely moulded despite the 3 point attachments - but they do need gluing as they don't clip together

 

[wasdale32]

Base coat on turret & hull - MIG Russian "oil ochre" is a good match to the museum yellow base - it's slightly more orange in daylight

 

[wasdale32]

First attempt at the 3-colour scheme - still awaiting the undercarriage




weathering should tone down the colours a bit...