Dave Ward's Vulcan 1/35 Light Tank Mk. VIB BEF

[Guest]

Marvellous work Dave, but how's your sanity?

[Dave Ward]

Now that I've proved that I can assemble that fiendish suspension, I feel much more confident! I'm going to start on the main hull, to give myself a break before finishing off the other two bogies. I want to add some crew, and in my stash, I found this.................
You can only see the head & shoulders of the driver, and I think the figure on the right will be OK as the commander - all I have to do is find what colours the BEF tank crew uniforms were!
Dave

[Guest]

The two figures you picked have completely the wrong overalls for 1939/40, though: these are the green denim tank suits that were introduced in 1944 — you can tell by the pen pockets on the left breast and the single fly from neck to crotch. The other two, in North Africa dress, are also unsuitable because they’re wearing lightweight desert uniforms, though you can probably modify those to battledress fairly easily as long as their legs are out of sight

[Dave Ward]

Well, the driver can only be seen head & shoulders, the commander from the belly upwards, I'm sure with a little scraping & careful painting he'll look the part..............
Dave

[Guest]

If you change the pockets to look like those of a battledress tunic, you’re probably good to go in that case.



Shouldn’t take more than scraping down the pen holders and adding the vertical pleats with a sliver of thin plastic card or paper, I suppose.

[Dave Ward]

Well, I mixed torsos up for the commander, and I find you will see even less of the driver than I thought.
So I have roughly assembled 2 figures ( I haven't cleaned up any seams! ) legs are only there so I can hold them for painting!

The hull of the tank has no internal detail, other than a seat for the driver...............
I have a problem that I have encountered before 1/35 scale figures being too large for 1/35 vehicles!!!!!
Poor fella will have to undergo some plastic surgery, and then I will box in him, with front plate & hatches - so you will only be able to see the face & upper shoulders from the front, so his battledress top will be invisible.
Dave

[JR]

Dave .
My word that suspension, say no more other than you are either mad or a man of great patience.:surprised::smiling3:

The bit about the sizes of figures in relation to the armour, the times I've struggled to get a driver in to the cab, where his head is nearly through the roof !

No detail in the internals ! You've enough with those other bits to contend with .
I'm another who thought you had started to build the plane , until I read futher .
Good luck .
John .

[Guest]

Dave,
My word you have been busy, parts you requested in mail. It was a bit tight in there for all three crew members.... But starting to come together, I might even be tempted to dig mine out and complete it - but not yet !!!
Cheers, Mike.

[Lee Drennen]

Dave great work! Hope this don’t push you over the top man that suspension looks tedious

[Dave Ward]

Turret more or less assembled - up to the point where I have to add PE, and I don't feel like tackling that at the moment!

Going together well, no parts fit problems ( yet )......................
Dave

[Dave Ward]

Well, thanks to MikeC, and his supplying of a spare spring - all 4 of the suspension bogies are done................

Not a job for the faint-hearted - as to being a 'working' suspension - not a hope! It's all firmly fixed with CA, and that is the end of it!!!!
After that nasty little assembly, I think that the rest should be comparatively easy!
I'm beginning to go off the idea of having crew - if the driver's and the commander's hatches are open, the surely the gunner's would be too? I'd have to find another figure, and given my figure painting skills ( or lack of ), I think closed hatches are becoming more probable, or just the commander, head out...
Dave

[Guest]

Dave,
Found this, not BEF but the idea is there.
Enjoying the build, very good considering the pressure you were under :tired:.
Cheers, Mike.
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[Graeme C.]

Dave, just found this thread, got one of these in the stash, be interesting to see how you do this kit I'll follow your progress, looking good so far.

[Dave Ward]

Graeme,
you need patience, 3 hands, and 4:1 zoom eyes! It's only a small model, and not a high parts count, but it really stretches your concentration! I only managed short periods at the bench, whilst I was assembling the suspension - my hands would start to tremble! During the breaks, I was engaged in removing the bits I had superglued to my fingers/wrists/sweater/bench...................................
Dave

[JR]

Sorry had to smile at the. ," I was engaged in removing the bits I had superglued to my fingers/wrists/sweater/bench "
Did the door bell ring !