Hi, fellow Canadian here. I've decided to build some Canadian WWII Armour. Actually I'm just getting into military modeling period. I've been having trouble finding a welded hull 75mm Sherman tank kit that would have been used WWII by Canadians that can be built right from the box. I know I'll need aftermarket decals. Any kits that can be built fairly accurately out of the box?

Aslo, I've been studying the AFV Club Churchill Mk.III (35153) that comes with Canadian decals for Dieppe (even though the kits says Britain?). Is there any reason this kit does not represent the Calgary Regiment at Dieppe?

One more question. I have the Miniart British Dingo Scout MK.III (35077) and am wondering if there is anything besides decals I'd need to build a Canadian Dingo Scout?

I appreciate any help. Thanks, noname

p.s. Any other Canadian kits anybody could recommend?

You could get the S Model Sexton. It's a pretty decent kit, although from what I've read a sort cross between a I and II. It goes together well, save for the tracks, which is why it is still not finished after several years.

Some folks are hoping for one in plastic soon based on the new 25 pdr. I wouldn't hold my breath.

If you want to do a Churchill, wait for 35176, scroll about 2/3 of the way down HERE .
For an M4A4 OOB, Tasca is the way to go, or the older Dragon kit which is not up to the detail and accuracy of the newer Tasca kit I dare say. For Fireflies, Tasca VC or Dragon's newer Mk 1 hybrid isn't bad. Bren carrier we're still stuck with Tamiya's ancient relic. Can't help with the Dingo.

Jim

Don't forget the M4A2 from Tasca as well as the Staghounds (just cool looking!)

With some research you will find during WW2 Canadians used lots of different types of vehicles. Shermans M4A1,M4A2, M4A4's. Half tracks, Staghounds, Greyhounds, Dingo's and Skink.
If you need any help send Pm and will help you out if need be.

Anthony

Thanks alot guys. I've never heard of S Model before. I do realize that Bronco makes about three Staghounds with Canadain markings. The AFV Club Churchill (35153) comes with Canadaian markings as well. But it seems they left out the word 'Cat' and have the wrong vehicle number.

I looked at the new one coming out you nmentioned. Maybe they made some more changes I don't know about. Say, what are those big thingys attached to it? I don't know if I've ever seen those in the pics of the original Churchills at Diepe.


I've also been looking into the Tasca kits and they look really good. I keep hearing how expensive they are but am having trouble finding an American or Canadian price. They must be a tad rare?

I figure my Miniart Dingo must be the same as the Canadians would have used due to the fact they shared alot of the same vehicles with the British. Just need some AF decals.

It also looks like the Dragon Firefly Ic hybrid would do the job. They just aren't as interesting as the welded hull 75mm versions of the Sherman. There are little to no markings. This one would work though?


Thanks for your suggestions and offerings. I was starting to collect German stuff as they made the most interesting armour and is quite prolific. Then I watched "Schindlers List" again and decided I didn't want to build any kind of shrine to them. You know what I mean?

No, not really, but I build models, not shrines.

Don't allow guilt, sentimentality or conditioning sway you from remembering and experiencing the lessons history may teach, 70 years ago or today.

Hi,


The new churchill MkIII Dieppe has a number of features (going on the pictures) to make it correct for dieppe including the wading stacks and different pattern rear fenders

You can't really make an accurate Calgary Tank churchill OOB from the first AFV Club mkIII. It says 'britain' on the box by the way because the scheme was based on a photo of a calgary tank churchill taken in Britain on exercise

You can use the Miniart MkI, Ia or MkII dingo and the excellent Dieppe Dingos decal set from Echelon to make a canadian one

Hello,
maybe it's of some interest: Peddinghaus-decals produces 4 decal sets for the canadian army (Normandy theatre) and 2 sets for canadian uniforms:
http://www.peddinghaus-decals.de/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=2&keyword=&manufacturer_id=0&Itemid=1&orderby=%7Bvm%7D_product.product_name&limit=50&limitstart=50


Michael

Thanks for that ChrisDM. I will wait for the newer version of the Churchill. And thanks for the tip on the Dingo as well. Did they not use the Dingo MK.III as well?

Gortek, thanks for the link. I did see some nice Canadain decals there. Unfortunately I don't speak a word of German. I can't remember the names (Ultracast is one) ,but I understand there is a small number of AF companies out there making Canadian decals.

I'm not entirely positive, but I don't think we used many/any Mk IIIs. Mks I & II, yes. But there are differences between them and the Mk III. Don't know what they are off the top of my head, though.


Well, just about anything Commonwealth found its way into Canadian hands at one point or another.
If you like armour, there are the Matildas we used before the Churchills. The Lees and Grants we used before the Rams. The Rams. Various Mks of Sherman. Stuarts of all kinds and Mk VI lights here in Canada. Universal, Lloyd & Windsor carriers. 2 pdrs, 6 pdrs, 17 pdrs, 25 pdrs, 155 Long Toms, 7" and 5.5" guns. We made and used all manner of CMPs from 8 cwts up to 60 cwts in both Ford and Chev versions. We used Jeeps, & Dodges & Chev light trucks. Lynx, Fox & Otter armoured cars (OK, a scout car, an armoured car and a light recce car, to be precise). We used Dingos & Daimlers & Humbers. We used White scout cars, C15TA armoured trucks & M14 halftracks. We used Scammell HATs, Mack NOs, Matador MATs, Chev & Ford FATs. Motorcycles of various kinds plus whatever the boys in the field nicked from other units, friend or foe.

Plus more I've forgotten.

Pretty much everything on that list is available as a kit or conversion of one type or another in 1/35.

Carry on.

Paul

Thanks for the comment Tankmodeler. I was hoping the Canadains used the Dingo Mk.III because I already have one. The difference is that they have a waterproof engine without a roof.
Mk I - original model with four-wheel steering and sliding roof.
Mk IA - folding roof.
Mk IB - reversed engine cooling fan.
Mk II - front-wheel steering.
Mk III - waterproofed engine, no roof.

That is quite a list you have there. I've never heard of half of them. I think some of them go beyond WWII. The research on these vehicles can be difficult at times and even more difficult trying to figure out which ones were used by Canadians. Then trying to find a kit for some of them tops it off. I know there are conversions for alot but I was mostly looking for in box kits. Like I say I'm new at this and am trying to get use to the higher prices of military kits compared to auto kits than I'm familiar with.

After looking at the Miniart website it appears that there is a Dingo Mk.IB with Dieppe markings and the Mk.II has "Royal Canadian Dragoon" (Uk )markings. Can someone tell me if anything based in the UK would mean it was for training?

Hi Collins,

In th UK just means it is based on a photo fof a vehicle taken in the UK. Many of the vehicles labelled so in kits went on to see active service in Europe (or Africa and so on)

Be wary; the Miniart Dingo with Dieppe markings, has markings for HOUND. Hound was actually a MKII, and had a radio (which the kit does not) and different pattern tyres (there are 4 seperate tyre patterns seen on the various dingos at Dieppe!) The radio is important, becuase it it happens, the radio on board HOUND was the only working radio to have contact with the Headquarters aboard RN ships in the channel throughout the raid

Chris, thanks for that bit of info on the dingo! I appreciate the help you folks are giving me and want to learn as much as I can. I'm trying to find kits that can be built out of the box so as not to spend a fortune on aftermarket parts. I thought it was a bonus to get a Dingo with the Canadian markings. It isn't a bonus if they are inaccurate however.

So far I've picked out a Bronco Staghound and a Dragon Firefly Ic Hybrid for Christmas. I'll have to wait sometime in the future to get a Churchill and a welded hull 75mm Sherman (Tasca perhaps). When I get a couple other projects out of the way I'll start my first military model. It will have to be one of the few German models I have , the Dingo Mk.III or my AFBV club M38 Jeep.

If anybody has anything else to share about kits that can be built Canadain, shoot away.

Oh and by the way, Tamiya's Universal Carrier would work too if aftermarket decals were purchased. Tamiya Field gun tractor is another , although I've read it needs a fair bit of work quality wise. And wouldn't both of the AFV Club M5A1 Stuarts work? I'm not sure of the differnce between early(35105) and late(35161) version.

If you haven't seen them yet, check out Carmen's DINGO BUILD and CHURCHILL BUILD for some good info and inspiration. The Late Stuart works for a Canadian build, a very nice kit.

Jim

Here is an S Model Ram I biuilt about 4 years ago. I modified it to represent a later version than the OOb version.




Anyone know of a US source for S Model, or experience ordering from them direct. I have been to their website. They have a number of kits I would like (including doing the Ram again).

Anyone know of a US source for S Model, or experience ordering from them direct. I have been to their website. They have a number of kits I would like (including doing the Ram again).[/quote]

Ordering them direct goes quite fast, I had my kits in under a week. My wife's Uncle lives 25min away. We phoned them to go by and visit them, thinking that they operate like a regular hobby shop. Well, they operate strictly off the web and the kits are made to order . I have over 10 of thier kits and plan to order more from them.

Anthony

Decals aren't any problem asa the excellent Canadian Company Ultracast does sets of Canadian Armd regiments of WW2. As for Kits of the Shermans then I recommend Tasca for the M4A1, M4A2 and M4A4. The DML Firefly shown above is very good and the original release (not related to this) had Candian markings as did the early DML M4A4.
http://www.ultracast.ca/Armour%20Decals%20-%2035%20Scale.htm
Cheers
Al

Sorry Collins, I just realised I've given you incorrect info on the Dingo

The decals in the kit are for HUNTER (not hound) and HUNTER was the only dingo a working radio in contact with the flotilla. Apologies for confusing the names

Chris

Ordering them direct goes quite fast, I had my kits in under a week. My wife's Uncle lives 25min away. We phoned them to go by and visit them, thinking that they operate like a regular hobby shop. Well, they operate strictly off the web and the kits are made to order . I have over 10 of thier kits and plan to order more from them.

Anthony [/quote]

Thankyou. I will probably make an order soon. I particually like their Polish subjects.

In addition to the Ram I also tried one of their Staghound kits. The Resin parts are very good. Unfortunately the fenders are Vacuformed. and I completely messed up cutting them out.

There is a company called Formations that makes different parts to make some Canadian tanks such as the Ram as well.

I actually did look at the Churchill and Dingo build you mentioned JungleJim. They are great builds, fun to watch come together.

A nice enough job on this kit, but the S-Model Ram is an appallingly inaccurate depiction of a Ram. Too tall, too wide, too short and a LOT of the details are plain wrong. It's mostly a copy of the earlier H&K 35 kit with some of the H&K kit's problems fixed and then more problems added.

If you want a Ram, starting with the Formations Ram OP and working backwards to whichever gun tank version you want is the way to go. Te OP and Badgers are great exactly OOB, but they are quite specific variants and not gun tanks.

Paul

Nope, every one of them was used by us in WW II.



I'll agree with you that it's not laid out in a straightforward manner, almost none of the Commonwealth stuff is, but if you frequent the forums, ask relevant questions and, most important of all, collect reference material, you will have built your own knowledge base and know the answer to these questions yourself. It can be a long haul, though. I've been concentrating on COmmonwealth armour for 20 years and am still buying books & magazines and learning more every day. Get out to the shows/contests. Join a local club. Meet some of the knowledgeable people in the hobby. You'll be surprised at how fast you learn the basics and then the finer details will start to come.

Paul

You simply can not go wrong with Formations products. Everything Rob does is first rate. They are the gold standard for aftermarket US armoured vehicle aprts & conversions.

Paul