Once finished the small diorama I'm planning will depict a Centurion of the 17/21st Lancers returning from exercise "Golden Fleece", Kam Tin province Hong Kong, 30/11/60. The family connection is the commander, my late uncle (the one with a missing head in the top shot).
After perusing an AFV Club kit at Dannyd's, then posting for info on here I was reasonably certain I was looking at a Mk5.
So Telford arrives and I duly pick up a Bulldozer Centurion kit from Vince at Modelsforsale for a 'REALLY' good price. This is good as it comes with the 20pdr type A barrel , so saves me another £7. I picked up a nice new reference book at Telford too, which covers Mk's1-6. Dan gives me a set of AFVC indy links, and I source an Eduard etch set plus the AFVC vinyl mantlet cover.
Ready to roll, er.......NO!
More research and an obscure link to an Australian site throws a spanner in the works. I knew that the tank I was looking at was slightly strange, but it wasn't until I found this site I knew what it was. The turret has no hatch for removal of the 17pdr originally fitted, so a late 3 then?
I should probably mention at this point that the only difference 'officially' between a 3 and a 5 is the co-axial gun (besa 7.92mm (3), .30cal (5)).
The aussie site than points out that a whole batch of 3's had a transitionary turret, which was without the hatch, but still had armour that was flush with the roof plate, combined bomb thrower and loaders periscope, and the original loaders hatch orientation . This means that the turret supplied by AFVC is not appropriate and will need some fairly serious surgery.
I'll let the following pics show what has had to be done.
Turret as supplied, and entirely correct for a 'mid 3' or 5.
But no good for me, so out with the beer and etch saws.
And back in orientated for an early turret. The turret ventilator is not glued on and needs an enormous shrinkage dip filling!
The next problem is that the top plate sits proud of the turret top, whereas the early ones had armour that came up flush with a drain channel around the edge.
So!!!! Build up with plasticard and lots of filling and filing.
Loaders periscope removed, hatch gaps filled, and new armour blended in.
Surface texture re-applied using Mr Surfacer 500, then cut back.
And this is where it stands now with new weather guards applied, and the rough location marked as to where the periscope and bomb thrower will go. Yes, the two discontinuities at the rear of the rain channel are meant to be there, I haven't bodged it YET!
Had a play with the AFVC indy links, and to be honest I'm not overly impressed and I'm pretty sure some Friul tracks will be winging their way to me soon.
The only other major mod is the wheels. I don't like the way AFVC have done them, so I'm going to cast my own in the near future.
Wish me luck, I have a feeling this build is going to need it.
Rich
