You guys got me thinking whether to go for the ABER barrel or not...

Does anyone know if it will fit the Amusing Hobby kits?

Nikos,

During my tinkering about I found that it will although there might need to be a bit of fine tuning and I should think an epoxy adhesive might be the way forward. It is a serious piece of metal though and you might need to counterbalance something at the rear of the turret.

Until I get to grips with building it I can't really offer up much more than that.

Brian

Nikos and Brian,

Thanks a lot for your long, informative posts - you may have well motivated me to keep both manufacturers’ kits and have a go at them in the future.

Jerry

Chaps,

'Managed to get to Bovington today and take a few photos; unfortunately the Conqueror is shoehorned in next to a Chieftain and the other side smack up against a wall. The rear end is tight against another wall and to add to the already gloomy part of the museum, for some reason they've covered the windows with camouflage fabric. Only a metre or so in front of the vehicle is a café-type area which all conspired against any useful overall shots. I sometimes despair of Bovington - if it's not a Tiger they're just not interested.

Anyway, of the dozen or so pictures I did manage to take only a few will probably be of any use. These include shots of the bazooka plates as I feel the AH kit has them too narrow and short. The rear engine deck just in case there were any undiscovered fuel caps - there weren't, and also proof - if needed - that the rearmost hatch handles were countersunk.

This tank is definitely a Mk 1 although the turret sports the gun with fume extractor and a stowage basket has been fitted as well. I also covered a few details such as the Commander's MG, cable reel (with I think what was the canvas cover lying on the glacis (!), smoke dischargers, antenna mount, and the handles on the hull side bins. Hitherto, I had thought it really necessary for these to be replaced with wire or etch even, but having seen them now close up, they really are small, so that may not be the case. In one of the pictures I've put a business card so one can see the size.

What else? Mantlet cover, Driver's hatch though infuriatingly not from above, fire extinguishers (2 types - again, a museum compromise I suspect), mudguard markings for the RAC Training Centre and an overall view showing how congested (and even forlorn) it all is.

I don't think they add much to the earlier reference of the Littlefield pictures, but if you want to see them I think the easiest way is to PM me with your personal email and I'll attach them by return as it were.

One final thing: there are in fact 3 x Conquerors in Bovington Camp - obviously the one at the museum, but there is one just across the road at Stanley barracks, a Mk 2 looking the worst for wear, and another at the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess - also a Mk 2. Some years ago I took a couple of snaps of the latter and although not in detail may help any modelling aspirations you have; I'll happily send those as well.

Brian

Why do I have a feeling that all the MkIs that were initially used as training vehicles were sometime in their service life converted to MkIIs and that the only MkI hulls were that of former FV221 Caernarvon vehicles converted to Conquerors with MkI hull and MkII turret?

That would explain why all the surving supposedly MkI vehicles have MkII turrets.

I don't think it's actually a case of there being a specific Mk 2 turret, more that the existing Mk 1 vehicles were brought up to Mk 2 spec; ie the gun barrels which were installed sans fume extractor would have that retro-fitted at the unit workshops when the component became available, and the stowage rack too would have been manufactured and installed, again at unit level, either as directed by the chain of command, or at the crew's behest. I suspect the former; Conqueror would have been seen as a vital piece of kit (even with its flaws) and the only weapon in an armoured regiment's structure to be able to successfully engage and defeat the T10/JS3/ISU 122 etc combinations of the potential enemy. Getting the 9 or so tanks up to a common spec I suspect, would have been a commanding Officer's priority.

Brian