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In-Box Review

¹⁄35

Centurion Mk5/2 - Mk6 105mm Gun

by: Vinnie Branigan [ TEACHER ]

introduction

The AFV Club Australian Centurion received great reviews when it was released earlier this year, and I can't really imagine AFV Club to have gone seriously wrong anywhere with this kit either. However, knowing nothing at all about Allied vehicles, and even less about the Centurion, this is a Preview not a review, and for a more thorough examination of the base kit, the Centurion Mk 5/1 RAAC, please take the time to look at Jeremy Wee's excellent review here!

the kit

The kit arrives with everything separately bagged up for protection, and includes eight sprues of olive green plastic, a transparent sprue, a set of vinyl tracks, a length of nylon tow rope, decal sheet, small bag containing nine individual track links, aluminium barrel, poly caps, small photo etched fret, turret halves, hull, rubber tyres and six copper springs for the suspension! Phew!

The parts breakdown is the same as for the Australian release in that Sprue I is the same sprue as in the earlier release, only the turret halves have been removed and two new ones with improved detail included in a separate bag. Sprue C containing the main deck parts is the same sprue, and sprue F is also the same. Sprue H with the fenders and drive housings on it is also the same. Sprue E holding the wheels and running gear is identical to the earlier released sprue. Sprue B, of which there are two is the same, and the transparent sprue is also the same! The vinyl tracks are the same, and the springs of course, and almmost everything else! In fact, as far as I can tell, the only differences in this release are the decals, the photo etch fret, and of course, the barrel to the main gun itself, this version carrying the 105mm. I'll leave it to those better qualified to say whether or not these differences are enough to represent the version intended!

All I can say about this kit is that the production of the parts themselves is as good as we've come to expect from AFV Club, i.e. great detail, great moulding, and I'm sure for modern fans it will have them drooling!

Rest assured, we'll have a full in-depth review out just as soon as I can find somebody suitably qualified! Any volunteers? For now I'll let you all just browse the photographs of what you actually get!

SUMMARY
A quick photographic Preview of what's in the new AFV Club Centurion. Full, in-depth review coming soon!

Scale:		1:35
Mfg. ID:		AF35122
Related Link:		AFV Club
PUBLISHED:		Dec 13, 2006
NATIONALITY:		United Kingdom

NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
THIS REVIEWER:		87.97%
MAKER/PUBLISHER:		89.68%

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Our Thanks to AFV Club!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Vinnie Branigan (Teacher)
FROM: ENGLAND - NORTH WEST, UNITED KINGDOM

Comments

jazza

Why?????????????? oh well any updates to the original kit will most surely be an excellent kit in my books since its good to begin with.

DEC 14, 2006 - 06:53 PM

Cavalry

I enjoyed building their Vietnam version. If you follow the PMMS article on either or both you should have no trouble producing a fine model. :-)

DEC 15, 2006 - 12:29 AM

tuffners3169

Looks like a nice kit

DEC 15, 2006 - 03:30 AM

05Sultan

Looks great! Really surprised by the lack of manlet cover issue though. Would this kit be suitable base for IDF representation in Six Day War or Yom Kippur? Or would you have to go with a Tamiya/Legends sort of hook up? cheers!

DEC 15, 2006 - 03:35 AM

18Bravo

Not having seen the kit personally, I may be talking out my fourth point of contact, but it APPEARS by the box art to be closer to what you need for a '67 Cent. than the Aussie version. I say this because of the headlights and the gun. You can rearrange them to depict two lights, one behind the other, centered on the glacis. You may build it as is, but by '67 most of the Cents had a fuel tank extension welded to the lower hull in the rear. AA sells parts separately, so their piece will probably fit, but by the time it arrives you can scratchbuild it easily enough. Then you'll need three fuel can holders, scratchbuilt, or again from AA. A third option is to get the PE for the M51 as it comes with seven of the Israeli style holders. Scratchbuild a spotlight holder (often used as a stowage bin) add extended antenna bases, curved brass exhaust deflectors, and rotate the fishtail exhausts so that they're upright. All in all about an extra hour of work to get it right. You may or may not want to add cooling louvers on the engine deck. I used Cannon and Co. 1/87 inertial brake filters, and they fit perfectly. Perhaps I can post a photo later.

DEC 15, 2006 - 03:57 AM

18Bravo

Here are some pics. Sorry about the quality, but I did these quickly. I also have the AA version, unpainted, but I like this one as it predates theirs by about 11 years. They're surprisingly similar. Several months ago I opined that you may just want to use their kit even after AFV Club's came out, which was met with some derision. But if you think about it, you already get very good quality decals, loads of PE, no rubber tires to deal with, and best of all (apparently) a mantlet cover. As for a Berlin version, that would be too cool. Just need to add in the boxed front fenders, which I wish AFV Club had offered. You can see them on my Suez Cent in my gallery if you don't know what I mean.

DEC 15, 2006 - 04:36 AM

Teacher

I hope AFV Club have a sense of irony...................the topic announcing the Preview of the kit and somebody recommends getting the Accurate Armour one. Jeez......................... Vinnie

DEC 15, 2006 - 04:54 AM

18Bravo

It seems the British may be losing their centuries old sense of wit. I've had a couple of weeks to read over months of posts on several sites, including this one, that I had not been able to read, and have read a littany of complaints about what is surely a fine kit. Therein lies the irony. Rubber roadwhels, no mantlet, toylike suspension, to name a few. I would venture few people want to build this new beast more than I, but in my unbiased opinion, those who complain have the option to do something else. Perhaps the point was lost on you. Or the IRONY that I would be actually helping fellow modellers with every single thing they need to do to make the AFV kit into a '67 version, and taking time to post pics to boot. My bad, fellas. I'm guessng soon the earth will begin spinning on a new axis.

DEC 15, 2006 - 08:15 AM

05Sultan

I for one, am extremely grateful t o18Bravo for thoroughly answering my question.My thanks to you, sir. As far as irony,I will buy this kit instead of AA based on the response I received from this site's members.Was not looking for a perfect fit as far as a 67 Cent IDF goes. I can indeed do considerable scratch(read:MODELING) when the situation calls for it.As far as I know,when product previews are announced,the response always revolves around known existing products unless it is totally new and previously unattempted. So why the consternation my British cousins? Haven't you heard there is no such thing as 'bad' PR?(not that any bad PR has occured! ) AFV has a good product line and I am sure they will continue to advertise here on this site despite certain hand-wringing from otherwise sensible hobbyists. It's all good Brothers........... cheers!

DEC 15, 2006 - 09:25 AM

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