Centurion References

[Stephen White]

Kevin

The short answer:

- Forget Clansman, too late for Cent.

- Choice one: Larkspur, dead easy, all the mounts were the same, as per my photos.

- Choice two: the earlier WW2 era radios. Please see the diagramme on Page 2 of the document below:

http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/archive/7 ... iption.pdf

You need one each of the fat inverted cone (Number 21 on the diagramme, Aerial base No 10) and one long thin one (Number 5 on the diagramme). The latter is the one provided by Armorpax, noting that it had a protective ring around it which isn't shown on the diagramme but is on the ARmorpax part. All that ties up with the page from the User Handbook which you posted. The old No 19 set was in effect two radios, hence the need for two antennae. If an 88 set was fitted front left, it used the inverted cone (Number 21 above).

Hope that helps.

Stephen

[Kevin Hunter]

Brilliant Stephen, thanks. I think penny has dropped and I understand the chronology of the radios which I now think goes WS19/88, then Larkspur, then Clansman.
I guess my Mk 11 needs to go the Larkspur route.
Incidentally, for anyone considering the pre-larkspur era, Armorpax also do the upside down pudding bowl base No.10 referred to in Stephens post.
Kevin

[Stephen White]

Short Pathe film of Centurions in production including some sporting driving on a test circuit:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2cc_1303341652

Regards

Stephen

[Stephen White]

And a great film from 1951 of the first tank stabilisation system in the world on a Mk 3 Centurion. The rate of fire on the move is pretty amazing:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d5d_1302449828

Regards

Stephen

[Simon Peck]

Hi Stephen.
Great videos, thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Simon

[Kevin Hunter]

Dear All

The people at Wings & Wheels have a new book which has just gone to print and should be available on their website for order in the near future.

I've been chatting with Frantisek Koran for some time, having noticed that their original "Centurion In Detail" book was labelled "Part 1"! Finally, Part 2 is here...

Personally I was hoping for some Mk.11 pics, which I hope he will send me. The cover suggests it isn't included

Anyway - hope this is of interest

Kevin

[paul&robinmargle]

If the book's as good as the last one it should be very helpful to anyone still building.
I always liked the look of the Swedish Cent, shame no-one did one.

I have two requests for info/references:
1. What was a typical Brit tanker's outfit in the 60s, I have the Dragon 'Terry' figure and was wondering about dying the overalls more of a green colour
2. Does anyone have any ideas for simple generic Cent markings? I only know for certain bridge weight disc and convoy marking, I need something for the rear plate and front track guards.

Thanks,

Robin

[Stephen White]

Robin

Hope I can help. The WW2 battledress contiued until National Service ended in 1961. During that period, British tankies (never "tankers" - that's the US version), would have been issued with the one piece "Pixie Suit" which is on the Dragon figure. It came in the khaki colour . When Dragon first issued Teryy, the suit was camouflaged and the so called experts shouted that it was only issued in khaki. I belive someone then found a camouflage original made in Canade but they must have been pretty rare. To my knowledge, they were never green. So simple answer is that Terry is OK as is.

Battledress was too hot in summer and too cold in winter so during the Korean War in the early fifties, a type of combat dress was developed based on US and Canadian designs. At the end of National Service ten years later, those designs were used to develop a new combat kit in plain green material, which was replaced with DPM (disruptive pattern) in the seventies. I don't know if any of the one sixth figure people do the plain green combat kit - you'd have to do some research on the forums.

If you use Terry, his beret is Royal Tank Regiment. The RTR wears a one piece black denim suit, so you could easily find a suitable one piece job and dye/paint it black.

By the way, in any professional regiment, a commander who stood in the turret, as you often see on models, would either end up very dead or very locked up in the regimental jail. It was a cardinal sin. But then if youv'e gone to a lot of trouble to do a good replica, it's a shame only to have the head showing. I can get around that for my Aussie Cent because comanders in Vietnam often stood to fire the commander's MG - and very brave they were.

I'll see if I can find some generic markings for you.

Regards

Stephen