Thanks Kevin. I've done a couple more panels before heading for my second home at Heathrow. This update will focus on a recent discovery by my good friends and owner/advisors, Paul Scott and Mike Cecil. This relates to the resilient rails (aka gun depression rails). All I knew was that they were modified when the Type B 20 pdr barrels were introduced with the fume extractor. Paul pointed out that the front sections are mounted on seven studs or mounting blocks welded to the hull and have a wooden spacer which raises the rail. It can clearly be seen on the Bovington Mk 3:
and on this Mk 3:u
Here is the challenge. The tank I'm replicating, ARN 169064, seemed to have eight mounting studs:
Confirmed in this enlargement:
After researching a selection of photos, MIke and Paul were able to see a pattern emerging, with seven studs being associated with earlier ARNs:
and eight studs with later ARNs:
The tentative conclusion was that Mk 3 hulls were built with seven studs and those hulls built from scratch as Mk 5 or later having eight studs. Hulls re-worked from Mk 3 to Mk 5 did not appear to have the number of studs changed. Threre were however a few anomalies which seemed to throw the theory until Mike noted that in 1971 Australia purchased replacement Cents from UK stocks held in Hong Kong (where I am now) and in 1969 from New Zealand. These were given late series ARNs yet some of them have seven studs. This is explained as Mike noted by some of these tanks having been built as Mk 3s. In at least one case, a mine damaged Australian Mk 5/1 hull was replaced by a NZ Mk 3 hull.
So what? Well, firstly, a great amount of sastifaction uncovering for the record a detail of Centurion lost to history, some corroboration for another detail on the model and lastly, something about "getting it right" for those who built and operated the Cent. All that and building an international community of people with similar interests. That's why I find Armortek tank building so absorbing.
Regards
Stephen
