CHIEFTAIN

[Stephen White]

Mark, your account of DFWES in Canada made me laugh. I can now confess that I was commanding the 2RTR OPFOR at the time. As soon as the first engagements began, we suspected something was wrong but it took a while for me to persuade BATUS to call a halt before the OPFOR's reputation was trashed. It turned out that some over-protective intelligence wonk had supplied SAAB with doctored data on Challenger levels of protection in order to preserve secrecy, whilst supplying the real data on T-64. We worked in a muck sweat to get better data into the system and SAAB rose to the challenge. Once we had tested it, it was all pretty good and the best man won. I wonder why it wasn't properly tested before we got our hands on it.

After that, it was such good training. We could never predict the outcome but never lost a battle. That didn't matter as the objective was to train the Battle Groups, not us. On one occasion, Battle Group to remain nameless, I went for a shower early and let my second in command have a go. I went to prepare the action review when I met the Divisional Commander. He asked if the battle had finished since the Battle Group was parked up in a leaguer. I replied, somewhat smugly, that if he noticed, they all had flashing lights on, which signified that they'd all been "killed" and that we'd get the rest shortly. He was rightly appalled and "requested" that we never did that to a Battle Group again. We didn't and it was great training and great fun thereafter. The problem with live firing on tanks is that the targets never shoot back. With DFWES, they do.

Perhaps we could get Armortek to do a Scorpion, then I could do a Salamander (a Scorpion with a length of Canadian drainpipe and two 45 gall oil drums attached to represent a T-64).

Stephen

[Adrian Harris]

> Bridge on upside down?

I presume the bridge can be picked up from both ends, so that it could be laid over an obstacle, driven over, then picked up to move on to the next obstacle. That would mean every second pick-up, it was the "wrong" way up.

Adrian.

[John Clarke]

The Reserve is in. Couldn't resist.


An Icon of the 60's and the Mk5 Chieftain was a major force of the sleeping Giant that no enemy wished to wake

An ominous beast and respect to all those that worked and operated them.

With recent the fantastic offerings from Armortek the Mk5 Chieftain will surely be the best looking, most advanced model, topping their product line up.

Can't wait to see the prototype pictures.

As for packing it out with goodies, the real one is like a tin of fake fungi soup, Not much room in side.

That said, chieftain was considered roomy. A statement by the driver probably.



I started getting cramp after 5 minutes in the gunners seat, and that was without the commanders knees in back of the head!
how the crew did many hours/days in the cramped, damp, dull, cold environment I'll never know.
Actually I do, they were ordered to do it.
"I spy" must got very boring after while. Seem's like a living hell to me.



A vehicle driven by the Royals too........Another good reason for fearing this beast on the road.

[Simon Peck]

How many Chieftans are Armortek making?

[Graham Hough]

No doubt the choice of this new model has pleased a lot of people but for those who cannot afford over £5000 it would be nice to have a new 'Kompact' model some time? Anyway I look forward to the build notes on the forum when it is released.

[Mark Heaps]

A vehicle driven by the Royals too........Another good reason for fearing this beast on the road.

That picture brought back so many memories. Many a time I dropped down into that position to fix a fault or adjust the gratiule pattern. I have forgotten all the acronyms for the different boxes but I reckon I could still carry out a full functional check and set it up ready to fight.

Where is the commander´s seat cushion and his back-rest cushion ?

Mark

[Steve Norris]

To many Armortek kits to build, must resist, must resist, must resist,
Dam deposit paid

Regards
Steve

[John Clarke]

Ok Ok I'll Buy one!


The nice thing about Chieftain is that at shows, an "ordinary" person might get to sit or ride in one, even buy the odd bit for a not too extortionate price.


Mark, where we're going we won't need cushions.


At the time of sitting in the monster, I was more worried about where I'd put my legs.

I cannot imagine what it must have been like when that lump of a breach comes back, after the "shoot" instruction had been given.

The only thing I can think of is that over riding thrill of shooting the thing, over comes the potential fear of what could happen if you don't do your job properly.

I couldn't get over how difficult it must have been to get at equipment like the co-ax and RMG. I suppose there were worst things to get at, but I was only interested in the shooting stuff.

[Adrian Harris]

Here's a video from my day out at Juniper Leisure, showing that Chieftain doesn't always smoke like a steam train, even when driven by rank amateurs



Adrian.

[Mark Heaps]

I hope Armortek keep records of how to produce the long bin. They will need that part again if they produce the 430 series, CVR(T) , CR1 or Warrior at a later date.

Mark

[John Clarke]

Here's a video from my day out at Juniper Leisure, showing that Chieftain doesn't always smoke like a steam train, even when driven by rank amateurs

My point exactly, ordinary folk having grand day out without having to be minted.

Even Princess Anne commanded a Chieftain and brother Prince Charles has had a go at driving too. Phil would have been in the driving seat, but he forgot to bring his sunglasses with him that day.

[John Clarke]

Here's a rare piece as found that didn't cost an arm and a leg.
Rare because there's not many around. Ok, there's a few in North Africa/middle east, on firing ranges, museums and the odd farm barn,

But rarer still because it was un-used on the production line and ended up in the bottom of a retired workman's tool box.
The day after the tool box was cleaned out, it appears on Ebay.

Now imagine how much an original Henschel VK 4501 brand new, old unused chassis plate from the factory would cost.
Nope, your never going to get one!

The great thing about Chieftain, things like this still keep turning up.

[Mark Heaps]

Hi John,
I am not sure why but it just looks wrong.

[Stephen White]

Adrian, interesting video. That's not a happy Chieftain. They've by-passed the exhaust box for some reason and the gear select is dodgy. The engine was grossly over-revving, which suggests they couldn't select the upper gears.

A few tasters from the SW Model Show this weekend. A tempting 4th Tanks Chinese Eye (actually on the Matilda I) and a plastic Chieftain. This is the Takom kit with Voyager photo-etch) in 1/35th. If you've got the patience and skill to do all the photo-etch, it makes a quite outstanding maquette for the real thing when it's released in the Autumn. This is a late Mk 11 with Stillbrew armour rather than the Armortek Mk 5 but Takom do make the latter.

[Adrian Harris]

> engine was grossly over-revving, which suggests they couldn't select the upper gears.

My memory of the instructions is hazy but I think it was more likely the driver had floored the accelerator and wasn't kicking the tank up through the gears fast enough. I did say it was being driven by rank amateurs

Adrian.