CHIEFTAIN

[Alex Easten]

Well then, the deposit is in, and it looks like I'm finally back in the Armortek fold after many years of absence. I'm very excited that Armortek are taking this leap into "modern" armour. That being said I think Chieftain is as modern as I would personally be interested in.

I've got a feeling Chieftain is going to be a very special model, the Armortek community has always been packed with experts in the modelling scene, but for the first time (that I am aware of at least) the gents who actually served on Chieftain will not only provide advice, but also build models of their old vehicles- as Stephen eluded to when he opened this thread along with other members of the forum.

My link to Chieftain isn't as strong as other members, but when my father was young, and being a Geordie lad he worked in the Vickers plant where some of the Chieftains were manufactured. Some of the stories he's told me from before the days of health and safety would make your hair stand on end! To finish my first message on the Chieftain ownership side of things, some pictures from my visits to the Yorkshire Air Museum, where the 'Super chieftain' resides. The second photo is from 2010, and the first photo from last week, it's certainly good to see that a mild cosmetic restoration has been undertaken with this particular Chieftain. Please pardon my dog in the second photo, he was never one for posing for photos.

Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to the next few months.

Best,

Alex

[Stephen White]

Alex, great you're back.

Thought I'd add some gunnery flavour to this thread. This is what Chieftain is all about, the L7A5 120mm Great Persuader with its ability to administer a mild admonition to Her Majesty's Enemies in time of war (aka a serious slapping):

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It's that iconic image of the gun over the side that captures the spirit of Chieftain.

Here's a flavour of what it's like to fire:

For the eagle eye, this is actually Challenger 1 but the impression is the same, same places, same effects. (The photos were taken during my last live firing). From the inside:


The thermal imaging sight (TOGS):

The times 1 direct view through the commander's sight, with the collimated image of the sight reticle on the right, to allow the commander to see what the gunner is aiming at:

The sight picture, with scales for APDS (armour piercing discarding sabot) and HESH (high explosive squash head). DS(T) is a training round:

All taken from this seat:

This will be a model which cries out for barrel smoke, recoil, flash, sound, stabilisation ...........


Stephen

[John Clarke]

It's been raining on and off in sunny blighty for the last few days. I nice chap has asked me for some more pictures of the King Tiger I'm selling. So I'll have to move things around to get the KT ready for a photo shoot.
That meant that I had to get this Chieftain tank out to clear the way. While out side I took a few shots of this MOD R&D model in the garden.
A perfect opportunity to see what Armortek could be cooking up for us with their latest model enterprise.
Of course as soon as the model Chieftain came out, it started chucking it down! Took a few snap snap wink wink pictures and back under cover.
And so
I'm hoping for a cast turret with all the proper humps and bumps (including the subtle one on the roof) associated with the fantastic Chieftain turret.

I'm hoping for detailed cupola like this one, but powered, thick louvered rear deck plates that hinge open and a chunky cast glacis plate.

















Get in! wipe down, Back on it's belly plate blocks to prevent premature suspension sag ( well nobody wants that do they)

[Mark Heaps]

And the coke can smoke discharger tester as an added extra.

[Adrian Harris]

Is that a bow wave deflector mounted between the headlights ?

Adrian.

[Stephen White]

Yes, the bow plate was introduced to protect the driver's optics from mud splash. Chieftain was designed to be driven closed down and with a very sloped glacis, it could get pretty wet down below. You could push a bow wave ahead of the tank but if you got the speed just a little wrong, the backwash would envelop the driver's hatch. If you were opened up, you got a lap full but the worst bit was the water diverted up into the turret ring area. When you next slowed down, the remaining water poured down your neck, completing the job. Don't ask me how I know.

[Stephen White]

And the coke can smoke discharger tester as an added extra.

Never mind the tester, these look suspiciously like ring pulls........

Which would make them Herforder tinnies.

3RTR, 1986.

[Armortek]

Sunday morning humour .....

image taken from a forum comment about our upcoming Chieftain kit

[Stephen White]

Interesting little bit of original Royal Armoured Corps Chieftain training film, basic tank tactics. If only it were that simple.



Stephen

[Stephen White]

Obvious really.....

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S

[Mark Heaps]

Just spotted on the web-site, all reserved apart from the last one.

[Steve Norris]

That must be some sort of record, looks like Armortek have hit on another winner with this kit.
Regards
Steve

[Simon Peck]

Could well be the smallest production run of all?

[Stephen White]

Mark, Steve so pleased it’s sold so well as it was another brave decision by Armortek to explore new directions. I suspect it’s tapped into a new range of customers who either served on it or were associated with it (and possibly also those who just like big and impressive). In that sense it’s another FAMO but not thankfully a truck. Armoured Armortek lives.....

[Phil Woollard]

Don't poo poo the trucks Stephen. Without the logistic backing of the wheeled varieties the heavy armour goes nowhere, how do you fancy a Stalwart to feed your British Leyland motors? Now that would be an impressive vehicle in 1/6th for Armortek to produce. The Stalwart had a rather nice 4 wheeled trailer to drag the replacement power pack that you were also going to need to complete your mission .