Chieftain build by Phil Woollard.

[Phil Woollard]

Well vince funny you should say that as the detail just goes on and on the more you research it......how do you fancy cading a sterling machine gun and magazine?
A question for Stephen, what was the clansman radio hand set like, was it the black one piece like a trim phone?

[Vince Cutajar]

how do you fancy cading a sterling machine gun and magazine?

I can always give it a try but not promising anything. Still, I would need some basic dimensions to start with.

Vince

[Stephen White]

A question for Stephen, what was the clansman radio hand set like, was it the black one piece like a trim phone?

No, that was only used with manpacks and a version with terminals was used as a remote for use in dismounted OPs. Crewmen used the Staff User Headset with integrated boom mic, with or without the detachable Helmet Crewman's AFV.

005.JPG.a4848f23d09e7fd3c051da78d32a9371.jpg (79.87 KiB) Viewed 491 times

Dave was going to do these after doing the Larkspur radio ancillaries but he's been rather busy of late. Both Larkspur and Clansman are appropriate for a Mk 5 Chieftain.

Vince, there is one vital piece needed to add realism to your commander's sight. The totally inadequate gasket around the bottom mounting flange. It was cleverly designed to allow a constant and irritating drip of rain water to fall onto the commander's knees, leaving either looking as though he's wet himself or worse still, erasing all his carefully drawn tactical markings on his map (or for that matter, with a soggy sausage sarnie). It was brilliant of Vickers Defence to re-create the Chinese Water Torture so faithfully. So thoughtful. Never irradicated throughout Chieftain's service life. For that final touch of realism, the sight eyepiece brow pad could also have a smear of graphite grease, put there by a devoted crew to give their commander panda eyes....

[Vince Cutajar]

Vince, there is one vital piece needed to add realism to your commander's sight. The totally inadequate gasket around the bottom mounting flange. It was cleverly designed to allow a constant and irritating drip of rain water to fall onto the commander's knees, leaving either looking as though he's wet himself or worse still, erasing all his carefully drawn tactical markings on his map (or for that matter, with a soggy sausage sarnie). It was brilliant of Vickers Defence to re-create the Chinese Water Torture so faithfully. So thoughtful. Never irradicated throughout Chieftain's service life. For that final touch of realism, the sight eyepiece brow pad could also have a smear of graphite grease, put there by a devoted crew to give their commander panda eyes....

LOL.
Nice one Stephen.

Vince

[Phil Woollard]

Thank you stephen, I was thinking that the loader might use a hand or head set but you have clarified that a treat.
The sterling, well it's a very basic machine pistol using short round 9mm ammunition, used for close range protection, so ideal when you have to decamp from you afv. On range the effective range was only around 25 yards using the twist and turn running man targets and fired mainly from the hip. I'll find some photos on the net. The Chieftain's crew had one each.

[Vince Cutajar]

Phil, I found a lot of photos on the net but no basic dimensions to start me off with. I even found somebody selling replica plans for it.

The length of the body and diameter of the body would help. The rest I can eyeball. It's not going to be a functional 1/6 scale model but a static one.

Vince

[Phil Woollard]

That drawing sounds cool. I found these on the net, it's basically a 2" tube. Someone out there may have the dimensions? Stowed the folding stock was folded forward.

[Vince Cutajar]

That drawing sounds cool.

I'm too cheap to buy it. Some years ago I nearly got his MG42 plans.

I managed to find a cut-away drawing and assuming that the i.d. of the barrel is 9mm I can get an approximate idea of the other dimensions.

Vince

[Stephen White]

Ah, the Sterling. You'd cause more damage by throwing it at the enemy. If you were taking a range detail, there were things to watch out for, including making sure no-one held the gun with their finger over the muzzle - yes people were known to shoot the top off a finger - that you didn't speak to anyone from behind with their weapon cocked (because they were inclined to swivel around to hear what you were saying) and that firers resisted the Audie Murphy moment (hitting thee the end of the magazine with the open palm to check it was on securely) because under certain circumstances, a round could be chambered and fired, with consequent embarrassment. Apart from that it was good weapon. Oh, and it was easy to lose if you were stupid enough to rest it on the turret or bins and then drive off. Chances were then that the following tank would run over it and modify it to fire around corners. Of course none of this ever happened in a Royal Tank Regiment.

[Phil Woollard]

I have a 1/6 th sterling but it is now mounted deep in the turret for the loader, I should have taken some measurements, anyway I have just made an offer on another on ebay . We can then use that one with the vernier callipers, in the mean time Vince just cad away and I bet you get it right in no time, the magazine's were stowed all over the turret.

[Vince Cutajar]

Started drawing the front part.

I've got serious doubts how well it will 3D print.

Vince

[Phil Woollard]

Looks cool, Well we can do a draft print to see if it's feasible, as soon as you are ready let's do it, the ebay purchased sterling won't be here until next week sometime. If the stock and the mags are printed separately that may help.

[Vince Cutajar]

I am at the moment drawing each part separately. In the above picture there are three parts assembled together. One can try printing the parts separately and gluing them together but still doubtful if it will work.

Vince

[Vince Cutajar]

Some more progress. There are seven individual components in this assembly.

Vince

[Phil Woollard]

That looks good vince! The turret is starting to come together now