Churchill and the funnies

[Phil Woollard]

Great stuff, what do you guys think about the track link pattern?

[Stephen White]

I guess that depends on which mark Kian decides to produce. The choice is really between Mks III/IV for Tunisia (defeating Tiger 131) and Dieppe (Canadian interest) or Mk VII (Normandy to the Baltic). The latter would probably offer more choice for those who have a hankering for something other than a gun tank. The most prominent differences concern the turret/main armament rather than the tracks.

[Mark Heaps]

Another prominent difference & one to be aware of depending on which model is produced and which model you convert it to, is the shape of of the escape hatches in the sponson sides, round or square.

[Alex Easten]

I'm really hoping for a MKVII, as I'd like the option to build a Crocodile or a post war breech load AVRE or even a gun tank with the hedge row cutter.. So I guess later tracks for that, but if a MK III or IV, I would most likely look to build an AVRE, so I don't mind about the track choice, I quite like the blocky looking tracks if I'm honest.

If I went down the AVRE route I like the look of this MK IV model's blocky tracks.

Cheers,

Alex

[Alex Easten]

Looking at the latest tantalising picture of a MKIII at Bovington Armortek just posted to their Facebook page...maybe we're getting a MK III...Hopefully the option for a MK IV too? I just love a cast turret!

Cheers,

Alex

[Alex Easten]

[media]https://fb.watch/6C-rxEvoDm/[/media]

Continuing my self appointed role as Armortek Facebook advocate, the plot thickens, we might be getting a MK IV, I do love a cast turret!

Cheers,

Alex

[Alex Easten]

Apologies for spamming the thread again, but I found this and thought it was too good to not post...someone from the future has recorded a video of the Armortek Churchill IV according to the title!

All joking aside, it's an impressive scratch built model, and shows just how cool a 1/6 Armortek Churchill will be!

Cheers,

Alex

[Adrian Harris]

viewtopic.php?p=56517#p56517

[Alex Easten]

viewtopic.php?p=56517#p56517

Adrian, it's great to see that the build got finished, what a small world that the model is on the forum!

Cheers,

Alex

[Armortek]

How many of you fancy spot welding the track pins in place


Video should start at 1minute 6 seconds for the relevant clip.

[Stephen White]

The hydraulic throttle linkage was, I believe, the same system fitted to some British WW2 aircraft, notably the Short Stirling bomber and the Short Sunderland flying boat. They were literally lethal. Murray Peden, a Canadian Stirling pilot, summed up the problem:

“The throttle, mixture, and pitch controls were “Exactor” hydraulic controls, a type completely foreign to me. Up to this point in my career-and I was not alone in this-I had never encountered anything but straight mechanical linkage.
The Exactors, we found, required careful and frequent priming, otherwise startling problems arose. We heard stories of pilots on take off opening the throttle levers, from idle to full bore, without drawing any change in engine response whatsoever. Conversely, we learned that you could cut your throttles on landing and have the engines-or any combination of them-continue to roar at full power. This phenomenon was guaranteed either to kill you or to come very close to doing so. We became very Exactor-priming conscious.”

Murray Peden DFC, RCAF, wrote "A Thousand shall Fall", which I rate as one of the best flying memoire of WW2.

[Phil Crowther]

Roll on next year! I’m hoping that the necessary bits will be available fairly soon once production starts to convert to an AVRE. Once that iconic Petard mortar is in place the list of configurations is mind blowing. Fascines, box girder bridges, three types of bobbins, flails, goat demolition charges. I cannot wait to see what the incredibly talented folk out there come up with. I’m leaning towards a fascine carrier, personally. Or maybe a bridge layer, or a type D carpet layer. Or maybe forget the turret and go for an Italian Pattern ARK …….

[Adrian Harris]

Sounds like anyone who makes a standard gun tank is going to be in the minority

Adrian