Chieftain Stuff

[Richard Goodwin]

Hi Dave,

Am not in any rush at the mo so no prob. I'll place my basic order in the next week; just let me know either way when you have the time re the Clansman Staff headset and stuff.

Keep up the good work!!

Many thanks

[Dave Dibb (Armorpax)]

Hi All,

Well apart from a little milliput work later, to make the gaiter on the elevation arm, that's the Gimpy mount for the Chieftain. I'm going to block it and make a resin mould so I can set one up to make the connecting Persicope cover and searchlight. This will also let me get the parts off for a cold cure mould to be made and reduce the time to metal moulds.

I've also done a full update set for the 4D M240 to make the L37A2

These are just resin test shots for now. Available in metal soon.

Best regards

Dave

[John Clarke]

That looks the Biz Dave

[andymusgrove]

Awesome work there Dave

[Dave Dibb (Armorpax)]

Hi All,

Its been a strange week so far...............................I, like most probably have no idea what short and long term effect the current crisis is going to have but I will endeavour to carry on as normally as social isolation etc. allows. I've test cast the GPMG mount in resin and all being well will get the parts sent off to get a cold cure mould made sometime next week, maybe on a future bog roll sortie..................3 have proved unsuccessful so far but my other half came in triumphant with a 9 roll pack Thursday evening. I will likely have to limit cleaning paint brushes with it to keep this elusive product for its primary purpose

Anyway, hope everyone keeps safe over the coming weeks/months and certain elements of society grow a conscience and start to think about the bigger picture and others, especially the key workers, who we will all rely on, and don't have the luxury of locusting a shop first thing.

On with semi normal service.

Best regards

Dave

[andymusgrove]

Keep your chin up Dave and stay well

Thanks for your great work on these parts all much appreciated mate.

Cheers mate.

Andy

[Dave Dibb (Armorpax)]

Hi All,

With the government restrictions in place we will be working hard to ensure your Chieftain crews can be kept fed and operational.

We will distribute stocks as soon as we are able.

Best regards

Dave

[John Clarke]

80% government subside or Freebee Dave?

[Phil Woollard]

Nice one, add to the list please Dave. One question, does the ration pack include curried chicken, boiled sweets and the "pissed of resistance" cheese possessed, and it was too? My God John your rubbing off on me.......Can I say that?

[Stephen White]

Great stuff Dave. Don't let anyone hoard compo.

Menu D was the champion, chicken curry. By 1981, Defence cuts had begun to bite and there were two casualties:

Hähnchen Supremo and Steak and Sidley alias "babbies' heeds".

I don't think I ever saw the famed Rich cake on exercise, the marrieds pinched it as a token of affection for their families at Endex. Mulletgatawny never saw the light of day either, it was one of those items regarded as unnecessary and often used on thunderflash mortars to persecute the infantry.

[Phil Woollard]

That menu takes you back. Biscuits fruit one of my favourites. Now it's all wet bags. The coffee was awful, so was the milk powder, the magarine was like axle grease, the bacon burgers were just heaven! Oh and the can opener gave you blisters.

[Richard Goodwin]

I agree with everything you say Phil with the exception of the can opener. They were brilliant especially when away on long fishing trips. I had one on my key ring for over 20 years until some jobsworth at Newquay International (yeah right) Airport decided it was an offensive weapon! Despite trying to stab myself in several places without success, he still didn't budge! It was like saying goodbye to a dear friend.....a tear was in the eye

[Dave Dibb (Armorpax)]

Hi John,

The Compo boxes will be free but only with the overpriced cast contents

Agreed on the Can Openers Richard, I still have 2 and a larger solid Hungarian or Czech version (I think) which always works when today's modern tin openers fail. I was rather partial to the meat spreads to make the biscuits AB palatable and bacon grill. We rarely saw the larger packs and normally had the 24 hour packs in belt kit.

Question or 2 I asked on FB earlier. Do you like the darker and patchy boxes done from modified full size box pics or would you like clean freshly issued boxes. Also can you Chieftain experts give me a suitable box date range to suit your builds. I know Dave N wants Menu D adding

Best regards

Dave

[Dave Nadin]

Hi Dave brilliant work, on the compo the date range would be from Mid 1976 through to early 1980s. as the field rations were reviewed in 1985 due to cost restraints, Remember the great Defence Moratorium, (when the MoD ran out of money). I be asking for the slandered 3 day ration supply in as new boxes please.
The GPMG mount kit is looking good, (just not sure about the oversized mussel brake / silencer shown in the picture. LoL Defo i have one

Stay safe out there every body Dave n

[Mark Heaps]

on the compo the date range would be from Mid 1976 through to early 1980s.

I would have to disagree with that date range for Compo for a Chieftain Mk5.
The only time in 22 years I had new compo was when trialling the first boil-in-the-bags before they were accepted into service.
New compo was held in war stocks until the shelf-life had expired when it was then issued for training.
Occasionally where it had been found that an item had gone off, you would get re-sealed packs where a compo item had been removed and replaced with a civilian equivalent. Or if the possibly affected boxes had already been issued out to units, instructions would come out that the dodgy item was not to be consumed but immediately disposed of on opening the box.

Mark