Mr Dawe's Centurion.

[Stephen White]

You'd need to include the drink-crazed MoJos in the cab. I only had one experience of being the transporter officer for the Regiment and it set my liver back several years. They were great blokes, all wartime soldiers who'd chosen not to repatriate at the end of the war. They could turn the Antars on a sixpence as long as they had suitable refreshment. Wouldn't happen now, thank heavens.

[John Clarke]

Ooooh, an Antar and Centurion, certainly gets the juices flowing, what a sight! Could it be bettered?
Silly me.

Antar and a Chieftain of course

I'd never live long enough to complete it. or the skill to build it. or vice versa for that matter.

Phil, your builds always push the envelope at break neck speed which keeps the interest fresh, I find myself looking forward to the next episode like a kid looking forward to the next Saturday morning matinee. (Showing my age now)

I think Armortek should really endorse with approvals.

Looking forward to the Cent upgrade, Mr Dawe's a lucky man. I'd like to build a basket for mine.
When I get time
So Ill be scrutinizing the pictures closely.

As for Chieftain you be able to build four by the time I could build one. I'll be Hummed and Harred over the "next" bit for much too long continuously, then get bored with it and move on to something else.
I've just spent two weeks putting the deck grills together. Then thinking, I'm sure could I do better with the look.
So experiments begin Onwards and upwards.

Conqueror, the last of the heavies, nice, would make a fantastic model but like most interesting builds there'd be a lack of customer interest and customer interest sells.
One wonders how Winston will do once the funnys have been sold.

Smokey old beasts

[Michael Cecil]

While the British Army advanced to the 'Mighty Antar', the Australian Army persevered with two WW2 vintage Diamond-T 980's combined with the Australian designed and built 60 ton tank transporter trailer in a 'push-pull' configuration to transport Centurion. The 'pull' Diamond-T was converted to a tractor with a fifth wheel, while the 'pusher' retained the original ballast body.

This combination is seen in the early to mid-1960s on the run between 1st Armoured Regiment at Puckapunyal, Victoria, and the workshop/ordnance depot complex at Bandiana, Victoria. The 460 km round trip was slow: something like 5 days: 2 days up, 1 day rest & load, 2 days back. Image & data courtesy L.McLean)

Mike

[Phil Dawe]

Wow, it looks like loading would have been a real heart stopping experience and definitely not for the feint hearted!

[Phil Woollard]

Love that "rig" Michael, a 5th wheel, a turntable and a pusher!
John I'm so glad that I entertain you guys, it's a bit of a pain to keep a photographic record of progress, then post and write something interesting but it's part of what I do, it's also invaluable for the client and myself to discuss all aspects of the build as it's goes forward.
Reference endorsement, in my opinion I think I'm more of a thorn in the side lol.

[Phil Woollard]

Some internal pics for the boss so we can plan the engine bay, to include the radiators and working cooling fans.

[Phil Woollard]

One of the better Centurion videos this being part 1 , a quick reference for me and others, part 2 to follow.

[Michael Cecil]

Just take no notice of his comments regarding the Australian use.
'Ordered 1950' - nope, initial inquiries late 1948/ early 1949, first formal proposal March 49, first firm order (of several) November 1949.
'Diverted to Korea' - nope - all deliveries were as per Aust Govt's agreed 1951-1952 financial year delivery timetable, with proviso that the last few of the 60 ordered were in transit on 30 June, and landed in Australia in July 1952. The minor delays in delivery can all be traced to Aust government paperwork delays and the availability of suitable 'below deck' shipping.
'Arrived Feb 1952' - nope, first batch of tanks left UK July 1951 and were landed in Australia Sept 1951. Most of the first 60 were already in Australia by Feb 1952.
'117 vehicles' - nope, 117 Gun tanks: 60 Mk3 plus 57 Mk5 = 117 gun tanks + 6 ARV Mk2 + 4 Bridgelayers as new vehicles, plus a quantity of second-hand vehicles including seven gun tanks and an ARV Mk.1 from NZ, and 15 gun tanks from UK stocks in Hong Kong. The ex-NZ gun tanks were all reduced to components to supply spare parts. Hence the number of gun tanks totalled 139, of which 132 received Australian registration numbers.

Mike

[Phil Woollard]

Reference photos for the boss.

[John Clarke]

Nice looking build as is Phil,
I presume these are the "Before" pictures for the up and coming anticipated events? .

Micheal C, dont be too hard on "the Chieftain," he probably doesn't write his own scripts anymore.
WOT probably do it in the same lazy way they promote designs on the game.

I like watching "the Chieftain" describe, climb in and out vehicles I can only dream about.
Few would have neither the time, the money or the notoriety for the visits to collections I've never heard of, bringing the magic of the museums into the TV rooms of the viewer.

And I especially like "The tanks on fire" bit.
Being tall and a bit over weight I can empathise.

[Phil Woollard]

Hi JC, I love those initials......Jeremy Clarkson Jesus Christ. The Cent has been well put together and has had little use and so makes a good starting point, blank canvas to build something special.
Phil and Phil are obviously at the planning stage right now, we are amassing information from the good folk on the forum, reference books and of course the internet. It will have the 105 cannon, IR night fighting equipment, thermal sleeve, up armour etc used by NATO, so black and green camouflage with the bazooka plates fitted. So should equate to a Mk11 or mk6/2, we are still looking for a suitable vehicle ( with enough photos there of ) to reproduce the unique features but as always we may need to compromise.

[Kevin Hunter]

I shall be watching with interest, as I do all your builds Phil but more so this time. My own Cent is intended to be a Mk11
Best wishes for Christmas and New Year.
Kevin

[John Clarke]

Happy Xmas one and all.
I now have a couple of Tankies in the right garb for my Cent, though one in a box and I'm reluctant to discharge.

PW, I prefer JR, using my other initial, (there's something about the Ewing's I like dream plots and big hair maybe).
As for Jeremy Clarkson (apparently expelled from a school near by). Who would have thought he'd have a had a second coming with a farm show after his boxing career failed
You've got your work cut out with the Cent, Like all British tanks it's covered in little detail (tripping hazards).

Centurion
Good looking tank it is.

[Phil Woollard]

The Centurion engine doesn't smoke much! This one is running like a bag of sh.te.

[Michael Cecil]

John, I agree with you that there is much in those WOT videos to view and be interested in, despite the Chieftain's prattle. However, the factual errors soon become 'fact' in some (many?) viewers minds. Same as errors in publications, for which every author must, to one degree or another, stand guilty (and I include myself amongst the guilty) - we do the best we can with what we know at the time of publication.

I know the origin of the 'they were diverted to Korea' statement, which came from a well-known and highly regarded book on Centurion - I think still THE best currently available book on the Centurion. The author, a friend, only realised much later that he'd been led up a garden path and there was nothing to support it, but too late: it's now 'fact'.

The Chieftain's damning of the Australian Cruiser Tank is another case in point: many assumptions, very few facts, lots wrong, but, hey, it's in the video and must be right, surely? So if I watch his videos about AFVs I know nothing or little about, it always leads me to wonder how much is fact, and how much is fiction, while still enjoying the camera work.

All I was saying was don't take the prattle at face value: some at least is wrong.

Mike