AEC Mk.II, MiniArt 1/35

[Maxim_G]

Started to build this beauty...

I've decided not to follow strange step 1 in instruction - to cut 44 (!) 2 mm high pieces from 6-pdr "cartridges" supplied with the kit. Instead of this obviously annoying work, I carefully drilled out tubes in ammo bins with 2 mm diameter drill:

Now "cartridges" can be put inside the tubes without any problems. Also, it is easier to handle full size parts instead of small "tablets".

Fighting compartment floor with ammo bins installed:

Driver compartment floor with driver's seat:

Hull sides with details added - escape hatch and water tank:

[robw_uk]

nice start - look forward to more progress

[Maxim_G]

Interior painted silver:

I know about statement, that british armour interiors were painted white since 1941 and till end of the war. But some sources said that aluminium paint was still in use during this time. Some interiors photos of unrestored AFV's (for example, Churchill) also show aluminium paint without any marks of white. Walk around of Mk.II on WarWheels.net (vehicle from Bastogne war museum, if I do not mistake), which i use as reference, also has aluminium interior. So I decided to use silver, as it seems more interesting to me than common white color.

Electric wiring was added to right wall from stretched sprue and then "connected" to switchbox:

Engine bulkhead detailed and painted:

Driver's workplace assembled and painted:

Hull partially assembled - floor, right side, engine bulkhead, lower front glacis. Also pedals and gearshift lever installed:

[tonyot]

This is looking very nice so far and having just finished off one myself I wish you luck,.....it will be worth it,

Cheers

Tony

[Maxim_G]

Thanks for replies!

Now I'm assemling turret interior and one serious drawback of the kit is lack of gun breech end details. There is no recoil guard and no shoulder brace at all. I still cannot find good reference on these details, so I will be glad if someone can direct me to good photo or drawing reference for 6 pdr breech end (or 75-mm OQF as it seems quite similar to 6 pdr).

[Crossy]

Great work so far mate

[Maxim_G]

I continue adding details to interior.

Driver's "intercom" connection box installed, patch-cord with connector is made from sprue:

As Miniart completely ignored handbrake lever, new one was made from sheet plastic:

Additional opening for handbrake shaft drilled in right sideplate:

Lever in place:

Driver's satchel for headphone set also missed in the kit. However, there is two such satchels for turret crew. Fortunately, one friend of mine who don't want to build interior donated spare parts, including satchels, to me. Driver's satchel in place:

Hull interior as it is for current moment:

Another one question arised: in which basic colour car was painted at the factory? As AEC was in production until late 1943, it seems to me that most likely there should be S.C.C.2 colour. Or am I wrong with this?

[Maxim_G]

Let's continue...

Parallel to hull assembly I started to build turret.

In my kit turret roof was bent:

- nothing serious but unpleasantly whatever.

Some details to the roof - boxes, fan etc.:

Turret rotation power unit assemled:

Turret floor partially assembled:

Front turret glacis with gun mantle:

Pins of gun mantle sits in trunnions with seriuos gaps and hang loose. To fix this problem, I've drilled trunnions together with pins trough, then put pieces of stretched sprue into these holes, fixing it with glue on mantle side. Now there is enough tension in the joint to keep gun still in any position:

Edited December 27, 2013 by Maxim_G

[Hamden]

Nice work on the trunnions. The build is coming along and I'm enjoying watching you, sitting back now waiting for the next instalment

Roger

[Maxim_G]

I've painted dashboard and installed it in place:

Manuals box on the left wall of driver's compartment isn't present in the kit, so I have made it from sheet plastic:

I've started to build turret interior also. Support for BESA spent shell bag:

- should have perforations instead of recesses.

Corrected issue:

Turret floor partially assembled:

Also partially done turret walls and ring:

Gun breech end is great disapointment - details are very basic, no recoil guard, no shoulder brace, no breech opening lever:

- still looking for good reference on this issue.

[Crossy]

Nice progress mate

[Alpha Delta 210]

Wow! There is some sensational modelling in evidence here. The driver's seat is a work of art in its own right! Well done.

[Maxim_G]

Thank you, mates! Further progress will follow shortly.

[Maxim_G]

One step closer to finish fighting compartment interior - gun ammo painted and placed into bins:

Here I should return back to step No.1 in kit instruction, - those 2 mm high pieces protruding from ammo bins as MiniArt offered. Just to warn everyone that this recomendation is totally wrong. 6 pdr APC cartridges was 23.2" long and APCBC was 26.3". In 1/35 this is 16.8 mm and 19.1 mm correspondingly. As kit's ammo bins are 11.5 mm high, shells should protrude for 5 mm APC and 7.5 mm APCBC, but not 2 mm!

According to stowage diagramms, APCBC shells should be placed in inner row of the bin, so I've done same way.

Also engine build started:

[Hamden]

Very very nice like what you've done so far

Waiting for the next instalment!!

Roger

[Maxim_G]

Thanks, Roger. Here goes next installment.

Missed from the kit, hand brake system details added from scratch - arms and rod:

Drive axles partially assembled:

Rear leaf springs and transfer case installed:

[Alpha Delta 210]

As I said before - sensational!!

[Maxim_G]

Final touches to fighting compartment - added BESA ammo boxes, "forgotten" by MiniArt and kindly donated by friend of mine, - on the right side under the hatch and in the rear corners:

Holding brackets for corner boxes was made from thick aluminium folie:

Driver hatch painted and installed in place. As well as etched parts for open position lock. There is mistake in instruction, as it suggest to fit handle of this lock on the inner side of lock bracket, but this is completely wrong - handle should be on the outer side, closer to the wall, so I've corrected this issue. The hatch supposed to be moving, - to allow this, I have made open position fixing rod also moving:

Continued to work with drive axles:

Test fitting of engine and tanks:

To give more colours to engine compartment, I have painted fuel tank with red oxide primer and oil tank with black, keepnig internal surfaces of compartment in S.C.C.2 - I think that during factory assembly fuel/oil/coolant tanks was painted separately from the hull and installed after hull itself was painted. At least this seems logical to me...

[Crossy]

She great mate, so much attention to detail

Crossy

[Vally G]

The interior is very well done, Maxim.

Kind regards,

Adam

Edited January 26, 2014 by Vally G

[Hamden]

Stunned by your attention to detail, this is going to be a real show stopper!!

Roger

[Maxim_G]

After two weeks break due to the business trip, AEC assembly continues...

Driver's hatch springs installed with some modifications, to keep hatch movable:

Upper hull part fixed in place:

...then side boxes:

...rear fenders:

...rear axle, driveshafts, actuating rods and levers for rear brakes:

Steering mechanism rods and levers are made movable to allow movement of complete mechanism:

Front axle "under construction":

...and assembled:

Front axle secured in place, steering in action:

Edited February 7, 2014 by Maxim_G

[Alpha Delta 210]

As I said before - sensational workmanship and attention to detail. I look forward to each instalment.

[Killingholme]

Don't know if this is inspiring me to build mine or simply terrifying me in its complexity. Probably both in about equal amounts at the moment...

Thanks for the continued blog of the build- some very clean building and the photos are very useful as reference material for potential builders of this kit like me!

[IanW]

Stunning work - coming along really well.

Cheers,

Ian