Harry_the_Spider

They seem to be holding up pretty well. Only "combat" damage was a broken suspension arm on the T34, probably caused by it getting rammed by a Tamiya Madbull that can do about 20mph. Had a few bits fall off, but they just get super glued back on. Will upgrade the gearboxes when one fails, but at present there are no issues. The radios are a bit fragile though, so we have to be careful that they don't get dropped. Also, rather irritatingly, I now have a spare that I could have done without buying. Was thinking of doing a Berlin Brigade colour scheme on the Challenger but impatience got the better of me. Will spray some Tamiya Smoke around the exhausts and leave it at that. The panel line darkening, I have the desert scheme, looks a but rubbish close up, but from a couple of feet away it is quite effective. My new bike shed will will be 2ft longer than the current one, so I'll have space for some racking. Will be eyeing up a T90 and Sherman in the New Year

For Ambush Tactics - Emerge from flower bed/get off a couple of shots/run away - the T34 is the best. Challenger has the speed to run between prepared potions (piles of 3 bricks) without getting picked off, however its length means that you can't traverse to gun on the "narrow path". T34 is also better at "Plank Bridge" (ramp up step between the upper and lower bits of the garden). The width and length of the Tiger and Challenger means that they can slip off to one side causing the hull to ground, which makes them a sitting duck if you can get in behind them to the turret's rotational dead spot. If it becomes a Mexican Stand-Off in the middle of the lawn then it just comes down to who has the best aim. We've been playing with these a lot!

Switch on the T34 is underneath. Constantly knocking bits off it when rolling it over. Anyhow, Challenger 2 is the new favourite, even if the handling is the worst of the three due to its track length. In a back garden skirmish the T34 will have it due to superior turning ability.

I'm glad you warned me about the switch as I wouldn't have thought of looking there and it isn't where it states in the manual.

Challenger 2 had arrived and I'm pretty impressed. Had the usual battle getting the decals to adhere, but they are all on after a couple of hours of careful application and bad language. Not had chance to attach any of the "bits" as it was nearly midnight by the time I'd got the last of the transfer film off. Having some track tension issues as the drive sprockets jump out when I've run it on rougher ground. I'll wind out the tensioners, but I was too tired and hot to bother with trying to get at the tiny screw yesterday. 9.75 / 10 so far, and I didn't even get a telling off from the missus!

Where is it? Topside I hope, like on the Tiger.

Challenger 2 arrives today. Ooops.

Needs photos, or it didn't happen.

How many have you got now?

Well, batteries out for a couple of days and a 10 second press on the start button (tank off) and the bloody thing came back to life! All this after I'd just shelled out £35+ on a spare. The shop were happy to replace the original if there was a fault, but it seems to have gone for now. As these things are a bit fragile and I'm a bit clumsy it makes sense to have one boxed up in the cupboard I suppose.

You're not wrong! I've read Warburton's War and Fortress Malta. He certainly was a character. There is a documentary about him too that you can find on-line.

Anyway, interesting aircraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Maryland#British_service

He used it prior to the battle of Taranto in November 1940. Flew it through the harbour, twice, at mast height gaining many photographs, bullet holes and a bit of rigging wrapped around the tail wheel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Warburton Picture

Adrian Warburton's absolutely battered martin Maryland from his time on Malta. The real aircraft was an absolute shed, and so is my version of it. I had a go at just about every weathering and battering technique that I could think of, short of taking it outside and shooting it. Quite happy with the result apart from losing the nose glazing and having to cobble up something out of the spares box. Pleased with the home made decals, not so pleased with a masking leak causing fogging in the turret. The kit is the Eastern Express / Frog rebox and is showing its age. It was also quite badly warped so i doubt that this one would fly in a straight line, which could probably be said of the real thing.

Progress! Looking as beaten up as the real thing.