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Hello everyone, I was looking forward to this build, because I find A9 quite an interesting tank and I read good stuff about Gecko's kit. And I needed something pleasant to build after my experience with Vulkan's Vickers Light Tank. It turns out that what I heard about Gecko's kit was true. It is one of the best kits I have ever built. Especially regarding the details, which are absolutely fantastic. A9 was quite an interesting vehicle. It was not very reliable and was prone to braking down quite often. It's recognizable by two auxiliary turrets housing Vickers MGs. However, they were rarely used, because turrets were extremely hot in desert conditions. They were used to stow additional ammunition instead. It was also plagued by the underpowered AEC bus engine. Overall, it was the beginning of the long and troublesome way to find the successful cruiser tank design that ultimately lead to great designs by the end of the war. This model should represent 1RTR, 'A' squadron tank. The photo I used as a reference was tankan in April 1941 in Derna Pass. It's interesting to me that this photo was probably taken at the same time and at the same place as the photo of Panzer III Ausf. G that I was building a few moths ago. However, A9 was probably abandoned earlier this year, during the Operation Compass, because the 1RTR was not present in this area after February 1941. Abandoned tank was probably moved to the side of the road to clear the passage for the advancing columns. Model was built out of the box, with only some very minor changes, like registration plate (which was mounted differently on this particular tank) and some wiring added. Kit provides quite nice interior, and with so many hatches, I decided to keep them open. Tracks are indy links and are fabulous! Model was painted with MRP lacquers for camouflage painting and combination of Gunze and Vallejo for detail painting. This tank was painted in standard Caunter Scheme (Portland Stone, Silver Gray, Slate), although there are some deviations compared to the official scheme, especially on the frontal side of the tank. This was quite common at the time and Caunter Scheme was simplified by the army painters. And here are some details. I tried to capture some of the interior. I heard some cracking noise while attaching the turret to the hull, but I was not able to determine did I break something. Until I saw photos of course That's when I noticed that turret plates separated a bit. But I'll leave that to be fixed some other time. And at the end, the real thing. Thanks for watching and looking forward to your feedback. Cheers, Nenad

I had entered into a build hiatus while waiting for my chosen subject for the MTO GB to arrive. With the current COVID-19 implications, and the possible impact on supply, receiving it within time is a concern. So, a visit to the LHS was warranted to see if there was an appropriate subject on the shelf . One that I could get into immediately. Preferably, with everything in the box - no aftermarket required. The LHS do have an exceptional armour selection and a good range of MiniArt's Lee and Grant Offerings. A Grant - what a great subject! With wallet in one hand and the chosen subject in the other, without the detailed interior, it was time to part with some cash and get it home and on the bench. A bit of a change of pace from my aircraft builds and one that I always really enjoy. AFV's are a great circuit breaker. So here it is, brand new, not even out of the plastic bags. Once I had the kit back, I then took a quick look to see what other armour was under construction in the GB. I discovered that we will have a squadron of 1/35 Grants with the Takom from @SoftScience and another MiniArt from Enzo @Enzo Matrix . Understandable, it's a very cool subject. So we have a mini Grant GB within the GB - could be a 7th Armoured Division rat plague! I have not chosen the final scheme. I think we all like the 3-colour scheme with highlighted olive drab. I will pick something a little different. Will post that soon and hope to be into the construction this weekend. Looking forward to launching into the build with hopefully a fitting result. Ray