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Hello everyone, this is my first post here so hopefully the links to the pictures work! This is my take on Bronco's A9 tank, a fascinating design from the mid 1930s which saw action in the early years of WW2. I've done my model as 'Arnold' from the 1st Royal Tank Regiment in Abbassia, Egypt. I've only been able to find one photo of this particular vehicle, which was taken around mid-day (judging by the shadows) on 30 May 1940. My model shows Arnold on this day. The kit is mostly out of the box. I scratch built a few parts such as the straps for baggage on the right storage bins, fuel cans on the rear fender, and L shaped bracket on the turret front, and I removed the bulk of the radio gear on the back of the turret to match the original photo, and raided the spares box for periscope hoods, etc. It's a fairly straight forward build with link and length tracks, unlike the mind-numbing individual links on the Gecko kit. Arnold was at a major British base and photos of vehicles there show little weathering. The photo of Arnold does, however, show some history on the turret – the triangular unit marking has been painted out, the serial number looks to have been painted over, and there is a large newly painted rectangle towards the front as well. My model is done in acrylics - Vallejo Air UK Light Stone with others for the details, and a small amount of oils over the top for dust and sand. I’m pleased with how this one has turned out. Half the fun was doing research into an almost forgotten tank. I’m fortunate to live within easy travelling distance of Bovington Tank museum on Dorset so was able to examine their A9 in great detail. https://photos.app.goo.gl/nMmxLQ8MS5FvvMDP8 EDIT: I’ve created a flikr account, so if this works you should be able to see the pictures of Arnold embedded within this post… Arnold's serial number and A squadron triangle had been painted out, so I've done the same on mini-Arnold. Arnold had its radio removed, leaving just the mounting structure on the rear of the turret. I've modified the kit to show this. There is an L shaped bracket on the front left of the turret which I've scratch built. Different tanks had different designs and it appears to have only been added in the desert. If anyone know what it is for, please let me know as I can't find a photo of it in use! Arnold has a very complex tangle of chains, cables, hooks and rings wrapped round the fuel cans. I've had to simplify it and have copied the chain and angle bar shown on ADA on the same day. When I've looked at running vehicles with this type of suspension the central rod of the shock absorber is polished smooth so I've shown that here. The storage boxes under the turret are hinged at the top. Arnold has a locking bar across them to keep them from springing open, and additional leather straps hanging down over it. I have folded the driver's mirror flat on the front right fender, from photos it was rarely used. From the shadows the photograph was taken close to mid-day. It's unusual to have such a precise date, time and location for a reference picture.

Started this at Easter break, couple of delays due to a bout of COVID and being sidetracked by a rather nice RFM Sherman Firefly. This is my second attempt at a Bronco Cruiser and I think it came out rather better than my last go. Finished out of the box as ‘Arnold’, 1 RTR, 7th Armoured Division, Egypt, May 1940. Brush painted in Vallejo Model Air and Tamiya Acrylics and weathered (hopefully not too much!) using various Vallejo Model Washes. Build thread can be found here: Thanks for looking. One in black and white to see what it looks like.

Having a week off so thought I would see how far I could get with the Bronco A9 I had in the stash. My last experience with the very similar A10 was a little unhappy, but I figured why not try again (see here for that previous attempt: Not a full build thread, just photos from where I reach at the end of each day. So far it’s been great - so much easier than last time. Or is it just that I know what to expect? Anyway, it seems to be going together well. Day 1 (Monday) Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

British Cruiser Tank A9 & A10 Armor PhotoHistory #5 A9 - The pilot model was ready in 1936, under the designation of A9E1. The A9 was a mix of commercial parts (like the AEC bus engine for the production series) and some already used on the Light Mk.III, as well as some innovations. It was the first to use a fully hydraulically-powered traverse turret, (a Nash & Thompson system already in use on the Wellington bomber). The turret was center-mounted. It also had a system of two bogies with three road wheels of unequal size, to help reduce the number of parts while saving on maintenance costs on the long run. However, this would prove a poor design choice. The hull was made of bolted plates, because it was easier to engineer flat ones. The armour was limited to 14 mm (0.55 in) only, in order to keep the power-to-weight ratio high enough for a good cruising speed. The steering brakes were mounted outside of the rear sprockets to help cooling. There was also an auxiliary engine used to charge the batteries and drive a ventilator, cooling the fighting compartment. A10 - Although fast (24.9 mph/40 km/h), the first Cruiser lacked protection, with just 14 mm (0.55 in) on the turret mantlet and nose glacis. The triple turret system made it complicated to build, and this feature, once in favour in the interwar, was seen as obsolete by 1940. The A10 was studied by John Carden in 1934, following a specification for a 1 inch (25.4 mm) armoured tank, while its speed could be slightly lower. The A9 plans were subsequently modified into the A10. Both were strikingly similar, but the two frontal turrets were eliminated and replaced by a lighter armoured box, armed with a single .303 (7.62 mm) machine gun. The biggest change was the armour, raised up to 30 mm (1.18 in) on the nose and mantlet, and 14 mm (0.55 in) elsewhere, while the bottom, rear plate and rooftop were just 6 mm (0.24 in) thick. The engine was unchanged (AEC Type A179 6-cylinder petrol, 150 hp), resulting in an added weight of 2.3 tons, and a top speed reduced in effect to just 26 km/h (16.1 mph), compared to the 40 km/h (25 mph) of the Mk.I, barely more than infantry pace on rough terrain. A total of 175 were delivered, from July to December 1939, by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, Metropolitan-Cammell and Vickers, entering service early in 1940. This softcover book contains eighty eight pages of information, photographs, diagrams and colour profiles. The first 25 pages cover the history of the design and development that went into these tanks, including some fabulous period photographs of the vehicles. The photo album section, fills the centre 39 pages have photos that cover every theatre that these tanks were used in, including Europe, North Africa, and` Greece and also on exercises and training within the UK. The descriptive text that accompanies each set of photographs includes, where possible, the vehicles serial number, unit, information on the gun mounting and even the vehicles name. Some of the more interesting photographs are those of the tanks being transported, whether under their own steam, by rail or Scammell TRMU30 with its TRCU30 trailer The final 30 pages contain six pages of line side views, all in 1:35 scale show each variant including very useful information on distinguishing the differences not only of the profile. There then follows eight pages of equipment drawings, including items such as the lower hull to equipment fittings and even the driver’s seat. Finally, there are ten pages of two and three view colour plates which show clearly the colour schemes used, the various regiments and unit markings and their positioning. These plates are also annotated, describing where and when the particular tank was used and their final fate. Conclusion This is another fabulous book in the series, which is not only very interesting for a historians point of view, but for those modellers who are interested in these vehicles. It would make a great resource and companion piece to the modeller when building one of the 1:72 Plastic Soldier or Early War Miniatures kits that are available. Review sample courtesy of