Airfix 1/76 Churchill

[Doug]

Hi All,

I am wanting to build a Churchill tank in 1/76 and I seem to be stuck with the Airfix example. (Smaller scale is all I have room for and the money for), I have no real knowledge of this kit so have no idea if it is basically accurate or not. I was hoping that one of you more dedicated tank modellers could give me some advice as to what I could improve or if it is that bad a kit perhaps recommend an alternative.

I have the Osprey "Building the Churchill" book and although specifically aimed at the Tamiya 1/35 kit it does contain some very good reference material which I hope to use in some way on my build.

Anyway any advice would be gratefully received,

Doug.

[The Loggie]

Doug, I'm no expert, but the Airfix Churchill looks fine to me. If you have one, then build it.

When you build it, the little wheels, and the springs on-which they are to be mounted, are correctly spaced for each-other while they are still on the sprues. It makes building the bogies very quick and easy. It you detach the pieces first, the small size makes the assembly very fiddley.

Good luck & have fun. George, out......................

[pigsty]

Hasegawa did a 1/72 Churchill. It's been donkey's years since I saw one bult but I had the impression at the time that it was a bit better, eg in the tracks. It's a very early model, though, with a 2pdr in a cast turret and a hull-mounted howitzer, whereas the Airfix one represents one of the later welded-turret models with a proper gun.

Your next trick is to find one. No idea what availability is like, I'm afraid, though I'd guess at rocking-horse poo.

[Test Graham]

I made one recently (ie only a couple of years) and had no trouble finding it. The tracks look nicer than the Airfix but are too short and have to be over-stretched to fit.

The Airfix one certainly needs the armour "wedge" at the bottom of the turret. I think there are other faults a specialist would pick on, but last one I did was a rework of one my son passed on to me several years after he'd left part-finished, I wasn't being too fussy.

If you want a better alternative in 1/76 you have a choice from Milicast, but it won't be cheaper, and will be resin. Matador used to do a lot of Churchill conversions for the Airfix, I presume they still do.

[Doug]

Ok, so the general consensus is that the Airfix kit is not a total dog, with this in mind I shall start the build and see what I can do with it.

Thanks everybody.

Doug.

[lancfan]

There is a Airfix Churchill group build now running over on ATF if you want to get ideas from the models being made there.

David.

Edited July 10, 2012 by lancfan

[Malcolm Shaw]

I think the kit can be improved in a lot of ways, and like lancfan said you will see those ways on the ATF.

[Hepster]

Airfix Churchill VII

I always thought that the gun barrel on the Airfix Churchill VII was a bit on the thin side, even allowing for the fact that the gun barrel on the real thing is a bit thin.

That said, it's not difficult to replace.

Other choices

As well as the 1/72 Hasegawa Churchill I, Matchbox did a 1/76 Churchill AVRE and Italeri/Esci did a 1/72 Churchill IV, all of which turn up at shows for a small sum these days.

[fatalbert]

This place may help........

http://www.lloydianaspects.co.uk/models/churchph.html

Neil

[Rick the mad Kiwi]

I must admit to making a bit of a Dog's Breakfast of both the Airfix Churchill and Buffalo, mostly due to the small running gear.

When I got a Matchbox Churchill it was a whole lot easier, due to the way the wheels and springs are moulded in complete runs.

Not to say the Airfix kit isn't redeemable, I'm just a lazy modeller...

Guess which I favour...

[Smudger2]

Hi,the airfix kit isn't too bad a model,you can get extra track lengths from SKYTREX very cheaply,to up armour the kit,and the matchbox /revell churchill tank AVRE bridgelayer isn't a bad kit either.

The Hasegawa churchill does depict an earlier version but this version was used in the italian campain during 1943,so is a usefull addition not to be dismissed easily,the italeri churchill mkIV has the 6 pounder gun,and was also used in the italian campain and also D-DAY invasion,as these gun barrels were bored out to take 75mm shells.

The italeri kit comes with plasic link and length tracks,my person favourite type of tracks,and the beauty of these tracks in this kit is you don't have to use them all,as the mud gaurds hide most of them so you can save some tracks and use them to up armour turrets & hull fronts with.

Lots of options here really,especially as the churchill fought on almost every theatre of war since 1942,the airfix gun barrel does look a bit thin but it can be upgraded by useing a turned aluminium aftermarket barrel quite cheaply,i got some from a guy on ebay,there is a selection,mk III or mkV 6 pounders or the 75mm and matador models do an assortment of churchill turrets,worth buying a couple if you really want to spruce up that airfix kit,they even do one with the 95mm close support gun,useually found on the centaur tank.

Most churchill tanks are readily available from shops and ebay or take a look at Kingkit's website.

All the best SMUDGER.

[steveinns]

Setting up the wheels on the Airfix Churchill is a bit of a challenge. I have built several over the years and despite my best attempts, the results have been less than satisfactory. Also, the turrets never seemed to sit square !

Airfix really ought to think about remoulding this real oldie, along with a lot of their other vehicles. Most of them have their origins from the early 60's, some probably even earlier !

As mentioned, although not exactly a 'kit' as we know it the Milicast resin models are absolute gems and are to 1/76. In 1/72 the 'Combat Ready' Cromwell Churchills are real beauty's, if you can get hold of them !

[Test Graham]

I do find these comments about the Airfix Churchill wheels a bit OTT. I was only a kid when this kit came out, but didn't have any overwhelming problems assembling the thing. Ok, I had smaller fingers in those days. Much the same applies to comments about biplanes without exotic methods of holding the struts in place. No, the Airfix RE8 wing (thinking of the worst example) didn't fall into place immediately, but it wasn't the great hardship it would appear to be to some people nowadays. A bit like vacforms really. They are not intrinsically difficult, they just require a little more work in preparation. Rather like many short run injection-moulded kits, or indeed the more inaccurate injection moulded. Some of them are not worth bothering with, but that's also been true of many injection moulded kits.

Rant over.

Milicast have two ranges. The Premiere range is as much a 'kit' as you can find, if less parts than an Airfix Churchill admittedly. The Battlefield range is simpler.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Listen to The Loggie.....He knows what he's on about.

To reiterate:

Do not remove the bogie parts from the sprue prior to assembly!

Repeat:

Do not remove the bogie parts from the sprue prior to assembly!