MENG Char2C

[oldmodeler]

Here are pictures of my recently completed Menu Char2C French WW1/2 tank. The design is a disaster!  the Frencha made 10 of them and they were shot up ion a train and blown up before they could be deployed in 1940.   The French claim this, but the pictures of the train show one Char2C looking like it has been shot at on a test range, as the holes are marked in white. Others were blown up. 

Model was easy to make, took ages to dirty up, mainly with enamels and Windsor/Newton Pastels on top.  Model was expensive, but fitted together very well.  Photos were shot at 2 stops under on a black background, and brightened up a couple of stops in MAC Preview.  I learnt that you can use a LED torch to shine down to give a more realistic  lighting. 

 

 

[Bullbasket]

Great model. You've made a really good job of the painting and weathering.

 

John.

[oldmodeler]

 

Thank you for the complement. I'm not an armour expert, but the kits go together very well. 

MENG make a model  kit that goes together so easily,  It took about 5 days to make  and finish.  The  dozens and dozens of little wheels was the boring bit, and the PE parts were fiddly, then I sprayed it  a sand colour, , , looked real neat. Then I dirtied it up.  Real Char2C's were painted green, and all were plated with a French region name. 

[Kuro Nezumi]

A fine landship! Great work!

[FrancisGL]

A very well looked, looks very cool, well batted, And a very unusual model, no doubt a "dinosaur" for its time by size and obsolete concept ...

cheers mate

[oldmodeler]

On this kit, apart from 'undreds of wheels, the pipe works  around the top of the engine compartment corners is very diffiult to glue in place, but once dried, do not seem to ping off.  Tracks are separate ABS (I think) pieces, and clip together, the tend to unclip themselves,  Only 10 Char2C's were built, all destroyed before combat, apparently.  VERY  interesting detailed pictures at: 

http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/france/tanks-france/char-2c/. One tank seems to have been shot at and has marked holes rit in front, as though it  had been put on a test range and shot at. (White painted rings)  There were no  big anti-tnk gunned German aircraft in 1940, so it wasn't an air-attack.  The French had to destroy all 10 so they wound not fall into German hands, but apparently one, was sent to Germany and disappeared there.  As a WW1 design in 1940 it was a dinosaur, Then again, Churchill (the man) was still interested in trench-digging machines in 1942 , and the British Army still did not 'get' the Blitzkrieg , even though Fuller and Liddell  Heart invented it.  mobile warfare was still an alien concept after 1940. The  memoirs of General.  Sir Fredrick Pile describes how he thought of fast movement by motorised forces in an exercise in the late 1920,s but was told this was 'not done'.(page 28 of his memoir Ack-Ack)  It took the Americans. I  think to get throung the bovine ignorance of the British Military. 

MENG model contains a very good colour book with pictures and description of the tank history. Exceptional value. 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by oldmodeler

[Buzby061]

Looks superb.

 

It's got a Steam Punk look about it.

 

Pete

[celt]

I was reading about this tank in a magazine yesterday,amazing machines,the real landship and your model.Well tidy.

[593jones]

Lovely model of an, er, interesting vehicle.  Looks as though it was designed by Jules Verne on a bad day!

[sonofjim]

Very nice work Sir ! I really like the 2C a great looking vehicle .