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Tamiya 1/48 Churchill VII Crocodile


SleeperService

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Courtesy of the 1/48 Armor Modelling Group on FB next release from Tamiya will be a Churchill VII. A crew half-figure and two marking options to allow Crocodile or gun tank to be built.

 

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Sprue shots from Tamiya Blog

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It appears that only the visible track links are supplied. This is a pain as, in NW Europe Churchills ran without the centre section of the trackguards fitted. This was to avoid debris between the larger turret and trackguard causing damage. Otherwise it looks OK. I like the moulded in roadwheels which should save much hair being torn out. Open hull hatches would have been good but they are simple enough to cut out and replace I suppose.

 

EDIT: Apparently the post war mods in Tamiya's 35th kit have been removed in this one so it's a WW2 vehicle OOB.

 

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:yahoo::penguin::party:

 

 

And....given the sprue set up....some new bits for an earlier version?   At  least  it's  set up to make AM for earlier versions pretty easy...

 

I have very fond memories of the 1/35th Tamiya Crocodile...   building it on Christmas day 40 years ago...eeeek!

 

Now where's the Centurion and M4A4,    oh,  and an M3 halftrack.   Comet would be neat too...

 

 

PS Though a closer look shows that there will be a lot of leftover Crocodile bits as they tooled the tracks on that...

Though did they use that type of wheel on anything else?

Edited by Troy Smith
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2 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

Now where's the Centurion and M4A4,    oh,  and an M3 halftrack.   Comet would be neat too...

Comet and M4A4 were available from Tim Perry and may become available again from another source soon. Centurion from Tank Mania. All are resin but top quality and, glue aside assemble like styrene.

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54 minutes ago, SleeperService said:

Comet and M4A4 were available from Tim Perry and may become available again from another source soon. Centurion from Tank Mania. All are resin but top quality and, glue aside assemble like styrene.

Cheers Nick

I knew about the Comet and M4A4,    I know the Comet was art, but it  was £80.....

Didn't know about the Centurion,  though I doubt I'll like  the price...  One to look up  later.

 

The Centurion has so many possible options that an injected one would make sense though.. ...   Tamiay don't seem to have noticed all the use in the middle east of armour.....

tank duel Israeli Centurion vs T-55.....   Still,  Tamiya have always marched to the beat of their own drum,  I'm not  sure I ahve  forgiven them for 1/35th yet :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, SleeperService said:

Centurion from Tank Mania. All are resin but top quality

yep, had a google..

http://tank-mania.com/48007-Centurion-Mk-III.php

 

VERY neat...but $79,  which probably isn't actually bad for the quality.     Now I know where to come when I NEED a Centurion.... 

 

But given I have most of the 1/48th Tamiya WWII armour,  plus the rated Hobby boss kits and a few Bandai/Fuman, even a Kengi Hellcat...

when those are done.... maybe.

Be interesting to compare this to Aurora Churchill too.

 

cheers

T

PS  looking at the pics has taken me back to getting to climb in an out of a Centurion at Tankfest 2000...  quickly topped by getting a breif unschedued ride in a Comet!

 

 

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About ******** time.

 

This fills a great big gap in Tamiya's 1/48 line up.

 

Any chance of some modern British stuff ??

 

Dick

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1 hour ago, junco said:

The Tank Mania Centurion is an excellent kit, I got mine at a good price second hand.

 

Think of me if you decide you need to sell it Neil ;)

 

Thinking about the  new Churchill,  great to see it being done,  but the more I think about Tamiya missed out by not doing a Mk.IV/VI   as this was the basis of all the Funnies, and was more widely used,  N Africa, Italy,  Russia, as well as nw NW Europe.

 

Oh well, 48th armour fans don't get the option of being too fussy and at least it matches the planes :rolleyes:

 

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Friendship models have an M4A4 (Sherman V) conversion available that was only recently released. I understand that they have Tims Sherman track masters, so is the 'A4 the same conversion kit? could someone who knows it have a look and check?

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Hi, just looked at the images on Friendship models website.

It's difficult to tell unless I was able to compare the actual resin.

Top deck looks close.

Hull has a gearbox and driveshaft and a solid back which both versions of the Fighting 48th hull didn't have.  I have the full hull version and flat pack versions, also there were far more pieces and etch with the F48th.  

So not much help other than to explain the differences.

Regards

Neil

 

 

 

 

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A search shows this as being available,

Eg https://hlj.com/product/TAM32594 and on eBay for £23 posted

 

Anyone seen one yet ?

Had a look on Track 48 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/track48/re-the-new-tamiya-churchill-mk-vii-t9924.html

Said Tamiya had a detail to fix, looks like this done now.

 

Looking forward to this one.

PS build on Track 48 here

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/track48/churchill-just-how-fast-can-you-have-some-fun-t10520.html

Neat!

Edited by Troy Smith
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Yes, they have arrived in the UK. Mine are on the way to me through a mate-to-mate parcel chain.

 

The delay was down to Tamiya modifying the turret ventilator which they'd got a bit wrong. Now it seems fine. 

 

Great times my Friends, great times.

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Have got the kit and it's a peach. 

 

Any chance of a few variations Tamiya ?? 

 

Dick

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5 hours ago, jenko said:

 

Any chance of a few variations Tamiya ?? 

Sadly I doubt it, I'm a tiny tablet, but from the layout they are not planning other versions, Tamiya don't aim for variant maximisation.

 

Converting a Mk.VII to to an earlier version is doable,  well I had ago many years ago, from memory different side chutes, hatches, front plate and turret, though I sanded a VII back to a IV cast type.  I'm sure the after market chaps will oblige...

Note, Gasoline in France do a resin Mk.III,  mentioned in one of the links above.

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