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1/35 Meng FT-17 and Takom Mk.A "Whippet" - Finished 11/11/18


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These two will be my entry for this GB:

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I am happy to be corrected, but I think these types of tank never actually fought alongside each other and, from looking at a map of where these two were operational, they may not have ever have met - but I'm going to do a chance meeting while heading to battle (if that's okay with @Robert Stuart). I have found this one photo so far:

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but I think it's possibly post war as, to me, it looks like the armament is missing.

 

I have some figures to go with my possible scene:

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I'm really looking forward to getting started on these. I haven't made any WW1 armour before so it's hopefully going to an interesting experience.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

Edited by PlaStix
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I built the FT-17 a while back - If you haven't noticed already some of the interior items are missing in the turret area in this issue of the kit, such as the ammunition racks.

 

It's still a good kit though, you'll enjoy it.

 

IanJ

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4 hours ago, PlaStix said:

I am happy to be corrected, but I think these types of tank never actually fought alongside each other and, from looking at a map of where these two were operational, they may not have ever have met - but I'm going to do a chance meeting while heading to battle (if that's okay with @Robert Stuart). I have found this one photo so far:

Oh, take a bit of modeller's licence there - they both 'did their bit' so form part of the story of WWI.

Besides which (I'm guessing) most of us will only do stand alone models, without the scenery.

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Hello stix i have just photographed an FT-17 last Saturday. I was at the 1st Infantry museum here in chicago. Heres a link to the photo’s up in the armor section. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235040517-photo’s-of-the-1st-infantry-division-museum-armor/

 

Dennis

 

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On 12/07/2018 at 15:30, CliffB said:

Two great little subjects Stix and nice that there's some extra novelty in it for you :popcorn:

Cliff

Hi Cliff. Yes they are fascinating aren't they. To my shame I haven't paid much attention to WW1 tanks but did pick up the FT-17 a while back, when this GB was suggested, and have started to pay more attention to the developments of tank warfare of this period. I am seriously looking forward to getting started on these.

 

23 hours ago, Bonhoff said:

I built the FT-17 a while back - If you haven't noticed already some of the interior items are missing in the turret area in this issue of the kit, such as the ammunition racks.

It's still a good kit though, you'll enjoy it.

IanJ

Hi Ian and thank you for your observations about the kit. The lack of interior shouldn't be a problem and I have wondered before why this rivited version was less expensive than the other. Odd too that it's so cheap when they provide a display scene/base as well - not that I'm going to use it for this project. I will save it for another day.

 

22 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

Oh, take a bit of modeller's licence there - they both 'did their bit' so form part of the story of WWI.

Besides which (I'm guessing) most of us will only do stand alone models, without the scenery.

That's great Robert, thank you. 

 

21 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello stix i have just photographed an FT-17 last Saturday. I was at the 1st Infantry museum here in chicago. Heres a link to the photo’s up in the armor section. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235040517-photo’s-of-the-1st-infantry-division-museum-armor/

Dennis

 

Thank you very much CFFU - those photos are really helpful - excellent photography too! Well done.

 

8 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Excellent choices Stix,this should be epic!

Thank you very much Steve but we'll wait and see.

 

8 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Nice idea Stix, looking forward to seeing them both come together.

Thank Ozzy - me too! :thumbsup:

 

I will try and get these washed in warm soapy water this weekend and some photos of what's in the boxes taken.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix 

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Hi Stix

Have you decided how you set the 2 of them together ?

Perhaps one recovering the other, or a crossroads where there can be a nice old argument about which side of the road they should be driving on etc !

cheers Pat

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Hi Pat. No, not fully decided yet, but a country road is a possibility and I must admit - I do like your idea of the argument! Thank you! :thumbsup:
Kind regards,

Stix

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Looks good stix I built the MENG whippet and loved building this little tank!

I have been eyeing up the MENG ft-17 for a while so will follow your build if you don't mind :)

All the best 

Joss

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On ‎15‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 00:44, Joss said:

Looks good stix I built the MENG whippet and loved building this little tank!

I have been eyeing up the MENG ft-17 for a while so will follow your build if you don't mind :)

All the best 

Joss

Hi Joss. Thank you for your post. The more the merrier! :thumbsup:

 

On ‎19‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 13:10, Basilisk said:

I love WWI tanks and I actually purchased an FT-17 kit, but I am just not ready to build a tank. :( Looking forward seeing your kit progress.

Cheers, Peter

Hi Peter.  I would love to see your attention to detail on an AFV - I think it would be awesome! However I do also think you perhaps need to finish some of your many other fantastic aircraft builds first! :winkgrin:

 

Not had chance to start on either of the two kits for this project as I have been finishing off my Tiger 1 build in the MTO II GB this weekend. But I have got the sprues for both kits washed in warm soapy water this morning so I took some photos of what's in the box beforehand:

 

Box and sprue photos - FT-17:

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Nice details:

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This kit comes with a base which I won't be using for this project:

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I have vague plans for another project which I will use it for.

 

Track links:

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A small fret of photoetched parts:

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Some additional metal parts - apparently the springs are a bit thin so I may replace them myself:

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Decals:

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Instruction booklet cover:

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Inside sample:

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The one I am going to make:

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Don't know when I'll get chance to start on this but I am looking forward to it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

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Box and sprue photos - Whippet

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Tracks:

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Photoectch:

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Decals:

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Instructions booklet cover:

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Sample of the instructions:

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I'm going to be making mine as one of these two but I haven't decided which yet:

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Kind regards,

 

Stix

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On 31/07/2018 at 04:26, Andwil said:

Good grief, all those wheels and individual track links.  I knew there was a reason I don't build tanks!

AW

I know what you mean! Although, now I've started, it turns out that not all the wheels provided are used. There seems to be quite a few left over despite how many are actually used!!

Speaking of which I decided I would start on the Whippet first - primarily because the initial stages involve wheels rather than the interior - which the FT-17 starts with. I've not made a Tank with an interior yet so I need to do a bit of research first.

Whippet wheels, drive sprockets and idlers all cleaned up ready for assembly:

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Sprockets and idlers assembled - the rest bagged for later:

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I started work assembling the stuff on the side:

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Before trying a test fit of the outer face of the side:

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I will probably do the same with the other side tomorrow.

 

Comments and suggestions welcome.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

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6 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

Looks like a good start Stix

 

Some of those wheels, especially on the left of your photo, look distinctly wobbly - did I read, in a review, that this a feature of the kit?

Hi Robert. You are quite correct although Takom can only take part of the blame. The wheels are fine apart from how they are attached to the sprue. I didn't really check before cutting them away using my usual snips. The problem is the sprue gate is quite large and Takom have attached them to the thin rims of the wheels. Because I did what I always do - I cut as close to the part as possible to reduce the amount of cleaning up - it wasn't until I came to do the filing and sanding that I realised the cutting out had pulled at some of the actual rim. So when cleaned up it resulted in flat spots - or wobbly wheels!! Luckily none of these wheels will be seen at all! They are all inside the sides of the tank. I did get it better with second set - which are the ones top left.

 

Today has been too warm to do anything requiring too much concentration so I made up the second side like the first:

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I also trimmed off three of the four sprue gates on each of the return roller wheels (!!!), cleaned them up and then gave them a couple of thinned coats of Revell's Anthracite followed by some dry-brushing with Humbrol's Gunmetal:

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Then I decided to take a look at the tracks:

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…..and they do go together very easily with only a minimum of cleanup:

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Because of the way they join they are very flexible:

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That's where I decided to stop because it was just too warm to concentrate on doing fiddly things. I may try and do a bit more in the evenings this week if I get chance.

 

Comments and suggestions welcome.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

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Hi Stix, It looks like you’ve made a brilliant start. I have to ask though, why does the kit have a load of wheels that won’t be seen; especially if they make them difficult to clean up??  :wonder:

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12 hours ago, wimbledon99 said:

Hi Stix, It looks like you’ve made a brilliant start. I have to ask though, why does the kit have a load of wheels that won’t be seen; especially if they make them difficult to clean up??  :wonder:

Hi Nigel and thank you. Yes you do have to wonder although I suppose it would be good to have all the wheels in case someone decided to do a damaged version or one with the tracks off for repair. It's going to save a lot of time as I don't have to paint and weather them! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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So I managed to convince myself to get on with the Whippet this weekend - having not done anything on it during the week. It's been too warm in my modeling space each evening and so I didn't make the progress I had hoped.

I did a bit of work on the tracks over the two days and managed to make up one side's worth of links. I made them in three sections of 23:

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Before joing them together:

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The tracks are okay to put together and would be much quicker if, on some of them, there wasn't some seam lnes which I decided I wanted to remove.

 

I decided I wanted to get some paint on bits which are going to be harder to get at later on:

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I used thinned Revell Aqua Greenish Grey - which seems like a good match for the Green Moss paint suggested by Takom. As usual it was applied with a flat brush. I tried a test fit with the outer sides:

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.............before adding some basic weathering - a Revell Gunship Grey wash, a targetted wash of Revell's Anthracite, dry-brushing with a lightened version of Greenish Grey with a touch of yellow added - then Railmatch's Light Rust in and around some detail and some Citadel Nuln Oil streaking in places:

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Return roller parts assembled:

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Then, thinking about avoiding difficulties with painting at later stages, I figured I could get all the painting and weathering done on the outer faces of the sides - first thinned coat on one side:

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Then both done and the upper support frames:

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These were again painted with thinned Revell Greenish Grey applied with a flat brush.

 

Test fitting again:

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Next on the outer sides I applied a very thinned wash of Revell's Gunship Grey followed by a targetted wash of Revell's Anthracite applied with a fine brush in and around the detail:

42202877650_887b9e1eb5_b.jpg

 

Once the above washes had dried I dry-brushed it with a lightened version of the base colour but also added a touch of Revell's Matt Yellow - to brighten the green a little:

42202877480_370a0c043f_b.jpg

 

Yet another test fit:

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Next I'm probably going to add the tiny PE hooks, paint them and then start doing the rust and oil effects. I think I will also add some of the mud effects to all these painted areas before finally assembling them together.

 

Finally I thought I would include this photo of all the parts waiting to be assembled together with the sides:

42202877340_b2847d6957_b.jpg

 

Now it seems to be a little cooler I may be able to get some more done in the evenings.

 

Comments and suggestions welcome.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

Edited by PlaStix
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