Duxford Imperial War Museum (Soviet Armour)

[Jasper779]

 

[Jasper779]

Taken on a day out last Tuesday! Good place, got loads of pics but quite expensive.

 

Lots of different colour variations for the Soviet Armour. I plan to recreate the bright colour on the T34.

[Troffa]

They were always threatening to close the land warfare hall at Duxford, good see it still thriving.

[phat trev]

The ‘Tiger’ under the Schumacher signed ruined building is actually Russian armour too! Its dressed as a German Tiger tank for film purposes 

[spruecutter96]

14 hours ago, phat trev said:

The ‘Tiger’ under the Schumacher signed ruined building is actually Russian armour too! Its dressed as a German Tiger tank for film purposes 

That's very true. I believe it was originally a T-34, fitted with a fake Tiger turret for use in the movie "Saving Private Ryan".  Having the road-wheels side-by-side rather gives the game away, but a first glance it's fairly convincing. 

 

Cheers. 

 

Chris. 

[Kingsman]

11 hours ago, spruecutter96 said:

I believe it was originally a T-34, fitted with a fake Tiger turret for use in the movie "Saving Private Ryan".

Actually IIRC it is one of 3 Tiger facsimiles on T-34 chassis originally made for Kelly's Heroes and subsequently used in several other films.  A better effort than using grey-painted M47s, as in so many earlier films.  I saw a Finnish film with KV and ISU facsimiles built on T-54/55 chassis.

 

I didn't know that Duxford has an IS-2.  The T-34 is a post-war Czech-built model (and the SU-100 too?) in what look like Polish markings, so don't take the colours as representative of Russian production.  Both have probably been repainted somewhere along the line too.  Having said that, 4BO green should be a fairly vibrant colour as it contained up to 60% yellow ochre and up to 20% zinc chromate.  There's good info on Russian WW2 colours here: http://www.4bogreen.com/colors

 

I have heard rumours of the closure of the Land Warfare Hall and its replacement with something else for a couple of years now.  But to do so would neglect what is probably the most fundamental element of warfighting in the 20th Century, so it seems an unlikely move.  If it does happen it would be nice to think that the AFVs would go to Bovington and not just be stored somewhere.  The former Artillery museum has of course closed, although I understand that there may be plans to create a new one on part of the site (old ammo compound?) of the former West Lavington experimental range on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

[spruecutter96]

Thank you. I stand corrected. 

 

Chris.

[junglejim]

I was there on the 17th and noticed the Sherman Grizzly is not on display any more. Does anyone know where it went to? Maybe just in the workshop...was hoping to see it again. The Shilka is in pretty sorry shape, it's been outside for years!

 

 

 

[spruecutter96]

Yep, the Shilka has seen much better times, hasn't she? Several years ago, I had a quick "walk around" photo session of the Shilka (with permission, of course). I've read a few stories about her operational use and - in the right situation - she could really makes fighter pilots sweat. I also read that in hot conditions, the heat emanating from all the turret electronics made her a very unpleasant place to work....

 

Cheers.

 

Chris.  

[Jasper779]

On 8/24/2019 at 12:47 AM, Das Abteilung said:

Having said that, 4BO green should be a fairly vibrant colour as it contained up to 60% yellow ochre and up to 20% zinc chromate.  There's good info on Russian WW2 colours here: http://www.4bogreen.com/colour

It could be interesting to mix that from scratch and see how it compares with the pre mixed 4bo. I see that AK RC do zinc chromate, ochre and bright blue 😀

[mbthejester]

Unfortunately quite a few vehicles are left to rot, there used to be vehicles owned by DX and DAS there some by the DAS members so there was politics involved of what vehicles got displayed and worked on, displayed on the mil vehicle events, no idea if it is still like it these days, the Chally - Shir prototype is still parked in the LWH from 2005 iirc and not moved since by looks of it on my last visit. 

[Kingsman]

The Stug IIIG is now at Bovington, and in a sorry state. Apparently it was only loaned to IWM by TM. Still has original untouched zimmerit but is missing an entire trackguard and is well rusty.

[WV908]

On 8/22/2019 at 9:21 PM, Troffa said:

They were always threatening to close the land warfare hall at Duxford, good see it still thriving.

They still are - current plan is to replace it and the field behind with two large hangars that can fit the airliners which 'spoil the WW2 atmosphere of the airfield'. They reckon they can hide a hangar tall enough for a VC-10 behind some trees. Good luck.... 

 

Cheers,

  WV908 

[Kingsman]

I believe the current boss is on record as saying that Duxford is an aerospace museum and there is no place for vehicles.  If they do close it I only hope that the vehicles they own are passed to good and appropriate homes and that any third-party owners find appropriate homes for their vehicles.

[Kingsman]

On 8/28/2019 at 11:18 AM, Jasper779 said:

It could be interesting to mix that from scratch and see how it compares with the pre mixed 4bo. I see that AK RC do zinc chromate, ochre and bright blue 😀

If you look at the officially permissible ranges of proportions of ingredients, you will have some very different colours from mixing to those different proportion limits.  Proving that there is in fact no single defined 4BO shade in the RAL or FS codified sense.