Tamiya 1/35 Cromwell, oob. And Dragon Firefly Vc.

[Jasper dog]

First attempt at a wip so bare with!

On holiday NE Scotland with the Mrs M and hound, unfortunately both unwell leaving us pretty much confined to quarters.

Thankfully I had the foresight to take a few precautions. 

 

Might even have managed to smuggle a Meng Jagdpanther into the car too but mums the word!

 

With limited resources I've cracked on with the Cromwell.

(By end of first am)

Lower hull virtually done, all wheels etc assembled (tyres attacked with a scalpel to show a little damage), even tried tamiya the supplied mesh. 

Drilled out hull machine gun barrel.

 

By end of morning 2.

 

Most assembly completed, little filler required on front mud guards and on inside of Normandy cowel. Main barrel went together ok with just a little sanding to eliminate join. Length of wire for cable to spot lamp on turret.

 

Cant fault the kit, really does go together very well and surprisingly quickly. At my normal pace I'd have taken weeks to get this far!

Just needs a rinse off and ready for priming, then I'll have to call it done until home for paint. (Then will need to wait till Tamiya Greyhound has cleared spray shop/box in garage).

 

9 days left up here, try and get the Firefly to primer stage and hopefully paint both simultaneously, I'd assume they'll both be the same shade of olive drab?

 

Any tips, advice, suggestions on either kit very welcome.

I somehow doubt the Dragon one will be just as quick. Just as well really!

[Bullbasket]

Ah, my two favourite tanks. I don't know much about the Dragon Vc, but I've built several Cromwells. I don't know how far you want to go with detailing/altering, but there is one fix that is reasonably easy to do (depending on if you can get at it now). Tamiya made a mistake with the engine deck. The kit and all of the markings options, depict a Mk.lVd whereas the engine deck is for a B or C. It's an easy fix if you want to do it. One panel line needs to be filled and a new one scored. If you want to do it, I'll post a drawing of the fix.

 

John.

[badger]

6 minutes ago, Bullbasket said:

Ah, my two favourite tanks. I don't know much about the Dragon Vc, but I've built several Cromwells. I don't know how far you want to go with detailing/altering, but there is one fix that is reasonably easy to do (depending on if you can get at it now). Tamiya made a mistake with the engine deck. The kit and all of the markings options, depict a Mk.lVd whereas the engine deck is for a B or C. It's an easy fix if you want to do it. One panel line needs to be filled and a new one scored. If you want to do it, I'll post a drawing of the fix.

 

John.

I'd be interested John as I recently picked this kit up, if you don't mind sharing?

 

All the best

 

Ben

[Bullbasket]

1 minute ago, badger said:

I'd be interested John as I recently picked this kit up, if you don't mind sharing?

 

All the best

 

Ben

Here you are Ben. I covered it in a thread that I did a couple of years ago.

HTH's.

 

John.

[badger]

Thanks John - much appreciated 

[Jasper dog]

2 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Ah, my two favourite tanks. I don't know much about the Dragon Vc, but I've built several Cromwells. I don't know how far you want to go with detailing/altering, but there is one fix that is reasonably easy to do (depending on if you can get at it now). Tamiya made a mistake with the engine deck. The kit and all of the markings options, depict a Mk.lVd whereas the engine deck is for a B or C. It's an easy fix if you want to do it. One panel line needs to be filled and a new one scored. If you want to do it, I'll post a drawing of the fix.

 

John.

Hi John

 

Thanks for the input/link. 

 

Sure I could give it go, might not be to tricky even for me!

 

It's a cracking kit, goes together really well, glad I didn't bother with the after market gun barrel or etch. Tempted to try a bit of extra kit on the outside, spare wheel, tarps etc, poss even a figure or two once painted.

 

Sure I read a bio of a Cromwell tank commander a little while ago, will try a dig it out once back home. Always nice to get an extra feel for the thing.

 

Don't imagine the Dragon Firefly will be just as quick but that's not really the point is it?

All being well hope to make a start tomorrow.

 

Thanks again.

Darryl

[Ripaman]

Great start Darryl,

 

Just posted in John WIP while I visited the Tank Museum took these pic's of the Cromwell hope they will help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regards

Richard

 

[Jasper dog]

Hi Richard, thanks for the super pics.

 

I do love Bovington and the tank museum, first went in about 1980, as you'd imagine its changed quite a bit since then.

 

Hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit.

 

Thanks again

Darryl

[Jasper dog]

As per John "Bullbasket" suggestion I've removed the hatch hinges, filled the gaps and rescribed new hatch lines, see pic.

 Filler just needs a little sanding and perhaps add some handles, assuming they had handles?

 

Looking at the Dragon Sherman I wasn't sure I could face the multipart tracks at the mo so thought I'd try these afv club ones, from what I understand (which is rarely much at the best of times) the Firefly could be fitted with T62s??. I've no idea if the firefly was a standard length hull of not or even if I'm right with T62s, but they do have chevrons. 

Time for a brew.

Darryl

[Modelholic]

I've built that Firefly kit the Sherman V hull was the longer variant. Makes a nice comparison alongside a Sherman III

Tom

[Jasper dog]

2 hours ago, Modelholic said:

I've built that Firefly kit the Sherman V hull was the longer variant. Makes a nice comparison alongside a Sherman III

Tom

Thanks Tom, the longer ones it is then.

 

The only other completed one I have is Tamiya's Easy 8, if all goes well with this one i must try a III.

Cheers.

[Bullbasket]

5 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Looking at the Dragon Sherman I wasn't sure I could face the multipart tracks at the mo so thought I'd try these afv club ones, from what I understand (which is rarely much at the best of times) the Firefly could be fitted with T62s??. I've no idea if the firefly was a standard length hull of not or even if I'm right with T62s, but they do have chevrons. 

T62 tracks were commonly used on Firefly Vc's. In fact, I think that it was only British Shermans that used them, although I could be wrong. Of those two sets that you have there, use the ones that say "Long Chassis", because as Tom said, the Vc was an M4A4 tank with the longer hull. If you compare an M4A4 with any other Sherman, you'll see that the space between the road wheels is greater.

 

John.

[Jasper dog]

Thanks to Tom and John re the  info on T62 tracks and hull length.

 

Slow progress today, Mrs M had a hospital visit this aft and though it might be nice to try a drive out in the sunshine afterwards, we are on holiday after all!

 

Today's progress.

 

 Made up three of the six suspension units, each is a mini kit in it's own right. 

 

 

[beefy66]

Cracking job on both so far always like following a British tanks build 

 

beefy

[Jasper dog]

14 hours ago, beefy66 said:

Cracking job on both so far always like following a British tanks build 

 

beefy

Thanks beefy, nice to have you along. 

 

Cheers

[Jasper dog]

Firefly progression this am, completed assembly of suspension units,  idlers and multipart drive wheels.

 

 

Rear plate of hull secured into position, hull needed a spreading slightly to align, along with what I assume to be the exhaust cover and the mounts for idlers.

 

I've no idea what the bucket/letter box type item is,  as shown in photo above but it has two of them they appear to go back to back and locate somewhere on back plate (instructions very vague). On the subject of Dragon instructions they would have you fit the rear idler mounts as shown in photo below, however I assume they have the numbers mixed up and they should be fitted as I have shown in the 5th photo.

 

 

All mounting plates for suspension units now cemented into position too.

 

So far then I'm quite pleased with how nicely this is coming together. It's only my second Dragon kit and whilst perhaps not being as simple as Tamiya it hasn't (as yet) produced any issues. If i where to be picky i say the instructions and locating tabs are a little vague and the tolerances aren't perhaps just as tight as Tamiya but it's more detailed and maybe a little more involved.

Work so far:

 

Thanks to you all for taking the time to look in.

Cheers

[bigfoot]

Quick progress on the Cromwell and the Sherman is coming along nicely. Can’t beat a bit of British armour!

 

the bucket/letter box things you refer to are smoke candles, there were normally two of them mounted low down on the rear plate. Most late war British armour carried them afaik.

[Jasper dog]

On 07/09/2019 at 20:07, bigfoot said:

Quick progress on the Cromwell and the Sherman is coming along nicely. Can’t beat a bit of British armour!

 

the bucket/letter box things you refer to are smoke candles, there were normally two of them mounted low down on the rear plate. Most late war British armour carried them afaik.

Ahh, thanks for that , learn something new everyday!

 

Cheers and thanks.

[Jasper dog]

Firefly progressing nicely, assembled the transmission cover,  instructions not overly clear, assembled, didn't like it, taken apart tried mounting it to avoid the step on the sides of lower hull. Realised after checking numerous other builds step should have been there reassembled and with a little fiddling made to fit.

 

Glued a piece of spruce inside lower hull to spread sides to match upper hull.

 

Funnily enough the instructions don't actually mention fitting top and bottom halves together but I suppose could be adventurous and wing it!

Bit of a fiddle around transmission cover as expected but generally good fit.

 

Few gaps here and there to fill, Vallejo plastic putty ideal for this, catch it right and its job done with a damp cotton bud.

 

Stowage box cemented to back plate, photos pre beach landing show it attached to the front however post landing it appears to have been relocated back fo the rear.

 

Whilst hull setting/drying assembled the turret.

 

Filled the locating point for pistol port as "Carole" didn't have one. I've put the barrel together for sake of it, however it's slightly banana shaped and I've ordered a metal one.

Only other thing was to open out the coaxial barrel.

Whilst turret dried I've added various bits and bob's to the hull, filler caps, lifting lugs, extinguishers etc.

All went together well, cradle for gun barrel location a little vague but think it'll do.

Photo etch for the light guards etc will need to what till home before having a crack at shaping and bending.

 

Left hatches off for now as hope to use a few figures.

 

Undecided on the .50 mounted on turret, some photos seem to show it but not very clear.

 

Don't think I can do much more on this till home now, 

 

Might try putting some of the kit supplied track links together to use as extra armour as seen in some photos. Little artistic licence as I've no evidence to suggest this particular one had them. However it did have lots of kit etc strapped to it.

 

I would guess both the Firefly and Cromwell will be the same Olive drab?

 

Suffice to say I've been really taken with how well the Firefly has gone together, I was a little apprehensive initially but I've enjoyed it more than the Tamiya Cromwell. Perhaps more sense of achievement...

(Not keen on the dark green Tamiya plastic either!)

 

Still rather taken aback myself at the speed of progress, surprising what can be achieved when on hols with spare mornings. 

 

Thanks for looking.

[Bullbasket]

1 hour ago, Jasper dog said:

I would guess both the Firefly and Cromwell will be the same Olive drab?

 

They are the same colour, but not actually olive drab, at least not like the one supplied by Tamiya. It should be SCC15 which was the British equivalent. I don't know what paint you'll be using, but if it's Tamiya, this is Mike Starmer's mix;

5 x XF61, 2 x XF62, 2 x XF3, plus 1 x Med Grey for scale effect.

HTH's.

 

John.

[AntPhillips]

HI JD,

 

Great builds, although I think you may attached the transmission housing bolt strip upside down, the angles don't quite look right (it's an easy mistake to make, ask me how I know 😉)

 

Bolt Strip by antdphillips, on Flickr

 

I may be wrong about this though as it does seem to look better in the last couple of photo's you posted.

 

Happy modelling

Ant

[Jasper dog]

2 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

They are the same colour, but not actually olive drab, at least not like the one supplied by Tamiya. It should be SCC15 which was the British equivalent. I don't know what paint you'll be using, but if it's Tamiya, this is Mike Starmer's mix;

5 x XF61, 2 x XF62, 2 x XF3, plus 1 x Med Grey for scale effect.

HTH's.

 

John.

Hi John, thanks for that, I suspected they'd both be the same but wasn't sure if the Sherman would have come pre painted from the US in there approximation of our OD (for want of a better name).

I might fall back on the Tamiya paint mix as suggested if I can't get something suitable from Vallejo or Ak/mig, for some reason i find they spray better than the Tamiya ones (and a lot better than Lifecolour).

 

Wish I'd brought a third British one with me now! Think a Churchill AVRE would make a nice set. (Put off by the suspension set up on the AFV Club kits, if anyone has an experience of such please feel free to fill me in!).

 

Cheers

 

Darryl 

[Jasper dog]

2 hours ago, AntPhillips said:

HI JD,

 

Great builds, although I think you may attached the transmission housing bolt strip upside down, the angles don't quite look right (it's an easy mistake to make, ask me how I know 😉)

 

Bolt Strip by antdphillips, on Flickr

 

I may be wrong about this though as it does seem to look better in the last couple of photo's you posted.

 

Happy modelling

Ant

Hi Ant, thanks for the that, I'll check, not sure if I could remove without damage now even if wrong.

 

Wouldn't surprise me as Dragon instructions are perhaps a little dubious at times. (My excuse and I'm sticking with it!)

 

Cheers 

Darryl 

[Bullbasket]

13 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Hi John, thanks for that, I suspected they'd both be the same but wasn't sure if the Sherman would have come pre painted from the US in there approximation of our OD (for want of a better name).

'Morning Daryl. They would have come prepainted in an approximation of UK colours, but after any major overhaul (such as fitting a 17pdr to the turret) they would have been repainted SCC15.

With regards to the bolt strip. Some of the bolts sit within a U shaped recess. That should be upright, not inverted. If you have got it upside down, slap some stowage over it, such as a camnet.

 

John.

[Jasper dog]

On 10/09/2019 at 09:28, Bullbasket said:

'Morning Daryl. They would have come prepainted in an approximation of UK colours, but after any major overhaul (such as fitting a 17pdr to the turret) they would have been repainted SCC15.

With regards to the bolt strip. Some of the bolts sit within a U shaped recess. That should be upright, not inverted. If you have got it upside down, slap some stowage over it, such as a camnet.

 

John.

Thanks again John, sure if necessary I can hid it with as you say a little stowage.

 

Found a nice little model shop yesterday in Dingwall, picked up some Ammo/mig Scc15, very tempted by a number of new kits too but had to resist.

However it is good to support a high street model shop......

 

Cheers 

Darryl