1/72nd GAL Hamilcar & Tetrarch tank, D-Day 1944.... Planet Models Resin Kit

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                 This was supposed to be a D-Day tribute build but it lasted longer than I thought it might,....... anyway it is finally finished. Here is the WIP if anybody is interested;

 

 

The Hamilcar was able to carry a Tetrarch or Locust light tank or other heavy loads such as a Bren or Lloyd Carrier and a 17pdr gun and large ammunition resupply loads. The 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron deployed its Tetrarch tanks on the evening of D-Day during Op Mallard and they performed quite well, although as very light tanks they were not suitable for action against other armoured veh`s. The Hamilcar was used at Arnhem without deploying tanks and also during Op. Varsity, crossing the Rhine in 1945 when 6th AARS went into action with US built Locust tanks.

 

Here are some period photos,.....

Here are some of the Army pilots of the Glider Pilot Regiment who flew the Hamilcar;

RAF Halifax tug crew and Army Hamilcar crew with the troops they are conveying,.... this may be for the Rhine Crossing?

A Tetrarch inside a Hamilcar being watched by Monty and the 6th Airborne Division top brass.

 

Both pilots sat in tandem above the cargo compartment but if the glider dug its nose in upon landing on soft ground it was prone to tipping over and the heavy load would then fall down onto them, often with fatal consequences;

 

Here are a few reference photos;

Middle Wallop Army Aviation Museum,.... partial airframe

 

A Tetrarch tank inside a Hamilcar fuselage frame at the Tank Museum, Bovington.

 

 

The Tetrarch tank model is a 1/76th scale white metal kit from MMS ;

 

And here is the model;

 

 

And here is a Matchbox Halifax converted into a Halifax GT.V, the only wartime aircraft capable of towing the Hamilcar (the Hastings could tow it post war too!).

 

 

Cheers,

            Tony 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by tonyot

[Abandoned Project]

Coool. A plane, a glider and a tank, wow.!

[Vinnie]

Superb modelling, Tony and a very interesting historical read. Thank you.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Excellent work here such a great collection. 

[TonyW]

That Halifax has got me wanting one. Invasion stripes have that effect on me I have no idea why!

 

The Glider model is a very impressive looking bit of kit. The cutaway shots from Bovington are pretty scary, that timber looks far to flimsy to hold up a tank. The upside down shot gives you a bit of a fright as well. A tank on your head isn't exactly pleasant. The three models are a tribute to the brave men who flew and fought from them.

[Aeronut]

1 hour ago, TonyW said:

The cutaway shots from Bovington are pretty scary, that timber looks far to flimsy to hold up a tank. 

The frightening bit is those beefy looking frames are hollow box section. There was very little aluminium alloy used on the Hamilcar. The vast majority of metal used was 1/8 inch thick stainless steel plate used in laminations at the corners of the frames and wing joints. These plates were held to the wooden structure with hollow mild steel studs and nuts which look for all the world like short lengths of conduit.

If anyone is wondering how the tank got out (Tony’s excellent model shows how big that first step was) the Pilot’s Notes describe how the undercarriage could be ‘raised’ after landing by releasing the pressure in the oleo struts which allowed the fuselage to lower itself to the ground.

[tonyot]

10 hours ago, Abandoned Project said:

Coool. A plane, a glider and a tank, wow.!

Cheers mate..... glad to have ticked those boxes! 

 

8 hours ago, Vinnie said:

Superb modelling, Tony and a very interesting historical read. Thank you.

Thanks Vinnie, glad you liked the background stuff too, after all the model is only part of the story.

 

4 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Excellent work here such a great collection. 

Cheers CC,......... Just another up to date Halibag to build, plus a Waco CG-4A Hadrian and a Dakota and my WW2 Airborne Forces collection is complete.

 

3 hours ago, TonyW said:

That Halifax has got me wanting one. Invasion stripes have that effect on me I have no idea why!

 

The Glider model is a very impressive looking bit of kit. The cutaway shots from Bovington are pretty scary, that timber looks far to flimsy to hold up a tank. The upside down shot gives you a bit of a fright as well. A tank on your head isn't exactly pleasant. The three models are a tribute to the brave men who flew and fought from them.

LOL,.... I think stripes have that effect on quite a few people too! Glad you liked the model,..... and yes those gliders were flimsy and the men who went into war in them were very brave men,....... personally I would rather parachute any day and many WW2 veterans have said the same to me too

 

1 hour ago, Aeronut said:

The frightening bit is those beefy looking frames are hollow box section. There was very little aluminium alloy used on the Hamilcar. The vast majority of metal used was 1/8 inch thick stainless steel plate used in laminations at the corners of the frames and wing joints. These plates were held to the wooden structure with hollow mild steel studs and nuts which look for all the world like short lengths of conduit.

If anyone is wondering how the tank got out (Tony’s excellent model shows how big that first step was) the Pilot’s Notes describe how the undercarriage could be ‘raised’ after landing by releasing the pressure in the oleo struts which allowed the fuselage to lower itself to the ground.

Thanks for mentioning the undercarriage,..... I was in two minds whether to display it like that!  

[cngaero]

That's a really impressive model of the Hamilcar. You've done a cracking job with it. 

I think that your Halifax looks extremely elegant in the invasion stripes and it's certainly food for thought for yours truly. 

I never tire of seeing your work here Tony, no matter what the subject, they're always inspirational. 

Thank you for sharing them with us. 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by cngaero

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, cngaero said:

That's a really impressive model of the Hamilcar. You've done a cracking job with it. 

I think that your Halifax looks extremely elegant in the invasion stripes and it's certainly food for thought for yours truly. 

I never tire of seeing your work here Tony, no matter what the subject, they're always inspirational. 

Thank you for sharing them with us. 

 

Cheers Chris,..... that`s very nice of you to say so,...... I have a replacement Halifax planned as that one is quite old now, those 4 bladed props make it look very aggressive.. 

[Hockeyboy76]

That’s a great build. Looks amazing. 

[GrzeM]

Wow, tank in a glider! What a couple!