AFV Club Centurion Mk 1 - kit AF35308

[Alan W]

Has anyone built this kit?

 

I purchased it last June and have been working on it for the past few weeks. I have just discovered that the smoke grenade launchers for the mass production version are missing. The instructions refer to a sprue I for these parts, but there is no sprue I in the parts list! Has anyone else had this issue with this kit or with any other AFV Club kit? I might go for the Centurion Mk 3 Korea or Mk 5 Berlin kits, but worry there may be a similar issue with them.

 

Alternatively, does anyone know of a source of smoke grenade launchers? I've tried looking on scalemates but cannot see any relevant after market-parts.

 

This could conceivably be a WWII topic - the Mk 1 tank was deployed in 1945 to Germany, having started production in 1944, but didn't see active service, hence my posting under Cold War.

 

Alan

[diablo rsv]

Hi Alan

I just saw this post, did you manage to find some? I built the prototype and have the grenade launchers spare if you want them.

 

Wayne

[Alan W]

Hi Wayne,

 

I got in contact with Bachmann (AFV Club owners - I couldn't find a contact for AFV Club themselves) about this and was advised that the sprue I is only used on a Mk 1 on the Japanese market, and that I could ignore any reference to it! Not very helpful when I had already installed the 7.92mm Besa coaxial machine gun, but with some work with a mini drill and grinder attachments I was able to remove the Besa and insert the Polsten cannon, so I have a pre production prototype model which is at least correct (but not what I wanted!)

 

A bit off of AFV Club/Bachmann to make variants available only to certain geographic markets and not advise this in the instructions! I suppose you could say I should have read the instructions all the way through and checked that I had the sprue I before commencing. But when the instructions clearly refer to the two types of machine gun, why wouldn't you assume the parts to be there?

 

Thanks for the offer of the spare grenade launchers though. Did you get your kit from Japan, may I ask?

 

Whether I buy another AFV Centurion variant I haven't yet decided - the Mk 1 was a very expensive kit, but the Mk 3 and Mk 5 variants appear cheaper.

 

Alan

[diablo rsv]

2 hours ago, Alan W said:

Did you get your kit from Japan, may I ask?

 

 

No, I bought it in the UK, I can't remember who from though. All of the sprues were in my boxing and I didn't realise they did different boxings for different markets. Seems an odd decision. 

It is an expensive kit especially as there a few parts that need replacing to make it accurate such as the tracks and wheels which are wrong for the prototype. An enjoyable build though. 

This is a link to my work in progress if your interested. 

and the finished model below.

 

 

Wayne

[Alan W]

 

12 hours ago, diablo rsv said:

 

No, I bought it in the UK, I can't remember who from though. All of the sprues were in my boxing and I didn't realise they did different boxings for different markets. Seems an odd decision. 

 

 

So maybe your supplier got hold of a batch supposed to be for the Japanese market, or purchased a batch from there.......   Or Bachmann told me porkies in the hope I wouldn't find out! E-mail from Bachmann below:

 

Quote

 

Dear Mr Woodward,

 

I have had confirmation from AFV, that the I sprue is only used on a MK 1 on the Japanese market.

Your kit is complete and you can ignore any reference to sprue I.

 

I hope this clarifies things

Kind Regards

Nicola

Nicola Cooper

DDI: 01455 245 578

Switchboard: 01455 841 756

www.bachmann.co.uk

 

 

That is some amazing model! I tend to build as they come out of the box with little to no afterparts although I'm slowly getting more adventurous! I got the Eduard brass etch for the Tamiya Challenger I Mk 3. I don't have any way of posting photos of my models to the site.

 

Alan