Tamiya 1/48 Universal Carrier Mk.II

[Stew Dapple]

Hello gents  

 

Here's my sixth completion for the year - the Tamiya 1/48 Universal Carrier. The kit went together nicely as you would expect; I didn't add anything or use the wee men as they didn't look great and I found it impossible to add the driver once the front armour was on (which, in fairness, I should have expected).  The tracks are very simplified, I imagine the nature of the real tracks made it impossible from an injection-moulding standpoint but if it bothers you overmuch FCM Modeltrend do make a 3D-printed set which look much more like the real thing if you can face cutting your way through the mare's nest of printing support struts.

 

It was painted mainly in Colourcoats ARB19 - Olive Drab BS987C SCC No.15; I think I need to get a lighter background as the pictures have bleached it somewhat and the fluorescent lighting has made the angled sideplates look a different colour - they're not   Detail painting was done with various Vallejo and Citadel acrylics. The kit transfers were used and the flat coat was AK Interactive Ultra Matte Varnish - credit where it's due, it lived up to its name.

 

Anyway here she is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your attention  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[junobeach]

Great job Stew. I built and posted mine in Feb. 2021, I added the eduard photo etch extras. I agree the main model went together pretty well. The figures of the driver and the gunner were a different story. Had to place them in position before adding the front. It was a bit fiddely.
l like how crisp and neat your rendition looks. Cheers Dennis

[mullac2001]

Great work , love a bren carrier

[John B (Sc)]

Very nice. 

 

I wasn't aware Tamiya had made a 1/48th scale one - mine are the older 1/35th kits - plus one 1`/76th Airfix !   

 

We used to use a Bren carrier at the Glenshee ski slopes in the very early days, before fixed tows came along. It was stored in a barn nearby. Run the carrier up the slope as far as possible, then use it to drive a continuous loop hemp(?) rope.  The rope would get very clogged with snow on the return, dragging along the snow, so by afternoon the only way to get up was stow rap your arm around the rope to get enough friction and hang  on like mad, being sure to unwind just before the pulley !  There was a notional trip wire to kill the power if  you over-ran but I doubt it would have stopped fast enough. Different HSE views then...

[IanC]

Nice one. I especially like how you've painted the tarp and stowed cam net at the back.

[Bertie McBoatface]

I assumed I was looking at the 1/35 version until I read the comments. you've made a very nice job of this.

[John B (Sc)]

6 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

I assumed I was looking at the 1/35 version until I read the comments. you've made a very nice job of this.

Likewise - most impressive.