Rolls-Royce Armoured Car - Project Abandoned, photos lost

[Bertie McBoatface]

Now that I have reached the painting stage on the Freedom Tank it's time to start my second entry in this GB, for those days when I don't feel like painting. I have distinct painting and assembling moods and it suits me to have suitable entertainment for both.

 

 

I don't think this is the only Meng RR AC in the GB but it's such a charming waggon that I couldn't resist it. 

 

My 'research' has consisted of reading the Wikipedia page on the machine which was originally proposed in 1914 and was still in combat in 1941, though not continuously. 😆

 

The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) raised the first British armoured car squadron during the First World War. In September 1914 all available Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost chassis were requisitioned to form the basis for the new armoured car. The following month a special committee of the Admiralty Air Department designed the superstructure which consisted of armoured bodywork and a single fully rotating roofed turret mounting a water-cooled .303 in Mk I Vickers machine gun.

 

The vehicle was modernized in 1920 and in 1924, resulting in the Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern and Rolls-Royce 1924 Pattern. In 1940, 34 vehicles which served in Egypt with the 11th Hussars regiment had the "old" turret replaced with an open-topped unit carrying a .55  Boys anti-tank rifle, .303 in Bren light machine gun, and smoke-grenade launchers.

 

At the outbreak of the Second World War, 76 vehicles were still in service. They were used in operations in the Western Desert, in Iraq, and in Syria. By the end of 1941, they were withdrawn from frontline service as modern designs became available. 

 

 

There's not much in the kit and being Meng, I expect it to go together well enough.

 

 

But what's this? Spoked wheels in brass! These are for the WWI version and look difficult, to say the least.

 

 

I'll have a bash but without much hope. If I can manage the spoked wheels I'll perhaps do the multi coloured WWI version.

 

 

Fortunately, the later iteration of the AC has steel wheels and I'm actually drawn to the more interesting WWII open topped turret.

 

Time will tell.

 

 

[Jb65rams]

Nice choice. I have one of these planned for later. Probably going to go with the RAF version.

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

World War One it is then!

 

 

The design of these wheels is clever and the accuracy of the parts is almost faultless, so far. (I've only done the two front wheels)

 

 

There's a poly cap for attaching the completed wheel to the axle. I found it a mm too long and cut this slice off. That enabled the components of the hub C17 and C3 to fit together for gluing without having to squash the poly cap between them

 

 

Hub and spoke components.

 

 

As always, spend a few moments working out how to hold the workpiece

 

 

They just stack up. No need for CA as the plastic parts trap the brass between them.

 

 

Just like that!

 

 

When she's ready, flip 'er over.

 

 

With the tip of a finger, massage that tiny little button shaped wheel nut until it slips into place. Then a quick squeeze and the wheel center is done.

 

 

Clamp the out of focus tyre halves carefully either side of the spokes and run some thin cement into the gap. Here I removed the two locating pins from the tyre because they seemed to make life harder rather than easier. It's a simple matter to line up the tyre tread pattern and the spokes locate the halves circumferentially.

 

I used no CA at all. But just to be on the safe side, I'll run some thin stuff into the brass/plastic joints before I paint. The CA is a nice tight fit but it's conceivable that I might pull it out of its slot when I manhandle the wheels onto the axles.

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

@Faraway! Look at my PE!!! What do you think of that then?

[psdavidson]

@Bertie McBoatface Nicely done that man

[Faraway]

1 hour ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

@Faraway! Look at my PE!!! What do you think of that then?

 pretty bloomin good.

See you can make stuff that isn’t wood.

Jon

[Bertie McBoatface]

19 minutes ago, Faraway said:

 pretty bloomin good.

See you can make stuff that isn’t wood.

Jon

Thanks Jon. It's a marvelous design. So easy to do, even for me! 🤪

[Ned]

Blimey! They look super. 

[diablo rsv]

Great to see another RR being built.  I'm really enjoying my build, it's a nice kit as it is but there is plenty of scope for improvements.

You are going for the same scheme as one of mine so it will be interesting to see how you go about painting it. I'm still trying to think of the best way and which colours to use.

Your wheel looks good, I haven't attempted mine yet but you made the process look pretty straight forward.

 

Wayne  

[Bertie McBoatface]

9 hours ago, Ned said:

Blimey! They look super. 

 

Thanks Ned

 

5 hours ago, diablo rsv said:

Great to see another RR being built.  I'm really enjoying my build, it's a nice kit as it is but there is plenty of scope for improvements.

You are going for the same scheme as one of mine so it will be interesting to see how you go about painting it. I'm still trying to think of the best way and which colours to use.

Your wheel looks good, I haven't attempted mine yet but you made the process look pretty straight forward.

 

Wayne  

 

I've seen your work. You won't have difficulty with the spoked wheels. 😀

 

I'll be painting Grand Opera so mine will be bright enough to qualify as dazzle 😆

[Jasper dog]

Round two ehh, good work that man!

 

I do like those spoked wheels too. 

 

Atb

Darryl 

[Bertie McBoatface]

27 minutes ago, Jasper dog said:

Round two ehh, good work that man!

 

I do like those spoked wheels too. 

 

Atb

Darryl 

For me they are the whole point of the build. This is a tank on bicycle wheels! And with a totally crazy camouflage scheme! What could be better?

 

 

 

[edjbartos]

That looks great Bertie, I'm getting to like the look of these armoured cars more and more and this one really does look very nice. The wheels really look super, I like the way that you have done a step by step on those, Good luck with the rest of the build. I'll be watching...

 

Ed

[Bertie McBoatface]

42 minutes ago, edjbartos said:

I like the way that you have done a step by step on those,

 

Thanks Ed.

 

I was feeling a bit fed up with life yesterday so I decided to do something creative. Making the wheels despite my PE-phobia and then crowing about it here cheered me up no end!

[Pappy]

16 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

@Faraway! Look at my PE!!! What do you think of that then?

 

Great work BmB,

 

Now get on with it and do the other ones,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Bertie McBoatface]

9 minutes ago, Pappy said:

 

Great work BmB,

 

Now get on with it and do the other ones,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

The rear ones are even more interesting, being doubles!

[Pappy]

I believe in you!

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[ColonelKrypton]

Those spoked wheels are nicely done. There is a good feeling of accomplishment when you manage something like this, I can just imagine the big grin that will be doubly so when you assemble the rear double sets.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

7 hours ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Those spoked wheels are nicely done. There is a good feeling of accomplishment when you manage something like this, I can just imagine the big grin that will be doubly so when you assemble the rear double sets.

 

cheers, Graham

 

 

Indeed there was a grin. I've been too busy for much model making today. I've been attending to many minor tasks and a little decluttering too. All good for morale. I have little planned for the weekend and am hoping to move both of my armoured cars along significantly. Watch this space!

 

[Courageous]

Wonderful start Bertie. Definitely doing the wheels first was a good idea and like you, I was drawn to the WW1 option because of the wheels and the camo and also drawn to the WW2 option because of the open top. Choices, choices...

 

Stuart

[Bertie McBoatface]

19 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Wonderful start Bertie. Definitely doing the wheels first was a good idea and like you, I was drawn to the WW1 option because of the wheels and the camo and also drawn to the WW2 option because of the open top. Choices, choices...

 

Stuart

 

I might put 'an experimental open top' on the early version. With an extra Vickers or a Lewis instead of a Bren. 

 

Might? It's a racing certainty now that you have talked me into it. And full-on dazzle camo? Why not!

[Bertie McBoatface]

This kit should have been an aircraft - because it's flying together! 🤣

 

 

Below.

 

 

And above.

 

 

[Jasper dog]

14 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

This kit should have been an aircraft - because it's flying together! 🤣

Well it's alright for some......

 

Coming along a treat! 

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

I've almost finished the assembly of the beast. Some of the bits and pieces fell into place with that distinctively Tamiya 'Click!' Here's the wooden back end. Since taking the photo I've removed what I take to be the ammunition boxes from the rear in order to simplify the painting. That remark, "simplify the painting" deserves a lol, as you will see in just a minute.

 

 

And the front end. I reluctantly closed the radiator shutters, again to simplify the painting. It was a wrench losing that huge R-R radiator but needs must when there's a lunatic painting plan in my mind.

 

 

I will include the HUGE R-R headlights, I might even make them shiny brass. I don't think that these kit-supplied mounts will be up to the job though. They wouldn't last a moment under my clumsy hands so I'll replace them with something a bit more robust.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Pain-ting Plan

 

The sharp-eyes among you will have noticed that I'm incorporating the open top turret with its Scarff ring and Lewis gun. This is of course, the little known and never photographed experimental R-RA/C, which was held back from the front line for developmental work back in Blighty. If, and I say 'if', I can secure permission from the War Office, I may include some of the trial equipment. What has already been agreed is that the Special High Intensity Tantalization scheme shall be revealed by your humble servant.

 

 

This was on of the first S. H. I. Tantalizers. It wasn't a great success because the patterns are too small, too repetitive, and somewhat 'tweedy' for War Office taste. But you see the idea. Instead of trying to hide tons and tons of moving steel, the intention id to confuse enemy gunners as to the speed and direction of the vehicle.

 

 

The Admiralty have also been working on this project and here's an example of their work. This is a flotilla of several ships sailing backwards and uphill. By the time a submarine commander has managed to create a firing solution for his torpedoes, his migraine will prevent him from pressing the firing key!

 

 

Here's the same type of thing on a rather ludicrous tank model made by Mr H G Wells. The tank is ridiculous and could never be built but the painting has promise.

 

 

And here we have it! The shape of this ship is echoed by the R-R A/C, and we have a great affection for the curving pink bits, so a modified version of this scheme will be applied to the vehicle in due course.

 

And may the Lords of Meng forgive me for what I am about to do.... 😂

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

It took as long to make the last four wheels as assembling the rest of the car. Well, almost. I think that means paint next session!