Universal Carrier

[Robert Stuart]

And this is why it all started ...
The Universal Carrier (aka Bren Carrier, or Bren Gun Carrier) had the largest production run of any AFV, yet, finding a GB that could accept the type was ... hard.
Of course, after years of no possibility, we have (at least) two builds this year that could take the carrier.

The box:

 

And its contents :

 

Sprues shots

Lower hull

Upper sides and engine compartment.

 

Wheels, tracks and suspension.

 

Crew, tools, weapons and engine.

 

Lots of etch, springs, some rope & chain, and decals

 

Colour options, and instructions

 

 

 

 

[Ozzy]

These kits do look impressive, enjoy the build looking forward to seeing the progress.

[Trevor L]

This will be an interesting one.

Looks a bit more complex than the good old Tamiya kit I built.

[Robert Stuart]

Thanks guys.
It will be a lot more complex than the Tamiya kit.
This one starts with the engine, little of which will be seen once finished.

 

 

There are a few pieces should be added to that, though it will be, pretty much, invisible when the nodel is complete.

 

And a couple of boxes, possibly the fuel tanks?

 

Most of the floor here, including the ejector marks, will be hidden by other components.

[CliffB]

So many parts, for something so small.  Fantastic!

[Robert Stuart]

19 hours ago, CliffB said:

So many parts, for something so small.  Fantastic!

And, some of those parts are small, not easy to tell apart from the risers.
(? Or, whatever they are called; the extra nubbins of plastic on the other side of the part from the sprue runner).

More progress:

 

The lower hull sides, glacis plate, engine cover, exhaust, and rear axel.
Going to start on the PE soon, and then I'll move on to a priming coats ... also need to commit to a colour scheme soon.

[JeroenS]

Looking good Robert. 

[bigfoot]

17 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

And, some of those parts are small, not easy to tell apart from the risers.

I hate it when you get that in some of these high detail kits, even determining where the part joins the sprue itself can be tricky!

 

Classic subject, definitely detailed those Riich kits. Hope the carpet monster isn’t hungry!

[SoftScience]

Oh Riich models with their 8 zillion parts.

 

word to the wise. Line up as many of the outer panels as you can before gluing in details. Trust me.

[Bobby No Mac]

Crikey, that's a lot of detail crammed into such a small vehicle. Move over MiniArt, there's a new gonzo in town! It will be interesting to see it go together.

[Robert Stuart]

On 20/03/2023 at 18:46, bigfoot said:

I hate it when you get that in some of these high detail kits, even determining where the part joins the sprue itself can be tricky!

 

Classic subject, definitely detailed those Riich kits. Hope the carpet monster isn’t hungry!

Yes, I generally try to feel for the end of the sprue gate with my snips ... doesn't always work well.
And, the carpet monster has had a nibble.  Hope I can replace the part with plasticard.

Progress, I've started on the brass:
The engine - most of which will be black and hidden in its own compartment.

 

And the lower hull

These channels will support the exhaust.
Hiding the exhaust under the hull left it vulnerable to crushing as the carrier ran over bumpy ground.

[Robert Stuart]

The carrier parts have been given a black base coat:

 

I decided to get some AM parts, some ammo that is on its way, and some crew:

 

The kit does have crew, but they are dressed for Italy, and I plan to make this a NW Europe model.

The new parts

 

Work has started on them.

 

Three figures, though I suspect I'll only use two.

[Robert Stuart]

Some progress to report on the carrier; the lower hull assembly has started, including some of the driver's controls.

 

 

The engine cover (name?) shows some developments too.

 

This will be a very tight fit around the engine, tight enough that I'm debating whether to add the motor - I probably will, just enough will be visible.

[Robert Stuart]

More has happened to my Universal Carrier

The engine was ... omitted.
The hood/cover over the engine is a tight fit.  Sometimes it works.  Others? No.
I did fit the radiator and ?air filter? together with its pipe.

 

These are visible when the hood is fixed in place.

 

 

Next in the build sequence is the road wheels.

 

Each front pair are made from 21 pieces.  The rear trailing units take 19 pieces each.
They could be fully articulated, though I didn't - assembling those springs (16 total) and their keepers was stressful enough the first time.

[bootneck]

I'm planning to get one of those, to go on my Mulberry bridge span, so I shall be following along.

 

cheers,
Mike