Can you make a A30 Challenger from a Cromwell?

[Troy Smith]

Hi all

been pondering this one as an interesting project.

I know the A30 Challenger was based on a Cromwell, but longer with and with extra road wheel.

Obviously with a new turret, which looks like it would not be to hard to scratch build due it's mostly flat sided nature, and cast up some extra track and road wheels, and copy a Firefly gun barrel.

and in 1/48 (i have not forgotten the Tamiya hull is cast metal) as I like 1/48th planes, plus a while back I found pics online with black disruptive camo.

I did search to see if anyone had done this conversion, but no joy

found this on tank talk on Hyperscale

In 1944, the Cromwell was redesigned to accommodate a 17 Pounder gun as a companion to the standard 75mm armed tanks, and the new tank was named Challenger. The turret was almost ridiculously tall, but was fully enclosed. It was necessary to stretch the chassis and add one more wheel station per side (though slightly smaller wheels were used).

The bit about smaller wheels seems weird considering the major use of Cromwell parts, is this right? Can't see this in any pics.

There is also a Army Wheels in Detail book with 1/48 plans I note.

http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/modern...reviewms_1.html

But, is this is a possible conversion? Or is there something I have overlooked?

Thanks

T

[Andrew Jones]

Should be perfectly possible to make this conversion with a little cutting of two Cromwell hulls , the wheels were not smaller, but were in fact standard Cromwell wheels. The only drawback may be that Challenger ran on 15.5" wide tracks rather than the standard Cromwell track.

[TheModeller]

Here you go...

http://www.track48.com/shop/xnews.php?newsid=646

Steve Faxon did a splendid job converting the Tamiya Cromwell to an A30, he's included a WIP pic to demonstrate the modifications required to the lower hull

Try asking him for more details over on the Track48 chat forum: http://www.network54.com/Forum/433829/

[Troy Smith]

thank you for that.

didn't know about track 48 either, interesting.

cheers

T

[TheModeller]

The only drawback may be that Challenger ran on 15.5" wide tracks rather than the standard Cromwell track.

I'm hoping I can convince Tim Perry of Fighting48 to package track and sprocket sets from his forthcoming Comet kit, not that I'm wanting to build an A30, but they will also do the job for a Korean era Cromwell too.

[Mike Starmer]

I did it years ago with a Matchbox Comet and Centurion wheels then scratchbuilt the turret and gun. I just sawed the parts into two parts making sure to stagger the joins then usedcard as in fils where required. I wrote up how I did it but I am unsure now whether it ever got rewritten into a magazine article.

[Andrew Jones]

I'm hoping I can convince Tim Perry of Fighting48 to package track and sprocket sets from his forthcoming Comet kit, not that I'm wanting to build an A30, but they will also do the job for a Korean era Cromwell too.

Comet ran on 18" tracks ,so strictly speaking they would be too wide for Challenger.

[TheModeller]

Comet ran on 18" tracks ,so strictly speaking they would be too wide for Challenger.

Yep, but in 1/48th, with a little squinting, in a dark alley, at night, in fog, it'll give the right impression and if not then thats what razor-saws andfiles and sandpaper are for isn't it?