AA Combat Engineer Tractor (Frog)

Hi guys going to scratch an itch with this one,managed to get one of the last ones from AA so here goes.

The contents of the kit,it seems a good bit of detail is moulded on but still a good bit to do.

Starting with the running gear all looking ok.

On making a start after dry fitting the sprockets they need a spacer to bring them out to the proper position

Onwards and some more later👍

Jacko

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As an operator/commander of these for 5 years, i’ll be keenly watching this one…

Don’t forget… 74 track links on the left, 75 on the right.

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No pressure then😀I can’t promise on the track lengths as they are cast in sections!
What was your Reg No I’ve got 23FD44 down for 31 in 82/86?

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Wheels are on and after a bit of heat from the OICs hair dryer on the floor level and straight.

I will paint and shape the tracks around the sprockets and rear wheels before fixing permanently.

Jacko

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I commanded several different CETs - my Squadron, 77 (91 - 1997), had 4.

IIRC, one was definately 23 FD 72.

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I remember back in 1972 (roughly) a wooden 1:1 scale mock-up appeared overnight on Ripon Barracks square in Bielefeld; it was designed to augment the Corps Commander’s annual study period. It was parked at a corner under some trees, tarped, surrounded by Dannert wire and guarded by the Mixed Services Organisation. All painted in gloss Deep Bronze Green.

Us clerks, ambling by on their way to work in the HQ, just gawped (it was by then, un-tarped); it was unlike anything we’d ever seen before. Back in the early 70s, I imagine no-one had ever seen anything like it before(!)

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Righto tracks are on and that was not a process I enjoyed🙄scared stiff that heat neede to bend the tracks would upset the wheels etc! Looks like I’ve got away with it though🤞

No way did the track links work out Roly only 72 a side to work with😂

Jacko

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It’s looking great.

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Well done you; I am an absolute coward when it comes to resin tracks - I am mortally afraid of them. I mean, if you cock them up, where do you go?

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Looking great so far!

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Thanks, I did sit there looking and in the end just said sod it😂

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I couldn’t stop myself had to go and put the top on😂


Jacko👍

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Those tracks look great, I’ve read that they can be horrendous to get right. Does the kit come with the flotation bags as well?

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No flotation bags with this one mate it is the ‘vanilla’ version.
The second track went on quicker than the first one😀but it was squeaky bum time!

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Apologies late to the show…coming along very well mate

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Jacko464,
Excellent progress … looking forward to seeing the completed model.
This reminds me of a 1/72-scale 3D-printed version I built a few months ago.

Paul


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Ok, now it’s taking shape. I was wondering what it will look like.

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Its semantics really. The actual vehicle had a differing numbers of links for each side, due to the offset suspension arrangement, but on a kit, a track, is a track, is a track right?

FWIW, you have done a good job, the track tension as presented on the RHS is near enough perfect - i.e. the top track run should just be ‘kissing’ the third road wheel. It seems a little slack on the LHS.

For information, because there was a single link difference in length between sides, the vehicle would constantly try to steer to the right (not agressively particularly) which required an almost constant input to the driver’s steering tiller to correct. Only really a problem on road moves, but it did mean that the steering units wore more quickly than other main drive train components.

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Nice one that was the Badger 3d one right?

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Must admit to having a wobble over correcting the steering on the panzer road when I had a cabby😳

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