@barkingdigger Thanks! E-10s definitely look unusually predatory. I plan on purchasing another and trying again.
@Tank_1812 Thank you!
@SSGToms Thank you!
@petbat Thanks! Whoops! Thank you for letting me know about the tail light. There must be different versions because I have a picture of a blue one. The next model will also have a blue tail light but I will try to remember to make them smoke colored after that.
I finally got my bench cleared so it’s start time. First thing I did was re-think using that very nice Meng Leo 2A4 as a base. It’s just too nice and I would prefer to build it as is some day. So, a quick search of eBay and this was in my mailbox:
IMG_4811 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
It was cheap and upon opening the box I could see why. It’s pretty basic, but like most older Italeri kits not bad. I did decide to break out one of the Tamiya Leo 2A5’s I have in the stash for the running gear and other parts. A few minutes playing jigsaw puzzle and I figured it would be easiest to just use the whole Tamiya lower hull, so I did. All I had to do was trim the upper hull sides off the Tamiya part and fiddle the rear plate in.
IMG_4813 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
It’s not exactly mated on the bottom but a quick bit of trimming and I had it closed up.
Below, what I have together after a couple of hours:
IMG_4812 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Now that I have the basic hull to scale from I can start mocking up a turret. I have a couple of decent side views and a front quarter view but nothing of the top. I’m still looking though.
And I’ve already got the Italeri A4 turret mounted to something. 
Well I had an idea. From something I read somewhere about Brazil’s Osorio tank, I remembered it was to use a Vickers turret. A little more time on Google and the term “Universal Turret” popped up. Bingo. A quick search of eBay (again) and I had a partially started Trumpeter Osorio kit in my hands. Eek, it’s a rat, old school Trumpeter, but the turret is very close to what I need. Some quick size and proportional scrutiny and I think what I have is the “core” of the turret without the Chobham armor. All I can find that shows the turret from any angle other than the front confirms this. So my task has become quite a bit easier. The turret in the kit I got was even partially assembled, so I hacked the ring out of the Osorio hull, mated it to the Leo hull and checked for fit. It sure looks the part, just 7/8 scale since it has no additional armor.
The kit I am robbing:
IMG_4814 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
It’s a real rat, my hat’s off to anyone that’s actually built one. Below, the hull ready for the turret:
IMG_4815 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
And a profile shot of what the turret looks like on the hull:
IMG_4817 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I’ve removed the molded-on junk on both sides and the TC’s cupola.
Front:
IMG_4816 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Based on the width of the mantlet compared to the rest of the front of the turret, I need to widen the whole thing a fair amount, the thickness of the Chobham packs actually. I also found a rear 3/4 view, from a high vantage point, of a World of Tanks or War Thunder rendition of the Mk 7/2 which gives me width and length of the fitted out turret as compared to the Leo hull.
So in summation, I have a nicely proportioned inner core of the turret I need. I just have to add the front and side armor modules. Hmmm…
I have the perfect kit for this campaign! It’s Das Werk’s Panzerselbstfahrlafette Ia 5 cm PaK 38 auf Gepanzerter Munitionsschlepper Vk3.02. It’s basically just a gun slapped onto a munitions tractor, basically a German ZiS-30, it looks like.
According to Tank Encyclopedia, only 2 prototypes were built, so I hope it counts. I’ll have to see how quickly I can finish my StuG III G before I commit to the campaign.
Right; the 4.7cm made it into production but there was some issue with upgunning to the 5cm. Weight?
The weird thing is that they only planned production to start in 1944, but by then, the 5cm cannon was too weak to do much, even with paratroopers. (And at that, only 100 in '44 and 200 in '45)
I just read up about ‘your’ tank, tank-encyclopedia claims it might have been the best tank of it’s time…
Thanks for the idea 
I read that too. Too bad only two were made. Seems like its major attributes were its projected low cost and simplicity.
Looks like a genius bit of researching, Russel! Should be a great build…
I don’t know about “genius”, mostly what I could find on Google, Wikipedia and a couple of gaming boards, along with a fair amount of
educated and not-so-scientific guesswork.
I’m looking forward to the build though.
I did find a 3D printed Mk 7/2 on eBay in 72nd and 48th scale but I think it is derived from just as much guesswork as I’m using. Plus, I’ll be done before it would get here if I ordered one today.
Pity no one could step in and save Englasa(? spelling) as happend with Chally 1.
I have a nice start on the turret’s additional armor modules. I started with the mantlet so I could key everything else off it. I had to rework the back of the turret a bit and do a LOT of sanding and puttying after removing unwanted details.
IMG_4822 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4823 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
It will get bins along the back sides and rear, very similar to what Challenger 2 ended up with.
Let me join this company. I believe that what I have told you about the Grote tank TG-1 will allow it to be considered suitable for this competition.
Would love to see a injection molded model of that tank. I’ve wanted one ever since you posted about it.
That is kind of wacky looking…
I have the armor modules done, the tunnel for the main (?) sight in and the rear turret extension and side bins done. I’ve been very careful to keep all this level and symmetrical but when I checked the rear with the turret on t he hull, it was off big time. Turns out my turret is right, the hull had a big warp that I had missed. I have it braced from inside now and I’ll check it again after the plastic has a chance to take a set with the bracing in.
I tend to do the basics quickly, all in a couple of long sessions, then once I have the major shapes blocked in I can slow down for the details and such. I’m at that stage now, where I can slow down and do the small stuff.
IMG_4825 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4824 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4826 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I still haven’t found any good images of the turret top so I’ll have to be imagineering a bit from now on.
Hi Yuri, that’d be perfect for this campaign!
Russel, good luck with the turret roof details! Not sure I’ve ever seen a top-down shot of the Vickers. But then as nobody else has, who can say you’re wrong?
The best roof shots I have are from WoT… So I expect I’ll be using a Chieftain commander’s cupola and other bits and pieces from who knows what.
Fun! It’ll be Fun!
Is this the same turret as was fitted to the Vickers Valiant?
As far as I can tell, yes, sort of. From the few pictures I’ve found, there are at least two configurations of the added armor modules, what appear to be “early”, as on the Mk 7, and “late” seen on the turret fitted to the Leo hull to make the Mk 7/2. It may also be that the rear of the turret, from the commander’s hatch back, was changed, possibly widened.
I’m working from absolute crap pictures and a few games images, so there’s a lot of SWAG going on here.
