Can you list the issues you see?
The Tamiya kit needs hacking with a razor saw to get to a representative in-service CR1, so Trumpeter is looking like a step forward. But I may be missing something.
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The Tamiya issue with the glacis needing to be cut is a very easy fix and took me about an hour or so to do so nothing overly worrying and along with the wrong turret rear bin, are the biggest issues to deal with.
I have done a pretty comprehensive dive into the issues with the Tamiya kit in another thread here, so wont bang on about those again and also the difference between a Mk1, 2 & 3 Cr1. Suffice to say, the differences between a Mk2 & 3 are internal and have nothing to do with external fuel tanks, add on armour or indeed the reinforcing strips on the gunners sight side. You can see things on Mk2 that are not on a Mk3 and vice versa and also, not all Cr1 were finished up/converted to Mk3’s. Some remained just Mk2s. So you would not be able to tell a Mk2 from a Mk3 without checking inside really.
Issues with this Trumpeter kit that I can see or think I can see (depending on camera angles/light etc) in no particular order.
- LH & RH side skirts are wrong for a Mk2 or 3. The foot hole on the 3rd plate should be towards the rear, not the front, thats a Mk1 configuration.
- Drivers upper sloped glacis to splash plate needs more detail adding.
- Rear fuel cap protective rails missing the rear section on both sides.
- Main engine decks look to high.
- Sloped resilient rail on both sides looks to short.
- Hinge/clamp detailing throughout looks soft.
- Seams on ends of external fuel tanks.
- Some detailing turret rear bin needs enhancing (but it is better than Tamiyas effort)
- Metadyne cover side rails need to be thinned down into rods.
- Turret proportions look out in some areas.
- Recovery rope mounting blocks are to square.
- Track link spuds/ends to chunky.
- A frame on rear plate is mounted in wrong position and possibly misshaped as well.
- Both headlight guards look out of proportion/wrong size.
- Incorrect fire extinguishers fitted on glacis. ( this should be turret mounted)
- All plate weld lines look overly large/high.
- Comd MG is far to chunky.
- Comds MG ammo frame should show it being hollow and not solid (this is obvious even with ammo cans fitted)
- Comd MG mount will need to be reworked.
- All footman loops/tie downs will need reworking.
- Exhaust grills need to be reworked.
- Poor detailing on first aid box.
- Detailing on wheels looks soft.
- Turret cam net basket is wrong with how they have made it.
- Thats enough to be going with.
All that said, I will probably buy one if and when it comes out, just to compare it and confirm what I think.
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After seeing your Chieftain. I have to believe you might know what you’re talking about.
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Thank you kind Sir …. years spent on them does leave a mark lol …… but, if it does turn out to be a better kit, I will happily eat humble pie and sing its praises.
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That’s a highly useful tweaks list, thank you.
Missing / simplified details don’t bother me too much - they’re easy to fix. A lot of areas you highlight don’t seem worse than Tamiya, so so far it’s still on my list.
Trumpeter don’t do themselves any favors with mediocre test-shot builds. It’s surprising how many manufacturers undermine their own marketing this way.
Dimensional issues are a concern, though. Are there any reliable scale drawings of the CR1? Both the Kagero and MMP books come with some, but not sure I trust them.
Trumpeter have posted more images on their site showing parts breakdown.
EDIT It looks like the seams on the external fuel drums are because the modeler installed them the wrong way round and the fuel cap protective rails are short-shot or broken on the test build.
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I too noticed few errors that the kit modeller had made with parts not fitted or the wrong way round.
Looking at those shots you posted above of the actual turret top, it does look more in tune for being more or less the correct dimensions, so that is probably something you needn’t worry about now.
Another noticeable issue (for me anyway) is that you can only build this as a Mk2/Mk3 with external tanks fitted. Theres no scope for doing it as a version without drums or drum mounts, unlike the Tamiya one.
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Its on pre order at Jadlam models at £49 with free p&p
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……with a retail of £54.99 !!! I’m afraid thats staying on the shelves …….. until it goes down to £25 like their Cr2 kits lol
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I’m going to buy one just to build it as an initial production Royal Hussars wagon. But I’ll see how it goes against the Tamiya kit but to me it looks a bag of bolts. It’s not a Mk3 as there are no castelated welds around the TISH front and rear. But it isn’t a MK1/MK2 becuase it has the enlarged exhausts. Rear turret box has no etch for the top vent on the test build. And I don’t see any detail on the front left turret slab armour joint. The turret attachments for attaching cam on the front and side appear to be solid when the could be separate. On the real vehicle there is a very visible joint between front and side turret slab armour wheras on the test build the joint looks flat. My biggest gripe is that if they don’t provide the side armour upgrades, you can only model ‘Churchill’ in its museum state at Bovington with no armour pack. For the price, they could have also provided either a Chieftain long bin or one of the ad hoc left turret storage baskets. Opportunity Missed! Mike Shackleton will be rubbing his hands and rightly so
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Tamiya kit as a Cherrypicker’s wagon I built for one of the first crews who collected them from ROF Barnbow in the early 80’s
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Both look nicely done. To be even better, OB’s and 11B’s would have the 3rd ABA fitted next to the loaders rotating sight head …. and its a Chieftain long bin, not Chally 
But I agree on the Trumpy effort ….. very underwhelming sadly
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I know what I meant 
. Yes, Chieftain long bin
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