Matilda

[cph64]

Whilst Bob is on his Cromwell Crusade I've started the Fujimi 1/76 scale Matilda or to give it it's full name Infantry Tank Mk.II (Matilda Senior). The name Matilda deriving from the Mk.I which was likened to Matilda the Duck, who was Donald Duck's Aunty!! You can tell how long this has been in my stash as the price tag says £1.75p.
Consisting of 59 tan coloured parts, one of which the carpet monster ate, and soft, silver tracks. The markings are for four tanks, 3 in Desert camo; Phantom 42 RTR, Glenorchy 7 RTR and Grampus 4 RTR plus an Austrailian one used in New Guinea. I, however, am going to finish it as Glanton which served with 7 RTR at Arras, which did not carry the usual WD serial. After fitting the sides to the floor I deviated from the instructions and fitted the hull top. This need some adjusting to get it to fit at the front. I'd spent some time researching the tank as profiles show the side skirts above the bogies but the kit has them lower and is also missing the plates on the bogies. I'd found photos which seemed to show them lower so will go with that. As stated above the carpet monster got one of the bogie wheels so I'll find a replacement (or hide the gap!!!).
Once the running gear was in place I started on the 7 piece exhaust system which doesn't quite join together on one side so will use Evergreen strip to fill the gap. Some parts had already been painted using Vallejo Bronze Green Primer which is a match for G4 in the camo scheme and I bought Vallejo US Dark Green as an online source said this is a match for G3.

[chriswil42]

Looking good Chris.

[zak]

Interesting, I have one in 1/56 awaiting my attention.

[MSea]

Looking good Chris - now a question - does everybody have a "carpet monster" or just the few lucky ones like us ??

[chriswil42]

Looking good Chris - now a question - does everybody have a "carpet monster" or just the few lucky ones like us ??

I think we all have a cerpet monster - the modeller's 'friend'.

[Bigkev]

Looking good Chris - now a question - does everybody have a "carpet monster" or just the few lucky ones like us ??

I think we all have a cerpet monster - the modeller's 'friend'.

Am I missing out?
I have a Carpet Monster like most of us, is yours a more specific variant, a 'Cerpet'?
Kevin

[Bigkev]

Hi Chris,
I built the Airfix Matilda, when it first came out.
A very nice kit for the time. I was sold on the camouflage scheme of Pale Blue and Sand at the time.
Will yours be finished in such a scheme, or something more unique?
Cheers,
Kevin 

[Haddock]

Hopefully you'll waltz through this one!
Haddock.

[Bob C]

Looking good Chris, I to have a carpet monster it’s eaten so much but still can’t find it.
I also built the Airfix one many many moons ago, Tamiya one in the pile will get round to building it sometime.

Bob c

[councilman]

I saw a running Matilda at Bovington Tank Fest a few years ago. Its an impressive beast up close.
Keep up the good work.

[chriswil42]

I saw a running Matilda at Bovington Tank Fest a few years ago. Its an impressive beast up close.
Keep up the good work.

That would be worth seeing.

[cph64]

There's a photo of the Bovingdon Matilda on the cover of an issue of Tankette. I'm using that for reference. Somewhere I should have photos of it plus the the one in IWM, which may be the same one?, but we're packing to move so everything's all over the place!!! Anyhow I digress.
Progress has been slow for reasons stated above. Further research has shown that 7RTR used Matilda IIs at Arras. These had the AEC twin diesel engine a doubling of the one used in the AEC bus, with only one exhaust on the lefthand side and the Vickers .303 m/g. The Mk IIA swapped the Vickers for a 7.62mm Besa with the Mk IIA* changing the power unit to a Leyland twin diesel. As the kit is a Mk IIA* the righthand exhausts were removed and I'll have to source the alternative m/g and housing. The upper rollers fit to the inside of the sideskirts which have a representation of the bogie plates I mentioned as missing initially. Still not a good representation though. Fitting the sideskirts showed that they incorrectly flaired away from the tank sides, the problem appears to be twofold with the upper rollers meeting the mudchutes too soon and the mudchutes sticking out too far to allow the skirts to sit vertically. So it was superglue and brute strength to try and get a good fit.

[cph64]

Managed to get some time off to do some modelling, hurray!!!! Tinkered with the skirts to try and get a better fit and fitted the rest of the exhaust and the hull lights. The brackets for the lights aren't the correct shape but I can live with that in this scale. I had to invert the towing lugs as they stop the lights fitting properly if you place as per the instructions.
I drilled so far into the smoke discharges to make them look better but gave up on trying to get holes in the turret lifting lugs, which are the wrong shape, as my handdrill would grip the bit!!! The locating hole for what I believe is the sighting vane in front of the cupola is too big so it kept sinking and was constantly corrected. This is a common fault in the kit, holes too big, too small or none existant. The light shown as in front of the cupola should be to the side so this was moved and PPP used to fill the hole was it was for the cupola hatches which are not the best shape/fit. The instructions say the two part 14s are hatch covers and should be positioned at the side of the turret. Somebody at Fujimi misinterpreted a photo as they are in fact squaddies helmets hung on the lifting lug!!!
I made the Vickers m/g water jacket from scrap and sanded down the 2 pounder as the kit part has a collar near the mantle which early versions didn't have.

[Bob C]

It looks good for such a small scale, I have trouble in 1/35 at times.

Bob c

[chriswil42]

Great work Chris.