BillS

1:76 Bedford MK and Saracen (in it's APC form) were produced in plastic by JB Models. The moulds were subsequently acquired by Airfix who re-released the kits under their own brand. Neither are available from Airfix at present, although it is possible that they may be at some future date. But they do appear on eBay from time to time. The Bedford, in particular, is fairly basic, but with some work can be made into a reasonable model. Cromwell Models produced a Sultan in resin in 1:76 but that is long out of production, though again it examples may occasionally be found on eBay.

The photo posted by 10FM68 is of one of 14 ex IDF M113 mounted EXACTOR missile systems purchased or leased from the Israeli in 2007 for use in Afghanistan. More information can be found in this article: https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2022/11/exactor-spike-nlos/ . Given the VRNs visible on the M113s in sirhc's post above, I assume that they are from the same batch, but with their Exactor equipment removed.

In the hard top 101s signals vehicles (not Vampires) was the rear section separated from the cab with a solid wall, and if so was it immediately behind the driver/passenger seat or was it set further back behind the original spare wheel position and fuel tank? Assuming that there was a dividing wall, was it in the same position in the similar EW and radio repair variants? I'm planning to make a model of one but none of my references are clear on this point. Thanks.

The second edition of Terry Gander's Encyclopaedia of the Modern British Army includes this photograph of a winterised MK in Norway fitted with a snow plough: I've always fancied making a model of it.

The REME museum has an M5 fitted with a hard-top and jib. If you do a Google image search on "REME museum M5" or "REME museum half track" you will find some photos of it.

There is also one at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in Scotland: there are a fair few photos of it on line. Also Googling "thunderbird missile" will throw up some useful sites - and photos if you go into images.

It's the Tank Bridge no.3 which was carried by the post-war Churchill bridgelayers. Or to be more accurate, two no.3 bridges both lacking their rear ends (which look as though they have been cut off) and the framework that separated the trackways.

Noel is correct - it is definitely not 1962! According to the caption in the book Dunavant was in Bosnia in September 1996. Not sure how that error crept in. On the plus side I was only 34 years out ... Bill

And another - Black Beauty, Centurion 44BA10 (from photo found on the internet).

One more for you - Dunvant, Challenger 1Mk3 of D Squadron 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, 7(?)9KF27, Bosinia 1962 - Photo in Challenger 1 &2 by Walter Bohm and Peter Siebert.

As Bob notes, it's the rear section of the dust shield which has been welded (?) onto the top of the hull to provide extra stowage space.

(Duplicate post deleted).

Andi This photo may help: https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1992-10-144-2 Or you might find something of use in one of the two walk arounds on Prime Portal. Just scroll through the vehicle list until you get to the entries for Centurion AVLB. http://www.primeportal.net/the_battlefield_armor.htm

Dai - I've sent you a private message re. books and plans. Bill

Trailer Cargo (1tonne) FV2401 (two wheel) - H: 1220 mm (48"), L: 3150 mm (135"), W: 2080 mm (82"), Track 1710 mm (67 "). Wheels - rims: 6.5x16 divided, Tyres 9.00x16. Trailer Flat Platform (2 tonne) FV 2520 (four wheel) - H: 750 mm (30.5"), L: 7650 mm (302"), W: 2360 mm (93"), Wheelbase: 3660mm (154"), Track, front and rear 2060 mm (81 "). Wheels - rims: 6.5Hx16 divided, Tyres 9.00x16 10n ply. (Source - British Military Vehicles 1971 and 1981 published by MVEE) The books don't include the office trailers unfortunately, but 1:76 scale plans of those (and the other two) exist.

As Richard notes, Airfix produced a Bedford MK in 1:76, along with soft and hard topped Land Rover 109s, a Land Rover 101, a 105 light gun and a Saladin and Saracen. They went out of production a couple of years back but may re-appear one of these days. They still turn up on Ebay from time to time, with prices that reflect their scarcity. There are a number of small companies that produce post war British soft skin and armoured vehicles in 1:76 and resin including Matador Models http://matadormodels.co.uk/76B PWB/lists PWV page 1.htm , Kingfisher Miniatures http://www.kingfisherminiatures.co.uk/vehicles-1-76-scale-c1.htm and Milicast Models http://www.milicast.com/shop/home.php?cat=14 . Personally I would only buy from the first two of these at shows but I have always found Milicast mail order service to be reliable. In addition to the Aveling Barford mentioned by Richard, Oxford Diecast have various 1:76 diecasts that can be used as a basis for post war British vehicles, including Land Rovers. You could also look on eBay for 1:76 white metal and kits by BW Models and 1:76 and 1:72 scale resin kits by Cromwell models, and for out of production kits by Kingfisher and its predecessor CMSC. (Some of the of the BW moulds were bought by Hobby Den in Ireland and they have a few ex BW kits in their list - see http://www.thehobbyden.com/index.php?cPath=57_142&osCsid=mftfktj3f2vd9fta3lag6tgrc2 . Others were bought by Matador and have been incorporated into their own range, but the majority of the BW - and CMSC - range are unfortunately out of production. In 1:72 both ACE and Takom produce kits of British armour in plastic, including Centurion and Chieftain MBTs and the FV432. Ace also, from memory, have produced kits of the Stalwart, Salamander, Saracen and Saladin. Challengers, Warriors and AS 90s are available from other producers in plastic 1:72., whilst Revell do both and an M109 and a Fuchs NBC variant that can that, with a bit of work , be converted to UK standard. S&M Models also do a 432 in plastic and Dan Taylor has a number of conversion sets for this kit - see https://www.dantaylormodelworks.com/cold-war-75-c.asp which may also fit the Takom kit. There are probably other kits about, but these are the ones that spring to mind.

Hi Steve I've just emailed you a copy. You might want to check the plan against the dimensions given in Wally Duggan's post in case scanning it and printing it out at your end has affected the scale. Regards Bill

Hi Mick I'm not sure how well it will scan as it is a bit faded, but if you PM me with your email address I send you a copy. Bill

Its a Trailer, 40 Ton, Tracked, Recovery designed by Cranes. According to the information given on a 1:76 scale plan I have, 75 were built in 1944/45 by Boulton and Paul. Both the front and rear bogies were tracked.

"British Military Land Rovers" by James Taylor and Geoff Fletcher includes, on page 29, what I would guess is the same photo of the FV 18003 referred to by others above. The caption notes that "the light areas of paint may have been in yellow to aid visibility", so no further forward on that front. But the text adds that 18 of these vehicles appear to have been delivered against contract 6/Veg/21227. The Annex to the Chapter in question gives the chassis number serials of all of these. The text also notes that the vehicles appear to have been fitted with a standard civilian hard top with a top hinged flap above a drop down tailgate.

On the subject of ex-Beverley museum vehicles, does anyone know what happened to the Bedford RL water tanker with a mine protected cab that had been converted to a fire tender for use by the UN at Nicosia? I have a handful of photos of it, including one taken at the museum where it looked in need of some TLC..

I don't know the official designation, but light stone with a mid brown disruptive camo pattern. A Google image search on "British Gulf War Uniforms" will get you plenty of photographs of the real thing.

I have a photo of one on a museum exhibit. PM me if you would like a copy.

Thought it might be Milicast. I have a couple of their Centurion Models and guessed that someone would be mastering an AVRE for them: something to look forward to. Are you planning to do the 105 AVRE as well, or is that not sufficiently different to make it worthwhile? If you have Terry Gander's book on the Royal Engineer's there is a good picture of the Giant Viper rocket system on page 76, and another of the box in which the explosive hose is carried mounted on the later four wheeled (ex Heavy Floating Bridge) trailer. I have a couple of photos of the later Python variant of this if they are of any use to you. Whilst it is no help with Giant Viper, John Church did plan of the four wheel AVRE trailer (FV2721).

My old copy of British Military Vehicles 1971 gives the dimensions of the Giant Viper No. 2 Mk 3 as: Height, unladen: 1829 mm (72 in) Length: 5867 mm (231 in) Width: 2489 mm (98 in) Track: 2159 mm (85 in). Wheels are given as 800x20 divided type and tyres 1200x20 RF. Accurate Armours site has a few photos of their 1:35 scale model of the Giant Viper which might help. I've been after a 1:76 scale model of the Cent AVRE for some time - who are you making the master for?