Antar/FV3001 with Cent and Monotrailer?

[gordo]

Goodday to you all.

 

I'm a new member and this is my first post, and if I've posted it in the wrong place, my apologies.

 

I never served but since early childhood and the Dinky Toys Mighty Antar and Centurion, I've had an interest in the Army and its vehicles and over the years I've modelled quite a few of them.

 

Now that I'm getting on in years I want that Antar and Centurion again,to remind me of happy days. I've become increasingly interested in the AFVs/softskins of the Cold War and recently purchased Accurate Armour's Antar Mk 3 fifth wheel tractor plus the FV3001/3005 60 ton semi-trailer. I want the load to be a Centurion 5 with Monotrailer and have the AFV Club and Modellbau versions ready and waiting.

 

Where I'd like to pick your communal brains is this - when loaded on an FV3001 semi, the Monotrailer stuck out between the raised loading ramps. There is a photo on page 50 of Pat Ware's superb Antar book which shows this but also seems to show that the trailer was held rigidly horizontal by tie bars/straps from the upper corners of the Cent. engine deck to the upper corners of the Monotrailer. The picture also appears to show cables going from the turret to the Monotrailer although these may well be telephone lines in the background. I would have posted the pic but my scanner has recently gone TU.

 

Sorry to go on at length but any comments on this travelling arrangement would be most welcome.

 

Thanks in advance and all the best.

 

Gordon

Edited April 19, 2011 by gordo

[mjstubley]

Hi Gordon

 

The trailer was only held on by the 2 tie bars at the top and the bolts at the bottom - the cables in the picture are telephone cables in the background. Note that they don't attach to anything on the trailer, and that they are not parallel

 

 

One thing to note with the AFV kit - you'd do well to get the mantlet cover as this isn't included in the kit. They do on for the L7 and one for the 20 pdr, though you'll need superglue to fit them

Edited April 19, 2011 by mjstubley

[gordo]

Michael

Thanks very much for replying here as well as on M-L.

What I'm after is more info on the restraining bars - they seem simple enough to scratchbuild but some detail would be nice. I was also interested to note that the guntube is not in the travelling crutch and wondered if this was normal practice when the Monotrailer was deployed, as I thought the turret was reversed and the gun stowed before the vehicle boarded the trailer.

I've got a resin mantlet cover, part of a very extensive and fiddly PE set, half of which I probably won't use!

I saw your Antar earlier - very nice indeed - anything I should be looking out for in the build process? I think I'll be doing mine in gloss deep bronze green, parade ground finish with very minimal weathering.

Cheers

Gordon

[mjstubley]

Given the markings on the Cent in the photo, I'd say this is a test/trials photo and the turret has been traversed to give a better view of the trailer and fittings.

 

I reckon its a safe bet that the gun would be in the travel lock for transportation as it wouldn't foul with any of the fittings on the trailer

 

Have you been in touch with Ossie on ML? I'd bet he has the sort of detail about the top supports you need

 

Regarding the pristine DBG Antar idea, I've just finished another one to contrast with my Mr. Mojo wagon

 

 

I did this one because the Antar is responsible for my interest in military vehicles

 

I spent my childhood chasing Antars in this livery down Selby Road in Leeds as they transported new Chieftains from the Royal Ordnance Factory at Barnbow to the A1 - They were so slow I could race behind them on my bike and hold on

 

Then, when my Dad worked in Germany, I saw the Mojo trucks on a regular basis around the Luneburger Heide

 

Happy Days for a 7 year old :-)

 

Regarding the kit, it's quite difficult to align the running boards to marry up to the cab correctly and I ended up using Araldite to get a good strong bond. I also used Araldite to put the rear bogies together as the completed rear bogey unit is huge and very heavy - just like the original Kirkstall Forge items!

 

Also the join between the top and bottom of the cab assembly needs a bit of tweaking and blending with filler to fit.

 

On the second kit, I resisted the temptation to build the kit then paint it - and instead, I painted the sub assemblies as I went along and I'm much happier with the result

Edited April 20, 2011 by mjstubley

[gordo]

Michael

What you say about the photo makes perfect sense. I will post on M-L to see if Ossie can provide any further info.

Your other Mk3 looks terrific – much like I envisage mine turning out. Which paint did you use? I’ll stick with Humbrol 75 as I find the WEM enamels don’t airbrush as well as I’d like.

Tell me, what is the derivation of Mr. Mojo? I thought it had something to do with the civilian Polish/German drivers used in BAOR but was never sure.

Thanks for the tips – as to Araldite, is it still in 2 parts and takes ages to set?

All the best

Gordon

[mjstubley]

Araldite - horrid 2 part stuff that takes ages to set but ultimately worth it. The weight of the finished tractor unit is huge, and superglue weakens over time

 

Painting - I painted mine with a primer coat of Tamiya NATO Black, followed by a mix of Tamiya XF-67 NATO green mixed with their XF-18 Semi Gloss Black and a bit of XF-72 JGSDF Brown and a touch of Clear Blue. I don't have exact measures as I mixed it by eye but XF-13 J.A Green is another good match. I then sprayed it with Humbrol Satin Varnish.

 

The drivers were 'displaced persons' (usually Polish) employed by the Mixed Service Organisation as drivers, mechanics and such like and were known as Mojo's - The Mojo's I remember were small, old, and smoked like chimneys

[bigmal]

I can remember the small, old and heavy smoking MOJO`s of 16 Tanks in Fally when i was with 7 ARMD WKSP.

I`m doing a couple of B.W Antars, the 1st one was soldered but i will use epoxy for the next one.

One is a MK3 Ballast with a Dyson trailer carrying a FV 434, the second has the semi trailer and will have a Chieftain on board.

[utt61]

Araldite - horrid 2 part stuff that takes ages to set ...

 

A little warmth applied to Araldite speeds the curing time no end, and makes it easier to mix. In my model-making days I used to use a 100 watt bulb (remember them?) in an Anglepoise to cook the resin to cure it, although obviously you have to be careful if your are working with plastics and/or resin kits - metal is fine.

 

Warming the mix before use will make it runny and hence much easier to mix thoroughly, and also easier to apply in small amounts in the right place. The heat will also accelerate the curing process. I never used the "rapid" version, always the original with warmth, seemed much stronger than the rapid.

 

Over the years I have used the hot Araldite method to repair rotor arms, distributor caps, apply aluminium patches behind unwanted holes in Landrover wings, just about anything you do with the stuff works better with warmth. If circumstances permit, a hot air paint stripper works really well for curing.