Building a nonsense Pulp tank (Strange Request)

[Mr.Marx]

Hey all,

I'm trying to put together a nonsense pulp-era tank with the same vibe as the one shown in the picture linked here (https://www.deviantart.com/sport16ing/art/Medium-Mark-E-Stinger-tank-833836526). My plan is to add a turret to the top of the fighting compartment of the Vickers Medium Tank Mk. C model made by Copplestone Castings, and now sold by Empress Miniatures.

I'm eyeing up prospective turrets to complete this simple transformation. The issue is that I cannot judge whether the turrets on my short list will fit or 'look right' on top of the Mk. C from product photos alone.

So to my strange request: Is there a kind soul on here who happens to own a Copplestone/Empress Medium Mk. C model who also owns any of the turrets from the list below, who might be able to balance the later upon the former and post a photo of the resulting machine to help guide me with this project?

The turrets that I'm currently considering are those from the following kits:
Copplestone/Empress Pearce Arrow Armoured Lorry
Copplestone/Empress Jeffrey Quad Armoured Car
1st Corps Laffly-White Armoured Car
I'd also be very happy to see any other suitably sized turrets from your collection that you'd be willing to balance on your Mk. C.

Thanks to anyone willing to help,

Mr Marx (posting for the first time in a long time)

[has.been]

Have you had a look at Miniature Figurines ?

http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Home.aspx

They do a selection of inter-war tanks.

[Mr.Marx]

Have you had a look at Miniature Figurines ?

http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Home.aspx

They do a selection of inter-war tanks.

Yeah. I've given them a look. I judged that, even with my best efforts, I wouldn't be able to bring their sculpting style in line with the other vehicles used in the same force, which are mostly Copplestone.

[tin shed gamer]

An interesting Idea.
I'll proffer a different approach .Rather than just look for a turret to plonk on a mk C...Start with the Whippet and an Austin.
Why?
Because it's more economical and there's no waste.As you'll end up with two unique vehicles rather than one and bit for the lead pile.
This is musing is one you don't need to have much skill for and will take very little time to achive.Plus you'll not have to yry and match detailing such as rivets . As it preserves the existing details of both kits.

The Whippet comes with separate tracks so it's simply a case of reversing the body between them.
To change the body simply cut the crew cab away form the engine compartment. This is done with one vertically cut where the cab meets the angled engine hatches. Then one horizontal cut below the horizontal rivet panel which runs from the rear of the body and under the crew cab.
Once separated keep the crew cab ( don't bin it.)

The Austin body requires one more stage but in principle its very similar.
First stage is to remove the rear mud guards. This is done by repeatedly scouring the connecting point to the body from the underside in the wheel arch.( works best and fastest with the back of a blade tip not the cutting edge.)
Once released from the body put them to one side( don't bin)
The make a vertical cut directly behind the drivers cab.Then a horizontal cut flush to the underside of the curved section, and toward the rear of the vehicle.
Once done you should have a secton with the turret area's and rear cab complete with the two storage boxes still attached.
Your tank is then simply a case of thaking the Austin turret body glueing into the space left by the original Whippet crew cab.Then added the reversed track so that the storage boxes are over the tops of the highest point of the track units. Then add the Austin Turrets point to what would have been the rear of the Austin body.( now the front of the tank.)
You may choose to add a glancing plate below the lower leading edge at the front to camoflague the join.( a bit of mud will eliminate the need to add rivets.)

An novel looking armoured car can then be made from the left over Austin Body and the Whippet crew cab.
It will have to be raised slighty. But this can be camouflaged with a storage box either side.The remaining flat bed area can be covered with a couple of planks .The re attatch the Austins rear mud guards.
What you'll end up with is something similar to the Single turreted Austin in the bottom picture.

If you it's an fancy doing then feel free to pick my brains As I've more than a passing familiarity with these vehicles

I've included a Laffy- White as well just to show it wouldn't work quite as well but it is still possible.

Mark.

[Mr.Marx]

An interesting Idea.
I'll proffer a different approach .Rather than just look for a turret to plonk on a mk C...Start with the Whippet and an Austin.
Why?
Because it's more economical and there's no waste.As you'll end up with two unique vehicles rather than one and bit for the lead pile.
This is musing is one you don't need to have much skill for and will take very little time to achive.Plus you'll not have to yry and match detailing such as rivets . As it preserves the existing details of both kits.

The Whippet comes with separate tracks so it's simply a case of reversing the body between them.
To change the body simply cut the crew cab away form the engine compartment. This is done with one vertically cut where the cab meets the angled engine hatches. Then one horizontal cut below the horizontal rivet panel which runs from the rear of the body and under the crew cab.
Once separated keep the crew cab ( don't bin it.)

The Austin body requires one more stage but in principle its very similar.
First stage is to remove the rear mud guards. This is done by repeatedly scouring the connecting point to the body from the underside in the wheel arch.( works best and fastest with the back of a blade tip not the cutting edge.)
Once released from the body put them to one side( don't bin)
The make a vertical cut directly behind the drivers cab.Then a horizontal cut flush to the underside of the curved section, and toward the rear of the vehicle.
Once done you should have a secton with the turret area's and rear cab complete with the two storage boxes still attached.
Your tank is then simply a case of thaking the Austin turret body glueing into the space left by the original Whippet crew cab.Then added the reversed track so that the storage boxes are over the tops of the highest point of the track units. Then add the Austin Turrets point to what would have been the rear of the Austin body.( now the front of the tank.)
You may choose to add a glancing plate below the lower leading edge at the front to camoflague the join.( a bit of mud will eliminate the need to add rivets.)

An novel looking armoured car can then be made from the left over Austin Body and the Whippet crew cab.
It will have to be raised slighty. But this can be camouflaged with a storage box either side.The remaining flat bed area can be covered with a couple of planks .The re attatch the Austins rear mud guards.
What you'll end up with is something similar to the Single turreted Austin in the bottom picture.

If you it's an fancy doing then feel free to pick my brains As I've more than a passing familiarity with these vehicles

I've included a Laffy- White as well just to show it wouldn't work quite as well but it is still possible.

Mark.

Hey Mark,

Fair to say, not the sort of reply I was expecting. I've read your proposed idea through rather thoroughly, and it does sound very workable and not quite as daunting as it seems on a first reading. When viewed from the rear, the Austin does look rather made to fit on that handy little shelf under the Whippet's fighting compartment.

However, I am rather wedded to the idea of adding a turret to a Mark C for the time being.

It's quite silly really, but I got really rather carried away daydreaming about the thing on account of being laid up with an attack of gout in a broken toe and, well...some friends of mine want to play the game 'Bolt Action'. I have a lovely 28mm Back and Beyond Chinese Warlord force that was left to be by a friend after they passed which I've never actually been able to use on the table, and so I'm planning to 'proxy' a captured Japanese Type 97 tank as is allowed in the Chinese Warlord army list for that game: a tank which is in no way comparable to a Mark C with a turret on top, but that does not appear to matter when playing 'Bolt Action' as the system appears to be very light when it comes to characterising vehicles. The only thing the game is strict about is the arcs of a tank's weapons. And so, I spent a not inconsiderable amount of time and mental effort working out, quite exactly, what the shape of the tank's turret basket would have to be inside it's cramped fighting compartment for the access of the tank's machine gunners to the tank's five machine guns to equate exactly to 'one hull mounted forward firing machine gun and one turret-rear machine gun'. I took quite a while working it out, and now I feel like I rather need to make the model to match. If anyone's interested, I'd be glad to share - I even made a diagram - but I've probably blithered past the point that anyone's still reading, so I'll stop.

Anyway, back to the point, although I'm rather decided about making the Medium Mark C I have in my head, I'm planning something of a armoured column of several vehicles - currently at least one nonsensical pulp tank, as well as two machine gun armed improvised armoured cars, and something which will count as a Sutton Skunk but will be represented by a c.1920 Polish armoured motor-plough with its rear machine gun sponsons each converted into a mortar position via a mechanism that, again, I dreamed up in my gout medicine induced state. It involves a system of rods and rails. I have no idea how I'll model it.

But what I mean to say is that, firstly, I'm not too concerned about buying a few vehicle kits and swapping the parts about as I'm sure I'm making enough vehicles that everything will end up getting used, and secondly, that there would be plenty of room for a second 'what-if' tank.

Just how much more than a passing familiarity do you have with that Whippet and Austin? Would it happen to be enough that, perhaps, if someone more skilled than myself was to give the conversion a go that it might make its way into production alongside other similar C20th Follies?

MM.

[tin shed gamer]

I know a long winded answer
But I'd never throw out a suggestion unless I knew the full solution.

The WW1 vehicles are my sculpts too.Thats why I know it would be a very simple conversion.( very little need for filling or tweaking.)
I've not planned on adding any tanks to the Follies.As theirs plenty of crossover with the ww1 and Home front  ranges . Which is where a much of my spare time has gone( theirs over 100 sculpts including vehicles between the two ranges awaiting release.)

If your set on a Using a mk C. Then I'd reccomend a Panzer 38(t) .Or similar as the stepped turret would compliment the shape of the mk C. Making it seem more plausible.

The Warlord game's one should be quite similar in scale and rivet size to the Mk C you want to use.

Or as a random alternative Rich H. Sent me a print of this . I've added a commander and opened the hatch .It fins service in my Pulp 'Army'.
 

[Mr.Marx]

I know a long winded answer
But I'd never throw out a suggestion unless I knew the full solution.

The WW1 vehicles are my sculpts too.Thats why I know it would be a very simple conversion.( very little need for filling or tweaking.)
I've not planned on adding any tanks to the Follies.As theirs plenty of crossover with the ww1 and Home front  ranges . Which is where a much of my spare time has gone( theirs over 100 sculpts including vehicles between the two ranges awaiting release.)

If your set on a Using a mk C. Then I'd reccomend a Panzer 38(t) .Or similar as the stepped turret would compliment the shape of the mk C. Making it seem more plausible.

The Warlord game's one should be quite similar in scale and rivet size to the Mk C you want to use.

Or as a random alternative Rich H. Sent me a print of this . I've added a commander and opened the hatch .It fins service in my Pulp 'Army'.

I really do appreciate a well thought out reply.

I don't suppose you are at liberty to give any hints as to what it is that you've been working on? I'd be really rather interested. And it's a shame that you don't fancy making your tank up. It'd really would be very cool.

As for which turret to use, I was planning on something cylindrical rather than one matching the angles of the rest of the Mark C. I want it to look just the right kind of janky. The picture that keeps popping up in my head for it is this American prototype from 1917: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_prototype_tank_in_1917.jpg I love how tall and imposing and like-it-might-have-been-drawn-by-a-child it looks, although I might be channelling a bit of Little Willie as well.

I already have a Vickers Independent (the Copplestone kit). I've been obsessed with that machine since I was a wee boy visiting Bovington.

[tin shed gamer]

How about a Japanese type 97 turret with the rail around the top?
Or a Bilboa armoured car( I suspect it'd have to be a 3D print on eBay so I couldn't comment on the quality.)

I'm at 1st Corps some time at the beginning of October so I've no idea on release dates or what I can mention until then.( but I have some hints of a set or two on my ww2 thread )

[Mr.Marx]

How about a Japanese type 97 turret with the rail around the top?
Or a Bilboa armoured car( I suspect it'd have to be a 3D print on eBay so I couldn't comment on the quality.)

I'm at 1st Corps some time at the beginning of October so I've no idea on release dates or what I can mention until then.( but I have some hints of a set or two on my ww2 thread )

I've ordered the Medium Mark C from Empress along with the Jeffrey Nash Armoured Lorry. Either the turret from the latter will sit nicely on the former, or my Warlord will have a lovely armoured machine gun carrier in his service and I'll need to look a little further for a turret.

I'll keep my eye out for an any announcements from 1st Corps. I lost a good hour going through your WW2 thread. You've got some really lovely stuff there.

[tin shed gamer]

Cheers it's more of a bumbling with the vague notion of getting a usable table.

I'm looking forward to seeing your models come together.

Mark