Finally a 1/72nd Centurion, perhaps the most important post WW-2 vehicle used by a wide variety of countries in a bewildering number of varieties, someone has really messed up in their planning, as with basic sprues and small changes, the moulds would have paid for themselves and more, Still Cromwell have come to our rescue with the first release of an Australian Mk 5/1 which is essentially a Mk 5 with additional armour and a 20 pdr main gun. The kit is from their ever growing range of Combat 72 and for those that don't like Resin kits, don't let that put you off, as there are very few parts that need attaching, the hardest thing about this kit is the tow ropes. All hatches are open although a full figure won't fit plus there are no Australian tankers available to go in it (pre haps Cromwell have some in the pipeline ??)

This is a complete a kit as you will find with the exception of a crew and some markings nothing much needs to be added, I say nothing much as I have been over this kit with a fine tooth comb (after spending many painful hours trying to scratch build one), The kit has the 20 pdr B type as opposed to the earlier A type without the fume extractor but with a barrel counterweight at the muzzle end, the Idlers are the full spoked variety making this an early vehicle, as the idlers were later modified with two other patterns. The kit also includes smoke dischargers, these are optional as the Australians removed them in Vietnam. The other thing that makes this an early vehicle is the lack of drivers windscreen stowage, there should be a metal bin containing the windscreen where the outer set of spare track is stored on the hull top next to the driver.

So what else is missing, surprisingly not a lot, all the major details are there and in the correct place, but if you want to be really nit-picky then there are no casting numbers on the turret! also the two tow ropes were joined by a connecting piece on the rear fuel tank and on the right hand side near the exhaust next to the shovels there is a track lever (a sort of long bar flattened at the ends and bent over a but, for want of a better description) missing, the final thing is the coaxial MG, the ranging MG is provided but the coaxial should also protrude from it's housing.

The kit comes broken down into the usual for the combat 72 range meaning that the hull . tracks and suspension are one piece, with just the pour lugs to remove from the bottom of the track run, I am still amazed as to how cromwell do this and still retain so much detail, the turret is also a single piece with just the main gun, ranging MG, and hatches to fit plus some other small fittings such as smoke dischargers (if wanted) guard for the main sight, the search light (which can also be modeled stowed) the commanders mg and part of the turret stowage (for stowing the searchlight)

The hull is has a fully detailed suspension, as can be seen it has the early type idlers and a beautifully detailed track

The turret is full detailed

The long range 100 gallon fuel tank, search light, spare wheels and main gun, the hatches are detailed both inside and out

the Rear of the searchlight, and the two part tow ropes, although three are provided only two are needed so you have a spare in case of accidents.

Some built up shots

I have included a few of the kit built before painting, I chose to change the tow rope for twisted wire for personal preferences, not because of any problems with the supplied ropes, this meant that I had to add a few fittings that are already in place on the supplied ropes . I also foolishly drilled out the searchlight !! (caused a lot more work!)

Some detail shots

The Finished article

The one thing to watch out for is that the commanders Mg doesn't sit on top but as can be seen in the photo above it sits next to it, the Green is probably not the correct shade and should probably have been darker. For those that don't want a plain Green vehicle, the kit can be painted in a odd camouflage that can be found on the Steel-Thunder web site, the scheme was used at one of the gunnary ranges in Australia.

References

Canadian Centurion gun tanks By Barry Bedlam (although Canadian the mk 5 is covered)

Centurion Universal Tank 1943-2003 Osprey New Vanguard By Simon Dunston

The Centurion Tank By Bill Munro

And the invaluable site for all Australian Centurion info,

http://members.tripod.com/~steel-thunder/index.htm