Churchill Upgrade

[Scotaidh]

I've never liked the vertical armor faces on the Churchill.  So, much as I did with a Matilda Mk II, I'm going to upgrade the armor to something slanted.  I might change the main gun to the 17pdr - there'd actually be room in the new, larger turret. 


Churchill Upgrade_000
This is the model I've got in the SSR, so this is with what I'm working. I'd have preferred a 1/35 scale, but the prices are ruinous, so ...

More pictures when I have some solid progress.  So far I'm still ruining sheet plastic in an attempt to find a profile that I like. 

[zenrat]

Churchill upgrade - give him a bigger cigar?

[NARSES2]

I might change the main gun to the 17pdr - there'd actually be room in the new, larger turret. 

Not sure the turret ring could be enlarged enough on the Churchill ? That's why the Black Prince was wider as far as I know. Having said that I do like the idea of an improved Churchill 

[Scotaidh]

Churchill upgrade - give him a bigger cigar?

I didn't think there were any cigars larger ... 

[Scotaidh]

Well, the Carpet Monster has eaten three sets of road wheels and a drive sprocket.  I have searched until my legs cramped, and given it up.  I've contacted Hornby to see if they can help me, but that was a week ago and no - other than automated - response.  I guess I'm down to scratching replacements, so I'm looking at my small-diameter tubing.  :/

I also ordered a 1/35 Churchill from evilBay.  That arrived yesterday, and you know?  It's still small.  :/ 

I already have a completed 1/72 Churchill Mk VII, completed OOB with one tiny variation - it's got stripes of black paint on it.  I'd wanted my up-graded one to sit beside it, to show ... I dunno, just to be a pair, I guess.   

Now I can't decide if I want to a) finish the 1/72 Upgrade; and b) if the 1/35 should be OOB and sit next to my OOB Chieftain and Challenger.

Thoughts?

[Dizzyfugu]

While looking at the Churchill kit box art, I wonder if combination of a Char B1 (hull) with the Churchill's tracks would be feasible?

[Scotaidh]

While looking at the Churchill kit box art, I wonder if combination of a Char B1 (hull) with the Churchill's tracks would be feasible?

Probably, but you might need to make the tracks longer.

[Scotaidh]

Well, I used a Dustbuster to reclaim most of what I'd lost to the Carpet Monster - I only needed to fab three road-wheels.  Now the hull's together I can get on with the turret. 


Churchill Upgrade_013
Side-skirts added - I haven't decided yet whether or not to smooth and angle them.  Thoughts?


Churchill Upgrade_014
Turret now has a floor and I've removed the bustle-tub so I can increase the turret's effective size without increasing the turret ring.


Churchill Upgrade_015
If you look closely under the gun tube, you can see that I cut away the lip under the gun,  I did that because with the lip the gun was limited to about -2 deg elevation, which is stupid. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to replace the gun tube - I'd like to "Firefly" it, but it's so small that I'm worried I'll duff it.

[NARSES2]

Glad you've found the bits 

Side-skirts added - I haven't decided yet whether or not to smooth and angle them.  Thoughts?

Not sure what you mean ?

[Scotaidh]

Glad you've found the bits 

Side-skirts added - I haven't decided yet whether or not to smooth and angle them.  Thoughts?

Not sure what you mean ?

Well, my original plan was to add slanted plates to the ends of the hull and the sides of the turret, to make them more  ballistically effective. 

I hadn't really considered the sides of the hull, especially those protuberant intakes.  A part of me wants to add angled plates to the sides (as well as to the turret, which I'm working on now).  Adding slanted side-plates would make the tank harder to kill but would complicate the build.

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks interesting. How about a different turret, maybe from a Comet or a Sherman Firefly?

[Scotaidh]

That looks interesting. How about a different turret, maybe from a Comet or a Sherman Firefly?

Well, the turret will look different.  I'm trying to do something related to this:



my conversion of a Matilda Mk II.  the cannon barrel broke off and vanished during a move.  To salvage it I dressed up the turret and hull, drilled into the breech and glued in a pick-up-stick which I then dressed up to be a hi-velocity 40mm firing Sabot and HE. 

That's kinda what I'm trying to do with this beast.

[Old Wombat]

Sloping the side armour is more problematic than it looks.

1.) It increases the width well past the rail-tunnel limit which restricted the width of British armour (until they threw it out & went to road transport).

2.) Unlike the Matilda (which I note you didn't slope the sides of) the sides of the Churchill aren't skirts, they are actually the sides of the mid-lower hull, the hatch in the sides is the primary crew access/egress point & needs to be kept.

3.) the light panels over the tracks are removable & need to remain so for track maintenance.

Not saying it can't be done but the above points (especially 2 & 3) need to be kept in mind when doing so.

Just quickly off the top of my head; I'd suggest cutting out the side panels & making them the bottom of the sloped armour, add flat upper plates & triangular ends ... or you could reverse the side-panel/flat plate arrangement.

I thing she'll look ugly but the Churchill was never a "pretty" tank, anyway.

[NARSES2]

Well, my original plan was to add slanted plates to the ends of the hull and the sides of the turret, to make them more  ballistically effective. 

I hadn't really considered the sides of the hull, especially those protuberant intakes.  A part of me wants to add angled plates to the sides (as well as to the turret, which I'm working on now).  Adding slanted side-plates would make the tank harder to kill but would complicate the build.

I understand now, thanks 

I think Mr Wombat has answered the question as far as the hull is concerned, but they might look neat on the turret

[Scotaidh]

Morel work done - I know it's slow, but I really don't want to duff this.  I've also re-thought every aspect of this build, time and again, and probably will until I finally decide "Enough!"

I apologize for the picture quality - I really must get a tripod.


Churchill Upgrade_016
Plastruct to the rescue! It occurred to me that extending the turret both fore and aft should have some benefits - moving the gun mount forward should increase the available recoil-distance. Okay, that decreases the available elevation, but most tank battles aren't long distance shoots, they're more like knife-fights - too close, and the quickest blade wins. Anyway, this is my solution. I'm still deciding whether or not to make the turret wider.


Churchill Upgrade_017
A bit of putty and see the turret in place. Still the 75mm cannon - the replacement is still in the works, 'cos I don't want it to look stupid. There's a bit of slope on the turret face - there will be more. The turret bin will also go back on - I think all tankers agree that more stowage is always needed.


Churchill Upgrade_018
So far not too great a departure, but I like it.