Empress FT tank scale comparison

 I built one of the Empress FT tanks back in 2017 (and a Carden Loyd Carrier). The tank is not currently on the Empress site. I think it is 1/55 scale.

Though there is a scale photograph with the unfinished mode, there is not one of the finished model.

It is a really diminutive tank (and the garden Loyd is even smaller).

Mark Copplestone (I am surprised I have so few models tagged as sculpted by him) has been working on a range of Neo-Retro Wargaming and Pseudo-Nostalgia figures scaled at about 30mm.

They are fictional InterWar period figures with a distinct "toy soldier" look to them.

Here is a scale photograph of a 30mm lipped base propped up against the FT tank.

Empress Miniatures Carden Loyd MMG carrier

The Carden Loyd carrier was a light tracked armoured vehicle developed in the 1930s

The Empress kit is very simple, comprising the hull in resin and the tracks and crew heads in white metal. There was very little flash, though there is mould marks around some of the rivets. The bodies of the crew and the interior are rather basic. It is also missing the distinctive tripod on the glacis (though the crew could fire the Vickers mounted on the vehicle, it also carried a tripod for more static defence).

As this vehicle is for use in Operation Sealion games, I decided that the abundance of ammunition which is a feature of British forces in that period would be represented by plenty of ammunition boxes. One of the Rubicon Allied large ammunition boxes was fitted to the glacis (a rack was added round the boxes using Slaters Microstrip).

The tripod from the Rubicon SDKFZ 250/253 was trimmed to fit on the glacis.

The model was assembled except for the crew heads. The main part was undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black (as were the heads still on their sprue). The body was then sprayed with Citadel Caliban Green (Dark Angel Green for the older amongst you).

The centre two boxes from a Rubicon large ammunition set (left over from the removal of the outer boxes for the Churchill) also fitted into one of the stowage boxes over the right hand track.

A large roll was added over the back (which might get a bit hot as it is over the engine compartment),

 A Bolt Action British infantry Spade was added to the side of the hull. The stowage box on the left hand side was covered with green stuff to form another tarpaulin.

This is a tiny vehicle, dwarfed even by the diminutive FT tank.

It needs the bridging weight and unit marks to be added and final weathering.

FT Tank - Part 4

The first set of decals have been added.

War Department numbers under the turret.

 Bridge loading rating (it needs to be changed to 7 to reflect the weight of the tank - the five is from the Warlord Universal Carrier decal set). I think it is on the wrong side.

The yellow patch under the driver's viewport is chemical warfare detection paint.

I am trying to work out where to put the white identification patches on the hull side.

FT Tank - Part 3

So the FT tank has now been undercoated with PSC British Tank spray.

The tracks and exhaust silencer were painted with a mix of Vallejo Black and Hull Red. The helmet was painted with Vallejo German camouflage dark green.

Next is markings, shading and weathering.

FT Tank - Part 2

The plan is to paint this up as a British Army vehicle mobilised after Dunkirk (possibly for Operation Seal Lion games).

Note to self, do not drop models, they are heavy and the tracks come off when they hit the ground. I removed and replaced the tracks, drilling out the snapped off peg and drilling a corresponding hole in the track unit. Plastic rod replaced the pegs. The skid at the back was removed and repositioned. A plastic rod was added to the back to provide a fixing point.

Next, I added a post to the top of the jack and used it to position the bedroll.

Greenstuff was then used to hold the skid in position. Additional green stuff created some baggage, a tarpaulin and another bedroll. A Rubicon bucket and a British fuel can were added.

FT Tank, Brussels Museum

This is the example of the FT tank at the Brussels Museum.

FT Tank, Part 1

So, as you saw in the photograph of the parts, this is a fairly simple kit.

The parts are well cast. the feeds have been removed (some final polishing is required).

As you can see, the turret top hatch is slightly difficult to clean up, imagine trying to smoothly file the head of a drawing pin.

The only problem is there are no mounting points for the tail skid, so it is (currently) in the wrong position. Check photographs carefully before assembly.

 Scaling photograph.

It is a very small tank, a Rubicon M5A1 for scale.

FT - The First modern tank

The FT tank was the first modern tank, main weapon in a fully rotating turret, engine in a separate compartment etc.

Designed and built in the First World War, they continued in service for a very long time. They took part in the opening battles of the Second World War, and continued in secondary service through the war.

The Empress kit is in their normal (metal filled?) resin and is cleanly moulded.

No idea what I am going to use this for.