Bedford QL & 6 PDR Gun 2016-02

[BarleyBop]

Back in 2016, after a few kits, decided to try my hand at a larger vehicle, the Bedford QL... found it in my back seat after visiting my LHS.
This is the Revell kit, quite enjoyed the build, had found lots of references online.
I think it also was also my first aftermarket PE set, Eduard for the Italeri kit.

 

[BarleyBop]

Don't have any progress shots, still early in my 'modeling comeback' career!

 

[BarleyBop]

This was the first of what would be a growing collection of reference books that I've devoured, when I can find them, and when they aren't too expensive.
The photos, technical details and descriptions of use make the vehicles so much more real while you build! ( as well as providing ideas for additions or modifications)




I saw that they used chains and restraining 'saddles' over the wheels, so I cobbled some up, along with the hardware ratcheting things (now forget what its called).




In one series of walk around pics, I noticed a small chain attached to the crank. Good idea!
As well, some paint details that I'm guessing were more common on parade than in the field, but provide interest.





I know, everyone has hung one of these at one time or other, I'm no exception.
I did learn that with control of night lighting, British trucks sometimes have the rear axle differential painted white to reflect low angled headlights.




Hope you enjoyed my walk around.
I'm still holding out the possibility of adding some figures as my figure painting improves.

 

[Jakko]

This is the Revell kit, (…) Eduard for the Italeri kit.

The Revell kit is the same as the Italeri one anyway, and they're both the same as the ancient Airfix and Peerless Max kits Oh, and TOMY, too:



Anyway: nice model Never built one myself, but 35 years ago my best friend had it and I did always like the look of this weird combination.

 

[BarleyBop]

Revell kit is the same as the Italeri

Go figure. A lot of that going on in the model business! Do they sell each other the moulds?
That explains why the PE fit so well.

 

[BarleyBop]

So getting it up on the screen is a good opportunity to look at it with older, but 'fresher' eyes:

Put enough time behind you, and enough builds, and you forget stuff; not surprising I suppose, since I tend not to remember much from when I'm 'in the zone'!

Apparently, I attempted to fashion the 'springed' restraint holding the crank handle in place...
Shades of things to come!

 

[BarleyBop]

weird combination

Yes, portees are an interesting concept. At the time I was reading about the LRDG, and how they had experimented with pulling, which proved impractical over the terrain they would negotiate, then carrying the gun, with issues of excess weight over the back wheels.

That got me searching for examples of portees, and of course, there are many; and eventually to this model.

As a way of increasing mobility of artillery in a fast moving mechanized campaign, not as fast as hitching your piece and skedaddling out of harms way, if the cannon was dismounted.
Not visible is the winching mechanism for pulling the gun up the ramps. I suppose towing could be an option in an emergency.
The alternative, depicted in this configuration, assumes pointing the truck in the exact firing direction with minimal traverse and limiting lower elevation over the cab , and offers a pretty cramped 'working' area for the tending crew.

 

[Jakko]

Do they sell each other the moulds?

In some cases it's a matter of a company going out of business and another buying up the moulds, in other cases I think they just buy sprues from each other. The former is why Italeri got a range of 1:72 scale AFV kits, for example: ESCI went under 25+ years ago and Italeri acquired their moulds; similarly, Revell appears to have all of the old Matchbox moulds.

Your kit is an example of the latter, but there are plenty more: Tamiya has a ton of kits that also have an Italeri logo on the box, Revell has released not only Italeri but Dragon and ICM kits in Revell boxes, Italeri also release Dragon kits, etc.

That explains why the PE fit so well.

Yep There's a good number of old kits that were sold by most of those brands, and in more recent times also by Zvezda, that are all the same. Off the top of my head, that goes not just for this QL and the 6-pounder gun, but also many of the Dodge Beep variants and the M3A1 scout car, plus probably a couple of others I don't recall right now.

It pays to look closely at the Scalemates page for accessories for these to see what exactly they will fit.

That got me searching for examples of portees, and of course, there are many; and eventually to this model.

The best-known are this QL for the 6-pounder and other British vehicles for their 2-pounder gun. But I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

As a way of increasing mobility of artillery in a fast moving mechanized campaign, not as fast as hitching your piece and skedaddling out of harms way

But workable with reasonably light guns. As soon as they got heavier than the 6-pounder or so, it was very quickly impractical.

The alternative, depicted in this configuration, assumes pointing the truck in the exact firing direction with minimal traverse and limiting lower elevation over the cab , and offers a pretty cramped 'working' area for the tending crew.

TBH, firing the gun the way you have it on the vehicle will probably shatter the windshield, and quite possibly the headlights

 

[BarleyBop]

probably shatter the windshield

Transport only then, thank you!

BTW, saw the Italeri at my HLS today!
As well as ome old Heller kits, including French Chasseurs Alpins, too bad, wrong theater!

 

[Jakko]

I don't think that particular set was ever reissued by someone else, but many of the other Heller figure sets were also released by Italeri in the 1980s. I didn't know that at the time, but they looked so different to the other Italeri figures of the time, both in appearance and construction, that I already thought they were either an older style or came from somewhere else.