British Vickers Light Tank Mk VI C 2026-04

[BarleyBop]

After a few very involved builds, and while I patiently finish the figures for the Autocarreta and the WC55 Guin Carriage, I'm putting the VW truck on hold to tackle what will hopefully be a mostly OOB kit from Vulcan.
Set in Malta, with its characteristic camo, this tiny tank should be a lot of fun.

 

[urumomo]

mostly OOB

uh huh . that's definitely not happening

 

[BarleyBop]

Surprising number of parts, and a goodie bag with PE, decals, metal rods and real springs!

 

[Jakko]

That's a kit I wouldn't mind building, too, though preferably the A or B with Vickers guns rather than the C with Besas. However, Vulcan kits are very hard to find nowadays, and nobody else makes British light tanks in 1:35 (well, other than equally hard to find resin kits). I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread.

 

[BarleyBop]

keeping an eye

Sheesh, no pressure!

 

[Dr. Armor_72]

Vulcan Scale Models - what is that?

 

[BarleyBop]

Vulcan Scale Models - what is that?

As noted, hard to find as the company now defunct since mid 2k teens, was out of Hong Kong.
Only as a result of my interest in WW2 Med/North Africa theater, photos from Malta piqued my interest, eventually finding this kit on eBay.
Otherwise, I would probably never have known of Vulcan either!

 

[Jakko]

A company that released a couple of kits, mainly these light tanks and a 2-pounder anti-tank gun, and then went under within a few years Scalemates has more.

 

[Jakko]

Otherwise, I would probably never have known of Vulcan either!

I knew about them from Military Modelling magazine, back when they were new and released kits like the Mk. VI light tank, but at the time those didn't really have my interest so I never bought any when I could

 

[BarleyBop]

From my morning's read, to set some operational context...

Second-Lieutenant Peter Vaux of 4th RTR has an amusing and telling story to tell of his experience during the battle of Arras on 21 May 1940:
I remember a silly thing that happened as we went back along that road. Some small anti-tank gun fired on my Light Tank and a shot went in through the left of my turret, just behind my gunner's head, and out through the right side of the turret just behind my head – I suppose we both turned a bit pale. Then, without a word, the gunner bent down, brought out his small pack, opened it and took out a very smelly pair of socks. He handed one to me; the other he stuffed into the hole on his side and I stuffed mine into the hole on my side! Somehow or other we felt much safer like that!

Fletcher, David. British Light Tanks 1927–45: Marks I–VI (pp. 31-33). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

... say no more!

 

[BarleyBop]

the C with Besas.

Yes, this is the C. Sans commander's cupola, with air cooled Bredas rather than the water cooled Vickers... Don't know if the Second-Lieutenant was in a B or C...

 

[Jakko]

Could have been either, I suppose, as both were in use in 1940, since production of the Mk. VI ended that year.

 

[Bob T]

There's a few on eBay. Some are pretty expensive, and have shipping from China. But a couple look interesting.

@BarleyBop - I looked through the instructions on your kit, and the suspension looks fun as heck! Keep us posted.

 

[John Waller]

I wish Gecko or Riich or CAMs would pick up this baton, and release a Vickers LT Mk.VI line. Mark Kerr (Flowfire) has done a great 1/48 3D print Mk.VI B which was featured in Model Military International №231 last July built by Luke Pitt. As you know Barley my project in waiting is an Australian tank on Cyprus with a Norton bike.

There was a really interesting build of the Vulcan kit on ML a while ago by Nikos Kamitsis.
Battle of Crete. Galatas Chania may 1941.

 

[Jakko]

Even somebody re-releasing the Vulcan kits would be good, though chances are the moulds have either been destroyed on purpose or lie rusting in the back yard of some Chinese factory by now

 

[BarleyBop]

I knew about them...

As you know Barley my project in waiting is an Australian tank on Cyprus with a Norton bike...

Hmmm, I hadn't realized this little fellow would be of such interest!
Thanks for the references.
I guess I'll have to revisit my first thought of a quick OOB build!
Like many a modeler before me, it was the crazy paver camo scheme that got my attention.

 

[urumomo]

I guess I'll have to revisit my first thought of a quick OOB build

uh huh

 

[BarleyBop]

I guess I'll have to revisit my first thought of a quick OOB build

uh huh

Hahaha, after a year of my loitering around here, seems I'm somewhat predictable!

 

[urumomo]

loitering ?
It's all the posting

 

[Jakko]

the crazy paver camo scheme that got my attention.

If you're aiming for accuracy, I would advise to not make the mistake many modellers (and Vulcan's box art painter) do with that: the scheme consisted of light blotches over a dark background, not dark lines over a light background This may seem a trivial difference, but if you paint the lines, you'll probably end up with them all more or less the same thickness, and you'll have trouble painting rounded transitions between lines that cross or branch off. Whereas if you paint the spots, the lines between them will automatically not be of even thickness and you get the rounded corners for free

This photo shows it well — compare it to the box art.

(source)

 

[BarleyBop]

Thanks for pointing that out...
I was imagining light blotches on a dark background too... Though my first thought had been to paint the cracks with a liquid mask and spray the light.
Sounds like I'll have to test a few methods.

 

[Jakko]

If you are going to mask and spray, the simplest way would probably be to paint the model in the light colour, paint the blobs with liquid masking stuff (or PVA glue) and then spray the dark colour.

Me, I would spray the model dark and then paint the blotches with a brush, like on the real thing.

 

[BarleyBop]

with a brush

... Well, I'm no stranger to a brush!

 

[user 22148]

What an superb little subject - I do like the British Light tanks. It's a shame this kit is OOP as I'd get one myself.

 

[BarleyBop]

little subject

Yes, now I just need to find a little time!

 

[BarleyBop]

So with the VW 835 just about done, and a plane to build in parallel, my attention turns back to this guy.

Several hours of trolling the interwebs, and I've not found any available detailing kits to purchase... Not surprising as this kit in itself is now a bit of a rarity... Maybe that's why I want to explore some other avenues to spruce it up.
I had really enjoyed scratch detailing of the interior of the Marmon-Herrington armoured car a few years ago.

What I have found, courtesy of Scalemates, are references to an interior kit, and a PE kit, neither of which are available.
But there are pictures, and I can draw...

So here is the body, test fitted, and the first of what will likely be many iterations of an interior floor plan.

Working from kit review photos, obsolete kit instructions, measurements with digital calipers, a drawing program on my computer, overlapping layers from different sources, printouts and some freehand liberties, I hope to resuscitate some of the interior detailing that is no longer on the market.
There are many failure points, but hey, how can I resist the adventure?

 

[John Waller]

From Nikos' LT Mk.VI B ML thread I referenced above

 

[Jakko]

If I'm not mistaken, there's an article in an old issue of Military Modelling (well, of course it would be an old issue, as it ceased publication eight years ago ) that shows this kit being built with the interior set you found. IIRC it was by John Prigent, which means it will be fairly detailed with good photos. Want me to look it up for you?

 

[BarleyBop]

Model Military International №231 last July built by Luke Pitt.

Thanks for the heads up... I can access that through my subscription to pocket Mags

aiming for accuracy

Possible hallucination alert!! : AI suggests that both paint styles existed: sandy base (tanks moved from Egypt) painted with dark mortar lines, and dark brown or green base over-painted with stones (tanks arriving from Britain)

From Nikos' LT Mk.VI B ML thread I referenced above

That's an awesome Dio!

Military Modelling (well, of course it would be an old issue, as it ceased publication eight years ago ) that shows this kit being built with the interior set you found. IIRC it was by John Prigent

Hmmm, I've not been successful at tracking this one down.

 

[Jakko]

I have it somewhere on my couple of shelves and large stack of back issues, Unfortunately these are in random order so I'll have to go through them and at least look at the covers until I find the relevant issue.