... Don't knock yourself out, sounds like a lot of trouble. I tried web search and Pocket Mags, after many false leads I ran outta gas!
British Vickers Light Tank Mk VI C 2026-04
- Thread starter BarleyBop
- Start date
You called it!
So while still researching interior details, test fitting paper templates and adjusting for alignment with the circular turret opening. Once I'm satisfied, I need to adjust the drawings, and decide if I keep all/some/none of the kit internal compartment walls.
The driver compartment and the engine compartment to its right don't worry me too much.
It is getting the compartment below the turret lined up properly, and the placement of the bulkhead behind the driver so that it doesn't interfere with the turret ring that will be tricky.
Once plan view is settled, I'll start working out elevation views.
I bought some card yesterday, so I'm thinking I may build a paper prototype to experiment with details.
"OOB!" He said.
The driver compartment and the engine compartment to its right don't worry me too much.
It is getting the compartment below the turret lined up properly, and the placement of the bulkhead behind the driver so that it doesn't interfere with the turret ring that will be tricky.
Once plan view is settled, I'll start working out elevation views.
I bought some card yesterday, so I'm thinking I may build a paper prototype to experiment with details.
"OOB!" He said.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
Somehow, I find this all very recognisable … 
I think if this were my model, I would concentrate on the driver's compartment. It has the biggest hatch, so it will be the most visible part of the interior. The turret hatches are small, so a lot less can be seen there, except what's immediately below them on the turret walls, ring and floor. Best advice, I think, is to frequently put the hull and turret together to check what you can actually see through any of the hatches.
Unless, of course, you want to leave the main hull parts loose so you can lift the roof off and show the interior — in that case you'll have to build everything.
I think if this were my model, I would concentrate on the driver's compartment. It has the biggest hatch, so it will be the most visible part of the interior. The turret hatches are small, so a lot less can be seen there, except what's immediately below them on the turret walls, ring and floor. Best advice, I think, is to frequently put the hull and turret together to check what you can actually see through any of the hatches.
Unless, of course, you want to leave the main hull parts loose so you can lift the roof off and show the interior — in that case you'll have to build everything.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
I looked through most of my Military Modellings but haven't found the article I was thinking of yet. However, I did find one where someone built the Mk. VIB version of this kit, and it includes a bunch of wartime diagrams of the vehicle, interior and exterior. Also an article about British tanks on Malta.
Well thanks for checking... I found some too, were they all in Military Modelling Magazine?
A couple of sites worth checking out:
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234924743-135-vickers-british-light-tank-mkvib/
https://panzerserra.blogspot.com/2023/01/vickers-light-tank-mk-vib-case-report.html
this of course being the interior kit that is not available anywhere as far as I can tell...
an image from an epic 1:6 R/C scratch build. Blows my mind!
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... so more photos at different angles have solved that one!
The kit has the bulkhead at 90 degrees to the floor, whereas it should be sloped towards the front! (thus allowing room for the turret ring)
Make way for the micro saws!
Jakko
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's one of the issues I was referring to
It has the Mk. VIB build article I mentioned as well as an article about British light tanks in France in 1940. The latter is also in a regular issue from some time earlier.
The ones I found, yes, because my collection of MilMods is all I looked at
I've got about 25 years' worth of issues of it from the late 1980s through the early 2010s, plus a bunch I bought second-hand from the mid-80s.
... Not too bad a cut, can't say the saws came away unscathed though!
Cutting away from that front post was a bit tricky, but I really wanted to keep it for alignment of the front end kit parts.
Cutting away from that front post was a bit tricky, but I really wanted to keep it for alignment of the front end kit parts.
Dr. Armor_72
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2025
- Messages
- 41
Very interesting! There will be an interior! Will You make small interior details with 3D printing?
I suppose 3D printing would be the way to go these days, but I am not so equipped!
I will be adding basic elements, scratch built with Evergreen styrene, brass and spares from the parts bin.
Starting to elaborate the horizontal interior sandwich.
Approximating, and will make use of .060 and ,030 inch thick evergreen for roughing out.
There's gonna be a lot of test fitting!
Next is to draw the turret floor.
Then on to the vertical parts.
Then detailing.
Approximating, and will make use of .060 and ,030 inch thick evergreen for roughing out.
There's gonna be a lot of test fitting!
Next is to draw the turret floor.
Then on to the vertical parts.
Then detailing.
V.2
So another day, another test.
Though my print for the floor fits perfectly from side to side, if registered with the 'axle' cutouts, it would not be aligned front to back with the turret.
In the photo, you can see a line drawn on the wall of the fighting compartment that aligns perfectly with the center of the turret ring in the kit; unfortunately, the center of the turret floor on the print doesn't.
The funny thing is that it does align at the back with where the rear wall should sit.
The driver and engine compartments are less critical, so I'll just scooch it over a bit and add some to the back.
Though my print for the floor fits perfectly from side to side, if registered with the 'axle' cutouts, it would not be aligned front to back with the turret.
In the photo, you can see a line drawn on the wall of the fighting compartment that aligns perfectly with the center of the turret ring in the kit; unfortunately, the center of the turret floor on the print doesn't.
The funny thing is that it does align at the back with where the rear wall should sit.
The driver and engine compartments are less critical, so I'll just scooch it over a bit and add some to the back.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
Where are your drawings from? Because the error could be in them, or in the kit, or in both … The only way to tell for sure is to measure up a real Mk. VI, but I have a feeling this may not be feasible My solution would be like yours: move the important part over to where it fits the kit and then adjust the rest as necessary to fit. It's not like you will be able to see much under the roof anyway.
My solution would be like yours: move the important part over to where it fits the kit and then adjust the rest as necessary to fit. It's not like you will be able to see much under the roof anyway.
... All smoke and calipers... I used photos of the long lost interior set as templates, scaled them in a drawing program to fit with my tank kit, and adjusted for skew and perspective by eye.
And as I expected, test fitting would be 'Ordre du jour'.
Yup, I only realized how rare the kit was once I opened the box, and seeing as I might not get a second chance at it, decided to try and get some of the interior in there.
We'll see how much actually makes it in!
user 22911
Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2026
- Messages
- 9
The conversion for the interior is/was produced by a Hong Kong company called Model Asia who also specialise in other UK tanks such as the Churchill Bridgelayer variant.
Here are a couple of pics of my own Light Tank MkVIB..
It has the full MA interior supported with the Eduard etch brass detail set, Modelkasten tracks originally for a Bren Carrier. And if you want to attack a scratchbuild then there are plans from George Bradford in 1/35 scale. and having scratchbuilt one decades ago using the drawings from the late LtCmdr John Sandars and Profile Publications booklet. But the rivetting will drive you insane over 200plus..
Here are a couple of pics of my own Light Tank MkVIB..
It has the full MA interior supported with the Eduard etch brass detail set, Modelkasten tracks originally for a Bren Carrier. And if you want to attack a scratchbuild then there are plans from George Bradford in 1/35 scale. and having scratchbuilt one decades ago using the drawings from the late LtCmdr John Sandars and Profile Publications booklet. But the rivetting will drive you insane over 200plus..
Beautiful build.
Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the interior set, and the Eduard set both went the way of the Dodo: I haven't been able to locate either, as MA is long defunct and the PE, discontinued.
I haven't come across the plans or the booklet as I was unaware, so will have a look around.
I don't have the chops for your level of scratch, but I'll get something in there!
Thanks for the pointers and the inspiration!
Jakko
Well-Known Member
IMA (not MA ) went under sometime last year — their site appears to have simply disappeared from one day to the next. Too bad, as they had some interesting kits and conversions that I was kind of interested in.
) went under sometime last year — their site appears to have simply disappeared from one day to the next. Too bad, as they had some interesting kits and conversions that I was kind of interested in.
John Waller
Active Member
AFAIK these are all only exterior drawings, no interior detail.
George Bradfield Plans
| B42 | Light Tank Mark VIB (in Africa) |
| B75 | Light Tank Mk.VIA |
EXAMPLE DRAWING of Panzer IV E from website (EDIT)
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Jakko
Well-Known Member
Wrong image, I'd say, unless someone really went to town on converting a Mk. VI
Started on my Vickers interior sandwich...
As this method is basically 'by the seat of my pants'
, I will have to decide how to transfer printed registration marks from the drawing to the styrene before gluing.
Lightly scoring (and/or marking with a pen) along the critical lines through the label paper before removing it should do the trick.
- Once satisfied that the plan was to scale, and would fit in the kit body, printed it out on label paper.
- After applying the label to the Evergreen, cut out the bottom/forward layer.
- Next are the fighting compartment layers, which I will glue, after cutting them out as well.
As this method is basically 'by the seat of my pants'
, I will have to decide how to transfer printed registration marks from the drawing to the styrene before gluing.Lightly scoring (and/or marking with a pen) along the critical lines through the label paper before removing it should do the trick.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
Prick through the paper with a needle?
That could do it, especially in central positions, though if they are 'edge' demarcations, simple knife scoring should be sufficient.
I guess we'll find out!
It also occurs to me that with the right primer, I might be able to print directly on the styrene sheet. Testing for another time.
I think my printer can handle art board... Must check that as well.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
Ooh, that's an idea … printing straight to the plastic card could be very useful. Unfortunately I doubt that's going to be for me, though, as in both of my printers the paper goes around rollers, and one of them's a laser at that.
I haven't used it yet, but pretty sure there is a rear direct feed... Yes, up to 1.3 mm thick... Just shy of the 1.5 mm styrene in this case.
But then again, 1.5 mm is something of an outlier at my bench, anyways, so the future may hold some direct to plastic printing!
Slow going, straight cuts done, now for the cutouts! 
Better mark the areas to cut out so I don't goof up!
That would not be good.
Isn't it cruel that the further you get with some success, the worse the consequences if you flub it!
Better mark the areas to cut out so I don't goof up!
That would not be good.
Isn't it cruel that the further you get with some success, the worse the consequences if you flub it!
Edbert
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- Joined
- May 16, 2024
- Messages
- 3,121
Those interwar wehicles are super-cool!
I kinda figured you'd also like the Malta connection.
Bringing an assortment of tools to bear... From rough cuts to finished edges with a file... Will leave final filing (and filling) once the sandwich is glued up .
