RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

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lmcq11
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

inger wrote:H Louis,
You seem to be leading the life I dream of: moving almost seamlessly from model project to model project!!
After 34 years in IT projects for a Telecom, spending most of my time in past 10 years behind a screen on conference calls and live meetings with Toronto, Seattle, India... with hundreds of emails and instant messages per day coming through, spending a few hours of free time alone with my models and my thoughts was a way to keep my sanity. I am now officially retired since May 1st... You understand the last thing i want now is to spend more on my life behind a screen designing 3D parts. I will keep on cutting my styrene plates...
Model Builder 4 wrote:Another awesome step by step Louis
Thanks, It makes me want to do a better job.


With the completion of the suspension, I decided to close the panniers.

A 3mm plasticard is added to the other side. Total width of the panniers is now 37mm as per specs.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The top of the panniers on which the metal tracks will slide on is closed with 3mm plasticard. In my calculations, i had left 1mm free to add a 1mm plasticard overlay on top to cover all the layers for a smooth finish. All this plasticard will make a very strong model.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
1mm plasticard was added to top surfaces for a total pannier height of 41.5mm without the suspension.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Say what you want about 3D printing, styrene plates still make the best and smoothest armor plates that can be for scratch built RC tanks.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
It is important that the two sides be identical. I made sure through constant checking during their constructions.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Now, let's detail them.

Regards, Louis
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tankme
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by tankme »

lmcq11 wrote:Say what you want about 3D printing, styrene plates still make the best and smoothest armor plates that can be for scratch built RC tanks.
I completely agree. I'm not a fan of 3D printed parts at this point or even resin. Much rather deal with styrene.
Derek
Too many project builds to list...
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lmcq11
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Hi,

The Churchill Mk III has a rectangular escape hatch on both sides, lager than the rounded one on later variants. As it is a very visible feature of the tank, especially on DIeppe beach, i wanted to make sure it is well represented and operable.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
It features a pistol port.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
I could not find good pictures yet of the interior of the hatch, especially the pistol port mechanism. I was not able to repro it yet.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The AFV Club 1/35 kit provides good details to reproduce, including the bolt head types on the frame and door hinges.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Notice the overlay of the hinge area.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Basic components are made of 1mm plasticard.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Hinge wire is a section of a Heng Long antenna.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The side doors are complex to reproduce and quite rich in features, including holes for 20 bolt heads of two variations that need to be done with the basic tools that i have. The door is positioned prior to gluing the operable hinges on its flat surface.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The bolt heads on the door frame are 1.7mm Meng SPS-008 while the 4 large ones on the door hinge are 2.2mm Meng SPS-004.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The completed side doors.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Continuing on following post
Last edited by lmcq11 on Fri Jul 30, 2021 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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lmcq11
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

More pictures of the side doors. While analysis the close up pictures, i can see a couple of mistakes i made here and there, but they are not too bad.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Capture13.JPG (89.66 KiB) Viewed 1152 times
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Capture17.JPG (88.49 KiB) Viewed 1152 times
Regards, Louis
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Herr Dr. Professor
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by Herr Dr. Professor »

Sure, Louis: you see "mistakes," but I see miracles. Jeepers I wish someone made a Churchill accessible to us mere mortals. ;D
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Estnische
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by Estnische »

Such rapid and detailed work. Bravo Louis.

How will you keep the doors closed while the tank is trundling around rough terrain? Magnets?
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Jimster
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by Jimster »

Every time I check into your latest post my jaw drops in amazement. I have completely run out of hyperbole comments. I’m definitely a loyal fan of your modeling skills and attention to prototype detailing.
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Raminator
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by Raminator »

Next-level as always Louis, it's great to see it all coming together; the distinctive silhouettes are already forming. How do you find the sintered nylon running gear? Curious to see how much work they'll need before painting, it's an interesting surface texture.
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lmcq11
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Thank you all for your encouragements !
Estnische wrote:How will you keep the doors closed while the tank is trundling around rough terrain? Magnets?
They currently hold in closed position by friction. No need yet for a small magnet.
Raminator wrote:How do you find the sintered nylon running gear? Curious to see how much work they'll need before painting, it's an interesting surface texture.
Yeah, typical 3D printed stuff that i am not fond of, no printed lines though, more like micro orange skin. I gave them a round of sanding. They are small and solid, won't break. I can imagine that the first coat of primer will reveal their true nature... Show here at maximum zoom as they currently stand.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Continuing with the build.

The side panniers have been mounted on the chassis. A lot of comparative study and measurements went in before i glued them on. The positioning holes of the Ludwig kit are not used. The model is mostly scratch built rather than a kit at this point. Every millimetre need to be accounted for as it will create issues later.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Now building the frontal idler extensions as shown here. I am noticing that all tanks that have broken tracks show tracks with deep sagging just before the sprocket.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Therefore, those rail extensions provided on the 1/35 AFV Club kit did not exist on the Mk III or were removed by the Canadians before Dieppe, like most of the track covers and the turret rear basket. There is no reference material explaining the modifications done before the raid. The only thing mentioned is that the Churchill hatches were made watertight with balloon material.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Further evidence that the track rail extensions did not exist. One less thing to do...
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Here on Blondie
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Four idler extensions were created. each fitting its particular place as the angles are not totally the same and have little variations due to scratch building. But i noticed later that the inside extension run lower than the external ones on the 1/35 kit, so i will have to adjust to correctly repro that by adding a section under. These idler extensions are made of 3mm plasticard. A bit thicker than scale but required for solidity. This design is really weird, closer to WW1 than WW2 era.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
For now, let's take the one for the exterior right side and do a prototype, which will avoid repeating mistakes and will speed up creation of the others. Rivet positions are planned and then installed.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
continuing on following post
Last edited by lmcq11 on Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:40 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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lmcq11
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Re: RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Some things just can't be 3D printed.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The Churchills of Dieppe were thoroughly inspected and reviewed by the Germans. They were also a major source of interest for nearby celebrities, such as fighter ace Adolf Galland and below Sepp Dietrich of the LSSAH, refitting in France in 1942.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
That picture is a good source of info for the idler adjuster of the Mk III at Dieppe, shown with a close up.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
I also have my pictures of the Mk VII in Calgary, with a similar arrangement but somehow showing differences and simplifications, likely due to modifications.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Capture from the Ludwigs website showing the functional idler adjuster coming with the kit, vaguely inspired by the real thing.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
Capture15.JPG (67.69 KiB) Viewed 1060 times
Honestly, it is difficult to see that these are parts for a Churchill idler adjuster. I decided that i needed something more realistic.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
I could see in reference pictures that the adjuster runs on rails. These can be reproduced using brass channel strips. Its better than being strait on the plastic, more solid too. I sanded the exterior side of the strips a bit to make them less thick. The plastic part also needed preparation as they no longer use the Ludwig base pattern and dimensions.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The middle part of the Ludwig kit were reused and thoroughly reworked to be closer to scale and run on rails like the real thing.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
The Churchill adjusters are pretty rough themselves so no need for perfection here. Basic shapes are created and positioned for dry fit and testing. The bolt is an M2.5. Too short but this is what i have on inventory at this time.
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
RC 1/16 Churchill Mk III - Dieppe Raid 1942 - Build
continuing on following post
Last edited by lmcq11 on Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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