Tongde Centurion Mk 5

[zooma]

As it was a wet day today and I am waiting for some parts to arrive for my other build, I decided to stick the detail parts onto my Tongde Centurion.

The first thing I noticed was that there was no need to open-out any holes to fit these parts as they were already quite a loose fit, so I chose to use a thicker cyno to glue them with as it also acted as a small gap filler. I used some Bob Smith INSTA-CURE for this job as it was an old bottle that I already had.

Everything fitted OK and the handbook was a good reference, but I still have a couple of parts left over - and they may what I need to hang the spare track links onto the rear of the turret?

Surprisingly, this was not mentioned or described in any way in the excellent handbook. I have built the spare track links into a string of 3 ready to fit onto the back of the turret but I am not sure how to secure them.

If any Tonge Centurion owner would like to take a picture of their model showing how these spare links are fitted It would be very helpful to myself and any future owners.

[jarndice]

The spare tracks are held in place by a bracket that fits alongside the headlights (Page 5 piece A11).

[zooma]

The spare tracks are held in place by a bracket that fits alongside the headlights (Page 5 piece A11).

Thanks jarndice, but they are not the track links that I am having some problems locating the fixings for.

Fitting the spare tracks to the GLACIS PLATE was one of the first things I fitted - nice and simple and very well illustrated on page 5 - as you say.

What I would like to know is what parts are used to fit the similar chain of 3 tracks onto the REAR of the TURRET.

This is not pictured or shown in the handbook.

Bob.

[jarndice]

Why do you think that spare tracks were ever carried on the turret of a Centurion,
I don't think I have ever seen a picture of that fitting.
I am hoping I am wrong (again).

[zooma]

Why do you think that spare tracks were ever carried on the turret of a Centurion,
I don't think I have ever seen a picture of that fitting.
I am hoping I am wrong (again).

Hi jarndice,

The answer is basically only because they are shown and included with this Tongde tank - and they are also shown and included in the 1/35 scale ARV kit of a Mk5/1 from the 4RTR Berlin Brigade tank kit.

I have done no further research on this - just referring to these models at this stage.

The spare links mounted on the rear of the turret are shown on the two pictures on page 7 of the Tongde handbook and identified as part D5 (also on the top two pictures on page 6).

I was only following the handbook guidance as it is a model of a Mk5 with decals for a tank based in Berlin( 05 BA 46. DIEHARD) and it came painted in Olive Drab, and that colour was only used on tanks in Berlin at that time.

......so I thought that as this is a detail included with this model (and the ARV kit) that it was correct - and the kit has two recess mounting positions in the left hand rear of the turret in the same position shown to hold the spare track links.

You were there, so if you are suggesting that the model should not have any spare track links on the turret then I need not worry about finding the kit intended fitting for them.

Did you think it strange when you saw them in your Tongde Centurion?

Bob.

[jarndice]

I have just had a close look at the Haynes Centurion MBT Owners Workshop Manual ISBN 978 1 78521 057 0,
On page 54 the bottom picture shows the rear of a Mk3 turret being assembled, Between the left mounted fire extinguisher and the jerry can holder is 3 vertical metal strips with hooks near the top, Conceivably this could be for spare links but nothing is in the text identifying the strips.
The Tongde manual does not show the extinguisher in that position although on the Mk3 it was one of two on the back of the turret.

[zooma]

I have just had a close look at the Haynes Centurion MBT Owners Workshop Manual ISBN 978 1 78521 057 0,
On page 54 the bottom picture shows the rear of a Mk3 turret being assembled, Between the left mounted fire extinguisher and the jerry can holder is 3 vertical metal strips with hooks near the top, Conceivably this could be for spare links but nothing is in the text identifying the strips.
The Tongde manual does not show the extinguisher in that position although on the Mk3 it was one of two on the back of the turret.

I don't have that Haynes book jarndice, but it sounds like when I asked for some advice about mounting these spare links on the back of the turret, I unknowingly stumbled into an area of some concern about the authenticity of having them fitted.

These spare links have not been fitted to the rear of the turret on my Tongde Centurion yet, but I won't remove and fill-in the mounting holes for now.

Maybe these spare links were only turret mounted on the odd tank as a local "field modification" and the kit manufacturers just happened to see pictures of it and added the detail to their kits thinking that it was a universal on the Mk5 tanks?

Either way, it makes an interesting subject for further research. Thanks for your comments.

Bob.

[zooma]

Why do you think that spare tracks were ever carried on the turret of a Centurion,
I don't think I have ever seen a picture of that fitting.
I am hoping I am wrong (again).

Hi jarndice,

Here is a picture that I have found of 03 BA 33 on exercise in Germany.

The tanks name is DIDO from the Berlin based tanks.

The spare tracks links can be seen attached to the rear of the turret - as shown on the Tongde Centurion and the 1/35 scale AFV kit.

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-cen ... 89379.html

It looks like these spare links were carried on the back of the turret - so I need to find out how best to fix them into place.

Bob.

[jarndice]

Go for it,
You might be able to use parts of the sprue to build up a frame/holder to retain the spare tracks if there is not a proper attachment included.

[Meter rat]

http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/dary ... _of_91.jpg
These look like the track mounts.