JB Models 1/76 Vickers Light tank Mk VI a,b,c
£3.99
Review by Duncan Flint
I initially bought this kit for two reasons; firstly, my gaming circle were about t o commence on 20mm early WW2 wargaming - 3 guesses who was British. Secondly, Ive always liked the Mk VI; it's one of those little early war machine gun armed vehicles ( which all armies had ) which are naff but fun.
The kit itself is moulded in a dark grey plastic and contains 33 parts, all cleanly moulded. Surface detail is simple, panel lines being lowered and tools being raised smooth shapes. For the purist, there is a lot of superdetailing potential here, but the detail is certainly acceptable, especially with a bit of weathering applied. The instructions are on an A4 piece of paper with 3 exploded views, and a painting chart on the back. 3 options are offered, 1 green, 2 in 2 tone green with a small decal sheet. Paints are identified by humbrol colours only, but the back of the box has a colour 3 view to help.
Construction starts with the hull, which consists of hull top and bottom and both sides, plus a number plate ( ? ) and a choice of engine louvres; 2 piece for the "a" version, 1 piece for the "b" & "c".This is a well fitting assembly and is quite sturdy. Next up is the turret, which is were I had my only problems. There is a choice of turret depending on version.Each version has a different cupola each with a bit of sinkage in unfortunately, but easily filled ) and the "a" and "b" have a 2 MG armament. The "c" version has a 15mm BESA and a different mantlet. Now to the problem. There are 2 smoke dischargers and a small triangular bulge on the turret sides, but the location is a bit vague. Reference to photos didnt really help either, but in the end I was happy with the result.
Final stage is the tracks and hull sides. These all fitted well, the tracks being a really nifty idea. For those who dont know the wheel arrangement, its like a Bren Carrier ( is this helping ? ) with 2 bogies of 2 wheels per side, plus an idler and drive sprocket. Each bogie has an outer suspension arm moulded separately, the rest of the suspension and track being moulded as one piece. This results in no misalignment problems and a strong join.
And that's it. A quick coat of paint and apply the decals and it's all over. Overall, a pleasant easy build of an attractive pre/early war light tank.