Vickers fax.

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, I don't think they had to drill the lot. I think the holes were cast into the links. They just had to be finished. Still tricky. The track has to be the hardest part, IMHO.

[RichardT10829]

I suppose once you have made a jig tool to drop the link in and centre the drill, it's not too bad, but I bet it's costly and labour intensive... :-)

[Lynn Eades]

I would anticipate the biggest problem to be the drill running off during deep drilling. I say this with no knowledge or experience in this area.

[Jon Bradshaw]

The links were cast and would have needed only a simple reaming to clean out the debris from the casting process. If you look at some of the links they may still have rough edges where cast metal oozed out a crack of a miss aligned mold. (at least some of mine have that).

Hope that helps.

[clarkray]

Hi all.I have restarted working on this unit after a long move from NY to IN.
I am going to try some pictures.

[eddy8men]

nice project
I found this turret on the net recently and I will try and recover it when the weather picks up so there might be another light tank around soon

[clarkray]

Hi Rick,if you could post some close up pictures and maybe some dimensions on the view ports it would be helpful as I do not have much on them.
Thanks Ray.

[gjamo]

Newport Railway workshops sometime during production.

[Jon Bradshaw]

I see you are back at it with the Vickers Light tank. Model 1936? I know they went to Greece and the Latvians. Mine is progressing at a good pace as well. I am fighting some engine issues but the general shape is outlined by the internal superstructure I have built. I am trying to post a few pics so hopefully we can compare notes but this thing wants such small pics..... The turret is going to be the 2pdr and I will model it on the Latvian configuration. Here is another pic of it on parade in Latvia.

[eddy8men]

hi ray

I haven't actually been up to the turret yet, just found a few pics on the net and got a location to search. I plan on taking the family camping and having a look for it while we're there. if I find it and recover it I will help out in any way I can so maybe hold fire on the turret until I can get the true dimensions for you.
these are the only pics I have but show a fair bit of detail.

rick

[clarkray]

Posting progress!

[Jordan Baker]

That turret looks great.

[horsa]

Very impressive work Ray

[Jon Bradshaw]

The turret and drivers hatch areas look great. Would it be possible to post a few pics of the turret ring? Bottom of the turret and the mount on the tank?

[clarkray]

Hi Jon,I was fortunate to get a bearing assembly on ebay that was perfect for it
with flanges on both sides.All I had to do is make the drive that show;s in the picture.

[eddy8men]

nice work on the turret

[Jon Bradshaw]

Well after a few issues with just about everything, I have my "Vickers tank" T16 hull up and running. It was a successful first off road test, running for about an hour over varied terrain. It went over hills and dirt piles as well as one small but very deserving tree. Now on to the armour and finishing work this winter so that she will be ready to do some real driving next year.

[clarkray]

Nice Jon,now you are ready to go!I am in the process of installing the cannon.
This is what it looks like now.

[Mike Cecil]

Nice job, Clark.

Lynn: I think you'll find the second vehicle in the two images you posted is an Italian CV33. There is an example in the CWM. One captured example went to Australia, but alas, long gone like most of the WW2 captured vehicles that ended up in Oz.

The other, as already stated, is the little UE carrier.

Mike

[eddy8men]

hi fella's
I went to look for the abandoned turret in the forest last month but found nothing, It may have been recovered already, who knows but it was worth a look anyway.

all the best

rick

[Ryan]

Loving the craftmanship and progress.

[clarkray]

The barrel is in!But it does leave a lot of work.

[clarkray]

This is my mirror image interpretation of a 1937 Vickers .

[Mark Cornwell]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Richard, I don't think they had to drill the lot. I think the holes were cast into the links. They just had to be finished. Still tricky. The track has to be the hardest part, IMHO.

The people that sold the tankette didn't build it, it was purchased in Lancashire along with all the drawings, tooling, patterns for casting and a spare hull.

And the vehicle although registered as built in the Twenties was built sometime between 2000-2010

The holes for the track pins were not cast in, instead they were drilled out on a sliding jig.

[Jon Bradshaw]

I never would have thought of making the entire body lift off for maintenance on it's own hydraulic/air cylinders! The tank looks good and I hope it runs across the fields fast. Looks like a nice clean build. The turret is a dummy? I can't see where a gunner sits?

[clarkray]

Jon there is no room for a gunner because of the center position of the merc v8.You can still go in the turret but not from inside.Your setup is better because you mounted the engine on the side.As for access that is the only way to get t the engine.

[Jon Bradshaw]

A working turret would make it better but from a distance it still looks good.
What are you going to do with it now?

[clarkray]

Jon you got me on this question!I have no idea!I may or may not sell it and go back to work on the Dingo.

[Jon Bradshaw]

Keep it and make a few shows and parade it around a bit to get some feedback. You never know who might see it and offer you some money for it.
It is a really interesting idea and might even be something a prop company would look at buying.... you never know. Unlikely to find somebody on this site. I would think it would appeal to a few different sorts of people, the weekend play in the mud guy, air-soft or possibly a reenacting group looking for a "German" tank. They could even say it was captured early in the war! Put a gas gun in the turret and bang away.

[charlie fitton]

(and I think your tracks are on backwards)