The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

S-Model, out of China, has a line of easy build armor in 1/72 that build into nice little kits. There are two kits per box and are great for wargaming or a modeler who wants something different. The S-Model Matilda II is the close-support variant that pretty much limits your markings to either Australian or Soviet. Fortunately there are conversion sets by Dan Taylor Modelworks and Modelltrans. My first Matilda II is a simple conversion that entails replacing the 3" howitzer with a brass 2 pdr and Besa machine-gun by Aber. The markings are from Dan Taylor's Operation Crusader set 1.

Matilda Mk. IIA, T-6968 'Phantom', 42 Royal Tank Regt., 1st Army Tank Brigade







The Caunter scheme was painted with White Ensign colourcoats and the picture setting is my model railroad.

Looks like a nice little kit.

Nigel

Clashcityrocker wrote:Looks like a nice little kit.

Nigel

The next one I post will be a straight out of box Australian Matlida II CS. The kit even provides the front track guards and low cupola found on the Australian vehicles.

That Matilda looks great, Chuck. Those S-Model kits are pretty nice; I have a couple that I banged outlast year that turned out pretty sweet as well.

That is a great looking small scale Matilda, Chuck. There is decent looking detail, topped with a nifty bit of painting in that Caunter scheme. All in all that is a really nice build, which looks good set in your model railway scenery.

Here is the second kit and built straight from the box as an Australian Matilda Mk.II CS.

They both look great.

Nice work, how do they compare to the Airfix Matilda?

splash wrote:Nice work, how do they compare to the Airfix Matilda?

For one the S-Model kits are for a Matilda Mk.II CS (close-support) with a 3" howitzer and the AIRFIX is the standard gun tank.

Second, the S-Model is larger at 1/72 scale compared to the Airfix 1/76.

Finally, the S-Model gives you a choice of two commander cupolas, one original size and the other later type that was lower. Also, the S-Model kit has the armored knuckles covering the front of the tracks that was an Australian modification.

Personally, I think the S-Model kit is the better the two if only due to the fact that the Airfix dates back to 1973 and is of what is now a unusual scale. Plus, all you need to convert the S-Model to a gun tank is simply replace the 3" howitzer with a Aber 2 pdr barrel. I picked up a second S-Model kit. I plan on using the Dan Taylor Modelworks BEF Matilda Conversion set to backdate one to a Battle of France version. The second will be converted to a Matilda Frog (Australian flame-thrower version) with a Modelltrans conversion.

The only area where the Airfix kit beats S-Model is with the decals provided in the new boxing.

I thought that Australian Matildas also had an armoured ridge built around the turret ring, but was this standard on all their tanks?

My favourite tank the Matilda,I have just built the Hedgehog version.These S-Models look very good.Well tidy mun.

Both look to be great little builds Chuck and good value too

bobblelink wrote:I thought that Australian Matildas also had an armoured ridge built around the turret ring, but was this standard on all their tanks?

I don't know if all Australian Matildas had the armored ridge. The S-Model kit didn't come with one. I plan on converting one of the models in my second S-Model duo (The other will be built as a BEF version) into a Matilda Frog flame thrower version. The Modelltrans conversion does have the ridge and the extra track links on the side of the hull.

My third Matilda has had the most work put in to it. The kit is the basic S-Model Model Matilda that has been backdated to represent one of the first production batch that saw combat in France 1940. The conversion is by Dan Taylor Modelworks and involves 1) replacing the forward upper hull from the edge of the turret ring forward with a resin replacement. 2) the gun mantlet has been replaced with a early one that has a Vickers water cooled coax machine gun. 3) lowered suspension to raise ground clearance and 4) adding a tail skid. The vehicle was painted with WEM colourcoat Khaki Green and Deep Bronze Green. In addition. markings come from Dan Taylor Modelworks "BEF 7 Royal Tank Regiment- Matilda II)


Matlida II, T-6750 "Goat", 7th RTR, April to May 1940

I liked Dan Taylor Modelwork's "Operation Crusader, set 1" so much that I had to pick up a Italeri rebox of the old Esci Valentine Mk.I in 1/72 and build it in the Caunter scheme. For a kit that was first released in 1976, it is not a bad kit. The only thing I did was replace the kit 2 pdr and Besa machine gun with aluminum and brass aftermarket.

'Harry II', Valentine Mk.I, 1st Army Tank Brigade, North Africa 1941