Fort Garry Horse Firefly Vc. (RFM 1/35)

[DuckyShot]

Well, I guess I started on this build this week and neglected to post anything here. I want to build all 3 tanks the Fort Garry Horse used in action and I'm starting off wit the Firefly Vc. After doing some research and looking for a couple weeks, I settled on this one in particular. Partly because I really liked the looks of the tanks in this picture, partly because I already had the decals for it sitting around, and partly because I want the tanks from fairly different dates: The MkV will be from June 1944 in Normandy and the Firefly Ic will be from April '45 in Groningen. This one in particular is from February '45 during a buildup for an advance to Goch, Germany.


So I am using Rye Field Models Firefly Vc, the decals are from Print Scale, I'll be using a variety of baggage from several sources, Panzer Art and Ultracast and whatever else I can find in the stash. My only sticking point is the track. It's a British Firefly track with extenders, which I don't think exists in scale. But it's super close to a T54E1 track so If I can make that work I will. The problem is that I can't find an AM T54E1 with duckbills available anywhere. Dragon makes a 1 piece rubber track with duckbills and its out of stock everywhere and is likely too short for a Firefly Vc, Bronco makes a standalone t54e1 single link track and a separate set of duckbills, but they are out of stock everywhere as well. For those of you that remember him, I was gifted the insanely large amount of spares that were accumulated by prolific Sherman builder "shermanfreak" and in that stash of spare parts, I do have duckbills, the link size looks a bit too big to just implement them on the kit tracks, so I'll have to see if there is a suitable T54e1 track in the spares that they will work with. If not, I'll have to maybe grab a kit that has t54e1's with duckbills rather than go with a standalone AM track.

On to the build! This kit is gorgeous, lots of detail, I personally think there are too many parts some assemblies. For instance there are 19 parts in each suspension unit.... about 30-45 minutes getting one built. I also wouldn't be opposed to a 1 piece lower hull and things like that. It builds up nicely enough though, definitely not Tamiya shake and bake quality, but nice enough so far.

[reserve]

Yeah that's a problem with much of the new maufacture stuff, overcomplexity. As you say, however, the plastic looks very good...I have a RFM M1A1/2 2 in one with the interior. Had it for a 18 months or so and am very lukewarm about starting it, gonna have to get cocky.

Good concept here will be watching

Regards,
Mark

[JCON]

This will be fun! Are you gonna do dioramas or just the tanks individual?

[DuckyShot]

Oct 6, 2022 13:15:58 GMT -6 JCON said:

This will be fun! Are you gonna do dioramas or just the tanks individual?

So I was in the city a few weeks ago and while waiting for my wife in the second hand shop, I found myself in a tradeshow/flea market type setup. While there I found some military badges and such and found one for Fort Garry Horse. I have used badges in the past for builds and it was competitively priced, so I got it knowing I could use it on a build. While researching, I wanted to do multiples so settled on doing all the Shermans they used. My plan is to have a common base for all 3 of them but in a separate setting, so some basic ground work under each of them. The Normandy MkV will have a grassy setting, this one will get some mud and the Firefly Ic will get cobblestone.
Something sort of like this.


It will be similar type vignette with badge like this, just with 3 of them.




I'll say this much, this was the most expensive $18 pin I've bought.

[JCON]

That it so cool!! I like it!!!

[DuckyShot]

So I'm saving my sanity by gradually building the bogies, trying to keep it at 1 per night, so I've got 4 done now. Tonight in addition to the 1 bogie unit I started working on the upper hull, pretty much finished off everything on the front glacis.





And after spending more time looking around for tracks for this thing, I realized that Bronco makes 2 sets of Duckbills, one for T54e1 and T48 tracks and the other set is for T62 tracks. T62 tracks are the M4a4 track used on Firefly's and there is stock of both the track and the duckbills, so I have an order or 2 sets of tracks and one of duckbills coming. Glad to not have to worry about that anymore

[JCON]

Glad you found what you needed and are back on "Track"!!!

[DuckyShot]

And work is pretty close to being done on the upper hull prior to painting. I started assembling some of the latches and such on the engine deck and realized that is a stupid idea considering that the back deck is going to be full of stowage, so I removed the PE latches I had already installed. I also managed to liberate a metal barrel off of one of shermanfreaks partially built turrets while I was looking for a rear tail light for a replacement for one that went "sproing".

[JCON]

Crisp and clean!!!

[JED]

Looking good, I'm in for the duration. I like the idea for the various bases

[doogie]

Looking real good so far. I "love" it when something goes SPROING across the room. Especially when you hear it hit somewhere but at that point it belongs to the house now or you're vacuuming one day, and you hear the CRACKLE CRACKLE GRIND.

[DuckyShot]

Thanks guys!

Well, we have the hull attached. I'll leave the bogies and paint them separately. Getting this hull to fit is a bit of a pain and that stems from the kit being over engineered into too many pieces. You get anything out of alignment building up that lower hull or rear plate on the upper hull and its not an easy fit. The front fits in awesome, but if I built this kit again (which I likely will) I would leave off the front fenders until the hull is attached, too hard to get them to fit in place while attached. I left off the PE skirting on the LH rear as its missing in the photos, installed it on the other side though. The turret is going well, LionMarc barrel fit in quite nicely. I'm contemplating finishing tonight and starting paint either tonight or tomorrow. I can start laying out stowage regardless.

[DuckyShot]

Got the initial buildup pretty much done last night.




Started on some finishing touches. Took out a chunk of the Lh fender as shown in reference phot, guess that light there is missing, I'll have to take it off. Also started chunking the rubber on the road wheels. I have started figuring out my stowage for it. I'm probably going to piece the front together piece by piece and the rear will get a generic stowage set.

[JCON]

Coming along nicely!!!

[Beekster]

If you haven't pulled the trigger on Bronco tracks, consider Panda Plastics for T62 and duckbills (www.Shermantracks.com). They go together better than Bronco and better capture the blocky look of Sherman tracks. I have one of these in the stash myself and love Canadian subjects. Wish there were more decals for them.

[DuckyShot]

Oct 12, 2022 13:34:05 GMT -6 Beekster said:

If you haven't pulled the trigger on Bronco tracks, consider Panda Plastics for T62 and duckbills (www.Shermantracks.com). They go together better than Bronco and better capture the blocky look of Sherman tracks. I have one of these in the stash myself and love Canadian subjects. Wish there were more decals for them.

I ran across their name a couple times, but never really saw them for sale. Digging in deeper seems like they just do direct selling mostly. I'll probably grab a set just to have around regardless. Thanks for the tip!

As far as Canadian decals goes, grab yourself a bunch of Archer decals before they are unable to be found (he's going out of business). Both Divisional markings and AOS signs. You can piece whatever you need to with those as a starting point. There isn't much left on his website, but some sellers still have a decent supply. I grabbed a bunch direct from him and grabbed a few he was out of already from Ultracast.

[Beekster]

I knew that Woody was shutting down Archer and took inventory as soon as he announced that. I'm pretty well set for the casting symbols & weld seam surface detail sheets and got the waterslide sheets for Commonwealth subjects some time ago. What's harder to find are markings for specific vehicles, especially when things like the A/B/C company symbols were painted oversized and/or had a black center. Stencils can deal with that, but it's more work. I also have Ultracast stuff, but using them is problematic. My sheets are old, and the decals tend to be very fragile and brittle. And yes, Panda Plastics is entirely direct to consumer these days; many years ago they were known as RHPS and could be found in some online shops. They folded and Panda picked up the molds. I have a set or two of Bronco, but their assembly method is fiddly and they seem a bit small dimensionally.

[DuckyShot]

Starting painting here. I am still addicted to brush painting armor (esp. allied with no camo) I like the heavier coat and slightly rougher finish for armor. So anyways, here we got the turret finished and I'll be working on the hull tonight. Going with Humbrol 117 which is what I like for British tanks, a little yellower than the Americans.

[JCON]

Looking good!!!

[DuckyShot]

Ok, I got a problem with this build. The picture I am using for reference which was used as the basis for the decals from Print Scale is labeled as 10th Armored Regiment (Fort Garry Horse). There are multiple pictures from this armor buildup and there are indeed tanks from Fort Garry Horse. Fort Garry Horse used AOS 52 and it can be seen on multiple tanks.

However this tank has no AOS on it and while looking at the battle damage on the front LH fender, I was able to make out the markings on the track on the transmission cover. I then also noticed there is a similar marking on the front Glacis and similar markings are on the front glacis and rear turret of the tank behind it. The 2 markings that are clearest (transmission cover track of this tank and front glacis of the tank behind it) appear to show 2CC/51.



I believe that the 2CC either denotes 2nd Canadian Armored or 2nd Canadian Corps. I believe the 51 is the AOS sign of the unit, ie: Senior regiment of the Brigade, the 1st Hussars. I don't think it all unlikely that there are multiple regiments in this armor buildup.

I'm going to keep plugging away and build it as in the photo, but there's a good chance it doesn't go with the others as a FGH tank meaning I'll have to build a different Vc to go with the other 2. I'll wait until putting an AOS sign on the rear as well until I check out a few sources.