Hi : I've been building WW1 planes and ships for awhile but want to get back to some armour. I was thinking of the Airfix MK 1 in 1/76 scale. Between the male or female, is one a better kit? On the early british tanks ,what where the trailing wheels for? I've read that they added in trench crossing and sterring. How did it help in sterring?
I have'nt been keeping up on the forum for awhile and don't know of any further news about Peter Kempf I hope all is well. Any updates.
Hi Chris, I can't tell you if the male or female Mk I has more accurate sponsons, but I have an unbuilt Airfix Mk I and can tell you that it includes the parts for both variants. That said, there are various errors in the details of this kit, such as the wrong type of escape hatch on the roof. If you look through the model articles on Landships, and use the search function here on the forum, you should be able to find pointers as to what needs changed.
As for the trailing wheels, yes, they were intended to help trench crossing and steering; there was a steering wheel mounted beside the driver (different orientation from what you see in cars) that could steer the wheels on the tail to provide a sideways force at the back of the tank. The principle is just the same as the half-tracks used in WW2, but applied in reverse (wheels behind the tracks, not in front). It was only of use for gradual turns - small changes in bearing where it would probably be a lot of hassle to use the brakes or secondary gears. On the battlefield the wheels clogged up with mud and would have required a lot of maintenance, so it was decided they were more hassle than they were worth. The Mk I tanks still in use had their steering tails removed and further marks never received them, although it seems a prototype Whippet was given a set, and either prototype or early production Gun Carriers Mark 1.
Thanks for the info, is your unbuilt Mk1 kit box a male or female? Thought I had read that the first Airfix Mk1 kit was male, only. The price for the female kit is a little more [possibly a newer kit? That comes with both sponsons.] I like the Landship 2 site The people who took charge did a great job. Still wondering if Peter is OK. Does anybody have any info? Thanks again, Chris Anderson
The box says 'female'. It may be a change they've made since the company was resurrected a few years ago after it went bust. I've read some complaints about Airfix tracks being in a nasty plastic that doesn't bend enough, but these may refer to earlier issues of the kit; mine has very nice flexible, more rubbery tracks - though as I said, I haven't built it yet, so I can't say if they are as easy to apply as their flexibility suggests. I don't know about price differences between male and female kits; mine was a gift.
Landships 2 - I agree, it's good; I only use Landships 1 now if there's an article that 2 hasn't yet got.
