British Tanks? What British Tanks?

[ultravanillasmurf]

@Pinky: I agree completely.

[Pinky]

Having just seen one up close, here's a vote for a plastic Comet:

[ultravanillasmurf]

Having just seen one up close, here's a vote for a plastic Comet:

Me too.

And unlike Warlord, one suitable for WW2 (no vacuum hose attachments on the exhausts like the two at Duxford).

Duxford does have the above in the Post War section (and gate guards do not count).

I thought I had photographs of them on my blog, but that is not the case. That will be rectified.

[Swamprat33]

Good shout UVSmurf.

I have a 1/6 Armortek Comet and would love to get a decent one in Plastic from Rubicon.

Tim

[Pinky]

This is the Comet from Duxford's indoor collection.  It seems to be in excellent condition.  It's very inspiring.  But the hatch for the driver is scarily narrow.  I would not want to be trying to exit from that in a hurry...

[sandsmodels]

it looks narrow but the top piece opens with the side so it is a bit bigger than it looks, still not wanting to get trapped though!

[Pinky]

I'm 6'3" and that hatch looks very tight!  One of the unacknowledged benefits of high profile tanks like the Sherman was the relative spaciousness of the interior, and (at least in later versions) the big access hatches.

[Ballardian]

 Another vote for a plastic Comet from me.
 Pinky - you're right, the hull hatches are very small - they are L-shaped in cross section but getting in or out required a similar technique to getting into a car that's had the doors welded shut, you don't go straight down but angle yourself in, (TheChieftanWoT - on YouTube) demonstates this quite well on his excellent walkaround of Bovingtons Comet (he's also 6'+ so is a good comparison). This is par for the course on British tanks, seeing (essentially correctly) that any hole in the hull as weakening it's integrity.
 Both US & German AFVs had more generously proportioned interiors, with notable exceptions such as the Jagdpanzer 38t which would surely win hands down in the uncomfortable stakes.

[ultravanillasmurf]

What is scary is that the Soviets thought British Tanks were roomy.

[Pinky]

I also looked over Duxford's Valentine, and it's another claustrophobic vehicle.  It looks solid, but very low and cramped.  Imagine how it must have felt, crouched over in hot, noisy darkness, listening to the clang of small arms fire hitting the armour only inches from your body and waiting for an 88 round to smash through.  The bravery of those men is astonishing. 

[Pinky]

Another Comet, this time the one at Bovington: