Christie T3 - Tracks On
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The American automotive engineer and race car driver Walter Christie had been working on self-propelled artillery and tank designs and prototypes since WW1. By 1931 his designs had progressed from curiosities to blazing fast tank that could run with tracks for cross-county mobility and on its road wheels for operational mobility. The US Army bought 7 of the 1931 model and issued them to an infantry unit and a cavalry unit for evaluation. Did I mention that these things were fast -- 40 mph (64.37 km/h) on wheels, 25 mph (40.23 km/h) on tracks. The speed had a downside - they threw tracks, they were hard to steer, the engines failed too often, and the clutch/transmission were far to delicate for the powerful engine. US Army Ordnance Department didn't like working with Walter Christie, and Christie, in turn, didn't like the changes the Army demanded. Christie sold a copy of his design and a prototype each to the UK and to Russia. The Russians admired his concept and turned it into the BT-7.
This is another great 3D printed 1:35 scale kit from Vargas Scale Models. The 3D printing technology allows a good amount of detail in very few parts. Although you can barely see it in the finished model, the engine compartment is printed with the engine in place. I did add a couple of details to the kit. I borrowed headlights from the Tamiya BT7, interwar pattern wooden D-ring handle shovels from the spares box, straps from lead foil & PE buckles, and the bracket on the rear from brass strips.
I varied from my usual finishing by using a light dust wash of AK Africa Dust followed by dry brushing with dark oils. I need to keep working with this combination to improve the results.
