It seems that nobody makes a 1/56th scale MK IV......UPDATED!

...........except me!

prototype in progress

       This is another case where a new figure causes me to fly off on a tangent into places unknown and unexpected. The Wargames Atlantic Great War German Infantry contains all of the troops that you would need for a neat little game of Tank hunting in the Trenches (except for a flamethrower and a T-Gewher, both easily scratchbuilt). I figured that it would be a breeze to knock together a three foot square of German trenches, paint a dozen or so figures and build a model MK IV kit and I would be off to the races. Except that nobody makes a model of the MK IV in the 1/48-1/56 scale range; WTF? Briefly I thought of trashing the idea but then it occurred to me that a MK IV was nothing but a collection of flat panels with no visible running gear.  Scratchbuilding would be a walk in the park. Getting decent drawings was easy but things took a big turn for the better when I looked at the LANDSHIPS website, they have a large selection of paper models in assorted scales free to download. So download I did, they have a model in 1/50 of a MK IV, so I resized it a touch to get to 1/56th and printed out the parts that I thought I needed.

 

in retrospect I just should have printed all of the paper kit,

 I kept having to go back and generate another page as I found I needed a template for a part

 

paper models have always defied me, 

I never seem able to get the precise 90-degree folds that are crucial to successful models 

but I can use the parts as a template and my buddy Proxxie can cut right angles all day long

 

then it is just a matter of gluing the card onto the blue board!

 

but then there are things like track links, easy to make but a bit tedious to install

 

it really only took about ten minutes per side

 

ready for trimming

 

while the glue was drying on the track links I knocked out the sponsons and the drivers cab

 

the sponsons were a bit of a trick but I managed it without to much muttering

 

double checking to be sure things look right

 

from both sides, this is when I realized that I should have just printed out the side of the

 paper model and stuck it onto the foam to ensure proper location of the sponsons

 

the I cut the opening for the cannons

 

a brand-new blade in the X-Acto is very important

 

then I (belatedly) began sticking the paper onto the hull sides

 

the paper strengthens the foam and also shows me where to locate

 the surface detail without a lot of tiresome measuring

 

the exhaust is a bit of plastic tubing for the muffler and some wire for the exhaust pipe

 

a little aluminum tube for the six-pounders and some wire for the M.G.s and it was painting tyime

 

I am unhappy with the surface detail,

 I printed the model on standard paper, I should have used heavy cardstock 

live and learn

 

if anyone is daft enough to try this for themselves my suggestion would be to print out the entire kit and carefully use the parts as templates, but glue them on before you start any assembly

 

I am still of two minds regarding rivets.....

 

.....I do love some rivets.....

 

...but this little baby will need lots of them...

 

....lots and lots!