1:35 VCL Light Amphibious Tank A4E12

The real subject

The A4E12 light amphibious tank came out of the British Vickers Carden Loyd works in the early 1930s. The abbreviation VCL in the name belongs to them. The machine was among the first attempts to get an armored vehicle across a water obstacle without a bridge and without a ford: the bulky box of the hull gave it buoyancy, in the water a marine propeller drove it and on the bank it went back to its tracked running gear. The armament was a machine gun housed in a small rotating turret. Only a few were built, which makes the subject all the more interesting for a modeler who does not want yet another ordinary type in the display cabinet.

What the kit offers

The model in 1:35 scale is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The range of parts, the number and form of the marking options and the recommended order of the build are given in the manufacturer's instructions, so read through all of them before the first gluing. Before building, clean the excess material off the parts and sand down the traces of manufacture, otherwise the assembly will not close up.

Building and painting tips

First dry-fit the running gear and check that the vehicle stands level; on small machines every deviation shows. Paint the inside of the turret and the space behind the machine gun before you close the turret up. Fill and sand the seam between the halves of the hull carefully, because on an amphibious machine a smooth hull is noticed at once. When weathering, remember where the vehicle is coming back from: deposits of mud and dried earth belong on the lower hull, on the tracks and on the wheels, not on the upper surfaces.

• 1:35 scale, the parts are supplied unassembled and unpainted
• the subject is the British Vickers Carden Loyd A4E12 light amphibious tank
• the hull gave the machine buoyancy, in the water a marine propeller helped it along
• the armament was a machine gun in a rotating turret
• a rewarding subject for a diorama with a water surface

Terms of supply

Paints, glue, putty and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.