1:35 Cromwell Tulip Quadruple RP-3 Rocket Launcher

Tulip rocket rails for a cruiser tank

This accessory set from LANMO Model combines three-dimensional printing with metal; metal tubes for the bodies of the rockets and fine metal mountings are included as well. The four rails are fitted in pairs on the sides of the turret. The tank is not in the package; the set is mounted on an already built model.

An aircraft rocket bolted onto a turret

The RP-3 rocket with a three-inch body and a sixty-pound warhead was originally a weapon of ground-attack aircraft. In the spring of 1945 two officers of a Guards armored unit had the idea of getting launching rails from the Royal Air Force and fastening them onto a tank. That gave rise to a modification which came to be nicknamed Tulip. The accuracy was miserable, because the round started from rest and with no airflow over the stabilizing fins, but the effect of a hit on a building or a fortified nest was worth it.

What to keep in mind during the fitting

First mark the position of the mountings on the turret exactly, so that both pairs of rails are at the same angle. Wash the printed parts in lukewarm water with detergent and let them dry out, and roughen the metal surfaces before joining them. Paint the rockets separately and fit them at the very end, otherwise you will break them off while handling the model.

Who the set is for

• modelers of British equipment of the end of the war
• builders of unusual field modifications
• more experienced collectors used to combining materials
• makers of dioramas from the fighting of 1945

The parts named serve to modify an already built tank, which is obtained separately.