Cromwell Mk.IV
IBG Models continues the theme of British pursuit tanks in 1:72 scale. After bunch of Crusaders this time we get something a bit different. Cromwell Mk.IV that is, which interested me enough that I decided to take a closer look at it.
First glance
Set with the catalogue number 72102 was packed in a top-opening box, maintained in a refreshed graphic style, introduced by the manufacturer a few models ago.
Pretty nice illustration by Arkadiusz Wróbel on the front and a bunch of injection-moulded grey sprues inside.
Plus photo-etched details sheet, decals and an instruction booklet.
Plastic
Let's move on to more specific things, such as the hull, the lower part of which was prepared using slide moulds technology. Thanks to that, raised details (here in the form of rivets) can also be found on the vertical side walls. That can’t be said about wheels suspension arms and appropriate cut-outs in the hull, which were omitted by the designer of the kit.
Separately moulded elements for the front and back of the tub sports both some nice (bolts) and poor (shackles laying flat on the slanted armour plate) details. Also, according to pre-production renders and traces left on the plastic, the latter should be on the rear part too.
The upper part of the hull is also filled with details, especially the engine section. A few of them should be removed and two panel lines filled according to the manual. It’s also a good idea to work a bit on the driver's and gunner's visors, which are overly simplified in my opinion.
Nothing needs to be removed from the panels intended for the front.
The side fenders, prepared as separate modules (installed before closing the hull), also catch the eye with a mixture of raised and recessed details.
Additionally, the visible edges are of a fairly decent thickness, at least on the front.
Although also the back parts, given the construction of the element, looks not bad at all.
Quite nice looking storage containers should be installed on the mentioned fenders.
Other details are not too bad either.
Turret is another piece that benefits from the slide moulds – raised details can be found on all sides.
Well, almost – the front plate is moulded individually. As well as the hatches, of which we get two variants – to be installed in open or closed position.
Naturally the one-piece barrel is also designed as a separate part, with a pretty good muzzle brake (for an injection-moulded piece that is). Nevertheless, a metal replacement is worth consideration.
Plastic Besa machine gun barrels, one of which is mounted in the turret, are obviously not very impressive. They are o.k., but let me just remind you that Master makes metal ones.
Let's move on to the chassis, which is based on modules containing integrated tracks and wheels. In the case of the latter, we are only talking about the elements on the fuselage side.
The outer road wheels have been designed separately and look pretty good. Certainly better than the ones in the Crusaders. The bad thing is that the tyres should be of the later, solid type.
The outer part of the idler wheel is also fitted separately.
Track drive sprockets are however fitted on both sides of the modules.
Worth mentioning is the quite nice outer side of the tracks. From the inside they obviously look quite worse.
There is one more element on the sprues, but it will remain unused.
Although I also got a superfluous sprue with fenders for the simultaneously released Centaur, but I guess that's just a fluke.
PE
In addition to the plastic parts, there is a photo-etched sheet of a quite modest size. It contains very few elements – front headlights guards, fenders support brackets and a mesh for the rear of the engine compartment.
So not much, especially as the mentioned guards are rather inadequate – they are too flat.
Decals
Traditionally Techmod was responsible for printing the decal sheet, so you already know what to expect.
The markings look very good, but how they will behave when applied remains to be seen.
Instruction manual
Nothing new here. The usual black and white drawings clearly showing the subsequent stages of construction. There are not many of them – the assembly of the model takes only two pages.
More is taken up by colour profiles which show the machines available to make.
The colours needed are listed in a table with Vallejo Model Air, Hataka, Life Color, Mr. Hobby and AK Interactive paint numbers.
Painting options
Kit in question provides decals for five machines. The first three options are Cromwells from the same unit (6th Airbourne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, 6th Airbourne Division) with side numbers T18933, T187984 i T187876, which took part in capture of Pont-Audemer in Normandy, on 26th August 1944.
Kit painting option (IBG Models)Next – tank T187796 from the “K” Battery, 5th Royal Horse Artillery, lost in an engagement with Tigers in Vicinity of Villers-Bocage, 13th June 1944.
Kit painting option (IBG Models)And the last – machine with T189427 side number from Polish First Armoured Division. Normandy, August 1944.
Kit painting option (IBG Models)Not much of a variety in camouflage, but that comes with the subject matter. Personally I appreciate the Polish option included.
So...
This is what the new Cromwell from IBG Models looks like. On the one hand quite nice details (at least some), on the other unnecessary simplifications, including quite surprising lack of suspension. Nevertheless, the box contents seems to be a decent base for building a nice 1:72 scale miniature. As long as you don't look at it too closely, especially from underneath.
MMXXII