Vintage Rigby tank

[rockpaperscissor]

This simple tank is part of Rigby's "Modern Marvels" series of models that appeared in the Sunday Comics section of American newspapers back in the day. This one is dated December 22, 1940. cdavenport's 3 page PDF scan of the kit is available in the download section of the forum. In addition to the tank, the file includes a rail gun and a light cruiser.

It provides a fun, nostalgic afternoon build. It's a good introductory paper model for a child who might like the bright colors - the Ringling Brothers were obviously the originators of the camouflage pattern :rolleyes:. The wheels are laminated to 1mm cardboard, and the axles are cut from full diameter Q-tip shafts. The machine guns are made from the inner core of the same shafts. I almost corrected the upside down roundels, but then I decided to just build the model as designed.

[Don Boose]

I remember this tank! This is the best build I have ever seen of the land battleship.

Don (too)

[elliott]

Nice build there Don!

[rockpaperscissor]

Thanks fellas. Every once in a while I like to build a simple and quick kit - satisfies my need for instant gratification, I guess.

[Don Boose]

As you may recall, Don, four-and-a-half years ago, I started building a "simple and quick" vintage decoupage model of a Japanese Type 95 light tank. Then I got to trying to improve it. http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/vintage-models/17993-vintage-toy-military-models-decoupages-5.html

It is still a work-in-progress, although I have every hope of someday finishing it.

Cheers,

Don

[southwestforests]

Actually it's more the colors than the top-bottom on the roundels which need to be corrected: pre WW2 armored corps roundel colors were the reverse of air corps roundels. armor roundels were blue in center with red outside.

[Tom Greensfelder]

I concur. Sometimes the simplest models make for the most entertaining builds. Well done.

[rockpaperscissor]

It is still a work-in-progress, although I have every hope of someday finishing it.

I hope you finish it Don, it was really coming along nicely. Your hand drawn plans to enhance the suspension were inspired, and will make a huge difference.

Actually it's more the colors than the top-bottom on the roundels which need to be corrected: pre WW2 armored corps roundel colors were the reverse of air corps roundels. armor roundels were blue in center with red outside.

That's news to me, Forrest. I've been Google searching for an image of the roundel as you described it, but I've come up empty.

Thanks for your comment, Tom. I tend to run out of gas on longer term builds, and will throw in a quickie so I feel like I've accomplished something.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi Rockpaperscissor,

I, too, like your fresh tank. The pink and green camo reminds me of my uncle's golf togs. Whenever I encounter a tab and slot paper model I want to build, I glue it up tight, just as you did.

Treat 'em Rough!

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[rockpaperscissor]

Thanks for your comment, Thumb Dog. I've built several vintage models over the years, but they pale in comparison to your beautiful pieces. I'll just have to try harder! :)

[Thumb Dog]

Hi Rockpaperscissor,

Thank you. I'm forever amazed at the level of art and technique found here at Papermodelers, yourself included. I've been very lucky in finding interested and interesting friends in this forum who have helped me gather beautiful scans of beautiful paper models.

I should have joined sooner.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[southwestforests]

That's news to me, Forrest. I've been Google searching for an image of the roundel as you described it, but I've come up empty. There aren't many that I've found. Original info I had was in books in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. I stopped doing military models in early 2000s.
Look for info on M2 Medium and on exercises held in southeast US before WW2. Louisiana I think was main area.
Photo of M2 Medium in US museum in 2010 with roundel colors
Military Vehicle Photos - Medium Tank M2 (http://www.military-vehicle-photos.com/picture/number8308.asp)
Edit: saw this mentioned, if you have sixty bucks for a book, look up "Organization and Markings of United States Army Armored Units 1918-1941" by Charles Lemons.
Allied WWII AFV Discussion Group: insignia on early US tanks (http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/thread/1125233446/insignia+on+early+US+tanks)
Edit2 - ah, a paper model showing that insignia
M1A1 Patton's Light Tank (http://perrypapermodels.altervista.org/m1a1-patton-s-light-tank.html)
Now, what I don't know is what was used and for how long before that roundel was used; or what date that roundel was approved for use. That is long gone from my memory.

[Don Boose]

Good info!

Don

[rockpaperscissor]

Thanks for the education, Forrest. I've previously downloaded all of ModelPerry's free 1/48 early US armor model kits, and now I have a hankerin' to build one of them next, just so I can use that roundel.

[southwestforests]

Happy to assist :) This probably falls beyond the vintage model period --> As far as the "normal" roundel colors, pretty sure remember they were used on tops of at least some US vehicles in the Torch landings, or after, in North Africa; and I think without the red. At one time I had some modern reprints of period manuals on that. Ohh, who was the publisher? Are they still in business?
UK vehicles could have RAF style roundel on turret roof, engine deck, truck tops, it kinda depended. Guess it also 'kinda depended' how far US troops got with the task too.
somwehre in a book was a photo of either a M3 Lee or M3 Grant on test in North Africa in overall sand with blue and white stars on turret sides.
At some point US went to white stars without blue. And there were yellow stars for a period.
Later in WW2 US had orange fabric panels which could be laid out. Remember seeing pics of US TD's M10, M18, M36, forgotten which, which showed panel and it was noted in photo caption.
I don't know the state of the armor hobby now but at the time I was it seemed that air recognition markings for US were an under-appreciated subject. Since most of my models were 1/72 scale for miniatures games, having things on vehicle tops made for more visually appealing models, at least in my opinion.

Edit - don't know for sure the roundel colors on the M3 Lee here part way down page Rnd 1 Grp 2 - M3 Lee/Grant (USA) vs M4 Sherman (USA) - Armchair General and HistoryNet >> The Best Forums in History (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148815) what I do know is that years of discussion on early railroad groups of black and white photography, with input from museum professionals, have shown that determining hues from B&W photos is imprecise at best.

Edit 2 - booklet Squadron Signal [Armor In Action] 2033 M3 Lee-Grant has color painting of Lee with red roundels.

[Don Boose]

This is turning into a very informative thread, even though we are getting away from the subject of your Rigby tank, Don.

On the wall of my office at the U.S. Army War College is the print donated by a class of 2013. It illustrates the initial landing in North Africa in November 1942 and features an M3 light tanks with the yellow star and bar markings.

Don (too)

[VinceM]

Pink and green camo? Where were they trying to hide, in a bubble gum factory?

[Don Boose]

During WWII, I was given a book called Fighting Airplanes. The colorful illustrations convinced me that Vickers Wellingtons were painted purple and green.

Don

[ridetheory]

It's a good introductory paper model for a child who might like the bright colors - the Ringling Brothers were obviously the originators of the camouflage pattern :rolleyes:.

Sort of a Pink Panzer.

[whulsey]

Maybe its like they used to do with cars and its the May colors. For those not familiar with that concept it used to be that when spring rolled around and to do something to get customers into the showroom when the models had already been out for 6 months, they came up with the idea of introducing some new colors and trim. They usually tended to be bright and floral, thus May colors.

[rockpaperscissor]

Forrest, I checked out the M3 photo from your link. Even though it's a B&W photo, I'm pretty sure that the field in the turret roundel is red (in unfiltered, unbalanced B&W photography, the color red appears extremely dark). What's interesting to me about that picture is that the star insignia on the rear of the turret doesn't match the side roundel - no surrounding field at all - I can just make out that it has a colored center dot, though - probably blue. The Sherman in the fifth picture down also sports a white star (no field) on the turret side, and I think it too has a blue center dot which shows up faintly in the photo with about the same B&W tone as the tank itself.

"Pink Panzer", hahahaha.

[paperboy2000]

That is one cute "Land Ironclad!"

[rockpaperscissor]

Thank you very much!

[Wyvern]

Really neat build

Wyvern