Cv-33 tankette

**fabe** · #1 10-01-2007, 12:12 PM

Hi to all,
I have always been a fan of the Italian CV-33/35 tankette, despite its quite crappy combat performance. Unfortunately there is no card-model of this unique little beast available although one probably could do dozens of interesting versions (Italy at that time was a major arms exporter). Construction should be fairly easy as the tankette was quite square-edged. I would love to help when possible and I could do the colouring (I have a lot of experience with Corel photo-paint but zero with 3D programs).
Possible choices:
Italy, Abessinya, Spanish Nationalists, Spanish Republicans, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Nicaragua (still used in 1979), Croatia, Hungary, Austria, the various Repubblica Sociale armored fractions, Iraq, China, Afghanistan.

the flame-thower version

**CharlieC** · #2 10-01-2007, 04:20 PM

There were models of the CV-35 and L-3 (flame thrower) in large scale (1/10) by Alcan. Unfortunately these have been out of print for a few years. They turn up on eBay very occaisonally but usually sell for silly amounts because of rarity.

In a similar vein the Vickers Mk VI ( a direct descendant of the Carden-Loyd tankette ) is similarly unmodelled.

Regards,

Charlie

**CharlieC** · #3 10-01-2007, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fabe

Hi to all,
I have always been a fan of the Italian CV-33/35 tankette, despite its quite crappy combat performance. Unfortunately there is no card-model of this unique little beast available although one probably could do dozens of interesting versions (Italy at that time was a major arms exporter).

I think I'd take issue with the "unique" adjective. The CV-33/35 was a derivative of the Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankette of 1929-30. Just about every tank manufacturing country in Europe (and elsewhere) developed derivatives of the Carden-Loyd or used the C-L as a starting point for their own armour development. A quick list - I'll add in the models where I know about them:

Carden-Loyd VI - Zio Prudenzia did a 1/35 model of this - you can still buy it (can't remember where though)

TK3/TKS (Poland) - GPM have 1/25 models of both of these

T-27 (Russia) - 1/25 Modelik

Renault UE (France) - 1/25 Supermodel(?)

Skoda Mu-4 (Czechoslovakia) - no model (prototypes only)

Vz-33 (Czechoslovakia) - 1/25 Supermodel

Type 97 Tankette Te-Ke (Japan) - no model

Panzer I (Germany) - fairly remote derivative - lots of models.

I think the only reason the CV-35 survived as a combat unit into WW2 was the inability of Italian industry to produce anything better. Rommel complained that the L3s were "only useful for chasing tribesmen around Abyssinia" (Modern Ethiopia).

Regards,

Charlie

Zathros · #4 10-02-2007, 08:48 AM

"only useful for chasing tribesmen around Abyssinia"

I bet those tribesman had the upper hand most of the time. One must have needed really big gonads to get into one of those tankettes for combat, I just wondered were you would put them.

**shrike** · #5 10-02-2007, 05:01 PM

Stored externally...like the fuel tanks on a T-34<G>

**CharlieC** · #6 10-02-2007, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zathros

I bet those tribesman had the upper hand most of the time. One must have needed really big gonads to get into one of those tankettes for combat, I just wondered were you would put them.

You'd proably be unable to operate the tankette if you had those..."The dimensions of the T-27 were so small that only shorter men could get in it. - www.battlefield.ru"

Regards,

Charlie