As is traditional, members of the UK Tank Club met up at the South West Model Expo held at Bovington on the last weekend of September. A wide range of models were on display and were put through there paces both inside and out. The running surface in the 'arena' was a choice of loose gravel or long grass, neither very good for model tanks! A couple of casualties ensued but nothing that couldn't be fixed for the next display. Chris Walker provided some of his 'Patent' Pyrotechnics for a small display, unfortunately I haven't received any pictures of them-yet. Please let me know if you have! As usual the organisers of the show arranged for the Museum Restaurant and Bar to be kept open for the Saturday evening so we had a good  time when the Public had gone home. Below are a few pictures from that weekend.

These first four pictures are a bit of indulgence on my part, and why not it's my website! My two models in front of the real things.

The good thing about being in the Museum before the public arrives is that you can do this sort of thing!

Both the Panther and the JagdPanther were built by REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) after the end of WW11.

They used the parts which were just laying around in the factories where they were left and with the help of the German workers built these for evaluation. Both tanks have small plates affixed to the glacis recording these facts.

Here's one half of the stand that we had. We wasn't over happy with our position this year as the stand was split into two halves.

But it didn't seem to matter as we still got a lot of attention from onlookers.

Here's my Panther driving through the WW1 trench mock up on it's way outside.

Look at these two handsome hunks! The concentration!

Mark's Panther did quite well until Trevor did a neutral turn and clogged the tracks with small stones! After a bit of digging out though it carried on running.

Mark's Tiger does a turn for the appreciating public.

Mark is seen here checking the tracks on his Tiger after getting a jammed track.

Jim's Tiger ran like clockwork as usual (wind up?!!)

How many Grenadiers (and bikes) can you fit on the back of a Tiger?

Howard's excellent T-34. This ran well all weekend. Howard subscribes to the KISS methodology--Keep It Simple Stupid!

Out on the Russian Steppe? No, the grass just hadn't been cut!

Mark's superb King Tiger. This uses the same paints as our Mazda van.

And bloody good it looks too! Zimmerit by David's Isopon!

Two Tigers going towards the knife edge.

The two tigers silhouetted against a moody sky. In actual fact the weather was very kind to us all weekend. Just as well as we were camping.

The next two pictures are superb. Models silhouetted against the sky look so realistic.

I guess it's because there is little to compare the size of the model with.

If you asked any Panzer commander on the Western Front after Normandy which Tank he feared the most he would tell you 'ze RAF'!!

These two Spitfires did a couple of flypasts on the Saturday hence the pictures.

Jim's diorama had some more figures added. This time some American GI's as POW's.

Jim's actually added two small smoke generators in this Tiger and quite effective they are too.

One of the new Tamiya Pershings. This model even has the sound of chinking tracks on the sound generator!

Gary Bailey's winter Sherman. Is that a battle system up the barrel?

Chris Walker's Tamiya King Tiger. This has a tiny six shot blank firing revolver in the turret! Enough to make you jump though! I've added a link to Chris's own website on my Links page.

A bit of a rarity at our shows, a modern tank! A Tamiya Leopard with an interesting camouflage.

What's a Kubelwagen doing on a website devoted to radio controlled tanks? Well why not!