I built several Airfix Churchill VIIs back in the early 1970s when I was a teenager. I eventually moved to painting historical wargames figures then took up building models again a few years ago and the difference in the equipment available and standard of modern kits and range of aftermarket parts compared to the old ones is amazing. The Churchill in all its variants is one of my favourite tanks, maybe because I had an uncle who served in Churchills in Italy after being in Matildas in the desert. Memories of all those fiddly wheels have persuaded me to steer clear of the Airfix kit (which has fit problems as well) and go for resin models from the 1/76 Milicast range which cost more but are really nice and his range includes earlier marks as well as the VII. Thinking back, I’m pretty sure the tracks were a kind of silver/grey colour originally, and best assembled by whacking a staple across the joint then hiding the joint inside the sponsons or by sewing the joint together. The hot knife thing never really worked. The old tracks also resisted paint even better than they did glue. It also doesn’t help that the Airfix colour instructions on a lot of their kits are simply wrong - the Churchills seem to have mostly been bronze green, or maybe the British equivalent of US olive green, but Airfix have a policy of only recommending paints from their Humbrol range which are more (or less) similar to the correct colour (and particularly frustratingly sometimes the painting instructions include colours Humbrol no longer make). One suggestion if I may - get yourself an airbrush, some good tweezers and sprue cutters. Airbrushes give a better paint finish and good tweezers and cutters make life a lot easier.
Basic airbrush setups are much cheaper nowdays. Probably could get a basic portable rechargeable airbrush for under £50 or so on places like Amazon. I live in the US so I guesstimated the price in pounds sterling based on prices I have seen in USD. Even the cheap Chinese stuff should be good enough for basic stuff.
Yes, I would get one. In fact, I already two or three which I built as a kid many moons ago. I have been building Airfix kits for some years and they are my go to kits for fun building. I have also built Matchbox kits, Fujimi kits, which I liked very much and a few kits which were so memorable that I can’t remember their names. I am 72 and I still have the modelling mojo but with failing eyesight, I do not know how long this will last. Hey ho, lol. My favourite scale is of course 1:76 scale but I have wandered over to 1:72 scale on occasion when I thought the kit was interesting enough.
Very well delivered on all the kits you do. You explain all steps and make it interesting to. Excellent teacher for those just starting out. 10 out of 10
I bought 3 of them, so to have a platoon, except for the tracks was an easy assembly, my only complaint was the lack of crewmembers, and in the early 70 there weren' t a lot of alternatives
Sprayed my Airfix Churchy with Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver - I do this with all 72 and 76 scale 'older' tank kits now. Guests in my house have commented that they look like they're 'metal'. Lined up along a shelf does look quite effective.
@@ModelMinutes Yep, no decals, just the metallic silver paint. Churchill, Cromwell, Tiger, Stug, Sherman and Panzer IV Did similar with a Spitfire and P-51 last year - built them 'in-flight' and sprayed (including canopy) with Humbrol 27003 Polished Steel metalcote - then buffed them with tissue and cotton buds. Made stands with a wooden base and a rod - They look a bit like they're made of pewter.
A couple of years back, I got myself an Airfix Churchill Mk 1 and built it. I noticed a lot of the issues that you recounted here. Mine came with a Commander. This Tank and Figure were an older Casting. So much so that no matter how hard I tried, my Commander only looks vaguely human from a distance. The Churchill cleaned up nicely. Thank you for this video.
Hmm, I don't think Airfix ever made a Mk1 Churchill that came with a figure, at least not one that I can find... For a specific Mk1 Churchill you probably built the Hasegawa kit in 1/72 which does come with a figure which is a 1975 tooling - so somewhat "newer" than the tooling age of the kit featured in this video
Excellent guide, I am having trouble with the wheels too, also I found that the treads would not stick, so I sewed them together with thread, luckily the treads have holes to facilitate this, I do hope this helps others
Great video. I like the model having built quite a number, I feel like a complete wally when you revealed the bogey wheel trick! I never thought of that...it's genius. Ok it's an old kit but it has certainly come together well. I'd be interested to see the others in the range, the bridge layer and the Crocodile. Nice job thanks.
@@ModelMinutes It strikes me the old Airfix kits all seemed to have a little (unadvertised) sublety of this sort built into them, almost as if you were expected to find it out for yourself!
Nice to see someone gettingt a good result and a good colour out of 1/72 (1/76) Churchill. I've a Hasegawa Churchill Mark I and so far the khaki Ive used has made it positively brown! Minor point, the bits sticking out of track sides are armoured air intakes.
When I was building these in the 60s when they first came out superglue didn't exist. Virtually nothing would ever get the tracks to stay together... If you wanted a Humbrol Acrylic, just use #30 Dark Green. Simples. 👌
I've heard that stapling the tracks together can work. I thought about using the 30 acrylic, but it seemed too dark (yes I could have added white but I really wanted to try out some different paint brands and this was a perfect excuse)
@@ModelMinutes when i built this one i stapled the tracks together, seeing as the top part of the track would be hidden by all the armour. This worked quite well for me. Also the kit i bought had humbrol 30 on the instructions and not 159. This is a shame as the lighter green looks better.
Fortunately Airfix now make these small scale tracks using rubber, as in this video. About 20 years ago they were using some grey vinyl plastic...it was awful. They had to be either stapled or sewn together.
Very nice video. Very informative. I build in 1/35 scale but enjoyed watching this even though I am not likely to build one. You did a nice job explaining things and demonstrating methods. The final model seems to have turned out nice. I watched this on my phone so the smaller screen limits seeing detail to an extent. You crtique of the build was also enlightening.
I think you maybe saved me hours. I bought two of these Churchills yesterday (first kit since i was single digits age) and my heart sank when I saw 'x22' repeat next to the wheels. But lining up the two sprues assuming they fit might save me as I don't have the patience. Thanks for this
An excellent effort and result. This kit - albeit an older release - was the first small scale Tank I built, in about 2000. Couple of details come to mind: • The A22 Churchill is often stated as named after Winston, but [not counting a handful of examples aboard] naming Tanks after a living person, there is no prior nor subciquent precedent for it in the British Army, that I'm aware of. Winston's illustrious ancestor, General John Churchill, is the more likely namesake, as some books I've read over the years asserted. (and would fit with the A27M Cromwell also being named after a famous army general) • I recall the instruction sheet in the '90's - which was inside the box instead of on its reverse - had more information on paint schemes. I'll fish the info out some time to check. • Though 1:72 is in vogue now, it's interesting to think that even in the early 1990's, 1:76 was still more common, due to Matchbox, Fujimi, Nitto and other AFV model makes all doing it.
Good video! 👍 When you attach an antenna, try drilling a small hole for it to go into. That way its a little sturdier, and won't snap off as easy if you accidentally bump it. For a tiny area, like the top of an antenna mount, start the hole with the tip of your hobby knife by rotating the point until you have a well centered starting point for your drill bit. That way your drill bit won't move sideways while you are drilling, and the hole will be perfectly centered.
Great build Matt! I have one I want to make and I have built this in the past too. Of all of the Airfix tank models this one is the most accurate it. The details are a little soft but the kit looks like a Mk. VII in the end. I will no doubt staple my tracks together and let the mud guards hide them. Thanks for sharing this and I learned quite a lot from your build.
You did a nice job of making the brutally difficult wheels look easier than they truly are :) I have built the kit as well as the Bridelayer and the Crocodile kits. They 'end up' great, but, they will require a great deal more swearing than you implied :) They don't just casually clean up with a few moments with a sanding stick at all :) They don't assemble with little or no effort involved. If you want them all correctly aligned that is. The assemblies are not even as close to as easy as you make it seem. BUT, this kit produces a very good-looking model. With effort. It compares nicely with my Dragon DML Churchill just fine. Modern mold tech doesn't make a kit automatically superior. You are good at painting. I don't mind making this kit at all. But I have oodles of patience. It doesn't just fall together. A novice will not enjoy this model.
Excellent, honest report. I've built the same kit, straight from the box, and enjoyed the challenge of the old tooling - mine was a 1970's release and it still has plenty of flash. Citadel Nuln Oil (now also available in gloss) is a great way to quickly add shadow. Enjoyable - but I won't rush to build another!
Very nice build of this old classic kit. Having built one a couple of years back I agree with your comments re the poor (by modern standards) moulding quality and the fit challenges. I spent a very long time painstakingly cleaning and refining the shape and fit of parts (my OCD kicking in, I always tell myself I'll do a 'quick build', but I never manage to, dumb really because this results in a lot of stalled builds) which did improve the final appearance, but not dramatically so... I think you used your time far more wisely. Great painting and weathering skills and again I think you used your time wisely. For fans of small scale Churchill's the Matchbox (reboxed by Revell) 1/76 Churchill AVRE, is a real gem (complete with bridge_laying modification and mini diorama), and then of course Dragon offer really high quality choices in 1/72. The smaller 1/76 scale really shows if placed alongside 1/72 subjects, but can create a nice distance illusion in dioramas by using 1/72 in the foreground and 1/76 at the rear. And yeah... those horrible rubber band tracks!!! I have to confess I didn't even try joining the ends, I just superglued the visible sections and cut off the lengths that are concealed under the track covers.
I'd only made about 12 of these before I realised about the suspension/ bogies. D'oh! On the plus side, having separate suspension and bogies, means you can add a couple from another kit as hull stowage - Churchills were often to be seen with a couple of spares on the rear hull. Churchills were designed to run with a couple of sets of bogies destroyed, from mine damage, etc.
I made a tank once... It was a king tiger but it had the uh rubber tracks and I didn't understand them so that put me off of building them.. But your Churchill looks really good! ANnd keep the good content up
Churchill said they named it after him when they realized it was "No bloody good". It was however one of the best around for slope climbing and often caught Jerry out by popping over a hill they thought was safe.
Just finished building this one as a first I guess model that isn't a Gundam and honestly I do see the flaws it has during building but I still enjoyed it. I mainly got this as an introduction model for both building basically common model kits (since gundam's don't really require glue or really painting unless you want more details and final touches) and painting. It honestly was fun for learning both. Painting was super fun (I had to use a website to find the paint that closely matches the paint they recommend for each colour except for one I had to basically choose myself what looks similar) and building was also fun (some parts were annoying but overall I enjoyed the struggles). The tank tracks I ended up stapling since it really was in a spot where you wouldn't see them at all (saw what happened here and didn't want to risk it lol). I still have to do some minor touch ups with the painting but it has been a fun experience. I plan to maybe build a plane next since I also want to see how that is like as well and maybe go up to building models that are more bigger in scale. Heard good things about Tamiya kits so I am really curious how much better it is. Thanks for the video also, helped me with my building as well as I went back to look at some parts I wanted to make sure I did right.
I am using this, and a MK1 WW1 tank as a test of whether I can build slightly fiddly models After my stroke before I attempt a model of the Supermarine Walrus I received as a gift before my stroke. I now have a standard to aim at. Wish me luck .
Maybe trim and sand the plastic parts where they've been cut from the sprue, and remove the mould seams, especially on the barrel. These basic modelling steps really help with the kit's final appearance.
Just a quick random piece of information: the churchill wasn't named after Winston Churchill, it was supposedly named after one of his ancestors who won an important battle, I don't remember which, and got a big house for it. Alternatively they didn't want to make it seem as if they were flattering Winston and so named it after him but claimed it was named after his ancestor.
Quite alot of people think the churchill was named after Winston but oh no it wasn't! It was actually his grandfather or uncle from ww1 mr Fletcher Will tell you the story on a tank chat and try look further into archives it was his great uncle I'm sure I read in a book years ago!
Guards Infantry Regiment usually used Churchills in Normandy. The 4th Bn Grenadier Guards used Churchills en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guards_Armoured_Division
Your Churchill turned out good. I think £6 is ok for these classic kits, but it's the postage that's a killer. The Airfix 1/76 Cromwell is a fantastic modern kit that does away with those rubber band tracks...however it is a bit more expensive.
Certainly looked familiar to my experiance of the kit, having done one as a kid, and having another in the build pile ATM. Like most of Airfix's 1:76 range a new tooling would be welcome (high detail and relatively non-fiddly 76th kits do exist), but as of the moment she's IMO one of the more readily doable ones, compared to the panther or scorpion.
Nice video again. I really love the 1/76 Airfix & Matchbox/Revell reissues. Will try superglue to finally finish my Airfix MKI. But I am wondering what is the benefit of the Tamiya thinner when you can use water for acrylics instead?
The benefit of the thinners is that they are usually alcohol (or similar) based so they actually work into the paint to make it thinner (chemically). Whereas water pretty much just spreads the pigments out (as is my understanding)
On the subject of which tank. Signal/Squadron publication from long ago puts tanks with names brginning A in 40th RTR (A squadron) , 41st RTR, 45th, 47th, 51st,. 40th RTR had names such as Ajax....
Good job but your initial branding was far better. The old logo especially was much better with its prime red, blue and white colours. Please can you revert back to your old branding? Thanks
I would love to, but unfortunately there are so many other channels (and even shops) who have near identical logos. In order to stand out I have to make it more unique. I’m not completely set on this current version and it may well change again in the future
Ref tracks; my first guess was 'melted to the workbench not each other'. 'Broke it' I must admit I didn't guess. Was the Sherman you mentioned newer and/or a bigger scale? I wonder if the older tooling was the issue. All I can say about use is that it's the wrong colour scheme for North Africa, so somewhere in Europe - Italy or northern Europe - as you suggested maybe France after D-Day.
Stunning Job Matt on this classic Airfix kit. Are you going to make a diorama for it? Also I'm glad to see you are starting to use Vallejo paints, I use most of their colors on my kits (either Model Color or Game Color which have the same consistency & texture). What are your thoughts on Vallejo & will we see more Model Minutes Kits painted in them?
Vallejo is going to be one of the paints that I decide to use when my humbrol stock starts to run out. I have thought of a few diorama ideas but nothing started as yet
@@ModelMinutes It looks like you have been sold on Team Vallejo. I also get were your coming from. I still have a tone of Tamiya paint I'm trying to use up & replace with Vallejo. Also after seeing your aircraft Dioramas. I will be looking forward to seeing a few Armour dioramas from you.
I really like the new video intro and think its really cool. Would you recommend this kit for someone hows never built a tank model? Love the video keep up the great work!
Rad! Got one of these in the stash. Interesting you used a lighter green, but it worked nicely. Wonder if light highlights on a darker green would work.
Very cool lookin tank! Btw i have a question. Is it always neccessary to apply gloss varnish under decals?I tend to use fine decal setters (under & over). Despite having problems with moving the decal on the surface they really get the job done.
You can also prepare the area for the decal by sanding it with super fine sandpaper. It makes flat/matte paint have a glossy appearance that is nice and smooth when you put the decal on. After that, give the model a spray of dullcoat.
Brush painting a model in this day and age is a true rarity and I found it really satisfying. Thanks buddy.
Glad you enjoyed it
I built several Airfix Churchill VIIs back in the early 1970s when I was a teenager. I eventually moved to painting historical wargames figures then took up building models again a few years ago and the difference in the equipment available and standard of modern kits and range of aftermarket parts compared to the old ones is amazing.
The Churchill in all its variants is one of my favourite tanks, maybe because I had an uncle who served in Churchills in Italy after being in Matildas in the desert. Memories of all those fiddly wheels have persuaded me to steer clear of the Airfix kit (which has fit problems as well) and go for resin models from the 1/76 Milicast range which cost more but are really nice and his range includes earlier marks as well as the VII.
Thinking back, I’m pretty sure the tracks were a kind of silver/grey colour originally, and best assembled by whacking a staple across the joint then hiding the joint inside the sponsons or by sewing the joint together. The hot knife thing never really worked. The old tracks also resisted paint even better than they did glue. It also doesn’t help that the Airfix colour instructions on a lot of their kits are simply wrong - the Churchills seem to have mostly been bronze green, or maybe the British equivalent of US olive green, but Airfix have a policy of only recommending paints from their Humbrol range which are more (or less) similar to the correct colour (and particularly frustratingly sometimes the painting instructions include colours Humbrol no longer make).
One suggestion if I may - get yourself an airbrush, some good tweezers and sprue cutters. Airbrushes give a better paint finish and good tweezers and cutters make life a lot easier.
Thanks for the info! I've actually been looking at getting an airbrush . . . just need that YT revenue to come through before I can get one!
Basic airbrush setups are much cheaper nowdays. Probably could get a basic portable rechargeable airbrush for under £50 or so on places like Amazon. I live in the US so I guesstimated the price in pounds sterling based on prices I have seen in USD. Even the cheap Chinese stuff should be good enough for basic stuff.
Nice editing and great looking model in the end
Glad you like it :)
Yes, I would get one. In fact, I already two or three which I built as a kid many moons ago. I have been building Airfix kits for some years and they are my go to kits for fun building. I have also built Matchbox kits, Fujimi kits, which I liked very much and a few kits which were so memorable that I can’t remember their names. I am 72 and I still have the modelling mojo but with failing eyesight, I do not know how long this will last. Hey ho, lol. My favourite scale is of course 1:76 scale but I have wandered over to 1:72 scale on occasion when I thought the kit was interesting enough.
It wasnt named after the Prime Minister at the time actually it was Named after his ancestor John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough
Yeah, so i've been told in previous comments
Thank you Sir. I'm working on improving my skills, and your step by step instructions are beneficial.
Thanks! I'm glad you found the video helpful
I have just started this kit and thanks to you I have managed to do the tracks using your tip, many thanks you do a fantastic job, keep it up.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful 😊
Very well delivered on all the kits you do. You explain all steps and make it interesting to. Excellent teacher for those just starting out. 10 out of 10
Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful! Feel free to share these videos with others who might be starting in the hobby :D
This new style of video is a massive improvement
Thanks!
I had a number of this kit because when the military modelling magazine came out in the early 1970s they had a series on the funnies used on d-day
Sounds pretty interesting!
Just started my own Churchill build and followed your tip about the wheels, it worked beautifully thanks!
Glad it helped!
I bought 3 of them, so to have a platoon, except for the tracks was an easy assembly, my only complaint was the lack of crewmembers, and in the early 70 there weren' t a lot of alternatives
yeah, I would have liked some figures too
I love the new format! Great work as always!👍👍
Glad you enjoy it!
Good Build thank you for all the helpful hints tanks are my favourite subject thanks again
Glad you like them!
I think you did a great job. Now I want one. I love Airfix kits. I see a diorama already. Keep it going .
Haha! Thanks :D
Just four more and you have a platoon ^_^ .
Add one Panther and one can re-enact the efforts of 'Cuckoo' ;-) .
Jim Taylor cool!
Sprayed my Airfix Churchy with Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver - I do this with all 72 and 76 scale 'older' tank kits now. Guests in my house have commented that they look like they're 'metal'.
Lined up along a shelf does look quite effective.
So they're just silver? That's pretty cool
@@ModelMinutes Yep, no decals, just the metallic silver paint. Churchill, Cromwell, Tiger, Stug, Sherman and Panzer IV
Did similar with a Spitfire and P-51 last year - built them 'in-flight' and sprayed (including canopy) with Humbrol 27003 Polished Steel metalcote - then buffed them with tissue and cotton buds.
Made stands with a wooden base and a rod - They look a bit like they're made of pewter.
@@SimbianMinistry really cool!
Amazing build, planning on starting the building of the Churchill crocodile this week so this video helped a charm. Thanks
Glad I could help
A couple of years back, I got myself an Airfix Churchill Mk 1 and built it. I noticed a lot of the issues that you recounted here. Mine came with a Commander. This Tank and Figure were an older Casting. So much so that no matter how hard I tried, my Commander only looks vaguely human from a distance. The Churchill cleaned up nicely. Thank you for this video.
Hmm, I don't think Airfix ever made a Mk1 Churchill that came with a figure, at least not one that I can find...
For a specific Mk1 Churchill you probably built the Hasegawa kit in 1/72 which does come with a figure which is a 1975 tooling - so somewhat "newer" than the tooling age of the kit featured in this video
Looks amazing, just picked one this afternoon can’t wait to get in to it
Hope you enjoy it!
Learnt from this. Will enjoy the build. Many thanks.
Glad you found it helpful!
Just got round to watching this properly now, I really like this new style!
Thanks!
Great tip for the wheels keeping them on the sprues to line them up :)
😊
Very nice example of what can be done without using an airbrush!
Thank you very much!
Excellent guide, I am having trouble with the wheels too, also I found that the treads would not stick, so I sewed them together with thread, luckily the treads have holes to facilitate this, I do hope this helps others
Great tip!
Just finished this kit today, have to say if it wasn't for your video I don't think mine would look as good as it does! Thanks a lot!
Great to hear! Glad it helped :D
Awesome dude!
Glad you think so!
Great video. I like the model having built quite a number, I feel like a complete wally when you revealed the bogey wheel trick! I never thought of that...it's genius. Ok it's an old kit but it has certainly come together well. I'd be interested to see the others in the range, the bridge layer and the Crocodile. Nice job thanks.
Haha! Thanks! The bogey trick was mentioned to me by someone else, otherwise I would have done them all individually too!
@@ModelMinutes It strikes me the old Airfix kits all seemed to have a little (unadvertised) sublety of this sort built into them, almost as if you were expected to find it out for yourself!
Thanks, great video. Enjoyed it. Good tip on aligning wheel part sprues
Glad it was helpful!
Nice to see someone gettingt a good result and a good colour out of 1/72 (1/76) Churchill. I've a Hasegawa Churchill Mark I and so far the khaki Ive used has made it positively brown!
Minor point, the bits sticking out of track sides are armoured air intakes.
Thanks for the info!
A L M I G H T Y T O N K
:D
That damn tonk joke...
I love the tank, and the new format! it's great! Also, I would love to see you build a skyraider some day.
Thanks! I've actually got one in the stash . . .
When I was building these in the 60s when they first came out superglue didn't exist. Virtually nothing would ever get the tracks to stay together...
If you wanted a Humbrol Acrylic, just use #30 Dark Green. Simples. 👌
I've heard that stapling the tracks together can work. I thought about using the 30 acrylic, but it seemed too dark (yes I could have added white but I really wanted to try out some different paint brands and this was a perfect excuse)
@@ModelMinutes when i built this one i stapled the tracks together, seeing as the top part of the track would be hidden by all the armour. This worked quite well for me.
Also the kit i bought had humbrol 30 on the instructions and not 159. This is a shame as the lighter green looks better.
@@jamiegray6931 I think that humbrol have been upgrading their range recently which is why they have a more appropriate colour now
Fortunately Airfix now make these small scale tracks using rubber, as in this video. About 20 years ago they were using some grey vinyl plastic...it was awful. They had to be either stapled or sewn together.
Very nice video. Very informative. I build in 1/35 scale but enjoyed watching this even though I am not likely to build one. You did a nice job explaining things and demonstrating methods. The final model seems to have turned out nice. I watched this on my phone so the smaller screen limits seeing detail to an extent. You crtique of the build was also enlightening.
Glad you enjoyed it! I've also recently finished a Tamiya Pz.II and an Airfix M3 in 1/35 which might also be worth a watch
Love the classic 1/76 kits! Thanks for the vid.
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching!
YES! you got a tank name right lol. Also I like the now format. Also nice to see vallejo paint used.
Glad you like it!
Excellent build discussion vid of an old kit very much in need or replacing with a new offering.
Thanks!
I think you maybe saved me hours. I bought two of these Churchills yesterday (first kit since i was single digits age) and my heart sank when I saw 'x22' repeat next to the wheels. But lining up the two sprues assuming they fit might save me as I don't have the patience. Thanks for this
Glad it helped!
An excellent effort and result. This kit - albeit an older release - was the first small scale Tank I built, in about 2000.
Couple of details come to mind:
• The A22 Churchill is often stated as named after Winston, but [not counting a handful of examples aboard] naming Tanks after a living person, there is no prior nor subciquent precedent for it in the British Army, that I'm aware of.
Winston's illustrious ancestor, General John Churchill, is the more likely namesake, as some books I've read over the years asserted.
(and would fit with the A27M Cromwell also being named after a famous army general)
• I recall the instruction sheet in the '90's - which was inside the box instead of on its reverse - had more information on paint schemes. I'll fish the info out some time to check.
• Though 1:72 is in vogue now, it's interesting to think that even in the early 1990's, 1:76 was still more common, due to Matchbox, Fujimi, Nitto and other AFV model makes all doing it.
thanks for the info! :D
Good video! 👍 When you attach an antenna, try drilling a small hole for it to go into. That way its a little sturdier, and won't snap off as easy if you accidentally bump it. For a tiny area, like the top of an antenna mount, start the hole with the tip of your hobby knife by rotating the point until you have a well centered starting point for your drill bit. That way your drill bit won't move sideways while you are drilling, and the hole will be perfectly centered.
Top tip! I'll try and remember that next time!
Great video, especially the construction of the suspension part! This is my first Airfix Churchill. The rest are from Hasegawa, Esci, and Italeri.
Thanks for the info!
I really like the new style of videos, please keep them coming Matt 👍!
Thanks! Will do!
Great build Matt! I have one I want to make and I have built this in the past too. Of all of the Airfix tank models this one is the most accurate it. The details are a little soft but the kit looks like a Mk. VII in the end. I will no doubt staple my tracks together and let the mud guards hide them. Thanks for sharing this and I learned quite a lot from your build.
Cool, thanks!
Great build on such a small scale. Thanks for sharing
Glad you like it :D
Looks awesome.
thanks!
You did a nice job of making the brutally difficult wheels look easier than they truly are :) I have built the kit as well as the Bridelayer and the Crocodile kits. They 'end up' great, but, they will require a great deal more swearing than you implied :) They don't just casually clean up with a few moments with a sanding stick at all :) They don't assemble with little or no effort involved. If you want them all correctly aligned that is. The assemblies are not even as close to as easy as you make it seem. BUT, this kit produces a very good-looking model. With effort. It compares nicely with my Dragon DML Churchill just fine. Modern mold tech doesn't make a kit automatically superior. You are good at painting. I don't mind making this kit at all. But I have oodles of patience. It doesn't just fall together. A novice will not enjoy this model.
I agree, this is not a great kit - it actually made it into my top 5 worst kits of 2020 video
Excellent, honest report. I've built the same kit, straight from the box, and enjoyed the challenge of the old tooling - mine was a 1970's release and it still has plenty of flash. Citadel Nuln Oil (now also available in gloss) is a great way to quickly add shadow. Enjoyable - but I won't rush to build another!
thanks for watching!
Amazing build on such a small scale hats off to you Sir 👍
Many thanks
Loving the new style of video nice work matt
Thanks!
Great job mate 👍
Thanks 👍
Really nice job there Matt - looks good. Great touch with the stretch sprue for the aerials
Glad you like it!
Very nice build of this old classic kit. Having built one a couple of years back I agree with your comments re the poor (by modern standards) moulding quality and the fit challenges. I spent a very long time painstakingly cleaning and refining the shape and fit of parts (my OCD kicking in, I always tell myself I'll do a 'quick build', but I never manage to, dumb really because this results in a lot of stalled builds) which did improve the final appearance, but not dramatically so... I think you used your time far more wisely. Great painting and weathering skills and again I think you used your time wisely. For fans of small scale Churchill's the Matchbox (reboxed by Revell) 1/76 Churchill AVRE, is a real gem (complete with bridge_laying modification and mini diorama), and then of course Dragon offer really high quality choices in 1/72. The smaller 1/76 scale really shows if placed alongside 1/72 subjects, but can create a nice distance illusion in dioramas by using 1/72 in the foreground and 1/76 at the rear. And yeah... those horrible rubber band tracks!!! I have to confess I didn't even try joining the ends, I just superglued the visible sections and cut off the lengths that are concealed under the track covers.
thanks for letting me know :D
I'll have to get myself a churchi boy one day, perhaps the tamiya one :)
I've seen that one - it looks cool!
I have one of the Crocodile versions of said kit, though haven't built her yet.
I'd only made about 12 of these before I realised about the suspension/ bogies. D'oh!
On the plus side, having separate suspension and bogies, means you can add a couple from another kit as hull stowage - Churchills were often to be seen with a couple of spares on the rear hull. Churchills were designed to run with a couple of sets of bogies destroyed, from mine damage, etc.
Haha! Yeah, i was fortunate that i got a head's - up before i built it
Excellent editing and video. The build came out quite nice
Thank you very much!
Very nice video
You really did a great job with the production and editing
Thank you very much!
Awesome again mate !
Thanks again!
Cool vid! Keep going
Thanks, will do!
WOW! i will get airflix tank models and tamiya for aircrafts
Good choice
looks incredible!
thanks very much!
Really nice build and video! Really need to try another 1/76!
You should!
I made a tank once... It was a king tiger but it had the uh rubber tracks and I didn't understand them so that put me off of building them.. But your Churchill looks really good! ANnd keep the good content up
yeah, rubber tracks are not the best. Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to it.
Awesome!
It's nice work. Also it's small, but finish is good that's same as other scales like 1/35. Thanks uoloading.
Cool, thanks
I grew up brush painting Airfix Models in the 70's ... I won't be changing anything there.
nice!
Churchill said they named it after him when they realized it was "No bloody good". It was however one of the best around for slope climbing and often caught Jerry out by popping over a hill they thought was safe.
Haha! It definitely sounds like it gave them a hard time
Nice video!! :D
Thanks! 😁
Just finished building this one as a first I guess model that isn't a Gundam and honestly I do see the flaws it has during building but I still enjoyed it. I mainly got this as an introduction model for both building basically common model kits (since gundam's don't really require glue or really painting unless you want more details and final touches) and painting. It honestly was fun for learning both. Painting was super fun (I had to use a website to find the paint that closely matches the paint they recommend for each colour except for one I had to basically choose myself what looks similar) and building was also fun (some parts were annoying but overall I enjoyed the struggles). The tank tracks I ended up stapling since it really was in a spot where you wouldn't see them at all (saw what happened here and didn't want to risk it lol).
I still have to do some minor touch ups with the painting but it has been a fun experience. I plan to maybe build a plane next since I also want to see how that is like as well and maybe go up to building models that are more bigger in scale. Heard good things about Tamiya kits so I am really curious how much better it is. Thanks for the video also, helped me with my building as well as I went back to look at some parts I wanted to make sure I did right.
thanks for sharing!
I am using this, and a MK1 WW1 tank as a test of whether I can build slightly fiddly models After my stroke before I attempt a model of the Supermarine Walrus I received as a gift before my stroke. I now have a standard to aim at. Wish me luck .
Good luck and a speedy recovery!
Maybe trim and sand the plastic parts where they've been cut from the sprue, and remove the mould seams, especially on the barrel. These basic modelling steps really help with the kit's final appearance.
yeah, definitely something I've started doing since I made this video 3.5 years ago
Just a quick random piece of information: the churchill wasn't named after Winston Churchill, it was supposedly named after one of his ancestors who won an important battle, I don't remember which, and got a big house for it. Alternatively they didn't want to make it seem as if they were flattering Winston and so named it after him but claimed it was named after his ancestor.
Thanks for the info! I’m pretty sure someone already commented with the name of the general it was named after...
As a WarGamer, I have had to build several. The wheels are a real pain. The overall finished model looks great. It’s just not my favorite to build.
I know how you feel - this was not my favourite model to build
I loved this tank build nice finish in the end love 1/76 scale the only drew back the wheels are pain XD
Thanks! Yes, those wheels are horrible
@@MorrowindES17 there should be a paint list at the beginning of the video, I can’t remember off the top of my head
@@ModelMinutes I never used Vellejo paints before really nice paints there.
@@MorrowindES17 they are some of the best I’ve used
would revell paint olive green work ok on the Churchill ?
I bought this cheap, because it is 00 scale,and goes with my layout, but it's very fiddly to build I agree about the wheels
It would look good on a flat wagon I think :D
Looks good!
Thanks!
Your painting looks so fcking good! 🧡
Thank you so much!!
Quite alot of people think the churchill was named after Winston but oh no it wasn't! It was actually his grandfather or uncle from ww1 mr Fletcher Will tell you the story on a tank chat and try look further into archives it was his great uncle I'm sure I read in a book years ago!
Thanks for the info - i've been told a number of times now that it wasn't named after him (but alas the video is already made)
@@ModelMinutes it depends on who you ask if youngoodle it it'll say winnie too! But there is a good storey of his ancestor about it
Guards Infantry Regiment usually used Churchills in Normandy. The 4th Bn Grenadier Guards used Churchills en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guards_Armoured_Division
Thanks for the info
Just bought two off eBay just to practice for my 1/35th tamiya version.
nice!
Your Churchill turned out good.
I think £6 is ok for these classic kits, but it's the postage that's a killer.
The Airfix 1/76 Cromwell is a fantastic modern kit that does away with those rubber band tracks...however it is a bit more expensive.
Yeah - I quite liked building the cromwell :D
How is this one? Hope you had fun with it :)
It's ok for the most part . . .
Certainly looked familiar to my experiance of the kit, having done one as a kid, and having another in the build pile ATM.
Like most of Airfix's 1:76 range a new tooling would be welcome (high detail and relatively non-fiddly 76th kits do exist), but as of the moment she's IMO one of the more readily doable ones, compared to the panther or scorpion.
@@jimtaylor294 thanks for the info! I'll look into it.
Have you ever thought of doing a model kit collection video? Also good job and the Churchill
Thanks! Yeah, I have thought of doing one - i just need to find all the kits and get them out of storage to do one
Nice video again. I really love the 1/76 Airfix & Matchbox/Revell reissues. Will try superglue to finally finish my Airfix MKI. But I am wondering what is the benefit of the Tamiya thinner when you can use water for acrylics instead?
The benefit of the thinners is that they are usually alcohol (or similar) based so they actually work into the paint to make it thinner (chemically). Whereas water pretty much just spreads the pigments out (as is my understanding)
On the subject of which tank. Signal/Squadron publication from long ago puts tanks with names brginning A in 40th RTR (A squadron) , 41st RTR, 45th, 47th, 51st,. 40th RTR had names such as Ajax....
Fascinating!
@@ModelMinutes perhaps this is the Apollo... www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/67/a7338567.shtml
Very nice
Thanks
If the tracks aren’t visible (hidden behind mudguards etc), I often just staple them, quick as anything
Apparently this is quite a common technique
I believe that Dragon also makes 1/72 tanks (I like their German half-tracks).
Also, what if you don't have acrylic thinners? I know water probably doesn't work.
I'll have to investigate
Water does usually work with acrylics (as i demonstrated with the black wash I made)
The tonk that killed me in wotb
Sounds about right
I almost killed it
Good job but your initial branding was far better. The old logo especially was much better with its prime red, blue and white colours. Please can you revert back to your old branding?
Thanks
I would love to, but unfortunately there are so many other channels (and even shops) who have near identical logos. In order to stand out I have to make it more unique. I’m not completely set on this current version and it may well change again in the future
This is the first kit I ever built 51 years ago ...lol
Nice :D
Ref tracks; my first guess was 'melted to the workbench not each other'. 'Broke it' I must admit I didn't guess. Was the Sherman you mentioned newer and/or a bigger scale? I wonder if the older tooling was the issue.
All I can say about use is that it's the wrong colour scheme for North Africa, so somewhere in Europe - Italy or northern Europe - as you suggested maybe France after D-Day.
yeah, i would assume it was somewhere in france
Stunning Job Matt on this classic Airfix kit. Are you going to make a diorama for it? Also I'm glad to see you are starting to use Vallejo paints, I use most of their colors on my kits (either Model Color or Game Color which have the same consistency & texture). What are your thoughts on Vallejo & will we see more Model Minutes Kits painted in them?
BTW Great video Matt too before I forget!
Vallejo is going to be one of the paints that I decide to use when my humbrol stock starts to run out. I have thought of a few diorama ideas but nothing started as yet
Thanks!
@@ModelMinutes It looks like you have been sold on Team Vallejo. I also get were your coming from. I still have a tone of Tamiya paint I'm trying to use up & replace with Vallejo.
Also after seeing your aircraft Dioramas. I will be looking forward to seeing a few Armour dioramas from you.
@@ShuttleFactoryScaleModels hopefully i'll be able to do some soon!
I really like the new video intro and think its really cool. Would you recommend this kit for someone hows never built a tank model? Love the video keep up the great work!
I'd probably recommend the Airfix Cromwell over this one as a beginner tank, this one is a little more complicated
@@ModelMinutes Thanks!
Rad! Got one of these in the stash. Interesting you used a lighter green, but it worked nicely. Wonder if light highlights on a darker green would work.
I think so! The paint is a close match for the one recommended by airfix
can't wait :)
:D
Yay
:D
:D
i prefer the old videos
:(
Was the intro filmed after the video? I thought I saw the model behind the bomber.
Haha! Yeah - if you watch to the end i actually reference it in the outro :D
Very cool lookin tank! Btw i have a question. Is it always neccessary to apply gloss varnish under decals?I tend to use fine decal setters (under & over). Despite having problems with moving the decal on the surface they really get the job done.
You can also prepare the area for the decal by sanding it with super fine sandpaper. It makes flat/matte paint have a glossy appearance that is nice and smooth when you put the decal on. After that, give the model a spray of dullcoat.
If that works for you then that's ok - i tend to apply the varnish as it is what I have available
Is there any benefit to using acrylic thinners to thin the paint instead of water?
the thinners tend to be alcohol based which work chemically into the paint to thin it, water doesn't quite have the same effect
do you have to use acrylic thinners on the nuln oil or would water work?
Citadel Nuln Oil comes as a wash - so no thinning is required
@@ModelMinutes i mean for taking off the excess wash it normally works on chalk washes
Ian Kozlovsky yeah, thinners works best for that. When it dries the water won’t do anything