I have been modelling military vehicles using plastic kits ever since I was a small boy. I belong to the  MidSussex Branch of the IPMS, which holds meetings monthly at Southwick Community Centre.I am also a member of M.A.F.V.A( Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association).My fellow members have been invaluable providing help with special projects,scratchbuilding etc.

I usually obtain model kits, sheet plastic, steel, brass and aluminium tubing and wire plus a wide range of paint from Modelzone, situated in Eastbourne, about 100yds from the pier.
I joined the "Friends of the Tank Museum" about 10 years ago. The Museum holds many special days throughout the year, includinga Model Day at the end of September. Since joining I have enjoyed manytrips exclusive to "Friends", including two trips to Warminster for the live firing demonstrations. The Bovington Tank Museum web site is well worth a visit.

The Echingham Military History Society now has space on this site and news of forthcoming events will be posted as soon as they become available.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Although building models using a kit is the easiest method, if presents a much greater challenge to  build them from scratch. This is a model of a Chieftain Bridgelayer carrying a No.8 Bridge. It was built using the Tamiya Chieftain kit, the remainder of the model being built using plastic sheet, strip and rod. The loading rams were made frombrass tubing, with aluminium for the pistons.The hydraulic pipework is simulated using fine gauge solder. I obtained a lot of help from the M.A.F.V.A society, who supplied me with some 1/72 scale plans which I scaled up using a photocopier, plus help from The Tank Museum at Bovington,who let me have some very good photos of  the real vehicle.
The model actually works,  the bridge can be released, it can then be picked up from the other end.
The French armour museum has a website here
A site for large scale modellers is at Celle in Germany
For modellers of German equipment there is the German Tank  Museum which is situated at Munsterlager in north Germany. Contact here

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This page produced byR.A.Levett