17-pounder Valentine SP ("Archer")

The lower hull and suspension complete. I wouldn’t normally add the wheels before painting, but because this kit has link-and-length track, which I find a pain to install after painting, I did here and will just spray the undercarriage with a mud colour later 🙂 

Track fitted on one side. 

The gun mount more or less complete. I added some bolt heads to where the empty shell case bin will attach later, a few plates, and connecting linkage at the left top that Tamiya missed. 

The side walls and gun shield have quite a few ejector pin marks on their insides. 

The completed gun. I filled and filed the areas inside the breech where they should be flat, and also cut away a locating pin for the right-hand shield, where the pin would totally block the breech operating lever. I replaced the rod at the bottom with plastic rod, to avoid a seam in the middle. 

We’re done already! Or are we …? 

The major assemblies that were still loose in the previous photo. There’s still a good amount of work to be done, and I’ll build the upper hull separate from the lower to ease painting. 

Working on the crew. The loader comes with the kit, the gunner is under construction from Bronco parts, which are not easy to make fit in the small amount of space available.