"Minairons: mystery 1/72 SCW model unveiled" Topic

Well, sooner or later we had to explain what we'd got in hands:

Some more info here: link

Cheers,
Lluís

Cute

Looks like an interesting idea. Best of luck with it.

Ya know, ya learn something new every day… I've studied tanks and AFVs since around age 8, and I never knew these vehicles existed until now…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Very interesting. like Leland, I've not heard of it before! Are you going to do the different versions? The artillery tractor looks useful. I think they could all be used for VBCW as well as the SCW.

Yes Tarleton, we're planning to make all three versions.

True that the the assault tank version can be of little use in strictly historical layouts --because only two prototypes were built, and they weren't approved for production.

However, both the universal carrier and the artillery tractor were actually used by Republican forces at the Aragon Front, and later in the Ebro Battle. At least one of the carriers was captured by the Nationalists and tested by Condor Legion personnel --as attested by a picture I have.

In spite of all this, IGC Sadurní tank keeps being an obscure, nearly unknown AFV. Contrary to other rare, dubiously useful SCW vehicles that have been reproduced once and once again --such as the Nationalist Verdeja prototype tank and derivatives, for instance.

A number of reasons might be pointed out to explain such oddity --but maybe this isn't the best place for debating it; too much historical and contemporary politics behind.

Super cool! A very nice vehicle…

15mm please :)

Lluis,

the politics of the past aside (and I'm a very political animal in my own sweet little way…), I can see all sorts of applications for these vehicles. Depending upon how large these models will be in person, their size will dictate for myself just how many different sorts of applications I can find for them.

For example, I can see using a large enough model of the carriers as small "tankette" type carrier vehicles for the Quar produced by Zombiesmith, as the Quar use a very WW1-style technology. A 1/56 scale version of the assault tank variant would be spot-on for those very same Quar for conversion into a dedicated tank.

A very interesting subject to say the least! I can also see using one or two of them for what-if AFVs for the Chinese Civil War, or Pulp Fiction-style games as the AFVs of choice for the Diabolical Genius Bent on World Domination (Mwahahahahaahaaa!!!!). Very cool, Señor!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

I'll chime in and say that if you ever do it in 1/56th I want at least 2. If you do the tractor version another 2 of course.

Depending upon how large these models will be in person, their size will dictate for myself just how many different sorts of applications I can find for them

It was larger than a CV-33 but smaller than a Panzer I B. It weighed some 4 tons, just below a Panzer I A (4.5 tons).

There are no decent blueprints of the thing. Besides, sizings given by some students were ridiculously small (1.4m wide x 2.8m long), moreover if compared to the numerous graphic witness stored locally in Catalonia --such students having ever cared about these.

In the end, we've had to seek such obscured information, thanks to the collaboration of a local Historian and former Major of the town were the tank was produced, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Catalonia).

Thanks to him and by comparing sizes of vehicles and people in the photos, we've been able to deduce the vehicle had been undersized to an 80%, so that we are now working on a size of 1.7m wide x 3.5m long --which is quite more consistent with a 4 tons weight.

Still a small tank though ;)

Oh yes I'll be getting some of the universal carrier version for sure!

It gets brief sections in both "Carros de Combate y Vehículos Blindados de la Guerra 1936-1939" (F.C. Albert) and "Blindados en España: 1a Parte" (Mazarrasa/Fresno). The latter gives the dimensions as 2.8m long by 1.56m wide (weight 4,700 kg) but I agree that seems ridiculously underestimated when comparing photos with the noticably smaller CV-33 (dimensions given as 3.17m long by 1.4m wide, weight 3,200kg).

It seems to have come into production at a difficult period for the Republic – around the time of the "hechos de mayo" 1937…

Hi Durruti,

True, the May 1937 repression of anarchists seems to have played a major role in the prototypes refusal. The factory was controlled by CNT and they worked closely following the directions of the War Industries Board of Catalonia ("Comissió d'Indústries de Guerra de Catalunya", or IGC).

It is widely known that the Catalan Government supported a higher priority to be assigned to the Aragon Front, with the aim of re-linking with the Basque Country. This had caused a bitter quarrel with the Republic Government, who had given to Madrid the highest priority (and therefore all the Russian tanks).

After the "hechos de Mayo", the Front of Aragon remained dramatically deprived of modern tanks on the Republican side --fortunately to them, the Nationalists would also assign a low priority to that front for a time.