Revell: Cromwell Mk IV
Extratech: Cromwell Mk VI
I was at South West Model Expo 2001, and Howard of The Turntable drew my attention, between lessons in ‘Northern’(well, he does come from Yorkshire), to the splendid Extratech Cromwell Mk VI CS (Close Support) variant. It really is a nice model, comprised of resin castings and etched brass detail. The aerial base was especially fiddly to assemble, in fact I resorted to using a microscope, and the etched track looks quite the part. This was again an assembly job that demanded much patience and some high magnification. I was also pleased to discover an unusual selection of markings, and chose those of a free Czech unit.
The Revell model is the usual polystyrene injection moulded kit. The surface detail is crisper and slightly better than the Extratech castings, although Extratech’s etchings provide some finesse not quite as well done on the Revell model (swings and roundabouts…). I felt the headlamp protection bars were a little heavy on the Revell model. The Revell model is easier to assemble in that the Extratech etchings are indeed very fiddly to handle. I also like the Cullin Prong hedgerow device on the Revell Cromwell.
I recommend both models as being well worth the time and effort to build.
