Shipbucket

Nice work. Keep it up!

Necro-post [actually - a resurrection of sorts]

After a considerable hiatus, I've only recently started getting stuck back into pixel art and SB in general. Contributions won't be thick and fast, but I am pottering away on a couple of things that interest me [and hopefully you also!]. I'll be recasting a considerable amount of the work I've done to date on this AU before I produce anything completely new as I've had a fair bit of time to think and wish to change a great deal.

First off the blocks: the DCFI's mid-late war medium tank, the 'Cruiser [DCFI], Mk IV, FA16 Chimera'




FA16 MkI [Prototype] displaying its evident KV-1 heritage.

Extract from the Official History:
" By the outbreak of war in 1939, the DCFI had begun equipping its growing armoured force with the British A12 Matilda II, A10 and A14 cruiser tanks, as well as the Czech-derived FA7 light tank (Praga 38-T). However, as competitive as they were for the time, these designs were only expedient only, much more advanced and capable vehicles were sure to be needed and the development of these duly ran in parallel with the A14 and A12 collaborations with Great Britain. The project moniker ‘AV-M - Armoured Vehicle - Medium’ was applied to a specification for a universal main battle tank in the 35-45 ton class mounting a 75mm main armament in a 3-man turret with armoured protection across the frontal arc sufficient to stop a 75mm AP projectile at ranges as close as 500 yards. The resulting tank was to be capable of 25mph cross country and highly mobile across adverse terrain with high mechanical reliability. It was to be operated by a crew of five; driver, hull gunner, main gunner, loader and commander.
These forward-thinking specifications seemed overly ambitious to some, but were heavily influenced by information garnered on the forthcoming T34 and KV1 projects in the USSR and the infant VK20.xx series tank program in Germany (the latter meant to be a common-hull replacement for the yet-to-be-fielded PzKw III and PzKw IV). It was hoped that the final product of the AV-M project, when it emerged, would be more than a match for any of its potential opponents, both in the roles of intimate support of infantry and in the exploitation role traditionally assigned to the Cavalry."

In short, the context is that after the DCFI trials examples of both T-34/1940 and KV-1 in 1941 [having received lots of prior intelligence], it produced two 'anglicised' prototypes capable of mounting either a high-velocity 75mm or a tank gun variant of the QF 25pdr. These test vehicles, which appeared to be near copies, were essentially new designs. There were so many bespoke alterations and additions, the least of which was replacing the V-2 engine with a down-rated Rolls-Royce Merlin. The T-34-derived prototype is further developed to become the British A15 'Cossack' Medium Cruiser Tank, whilst the DCFI [through several iterations] use the KV-derived prototype to create the FA16 Chimera.

What is posted here is far from complete - I'm looking for input/constructive critique, so please let me know what you think

UPDATE: 25pdr-armed tank added.

Cheers

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AU Democratic Commonwealth of the Falkland Islands (DCFI) [under development]

Great to see You back!
It's a nice looking design. As for the drawing, I'd only have some formal issues: It'd really benefit if You tried to remove some black here and there (tracks, machine gun, commander's hatch) - and add it in some other places, where suddenly and rather randomly contour black lines turn into non-black for no sensible reason)

Good to see you back!

I think it might need tinkering with the black lines for some details but overall it looks pretty good to me.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Next cab off the rank; Cruiser, Medium, MkVI, A15, 'Cossack'




A15 MkI [Prototype] evidently a chip off the ol' T-34's block

Extract from the official history: "Derived from the basic T34/76 (1940) design, the initial A15 MkI was powered by a down-rated Rolls Royce Merlin (known hereafter as Meteor), rode on strengthened and refined Christie suspension, possessed thicker, face-hardened armour and a spacious three-man turret of a new design mounting the equally new FQF75mm HV gun. As originally planned, the 'A15' (or ‘Cossack’ as it was generally known in British service) would be completely superseded by the fully developed product of the AV-M program (the FA16 ’Chimera’), but the initial production batch performed so well against the Germans in Crete and Nth Africa that the British and Canadians simply requested that construction of the interim A15 be continued apace (at the expense of the legacy A10-F and A14-F designs). Acting on this request, the first Lend-Lease deliveries were made to hard-pressed British armoured units in Egypt during January 1942, with the centre of production for the type shifting from the DCFI to Canada and the UK - applicable upgrades from the AV-M program being transferred into A15 production as convenience dictated. Entering initial production in July 1941 and full-rate production by year's end, over 16,000 A15 Cossacks were eventually built across three countries in six separate production marks, becoming the British Commonwealth forces primary Medium tank for the remainder of the war."

As usual, constructive critique is welcome,

UPDATE: SB compliant drawing [credited] added 02/03/23

Cheers

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AU Democratic Commonwealth of the Falkland Islands (DCFI) [under development]

May I recommend posting these on a template and credited? the work is too nice to be stolen....

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Noted and Actioned

Cheers

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Come to the Dark Side... We Have Cookies
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AU Democratic Commonwealth of the Falkland Islands (DCFI) [under development]