British F.V. 4007 Centurion Tank

British F.V. 4007 Centurion Main Battle Tank.

A British Centurion Universal Tank Mk.8 Series 2 available from Airfix. The Centurion Mk 8/2 was an upgunned Mk.8 mounting the new 105 mm L.51 Vickers L7 tank gun. The Mk.8/2 was similar in performance to the Israeli Sho’t main battle tank, a Centurion Mk 3 or Mk.5 fitted with the highly effective 105 mm L7 tank gun. 239 Sho’t tanks served during the Six-Day-War in 1967, and the IDF captured another 30 of the 44 Jordanian Tariq (Centurion) tanks engaged in the war. The improvements of the Centurion Mk 8/1 and Mk.8/2 tanks were later standardized in the F.V. 4017 Centurion Mk 10 which was introduced in 1959, and sold to Sweden in 1961 as well as several other countries.

Available Scale Model Kits

  • Centurion Mk 1 (17 pdr gun, 1945), 1:76 Cromwell Models CM30
  • Centurion Mk 2 (fully cast turret)
  • Centurion Mk 3 (20 pdr gun, 1948), 1:35 Academy
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:35 Modelcraft 35-9009
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:35 Tamiya 89555
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:48 Lido
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:60 Corgi Toys (die-cast)
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:60 (soft plastic)
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:76 Airfix (soft plastic)
  • Centurion Mk 3, 1:87 IMEX 871007 (die-cast toy)
  • Israeli Sho’t Mk 3 (105 mm L7 tank gun), 1:285 GHQ IS-01
  • Israeli Sho’t-Kal Mk 3 (AVDS-1790 diesel engine), 1:285 GHQ IS-04
  • Centurion Mk 4 project (95 mm CS Howitzer)
  • Centurion Mk 5 Series 1, 1:87 WTD 34
  • Centurion Mk 7
  • Centurion Mk 8 Series 1
  • Centurion Mk 8 Series 2, 1:76 Airfix 02307

Technical Specifications

  • F.V. 4007 Centurion
  • Type: Universal Tank
  • Motor: Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk.IV.B 12-cylinder Petrol Engine, 485 kw
  • Transmission: 5 Forward, 2 Reverse
  • Speed: 34 km/h on roads
  • Fuel Capacity: 460 l
  • Range: 160 km
  • Length: 7550 mm
  • Width: 3360 mm
  • Height: 2920 mm
  • Weight: 51.800 kg
  • Armament (early): 84 mm L.64 20 pdr Tank Gun, two 7.92 mm Besa Machine Guns
  • Armour Penetration at 0-100 m:
    • A.P.C.B.C. (1946) 217 mm
    • A.P.D.S. (1946) 307 mm
  • Armament (late): 105 mm L.51 Vickers L7 Tank Gun with 70 rounds, two 7.92 mm Besa Machine Guns
  • Crew: Commander, Driver, Gunner, Loader
  • Production: 1945–1962 (4.423 of all Marks)

Bibliography

  • Dunstan, Simon: Centurion Universal Tank 1943–2003.
  • Foss, Christopher F.: Jane’s Tank & Combat Vehicle Recognition Guide.
  • Foss, Chris: The Encyclopedia of Tanks and AFVs.
  • Miller, David: The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World.

Historical Employment

  • Australia, 1952–1977
  • Britain, 1945–1978
  • Canada
  • Denmark, 1953–1993
  • Egypt
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Israel (Sho’t, and Sho’t-Kal"), 1966–2002
  • Jordan (Tariq), 1966–
  • Kuwait, 1957–
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • South Africa (Olifant)
  • Sweden (Stridsvagn 81, STRV 101/102, 104, 105), 1953–today
  • Switzerland (Panzer 57)

The Centurion tank was introduced at the end of World War Two and it remains in service in several countries even today. The Israel Defence Force converted many Centurion tanks to heavily armoured infantry fighting vehicles when their turrets were damaged beyond repair. Upon the introduction of the new Merkava 4 tank, on 3 October 2002, the IDF phased out its last Centurion MBTs which had been relegated to reserve formations since the late 1980s.

Cold War Miniatures