Centurion Mk 5 Series 1
The Toy Company 1:144 Scale Vehicle Review
The Toy Company 1:144 scale Centurion Mk 5/1 main battle tank with 20 pdr. tank gun is part of the “Modern Armed Forces” play set, which includes various tanks, passenger planes, fighter jets, and infantry. While the Centurion is recognizable as such, it also exhibits enough design flaws to clearly identify it as a toy.
Contents
- Centurion Mk 5/1 Tank (2)
- Chieftain Tank (2)
- M60.A3 Tank (2)
- T54 Tank
- Leopard 1 Main Battle Tank
- Panzerkampfwagen VI »Tiger« (2)
- Afrikakorps, green (48), 1:76 ex-Airfix
- Afrikakorps, grey (39), 1:76 ex-Airfix
- Lockheed F-104 »Starfighter«, 1:200
- Republic F-105 »Thunderchief« (2), 1:240
- Boing 747 »Jumbo« (2), 1:860
- Airbus A300, 1:700
Evaluation
Good choice of subject, the Centurion Mk 5/1 main battle tank from The Toy Company is cheap and can be used for wargames with 12 mm figures.
The typical side skirts are missing, which makes the tiny road wheels even more noticeable. This flaw can be somewhat concealed by fitting side skirts made of plastic card or cardboard.
The turret and gun are cast in one piece, which wouldn‘t actually be a problem if the 20 pdr. tank gun didn‘t point into the sky. This mistake can be corrected by heating the turret in boiling water, then bending the gun into a more realistic firing position, and finally fixing it in ice water.
The model may be painted with the same artist acrylics that we normally use for soft plastic figures.
The ready-made model of the Centurion Mk 5/1 main battle tank from The Toy Company is good for wargamers who want to start playing immediately.