A varied week with work across multiple vehicles, a successful first test drive for the Wheatcroft Collection Sd.Kfz.223, and a special task ahead this weekend.
SD.KFZ.222 AUSF.A 4.SERIE AND SD.KFZ.223 AUSF.A 3.SERIE
Terry has finished painting the Balkenkreuz on the Sd.Kfz.222. With this complete, both of our armoured cars now have the correct crosses painted on them.
Alex and Martin also looked into a recurring problem of the engine cutting out, which we had noticed during driving at previous events and recent test drives. It turned out that the fuel line was blocked and starving the engine of fuel. With the blockage cleared, everything is running well again.
AUSTRALIAN LP1 MG CARRIER
Alex has started drawing the interior brackets, so we have them documented on our system for future reference.
Tom is finishing fabricating the first of the two fuel tanks. He’s working from photographic references and the drawings we’ve been able to compile.
The fuel cap parts for these tanks were fabricated by Alex some time ago – a nice showcase of his skills developing over time.
THE WHEATCROFT COLLECTION SD.KFZ.223
With a long-awaited break in the weather, we finally took the Wheatcroft 223 out for a test drive. We detected an issue that needs further investigation. It’s now back in the workshop, and we’ll share more once we know more.
THIS WEEKEND
Some of the team will be heading to Cranbrook to help move the German 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09 from its current resting place, Cranbrook War Memorial, as it will be going into storage. We’ll share more about this in due course.
RESEARCH UPDATE
This week’s Inside Track article shares recent research into the provenance of our Sd.Kfz.250/3 Ausf.B, with new information uncovered. Read the full article for the details.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the weather forecast set to return to early summer conditions, next week we plan to bring the Jagdpanther and Sturmgeschutz III out for a proper clean, and to carry out the final preparations for Tankfest 2026.
