Armadillo Improvised Armoured Vehicle

The Armadillo was an armoured fighting vehicle produced in Britain during the invasion crisis of 1940-1941. Based on a number of standard lorry chassis, it comprised a wooden fighting compartment protected by a layer of gravel filling the walls of the ‘fort’ and a driver’s cab protected by mild steel plates.

Armadillo mark I with RAF crew

The Bedford OYD Armadillo was a Bedford OY fitted for airfield defence with Lewis guns and an ex-aircraft COW 37 mm gun.

This vehicle was used by the RAF for airfield defence and later the Home Guard, making it an ideal addition to the Dad’s Army Home Guard Platoon.

Bolt Action Armadillo Improvised Armoured Vehicle

Bolt Action Armadillo Improvised Armoured Vehicle

The pack contains a resin and metal kit complete with two Home Guard soldiers.

The truck comes as a resin body, with a resin “wooden” fighting compartment. The wheels are metal as are the mudgards the front bumper, steps, fuel tank and the frontal windscreen armour.

The model is well cast and fits together well, but personally I found the mudguards a little tricky to glue into place.

In the first instance I glued the wheels to the main body.

I then added the tricky mudguards and the front bumper, and windscreen armour.

The fighting compartment is a simple affair, a single piece of resin with a metal crossbar.

The model comes with two gunners, these I based temporarily on two pence pieces for painting.

The model was then given a white spray undercoat. After the model had it’s white spray undercoat and this had dried, I then undercoated the underside of the model with a black spray, before giving the top of the model a spray with British Armour Green.

The fighting compartment was sprayed seperately.

The crew, like the truck were given a white undercoat.

I painted the unarmoured windows with black paint.

The wheels were painted with Vallejo 70.862 Black Grey.

I took some more photographs using my new lightbox.

I then masked the model with blu-tak. I then used a Humbrol Tank Grey 67 spray for the dark colour.