Ground Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Centurion>HG3501
Centurion Mk.6 British Army
General Background
The Centurion Mk. I, the first of 13 variations was delivered to the British Army in 1949 with a 17-pound gun. The Mk. 3 went to war in Korea with a 20-pound main gun. After Korea came a NATO standardization program for ammunition so the 7.92mm coaxial machine gun was changed to 7.62mm and a bore evacuator installed on the main gun and it was re-designated Mk. 5. The next improvement was replacing the main gun with an L7 105mm and an additional 2-inch armored plate on the front and this became the Mk. 6.
The Tank
At the time of development and for many years the British military tank philosophy was well armed and very well armored. Speed wasn't of the essence so the top speed of 34 km/h wasn’t a big concern. This would be their thinking until the arrival of the Challenger that would offer all 3 components. The British were the main customers for the Centurion but out of the 4,423 manufactured over 2,500 were sold abroad to over 16 countries.
Specifications :
| Number manufactured: | 4,423 |
| User countries: | 16+ |
| Engine: | 1 X gasoline Rolls-Royce Mk. IVB 12 cylinder liquid-cooled producing 650 hp at 2550 rpm |
| Maximum speed: | 34 km/h (21.1 mph) |
| Fuel capacity: | 10,371 L (2,740 US gal) |
| Range: | 190 km (118 mi) |
| Armament: | 105 mm main gun – 64 rounds |
| 7.62 mm MG coaxial – 4,750 rounds | |
| 12.7 mm MG (Commander's cupola) – 600 rounds | |
| 2 X 6 smoke grenade dischargers | |
| Combat weight: | 51.82 t (114,243 lb) |
| Length: | 7.823 m (25.66 ft) excluding the gun (9.854 m (32.3 ft) with gun) |
| Width: | 3.39 m (11.12 ft) |
| Height: | 3.009 m (9.87 ft) |
| Armor: | maximum 152 mm (5.98 in) |
| Crew: | 4 |