Old Northwest asked the good folks at Hudson & Allen Studios to create a detail set especially for their Mark IV tank that would allow collectors to easily customize their tanks by adding unditching or bridging beams, mud and more.
The unditching beam was invented in France and, in the case of Mark IV tanks, also fitted there by Tank Corps Central Workshops. It was carried on special rails running along the top of the hull and normally stowed near the back where it was easier to reach with some degree of protection for the crew. It was attached to each track by a form of stirrup that slid underneath but had to be bolted in place, a risky business under fire.
The New ONTC/H & A Mark IV kit includes:
2 large squared timbers for unditching or bridging
1 large log with bark on for unditching or bridging
1 Heavy Tow Chain with hooks attached
1 Small coil of Barbed Wire
1 Small bag of Mud
http://www.oldnwtc.com/Cart/oldnwtc_...=The+Great+War
Michigan Toy Soldier now handles the Da Vinci line of brushes. The Series 10 brush line is probably the finest currently available -they hold a sharp point long after most of the other professional brushes that we carry 'fan' out. They are lasting longer with acrylics than my old standby Winsor Newton Series 7. I discovered these in Germany this past winter and have been using them ever since. The rest of the line is just as good - the inexpensive brushes do a very nice job for the money.
http://www.michtoy.com/MTSCnewSite/U..._supplies.html