December 1944, but crew training was delayed by the German Ardennes Offensive. By the end of the war, 1,200 had been produced.Service history:Second World War: The British 11th Armoured Division was the first formation to receive the new tanks, with deliveries commenced in December 1944. It would also be the only division to be completely refitted with Comet by the end of the war. Due to its late arrival in the war in north west Europe, the Comet did see combat but did not participate in big battles.A Comet tank of 11th Armoured Division inthe Weser bridgehead - Germany - 7 April 1945. The Comet was involved in the crossing of the Rhine and the later Berlin Victory Parade in July 1945. The Comet's maximum speed of 51 km/h was greatly exploited on the German Autobahns.Comet leading Sextons in Berlin Victory ParadeVariants:Comet had two hull versions:Model A: with exhaust exiting the top rear of the vehicle using a Normandy cowl similar to Cromwell.Model B: a post-war update with twin fishtail exhausts exiting the rear armour.Other vehicles were based upon the Comet:Comet Crocodile: One surviving photo reveals the existence of the Comet Crocodile. This mounted a flamethrower and pressurized trailer similar to the Churchill Crocodile. Little is known about it.Comet CrocodileFV4401 Contentious: The Comet was used as the basis for the experimental FV4401 Contentious, a self-propelled air transportable anti-tank gun mounting a 105mm L7 gun in an open mounting on the shortened hull of a Comet, and using the vehicle's hydraulic suspension system to adjust elevation, similar to the method used on the Swedish S-Tank. One or two prototypes were built and tested before the project was cancelled.FV4401 Contentious showing his hydraulicsuspension system to adjust gun elevation.Conclusion: The Comet was the last of the British cruiser tanks, and also the last British tank designed to take part in WW II. His popularity was not unanimous, and she came under heavy criticism mainly because his detractors believed she perpetuated Cromwell's defects, which in fact occurred in some minor respects. Examples were front plates and a hull machine gun. However, to move them would require an extensive reprogramming of the project and the construction of specific equipment for the factory. This, however, was out of the question in 1943. The disappointment over the lack of effective ventral shielding was not so easy to disprove, since this deficiency had been anticipated before, but it only deserved attention when it was too late. But it can not be denied that Comet could have been with the German Panzers ... and this, without a doubt, was a great progress.Specs:A34 Cruiser tank Comet TypeCruiser tankPlace of originUnited KingdomService historyIn serviceDecember 1944 - 1958 (UK)Used bysee OperatorsWarsSecond World WarKorean WarProduction historyDesigned1943ManufacturerLeyland Motors LtdProducedSeptember 1944Number built1,186SpecificationsWeight33.53 tonnesLength6.55 m excluding gunWidth3.04 mHeight2.67 mCrew5 (Commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver, hull gunner)Armour32102 mmMainarmament77 mm HV61 roundsSecondaryarmament2 x 7.92 mm Besa MG5,175 roundsEngineRolls-Royce Meteor Mark III V12 petrol600 hp (447 kW) @ 2550 rpmPower/weight18 hp (13.3 kw) / tonneTransmissionMerrit-Brown Z5SuspensionChristieGround clearance0.5 mFuel capacity527 litersOperationalrange250 kmSpeed51 km/hThe kit: When I build this girl, I used the British