How to Build _ The Leopard Family in 1-35

HOW TO BUILD...

THE

LEOPARD FAMILY IN 1:35 SPENCER POLLARD

INCLUDES

SEVEN COMPLETE BUILDS PLUS:

■ Full-sized walk-rounds ■ In-service references ■ Step by step tutorials: construction, painting and weathering ■ How to detail your model: aftermarket and from scratch ■ Complete list of all available 1:35 kits, conversions and accessories

From the publishers of Tamiya Model Magazine International, Model Military International, Model Airplane International and Military Illustrated Modeller

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FEATURING THE WORK OF

Spencer Pollard, Marcel Jussen, Brett Green and John Murphy

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FORWARD How to build... THE LEOPARD FAMILY IN 1:35

A

nyone that follows the modelling world will notice how often a particular subject becomes flavour of the month, and how, once that happens, a large number of kits from a variety of different manufacturers, will appear at the same time. The Leopard is a great example of how this can result in lots of new kits being released, seemingly, out of the blue. Though there have always been kits of this vehicle from the likes of Tamiya, Italeri and Revell, many of these are based on older moulds and though the second-generation Leopard 2 family sought favour thanks to Tamiya’s attentions and latterly, those of HobbyBoss, the earlier Leopard 1 in its many incarnations has been rather less popular. Enter MENG and their 1A4. Released in a flurry of excitement, this new kit was hoped to be the last word on the subject, so when it appeared with odd accuracy issues many still felt that the opportunity had been missed and no more first-generation kits would appear. Not so. Takom then released a MEXAS and are due to look at other versions including the 1A5/ C2. MENG have also taken another look at their more problematic issues in their kit and have reworked them - much to the delight of the enthusiastic modeller – and so we may finally have a kit to match the hopes and expectations of the market. Given that we can now build virtually any member of this family, it seemed like a good time to bring together some cool features to show you the modeller, how to build up a small collection using readily available kits and accessories. In so doing, we felt that each of the main versions could be tackled and illustrate such things as straight from the box assembly, painting and weathering, detailing, aftermarket products, conversions and scratchbuilding. Bringing all of these areas together would then allow you to dig a little deeper into the subject and find your own projects, using our ideas as a guide to their completion. Do that and we are sure that you will end up with a fine collection of one of the best-looking vehicles ever seen on the battlefield. It is with great pleasure then, that I’d like to introduce you to this new ‘How To Build…’ guide dedicated to building the Leopard family in 1:35. Alongside the models that I’ve built for the book, I am delighted to be able to bring together three features from three of my favourite modellers: Marcel Jussen, Brett Green and John Murphy. Each of them has created a wonderful modelling feature for you to enjoy, based around three distinctly different subjects. I’d like to thank them all for their efforts and state publically, that this book would have been nowhere near as good as I believe it is, without their help. Thanks guys! This then, is ‘How To Build… The Leopard Family In 1:35’. We hope you enjoy reading it, every bit as much as we enjoyed putting it together! Spencer Pollard, July 2014

■ Spencer Pollard Spencer was born in Haverfordwest, South Wales in 1967. Having been born into a military family (both his mother and father served in the Royal Navy) it was not surprising to see him develop an abiding interest in the military and thanks to that Fleet Air Arm connection, aircraft, both full-size and in miniature. Having spent many years building models as a hobby, Spencer was able to turn a part-time passion into a full-time career, as he swapped a role in the Civil Service for one in the Editor’s chair, taking over the reigns of Military In Scale magazine in 1997. Sixteen years on, Spencer changed direction once more as he joined the ADH team to become their in-house model-maker, working on a wide range of models both military and civilian. He spends downtime playing drums in a rock-covers band, living in Shropshire with his wife Liz.

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CONTENTS

2 Page 4 Page 6 Page

Forward Introduction Chapter 1 From The Box: MENG’s Leopard 1A3/4

Page

13

Chapter 2 Classic Plastic

Page

14

Chapter 3 Genietank by Marcel Jussen

Page

22

Chapter 4 The Next Generation

Page

34

Chapter 5 Now You See Me: Nets, Rags and Rubber Mats

Page

42

Chapter 6 In Detail: Leopard 2A6 by Rudi Meir

Page

46

Chapter 7 Denmark’s Big Cat by John Murphy

Page

Page

Designed by Alex Hall

56

Chapter 9 Canadian Desert Cat by Brett Green

Page

68

Chapter 10 Used and Abused

First Published in the United Kingdom by:

ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX Telephone: 44 (0) 1525 222573 Fax: 44 (0) 1525 222574 Email: [email protected] Website: www.adhpublishing.com

Chapter 8 The Canadian Leopard by Anthony Seward

Copyright © 2014 ADH Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole of any text or photographs without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care has been taken to ensure the contents of this book are accurate, the publisher cannot accept liability for errors.

52

Page

78

Chapter 11 In Detail: Leopard C2 Mexas by Anthony Sewards

80 Page 82 Page

Appendix Final Thoughts How to Build... The Leopard Family in 1:35 3

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INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

M

Cosford’s Leopard – the perfect backdrop for a photo opportunity!

y very first 1:35 kit was Italeri’s Leopard 1A4. I seem to remember that a friend of my mother had bought the kit for their husband and he’d never built it. So knowing that I built kits she gave it to me. One week later it was done and my abiding love affair with this family of tanks had begun. But, despite that interest and the desire to add at least one more of these vehicles to my collection, time and circumstance has always gotten in the way and I never got around to it, despite many inspiring moments during my time as a modelmaker. Over the years, I’ve built hundreds of models in 1:35, leafing through countless books and magazines for the inspiration needed to kickstart the next big project. Throughout that time there have been many models that I’ve seen that have had the ‘wow factor’, but perhaps two of the most memorable were Francois Verlinden’s Leopard 1A4 and Flakpanzer Gepard that he built for the Tamiya catalogue and his own ‘Verlinden Way’ books. Both of these models

cemented a desire to recreate these impressive vehicles, constructing them in a way that reflected their use in the huge Cold War exercises that raged across the plains of Northern Europe, bedecked as they were in stowage and camouflage netting, along with those colourful ‘friend or foe’ crosses that were so easy to pick out against their drab camouflage and dirty finishes. Along with the hours spent looking at these two models, it is not easy to forget the impression that a visit to a local show had on such a young mind, keen to learn. There, amongst the inevitable collection of Tigers and Shermans a modeller had displayed the, then very new, Italeri Leopard 2A4. It was painted immaculately and covered in the most wonderfully modelled camouflage netting I had ever seen. I was mesmerised! The name of the modeller was not something that was ever discovered, but that single vehicle was enough to make me want to build the Leopard 2A4. Little did I know that it would take almost thirty years before I would finally build that vehicle in 1:35… Fast forward to 2012. Brett Green and I were invited to Edmonton in Canada to attend their summer model show. As part of the trip we were able to visit the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Regiment in Edmonton and examine their Leopards up close. As soon as that first vehicle rolled into the compound and I could see those lines and hear that engine, I was hooked! I knew right then that I would have to build at least one of these machines in miniature and so when, last year, Marcus Nicholls asked me to build the Revell 2A4 for Tamiya Model Magazine International, there really was only ever going to be one answer! For the modeller keen to build the Leopard in its many incarnations, there are plenty of choices, from Leopard 1, all the way through to the awesome 2A6 and it’s derivatives. Add to those basic kits the plethora of aftermarket conversions,

details and updates and the budding enthusiast could keep themselves busy for years! This book is the result of a desire to build a representative collection of Leopards and in so doing, cover most of the more popular variants using kits that are readily available to the modeller. It also allows us to offer some variety in terms of colour schemes and approach, with all of the models built and painted differently. Combine the ideas together and you will be able to tackle any project and not just those seen here – or rather, that’s the plan! Though we have looked at six different Leopards, we have unashamedly concentrated much of our effort on the Canadian C2 MEXAS. Though one of the oldest vehicles in service – based as it was on a Leopard 1 – this battlehardened machine showed what was is possible when state of the art upgrades are added to a tank to make it as capable as far newer, more sophisticated vehicles. Its record in service and the upgrades that were incrementally added to the seventeen MEXAS’ that were sent to Afghanistan makes for a wonderfully flexible modelling project, too; dust, dirt, scabbed-on items of kit, damage, stowage and a constantly evolving finish, make it a perfect modern-day subject, that can be approached in much the same way that you would a WWII subject. Indeed, that’s exactly the way I approached my model with no compromises in terms of the levels of dirt or stowed items, fixed in place to add interest to this sleek, modern, MBT. Over the next eighty-odd pages you will discover seven models to enjoy: three, first-generation; three, second-generation and one, engineering vehicle. Each of these has been built from readily available kits, using easy to obtain accessories, tools and finishing products. Along with the kits that we chose to build, a decision was also made to complete them in finishes that were as realistic as possible. Though there are many schools

4 Introduction

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Posed together, the variations in design and finish are there for all to see.

A real Leopard C2 MEXAS in all of its streamlined glory.

of thought regarding painting and weathering, the models seen in this book have been finished with camouflage, markings and weathering layers that we felt were as realistic and natural as possible. With so many images of the real vehicles to hand, we felt confident that by copying the real thing where possible, the resulting models would have a more coherent look and as such, could be displayed together without fear of one or more standing out as being different from the others. We also tried to find ways to make each model memorable without being overblown. This was achieved by using as many unique features and set-ups as possible, basing each one not only on actual machines, but doing so with as little in the way of aftermarket products, as possible. For instance the Leopard 2A4NL features the

distinctive rolled tarpaulins seen on Dutch machines; the German A6M is covered not only in tarpaulins, but also camouflage netting and skirt extensions and the MEXAS exhibits dust layers copied from an actual machine, rather than appearing generic and an amalgamation of many possible finishes. In doing this, we hope that the simple ideas that were chosen to complete each model, would in combination, allow as wide a group of modellers as possible, the opportunity to build similar models for themselves and not force them to spend a huge amount of additional money on top of the cost of the basic kit. Though some of the techniques are a little more involved, there is nothing within the pages of this book that a modeller with a little experience, couldn’t at least attempt and at the end of the process, create something similar for them self using

simple ideas, tools and materials that are readily available. Quite simply, this is a book for everyone and not just the experts! Alongside the builds, you’ll also find some full-sized reference features and a comprehensive list of available kits and accessories courtesy of Michael Shackleton and his Leopard Club website. Both of these inclusions is important because we believe that this new book should act as a portal through which you can enter a wider modelling world full of other projects, that you can embark upon. In fact, I’m already planning my next Leopard builds as a result of all of the information that I’ve absorbed as a result of putting this book together! Maybe we’ll publish part two, sometime in the future! So this then is ‘How To Build… The Leopard Family In 1:35’. We hope you enjoy it!

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CHAPTER 1 FROM THE BOX: MENG’S 1A3/1A4

MENG 1:35 LEOPARD 1A3/4

T

here is no doubt that the Leopard is flavour of the month at the moment. For many years we only had the choice of the Tamiya or Italeri kits from which to build this impressive vehicle. And then, several years ago, the modelling world woke up to the idea that this entire family would be welcomed by the modelling world and within a short space of time, we have been able to build almost every one of the family (including, thanks to the aftermarket and resin kit manufacturers, the engineer vehicles). MENG are one the newest companies to walk this path with their Leopard 1A3/A4, so let’s take a look at what we have.

FROM THE BOX: MENG’S 1A3/1A4 Italeri’s ancient Leopard is finally replaced with a state-of-the-art kit from the Far East. Spencer Pollard shows you how to get the best from it – step by step…

IN THE BOX The first thing that strikes you about MENG kits is the superb packaging; I know it’s not the most important factor in the success of a kit, but it does help create the impression of a quality product. Open up the box and you are faced with a collection of wonderfully packaged plastic parts, excellent instructions, photo-etched frets and a superb full-colour painting guide and decals, covering four individual schemes. So far, so very good. Across the board the quality of the moulding and the levels of detail is very good with plastic parts that are sharp and entirely flash-free. Sprue gates are kept to a minimum and moulding seams fine and easy to clean up. It is also worth pointing out that the kit is also broken down in a very straightforward manner and so the parts count is kept to a minimum. Digging deeper there are some really pleasing features that push this kit above and beyond those already available. The kit skirts for instance are beautifully detailed,

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CHAPTER 1 FROM THE BOX: MENG’S 1A3/1A4 replicating the dimpled surface texture of the originals to a tee. I was similarly impressed by the large upper hull, its fine surface details being well defined and as sharp as one could wish for. The engine deck is particularly noteworthy a choice of fan inserts (one for the Greek option) and etched cover adding immeasurably to the illusion of reality. Smaller details are similarly impressive, the on-vehicle tools scoring particularly well in this regard. These are not only well moulded and finely detailed, they include a full set of clamps that are fine enough to pass for aftermarket additions, without any of the additional work! You’ll also find a clear sprue that deals with the periscopes, headlights and searchlight lens, though rather disappointingly, not the rear lights which are moulded in situ as part of the rear hull plate. Though there is much to enjoy in this kit, all is not completely perfect. The first items to let the kit down are the road wheels. These suffer from rear faces that are completely the wrong shape (looking to be fitted with large drum brakes!) and then hubs that are the too large inside rims that are far too sharply defined. Detail is soft too and though the addition of dirt and staining does much to hide the deficiencies on the outer faces, it can do little to hide the problems where they join the swing arms. Speaking of which, the swing arms are rather plain in appearance, lacking the circular depression and nipple where they are bolted to the torsion bars, but they do ‘work’ allowing a degree of movement that would be useful should you wish to build a vignette/ diorama around your model. The running gear is finished off with a choice of 8 or 15 bolt sprockets and two vinyl track lengths or a full set of individual plastic links. As the detail was good enough, sag was not a problem - and most of the links would be hidden on the completed model – the vinyl tracks were painted and then fitted, normal liquid glue being used to join each run together. It’s been a while since I’ve used vinyl tracks, but these looked great in place!

MENG’s Leopard is very easy to build, with perfect fit and little in the way of clean-up, to hold up progress.

One of the more important features of this vehicle are the weld beads that pepper its surfaces. These are not dealt with particularly well being rather indistinct or the wrong pattern in places and though they are, by and large where they should be, could really do with some extra work to bulk them out and make the patterning on each one look somewhat more authentic. As is apparent from the opening description, this kit actually replicates both the 1A3 and 1A4 variants. In so doing, a number of optional parts are included such as the PERI R12 Panoramic Periscope and PZB200 Sighting System, smaller periscopes and antenna mounts. In offering the two variants, the kit supplies four different colour schemes. These are as follows: • Leopard 1A3 Bundeswehr 2 Squadron, 304 Panzer Battalion, mid 1980s. Finished in three-tone NATO camouflage • Leopard 1A3 Bundeswehr 4 Squadron, 301 Panzer Battalion, 1980s. Finished in plain green. • Leopard 1A4 Bundeswehr 4 Squadron, 293 Panzer Battalion, 1980s. Finished in plain green • Leopard GR1 Hellenic Army. Finished in four-tone Hellenic Army brown, green, black, sand. For this build I unashamedly built a ‘what if’ model that I intend using as part of a diorama later in the year. I really liked the idea of building a vehicle fitted with the PZB200 sight, but also liked the three-tone colours. As I was already taking liberties with the fixtures and fittings, it seemed to be no more problematic to do so with the markings too and so I used the sombre 293rd Squadron colours and numbers to decorate my fantasy vehicle. I appreciate that

A choice of vents is offered, the standard one seen here, and a tropical unit suitable for the Greek version.

Though virtually hidden on the completed model, these small vents on the engine deck are replicated in photo-etch.

Power cables were added to the searchlight and PZB200 sight using lead wire and small resin connectors from the spares’ box.

A small amount of filling and sanding is needed where the side skirts meet the front mudguards. Humbrol Model Filler and a touch of thin superglue dealt with this in short order.

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this was an A4 and would not be backdated to an A3 with an updated colour scheme(!), but it fitted my need to build a generic vehicle that will live in a completely imagined, fictional location.

CONSTRUCTION Work begins on the lower hull, suspension and running gear. The onepiece lower hull tub is decorated with all of the smaller suspension dampers, bump-stops and mounts for the idler and sprocket wheels. Once in place the swing arms can be slotted through the wall of the hull. These are fixed inside the hull so that the swing arms can rotate, tensioned prototypically, by the torsion bars. This works well and adds a degree of flexibility when it comes to the set up of the model later on. Should you wish to represent wheels over uneven terrain, leave the arms loose, but if not, I would suggest fixing the arms permanently at this point. The wheels are easy to clean up and assemble, the two halves of the main units trapping a poly-cap, thus allowing the wheels to be removed for painting. Two types of sprocket are included, the later 15-bolt units being suitable for the Greek option. The upper hull fits well to the completed lower hull, as does the rear hull plate. As usual, I joined all of these parts prior to adding the smaller details, any adjustment that may have been needed, being possible without worrying about damaging the finer details. The smaller items such as the tools were essentially used as-is, the only improvements being to open out some of the solid locking clamps with a fine drill bit and scalpel. Detail here really is top drawer, each tool capturing the look and feel of the originals to a tee. Though the instructions suggest adding the clear periscopes now, these were left off – as were their etched guards – until after the model had been painted and weathered. One of the weaknesses in this kit is the depiction of the exhaust outlets on the rear hull sides. These are extremely toy-like and really don’t capture the delicate look of the real thing at all. In fact, Italeri’s 70s era kit depicts these items with

Before painting could begin proper, the model was sprayed with several thin layers of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer.

Painting begins with several layers of Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green. The wheels were first sprayed black and then the hubs airbrushed with the help of a cheap circle template.

With the green dry, the brown could be applied. Care was taken to follow the pattern shown in the instructions, to the letter. There is no doubt that the use of lighter colours at this stage makes the model appear to be more ‘in-scale’…

The camouflage is completed with the addition of the German Grey layer. Note the tight demarcations, made possible thanks to the use of Tamiya acrylics and Mr Color Thinner.

With the camouflage painted, the entire model was sprayed with a fine layer of Tamiya Buff to both blend the colours together and provide the first layer of weathering.

Though looking fine in its camouflage, the details needed to be defined and so the model was treated to a pinwash mixed from Winsor & Newton Raw Umber, thinned with white spirit.

With the wash dry, the details were drybrushed with Humbrol The results of the washing and drybrushing can be seen in this enamels. This both popped the detail and smoothed out the finish. view, especially on the side skirts.

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CHAPTER 1 FROM THE BOX: MENG’S 1A3/1A4 more finesse, which is astonishing given the quality of much of the rest of the kit. They were used as supplied here, but should I build this kit again they would be replaced as they really do detract from the look of the completed model. The final items to be added were the two large side skirts. These run the entire length of the Leopard, their front end forming a smooth, curved mudguard. As supplied in the kit, there is a joint line that needs to be dealt with where the two mudguard halves meet, so this was glued together with MEK, left to dry and then filled with thin Humbrol Model Filler and thin superglue. This was then sanded smooth and polished with fine sanding sponges until all trace of the joint had disappeared. The turret is up next. As with the hull, the turret is assembled from several large sections detailed with plenty of small features such as hatches, sights, smoke dischargers and that distinctive gun barrel. The instructions suggest starting with the searchlight and in this case, PZB200 Sighting System. These are easy to construct, the searchlight offering a choice of open or closed doors, a glazed panel being used should the former be chosen for your model. The PZB200 is an interesting item that surrounded by a complex protective frame that’s moulded incredibly, in only one piece! You may find a touch of cleaning up here and there, but essentially it can be used as supplied, slipping neatly over the sight. The barrel is moulded in two halves with a separate muzzle – complete with delicate rifling – to complete its front end. Though one-piece barrels are de riguour these days, two part barrels can look very good so long as you take your time to line up the two halves before committing to the glue pot. You can then clean it up with fine sanding sticks and polishing pads to create a smooth, round barrel. With the barrel slipped into place on the mantlet and then the seachlight and PZB200 fixed to their brackets, this sub-assembly can be fixed to the mounts within the turret and then the shell completed, ready for the smaller details. As mentioned earlier, the different

vehicles are fitted with different optical devices such as the PERI R12 Panoramic Periscope and so you need to drill holes into the turret to mount some of them. This is simple enough, but it does mean that you have to make early choices as to which vehicle you are going to model. You could of course be fly and simply open up all of the holes to increase the time needed to make a decision and then close up the ones you don’t need, but I’d rather be more prepared! Whilst making those decisions you can add either of the two different antenna bases and mounts, before dealing with the hatches and smoke dischargers. These items are delicately moulded and relatively easy to assemble, despite the smoke dischargers needing no end of adjustment, before they were all lined up and in the correct position relative to each other. Before tackling the paint job, the model was checked for any flaws and then the instructions inspected to see if I’d missed any of the smaller parts, which is easily done during a detailed build such as this! The model was now ready to be painted.

CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS Painting commenced by giving the model several thin coats of Tamiya’s Super Fine Primer to create a smooth, hard surface onto which I could apply the three-tone camouflage. Across the board I used Tamiya acrylics thinned with Mr Color Thinner, sprayed with my Iwata HP-CH airbrush. I’ve long-since stopped using preshading, but in this case I felt it worth spraying a dark colour under the hull and inside the skirts, hull sides and onto the back of the roadwheels to add a little contrast. The wheels were then stuck onto a kit box with double-sided tape and sprayed with several thin coats of flat black. Once dry, a circle template was used to mask off the rims so that they could be sprayed green to match the upper surfaces. It was now time to paint the camouflage. If you paint one of these threetone NATO schemes, you have off the shelf choices of colour with Tamiya’s NATO Green, Black and

Weathering began with the application of different shades of dusty pigments.

The pigments were applied ‘dry’ and also mixed with thinners, the latter splattered over the suspension with and old, flat brush.

Though I mainly used oils and enamels to apply stains and the like on this model, some use was made of proprietary weathering solution such as AK Interactive’s Oil Stains.

Tiny mud splashes were added to the model using AK’s Fresh Mud, flicked over the model using an old, flat brush.

The lights were first painted silver and then ‘glazed’ with Tamiya clear colours.

A simple pencil adds a metallic sheen on the tools and tow-rope.

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A.

Brown topping the list for acrylic users. The problem with these colours is that despite being close to the real shades, they are too dark for a miniature and are very difficult to weather pleasingly, as a result. That being so, I’ve replaced each one of these with lighter colours that once weathered, are closer to the shades I feel is appropriate on a 1:35 model. So, in this case I used XF-71 Cockpit Green, XF-63 German Grey and Tamiya XF-68 NATO Brown lightened with around 30% XF-15 Flat Flesh. In combination, these shades look very good on a model and having now used them twice – the first time on Revell’s SPz Puma – I’m more than happy with my choices! Happy that the camouflage was perfectly dry, the whole model was sprayed with a VERY thin layer of Tamiya Buff thinned with 80% thinners. This served two purposes: firstly, it blended the three colours together slightly and secondly, added the initial layer of dust, onto which I could begin the main weathering runs. At this point the model looked fine, but of course needed more work to define those details and create a well-used machine. This began by mixing a thin wash from Winsor & Newton Raw Umber oil paint, Humbrol Matt Black and white spirit. The model was then dampened small areas at a time and then the washes carefully applied around details, panel lines and corners. Once dry, any excess was blended away with a soft, flat brush, dragging some of the wash down the vertical surfaces to create the impression of dirt runs, rain wash and the like. One of the techniques I’ve returned to lately is drybrushing. Though slightly out of favour amongst modellers, I feel that it is

B.

C.

D.

E.

A. The rear of the hull shows off how the layers of weathering work together to create a realistic finish. B. The tools are an integral part of the model and must be painted and weathered with the same level of attention as the rest of the model. C. The two, crew figures are actually the same basic resin figure. The smaller chap was used stock, the larger commander was converted with a new head and sculpted hood. They were both painted entirely in Vallejo acrylics. D. There’s a vent of the right-hand side of the hull that needs to be carefully weathered to create a rusty, sooty appearance. Note the wooden tool handles, painted in oils over an acrylic basecoat. E. The headlights are the only glazed lights on the model. Decals were applied with the aid of Johnsons Klear before being oversprayed with matt varnish and then blended in with oils and pigments.

a useful way of refreshing a finish post washing and so I mix up lightened shades of the camouflage colours using Humbrol enamels and then carefully drybrush each colour individually, until the smaller details subtly pop out. This is done slowly and with a light touch; I’m not looking to create a ‘frosted’ surface, just highlight those delicate details and in the process, deepen the shadows created by the washes. It also helps to smooth out the finish and further unify the colours. I have to admit that I rather liked the ‘old-school’ look of the model at this point, but knew that it was necessary to further degrade the finish with pigments and additional washes, until the model looked as grubby as those real vehicles I had studied in my reference photos. To do this I gradually applied some random deposits of Mig Production

Europe Earth pigment, fixing each layer into place with Mig’s Thinners For Washes (plain white spirit would also do) before blending in the effected areas of dust with a soft brush. This was repeated over the surface of the model until happy, before airbrushing it with a layer of Mig’s Pigment Fixer to set everything in place. Now for the fun part! I mixed some of the pigment with thinners to create a coloured solution and then airbrushed the results over the surface of the model, the rear hull plate, bow plate and nose, side skirts and upper surfaces – heavier around the lower flanks, lighter on the upper surfaces. At first you see no effect of this work, but as the thinners evaporates you’ll see the surfaces lighten and become covered in a very thin, evenly distributed layer of dust. This layer can

More splashes, dust and dirt. Lovely!

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CHAPTER 1 FROM THE BOX: MENG’S 1A3/1A4 then be manipulated with brushes, a finger, cotton buds and soft cloth, to create the most wonderfully realistic dust effect. Once again, it is worked to personal satisfaction and then fixed with an airbrushed layer of Fixer. I’ve tried dozens of ways of replicating dust on a model, but nothing comes close to this one, both in terms of realism and ease of manipulation. It is always tempting to leave a model be at this point, but though ‘weathered’ the dust and dirt tends to look a little bland and so it’s now given a few layers of additional washes to add to the impression of use and break up that rather monochrome dust. In this instance I used the same Raw Umber and Matt Black wash mixed earlier, along with some of AK Interactive’s Dark Mud. These two solutions were applied with a brush in controlled layers, or flicked onto the model with an old flat brush. Flicking the colour onto the model really helps to impart the look of random splashes and stains and is something that I do a great deal, both on armour an aircraft. To see how this looks in practice, please examine the nose, wheels and rear hull plate of this model, all of which have been heavily treated with these layers of colour. The smaller details could now be painted. As with many modern vehicles there really is no quick way around the finishing of the vehicles fixtures and fittings, you just have to bite the bullet and get cracking! The easiest way to do this is to block out all of the tools with their

From whichever angle you look at it, the Leopard 1A3 is a very handsome vehicle.

The glossy lights on the rear hull add a much needed splash of colour. Note also the delicate mud splashes and layers of fine dust.

relevant colours and then overlay other shades as appropriate. For instance, the tools were painted with matt black metallic parts and desert yellow wooden handles. Once dry the metallic parts were washed with Humbrol Khaki Drill and then drybrushed with more matt black, before rubbing each one with a fine layer of graphite to create a metallic finish. The wooden handles could then be coated with a thin layer of neat Raw Umber oil paint and the excess removed in long thin strokes, each one creating the illusion of wood grain. Once dry, some shading could be added and then the clamps painted with their relevant camouflage colours. Dark washes and the application of pigments finished the job.

FINAL THOUGHTS… I enjoyed building Meng’s Leopard and I really like the completed model. In my opinion this is a really important member of the Leopard family and it’s good to finally have this model in the display case, which after all really is the object of the exercise and for that reason, I would consider this new kit a success and one to be recommended.

MODEL SPEC TOOLS AND MODELLING PRODUCTS USED Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape GF9 Super Glue Tamiya Fine Surface Primer Daco Strong Setting Solution PAINTS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS Mr Color Thinner Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green XF-63 German Grey XF-68 NATO Brown XF-15 Flat Flesh XF-57 Buff Games Workshop Purity Seal Winsor & Newton Raw Umber Humbrol 33 Matt Black 72 Khaki Drill 159 Khaki Green 86 Light Olive 27 Sea Grey 140 Gull Grey Vallejo Flat Varnish Vallejo 169 Black 150 German Camo Black Brown 306 Dark Rubber Vallejo Face Painting Set Mig Productions Pigments, Dark Wash and Dust Effects

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CHAPTER 2 CLASSIC PLASTIC Italeri’s reissue of their classic Leopard 1A4 now forms part of their ‘Vintage Collection’. When I last built this kit, it was almost new!

CLASSIC PLASTIC Spencer Pollard takes a look at a reissue of the very first 1:35 armour kit he ever built, Italeri’s Leopard 1A4.

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ooking back, I don’t remember where I got this kit from. I certainly didn’t buy it, so can only assume that I came by it through either a swap with a friend, or a present. Either way, this was my first armour kit and as such, it holds a very special place in my heart. Having built one over thirty years ago, it was nice to be reacquainted with it when Italeri chose to rerelease it as part of their ‘Vintage Collection’. Not only could I see if their Leopard was as good as I remembered it to be, it could also be compared to other, newer kits that I had built over the last year. Opening the box, you are faced with a kit that must have been something else all of those years ago and even now, looks to be

well detailed, comprehensive and in many ways, worthy of attention. Detail is still very good, all of the features of the original being well captured. Indeed, in some case Italeri’s parts are better than MENG’s; the exhaust vents for instance are finer and the wheels, though decorated with ribbed tyres, have none of the ridiculous drums on their rear faces that so define the MENG and indeed, Takom, offerings. Smaller details such as the hatches, smoke dischargers, MG and tools, still look superb, the latter featuring tool clamps when such things weren’t even a twinkle in the photo-etcher’s eye. You’ll also find a neat Hoffman gunfire simulator for the barrel, commander figure and – get this! – moulded aerials,

Even now, detail on this kit stands up well against far more modern offerings.

If anything gives away the age of this kit, it is the commander figure!

The start of a thousand ideas: Francois Verlinden’s build of this kit in his classic ‘The Verlinden Way Vol.II’…

tow cables and even a power cable for the searchlight! It really is astonishing that such a complex kit could have been produced so long ago. According to the information on the box, this kit was first released in 1976, three years before Tamiya released their A4. Comparing the two kits shows just how far ahead Italeri were in terms of detail and features, their Leopard being head and shoulders above their Far Eastern rivals. At that time, they were simply the best manufacturer of 1:35 kits on the planet. Even today, I really like this kit and have every intention of building it again. It may not be up to the standards that we can expect in 2014, but there is still enough within the box to satisfy the enthusiast and with a little TLC and some modern finishing ideas and techniques, should result in a fine replica. All I have to do is find the time – but then, I’ve waited thirty years to see this kit, so what difference will a few

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CHAPTER 3 GENIETANK

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he need for special purpose variants of tracked armoured vehicles became apparent during World War II. Traditional wheeled recovery vehicles either could not handle the load or the terrain when faced with handling heavy tanks in the field so using a tank to recover a tank seemed a logical choice. Because tanks where in short supply with most armies, it was important to use the tank for what it was meant to be; a weapon on the battlefield. Having to use a tank to recovery another tank meant the front would lose not just one but two tanks at the time when they were needed the most. Converting obsolete or damaged tanks to recovery vehicles was a practical solution for this problem. Removing the gun and turret from an old tank created a tug capable of towing other tanks. Adding specialised equipment such as a winch or welding and cutting equipment enhanced the range of capabilities further and further. The protection that a tank can provide in combat conditions becomes a necessity not only when recovering a vehicle but also during typical combat engineering tasks such as obstacle or mine clearance. However, this requires a vehicle with capabilities a recovery tank most often cannot provide. World War II has seen the birth of a range of specialised engineering tanks, the Hobart’s Funnies being some of the most famous ones. These tanks played a major role on the Commonwealth beaches during the D-Day landings and are considered the forerunners of modern combat engineering vehicles.

GENIETANK Marcel Jussen builds a Royal Dutch Army Leopard Armoured Engineer Vehicle (AEV) offering hits and tips on building resin kits, along the way

ENTER THE PIONIERPANZER As early as in the planning and designing stage of the Standard Panzer ‘Leopard’, now better known as Leopard 1, it was decided that a recovery tank based on all major components of the Leopard 1 was needed. Keeping a commonality of parts was important because it offers a major advantage when providing spare parts in wartime conditions. It was one of many important lessons the Germans learned during World War

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CHAPTER 3 GENIETANK II. Designed by Porsche and built by MaK of Kiel the first Bergepanzer 2 Standard left the production line in 1966. Though the Leopard 1 battle tank and the recovery tank share a seventy-five percent commonality in parts, they are two very different tanks. The different upper hull structure, the crane on the right, a winch and a dozer blade at the front leave little room as to what the Bergepanzer 2 is meant to do. Based on the Bergepanzer 2, the Pionierpanzer 1 became the second specialised variant of the Leopard 1 combat tank. The Pionierpanzer 1, also build by MaK, is basically the same vehicle as the recovery tank and can carry out the same tasks. Again, the commonality of components being a major factor in its design. Its main purpose as an engineering vehicle is to overcome obstacles and build defences. To carry out these tasks the Pionierpanzer 1 has an enlarged and wider blade to provide dozer and obstacle clearing capabilities. The dozer blade can hold a set of pulling prongs attached to the bottom rear of the dozer blade for demolition purposes. A hydraulically operated ground auger, normally stored on the rear deck, is attached to the crane for drilling manholes that conceal a soldier in the field. The hydraulic system of the Pionierpanzer that powers the blade, crane and auger was adapted to be used for a much longer and intensive period compared to the system used on the Bergepanzer 2. Besides the large dozer blade, another distinctive feature of the Pionierpanzer is the big cast ventilator/access door fitted to the right hull side which gives access to the hydraulic system. The crane on the Pionierpanzer was also fitted with a ladder to facilitate the fitting of the auger system which is also a good means of identifying a Leopard Pionierpanzer from a Bergepanzer 2. Though the Pionierpanzer could be used, not only as an engineering vehicle but also as a recovery vehicle, it was built in low numbers. Just under 100 vehicles were ever built and most were used by the German, Dutch and Italian army. Because part of its capabilities in time became less

The model is taking shape quickly now the hull is mated to the upper deck. The running gear is done and some of the tools are also in place. The engine deck is not yet detailed but the Voyager photo-etch mesh is fitted.

The first scratchbuilt parts are done. The blade looks mighty impressive. At this stage the smoke mortar system, antenna and rear mounted stowage box are also in place. The copper wire used for the towing cable comes from the PSM kit.

useful, the auger being one of them, the German army converted all of its thirty-six Pionierpanzer 1 to the Leopard Dachs. The Royal Dutch Army however maintained the role of the Leopard Genietank, the name it gave to the Leopard Pionierpanzer 1, as a specialised armoured engineering vehicle for its engineer corps. Even though budget cuts have led to the loss of all Leopard I and Leopard II tanks within the Dutch forces, the Leopard Genietank continues to be a valuable combat engineering vehicle to this day. Next to the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 recovery tank it is one of the very few large tanks still in use with the Dutch army. The successor to the Leopard Genietank, the Leopard 2 based ‘Kodiak’, is slowly finding its way into the engineering corps. So before all are gone, it was time for me to build a scale model of this remarkable vehicle.

IN MINIATURE There are quite a few Leopard 1 kits of various versions and scales going around, the Meng, Revell and

Tamiya kits being the most popular. But armoured tracked recovery and engineering vehicles are rare to find as styrene kits in any scale, the Leopard 1 Pionierpanzer, being no exception. So building one in scale means searching for a resin conversion kit or scratchbuilding it yourself. A couple of years ago the German company Perfect Scale Modellbau (PSM) released the excellent Leopard Bergepanzer 2 as a full resin kit. It is an accurate representation in 1/35th scale and, as an option, even comes with an interior. At the time I embarked on this modelling endeavour, the Pionier variant was still being developed by PSM. Knowing very well that PSM’s version would be the German version of the Pionierpanzer, the outcome would be having to scratchbuild the Dutch parts anyway. I already had the PSM Leopard Bergepanzer 2 at home for quite some time and while researching the Dutch Genietank, I came to conclusion that I could scratch-build the parts for the Genietank myself.

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THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT… So what are the differences between the German Leopard Pionierpanzer and the Dutch Leopard Genietank? While both vehicles have a lot in common, a few changes are representative to most Dutch Leopard tanks. All Dutch Leopard 1 vehicles and variants have retained the old Diehl D139E2 tracks with chevron shaped rubber pads. Luckily, PSM has a perfect solution for this problem as they produce as set of resin tracks suitable for early Leopards and all Dutch variants as well. The Royal Dutch Army has also been using their own Philips radio systems and antennae as well as a unique smoke mortar system on all their vehicles. The antenna base is mounted inside a large metal box structure and the length of the antenna is longer than current German antennae. The Dutch smoke mortars differ quite a lot from the German system and is still located at the top left edge of the superstructure. In time the ladder on top of the crane arm has been replaced with a tarpaulin covered construction used for additional stowage room. Not all Dutch Leopard Genietanks are exactly identical to each other. Those that have been used in foreign deployments like SFOR and KFOR in Croatia and Serbia, have been outfitted with two wire-cutting devices in front of the drivers hatch. While the cutters themselves or often stowed away, the mounts are still visible. The auger is hardly ever mounted on the Leopard Genietank anymore so while it was a welcome relief not having to scratch-build these difficult parts, it forced me to see what could be done with the large empty space on the rear deck where the auger is stored. The Dutch Army engineering corps uses fascines to overcome tank trenches or small rivers in conjunction with the Leopard Genietank. The fascines are a bundle of hard plastic tubes tied together with chains, wire and mesh and are capable of holding the weight of a full size tank. The Genietank uses its crane to lift and deploy the fascines. In some cases the fascines are loaded on top of a set of aluminium

bars mounted to the underside of the dozer blade of the Leopard Genietank. This way the fascines are deployed by manoeuvring the tank and lowering the dozer blade at the right moment. However by carrying the fascines on the bars in front of the dozer blade, the tank drivers’ forward view is severely impaired by the fascines which is not very practical during long distances of travel. When the Genietank is in the field, the fascines can also be stowed on top of the engine deck. A couple of wooden beams are laid out on the rear deck to provide enough space for the engine cooling system to ventilate properly. The fascines themselves are then stowed on top of the wooden beams whereas the crane is set on top of the fascines to keep everything in place. As I wanted to build my model with the fascines I figured the weight of the fascines and bars, when mounted to the blade, could become a problem especially when transporting the model. So I preferred the fascines being stored on the engine deck.

The work on the crane arm stowage is done. Notice the photo-etch detail on the tarpaulin straps.

A close-up look at the smoke mortars and antenna. The antenna is an RB Models offering and although it is not an exact copy of the Dutch antenna, it is a nice detail on the model.

GETTING STARTED Building a resin kits is quite different compared to normal styrene plastic kits. While detail on a resin part can be just as good as or even better than a styrene part, handling and building a resin kit is very different to what you may have been used too. If you have no experience with resin, I recommend building a small resin conversion first so you get acquainted to the material and building techniques before embarking on a full size resin kit. Here’s a few tips and pointers when working with resin. Before you start working on your resin kit, it may be necessary to clean the resin parts in bath of warm soap. Resin is poured in a rubber mould that is often coated with a release agent. A residue of this release agent can remain on the resin part making it impossible to glue the part to your model. You can only glue resin parts with a cyanoacrylate adhesive. If your spouse is complaining about smells while you are building or painting your models, just wait until the smell of sanded resin and cyanoacrylate

The right side of the model shows the large access door with the hydraulic ventilation system. Notice the temporary wire I used to keep the crane in its position while testing the fit of parts.

A close-up of the hydraulic ventilator housing. To create a steel cast effect, thinned Tamiya putty was applied to the surface of the housing.

The rear of the model showing some of the scratchbuilt parts that were needed. Notice the plastic card at the bottom of the hull that was needed to fill up room because the hull and rear plate didn’t fit properly. Also notice the added welding detail made with Archer Fine Details, resin welds.

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CHAPTER 3 GENIETANK glue gets in the air! Unlike styrene parts on a sprue, resin parts usually come with the casting blocks still attached These need to be cut from the parts either by cutting or, if you have the experience, by gently breaking them of the casting block. Cleaning up resin parts from their casting blocks is laborious and you have to take precautions against resin dust as it is unhealthy in large quantities. Ventilating your working area when working with resin kits is definitely a must! Another thing you may have to get used to while working with resin is the fact that small parts warp and break easily and if the pouring of the resin is not done correctly some parts can have pockets of air on the surface. Correcting warped parts can be accomplished by dipping the resin part in hot water and adjusting the part by hand. Damage from pockets of air can be repaired with putty or, when the damage is only small, the hole can be filled with thick cyano glue droplets. Remember to use small amounts of cyano glue and a bit of pressure to bond dust and grease free resin parts together. I use a small wire dipped in a drop of cyano glue and hold the tip of the wire at the gap between the parts I need to glue together. This way the glue gets drawn in the gap without creating mess on the surface.

The build is in its final legs. I test fitted the fascine bundle to the engine deck just to get a feel how things would look.

Even without any paint it looks impressive!

deck did not fit at the bottom of the hull. The rear wall extended about 1 millimetre beyond the end of the hull. I solved this problem by adding a plastic card plate on top of the bottom of the hull but it also meant I had to recreate the details of the break access hatches that I just covered up with plastic card. As these hatches have a circular shape which could easily be reproduced it was an easy fix to what at first seemed to be a difficult problem. The Perfect Scale Modellbau kit comes with a set of late style German tracks and because these The first layer of paint on the fascines was pure matt black but I quickly discovered this to be too dark. I changed it to a dark grey giving more room for weathering effects and creating a more balanced look.

MOVING ON As I bought my kit without an interior it meant I could start by bonding the hull with the upper deck and rear wall but not before the engine ventilation grill was fitted first. Even though the mesh of the grill was produced in photo-etch, I opted to replace it with a Leopard 1 grill from Voyager, as it was better detailed than the one from the PSM kit. I know this seems like going overboard on details but for ease of mind I rather spend a few euro’s on the Voyager mesh than not. Unfortunately when working with resin, especially with larger pieces like hulls and decks, you will discover sooner or later that because of the casting process and shrinkage that sometimes occurs, the fit of these parts is not always perfect. In this case, the rear wall that closes of the hull and engine

cannot be used on a Dutch vehicle, I replaced them with resin chevron shaped Diehl tracks. While many modellers are used to building the wheels and tracks separately for easy access during painting, this was not possible on this resin kit. I had to build and glue the wheels and tracks together completely fitted to the model. While looking at photographs that I made of the Leopard Genietank in the Dutch army, I noticed that the vehicle does not store the snow grousers to the right of the superstructure like the German

Fitting the crane hook to the crane and test fitting it to the fascines. I made sure the entire crane hook assembly could be taken apart from the crane so that painting it would be a lot easier.

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Pionierpanzer does. In fact, Dutch Leopards do not use the snow grousers at all and as the grousers are cast onto the upper hull, it meant I had to remove them from my model. This was achieved by carefully grinding them away with a Dremel tool and repairing the hull surface with putty. Again, when using a tool like a Dremel multi-tool on resin, take precautions against resin dust. The extended dozer blade was a major part that would have to be scratchbuilt from the ground up. Thankfully there’s a great set of scale drawings of the Pionierpanzer in the Leopard 1 Trilogy by Michael Shackleton that I could use for this. Bending a large piece of plastic card by immersing it in hot water and rapidly cooling it off I was able to create the shape of the dozer blade. After that it was a matter of detailing it further with plastic card following the scale drawings and photographs to create the dozer blade. It sounds easy, but I have to admit it took two tries, as the first was a complete and utter disaster. Besides failing to add the extra pieces needed to create the fully extended blade I also damaged it during the bending process. Needless to say I was quite relieved when the second try went a lot better! The air-cooling unit for the extended hydraulic system of this combat engineering tank is fitted on the right side of the vehicle and is a distinctive feature of the Pionierpanzer and Genietank. Getting it right was just as important as building the extended dozer blade. In this case I used the shape of the hatch that it covers as a template for layers of plastic card. I sanded the part until it had the required size and shape. On top of the ventilation cover to the right sits a mesh covered ventilation hole that I recreated with a bit of mesh and plastic card. The entire part was then covered in thinned Tamiya putty in a stabbing motion to recreate the cast structure. During my research of the Genietank I decided to use the tank with license plate KU-89-45 as the reference for my modelling project. This vehicle has the mount plates for the wire cutters at the front of the superstructure as well as a set

A. The blade was painted in a metal colour and then heavily chipped with the hairspray technique. The dirt is achieved with different layers of pigments. B. The fascines were painted in a dark grey colour. I gave the fascines a moderate layer of dirt with pigments. As big as they are, I didn’t want them to dominate the entire view of the model. C. Many of its tools are mounted on both sides of the vehicle. The warning light brings an extra touch of detail and colour to the model. D. The mesh on top of the hydraulic ventilator system is clearly visible. The prongs used for demolition purposes on top of the deck above the two shovels. When in use they are mounted to the rear of the dozer blade. E. An overview of the crew access hatches. Even though the commander has the best view of the house, it’s the driver who operates the dozer blade and crane. Behind the commander is room for a third crew member. F. A layer of anti-slip has been applied to parts of the superstructure and crane arm. This was done by airbrushing Tamiya clear to a masked region of the surface and covering it with a metal powder. Once it was dry I gave it another thin coat of Tamiya clear. G. An extreme closeup of the front of the vehicle. The cable pulley shows signs of wear and the inside has been metalized with a pencil. H. Even though the fascines dominate the engine deck there’s still room left for a bit of detail. You can see a glimpse of the wooden blocks that provide enough room for the engine ventilation and cooling system.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

of mud flaps at the hull rear. Both parts were recreated and parts of the mounts for the towing bars were either replaced or detailed with plastic card and copper wire. The engine deck is not only the place to store the drilling auger but also the dozer blade extensions. As I depicted the dozer blade whilst fully extended I still had to build the mountings for the blade extensions on the engine deck. You might think this is a waste of time as the fascine bundle covers up most of the engine deck but when looking from the rear some of this detail is still visible so it was important to me to replicate it anyway. The ladder on top of the crane has been replaced on all Dutch Genietanks with a frame used for stowage. This frame, made from lengths of tubing, is covered up with a tarpaulin custom made for these tanks. The process of scratchbuilding this part consisted of creating a plastic box like piece

in the general shape of the framework and covering that up with sheets of two-part putty. The plastic gives the part its strength and the putty is used for all the detailing. I draped three individual sheets of putty of the same lengths over the framework just like the real tarpaulin is made of three sheets fitted together. The straps that tie of the tarpaulin are made from putty although the strap ends that drape on top of the crane are pieces of Tamiya tape glued to the tarp. I added photo-etch pieces from the spares box to enhance the detail on the straps, as well. Unfortunately, during the construction of the PSM kit I somehow managed to lose an important part for the crane. In fact, that part was the crane hook. Fortunately, my friend Roel Geutjens who owned the same PSM kit was willing to lend me his so I could recreate it with plastic card. The last pieces of hull parts that

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CHAPTER 3 GENIETANK needed to be built where the smoke mortar system, the antenna, and driver mirrors. The smoke mortars are unique for Dutch Leopards and I got mine from an old Legend set. The mount and protective bars are made of plastic card and detailed with bolts made with a punch and die. The antenna base is made with plastic card and the antenna itself is a brass part from RB Models. At a later stage I decided to add the orange warning light, which comes from an Accurate Armour set as an extra colourful detail. The driver mirrors are from the PSM kit but the arms of the mirrors are made of brass tube and copper wire. The resin parts for the mirror arms where just a tad bit too fragile for my liking. I also drilled out the driving lights that stick out just above the dozer blade. I inserted a pair of Tron lenses into the lights, which give the model a more realistic look. The final eyecatcher to be built for this Genietank was the bundle of fascines. That was actually not as hard as I had imagined. I bought a bunch of plastic straws and made template for cutting the straws at the required length. I counted the number of fascines on a real tank and made a few extras with the straws. Just like the real fascines they are kept together on both sides with netting. The outer ring of fascines is actually kept together with a steel wire that runs through each fascine. To handle the bundle with the crane a pair of chains is run through the fascines. I replicated this with the fascines on my model as well.

I like my models to have a modest amount of weathering but the dozer blade just cried out to receive a more appropriate paintjob...

PAINTING AND WEATHERING

Painting and weathering is done. Notice the scratchbuilt prongs stowed underneath the crane right in front of the fascines. Also, the straps on the tarpaulin are deliberately painted in a lighter colour so they stand out.

The model was painted with Tamiya NATO acrylic paints and the camouflage pattern was entirely airbrushed by hand without the use of any masking. The decals for this model comes from a decal sheet made by Echelon Fine Details. I like my models to have a modest amount of weathering but the dozer blade just cried out to receive a more appropriate paintjob. There’s no way you can have a dozer blade without paint damage, rust and dirt. I painted the blade separately in a steel colour and with the help of the hairspray technique created the worn and damaged paintjob. On

top of that the remains of sand and dirt on top of blade were made with different coloured pigments. The fascines are pure black in real life but I gave mine a dark grey colour with a dark oil wash and used different pigments to create the dirt effects. The yellowish dust effect on the tank surface but more so on the wheels and tracks are made with different enamel paint washes. The final touch was to add the strap running from the crane hook to the rear hull made from Tamiya tape and painted in a grey and blue enamel colour.

FINAL THOUGHTS In all it took me a couple of months of building and painting this model before it was finished. It gave me the opportunity to try to build a complex yet interesting model of a modern vehicle you won’t see very often and I’ve managed to extend my building and painting skills just a bit further than before. A special word of thanks goes to Roel Geutjens for helping me out with the crane hook and all of my friends at KMK for being the inspirational bunch of modelling lunatics you are.

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The rear of the model is weathered much more heavily as all the dust and dirt accumulates here. The crane hook is tied to the hull with a strap made from Tamiya tape.

The right hand side is so much different to the left. It gives a clear view as to how the netting holds all the fascine tubes in place. You’ll probably notice the red bands applied to the tools. This is a Dutch army practice for identifying which tool comes from a certain tank whereas every tank uses its own colour on their toolset.

The different effects of dust and dirt on the blade and the fascines are clearly visible.

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CHAPTER 4 THE NEXT GENERATION

REVELL 1:35 LEOPARD 2A4NL

by Spencer Pollard

THE NEXT GENERATION How scratchbuilt details, stowage and crew can help elevate Revell’s Leopard 2A4, into something truly unique

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hen I decided to build the first of my Leopards, the Dutch 2A4 was top of my list of subject. Many years ago I found a book in a local shop that dealt with NATO tanks and within its pages, could be found a number of photos of this vehicle, complete with long-haired tank crew. These images stuck with me over the years and so when Revell’s kit was released, that was the only version I contemplated building. Having made my decision, I hunted around for further images, both online and in print, trying to find as many unique features as I could. Further discussions with friends who had crewed these vehicles highlighted further, the equipment used by the Dutch (including those distinctive tarpaulins) and so I knew that with care, the resulting model could be something just a little different. This extended feature, is the result of that journey and the model that I had at the end of it.

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CHAPTER 4 THE NEXT GENERATION REVELL’S KIT Given Revell’s heritage, it’s no surprise to see them tackle this family and so hot on the heels of their new-tool A6 seen last year, we now have – in my opinion – the best looking of the family, the eightiesera 2A4. Of course those familiar with the earlier A6 kit will find that this one is very similar with an identical set of parts for the lower hull, suspension and running gear. The differences as one might expect, look to be the new runners for the turret, sideskirts, gun and smoke dischargers and of course decals. The rest of the kit remains the same, as does the method of construction. Let’s ignore the other kit for a while and take a more detailed look at this one… As with all other German kits from the Revell range, this one is moulded in a rather unpleasant dark green plastic. Though I’m somewhat against commenting on such things, I feel it worth doing here because this plastic seems to mask the quality of much of the detail that Revell’s designers incorporate into their kits; it’s only when you apply a coat of grey primer that the finesse of the production becomes apparent and apparent it does, because this is a very fine kit! A cursory glance at the parts in the box reveals some comprehensive detail that will be a joy to assemble and paint. From the large sections such as the upper hull and turret, the kit certainly looks impressive not to mention, complete. Along with what looks to be an accurate model, certainly in terms of overall appearance and features,

Rather than being moulded in one piece, the hull is broken down into flat panels that combine to create the finished assembly.

Building the hull is easy thanks to the precise fit of the parts. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement is a good adhesive for this task.

Tools of the job for any modelling project: liquid glue and a fine brush… The hull fit together well, but still needs some filler here and there. Weapon of choice for this project was Humbrol’s excellent filler.

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The weakest parts of the kit are the tracks, two cables and mudflaps, all of which are moulded in a soft ‘vinyl’ material. Flash, difficult to remove, is apparent on all of these pieces.

The suspension arms are located into the lower hull using a shaped peg and socket joint that fixes each one in place at precisely the right angle.

the kit includes plenty to enjoy, both in terms of construction and finishing. From the ground up, this is a highly detailed offering from Revell; from the basic assembly of the hull through to the delicate suspension and roadwheels - the latter decorated with some very neat casting numbers – the kit more than holds its own against far more expensive, not to mention more complex offerings from elsewhere. Across the board, the designers have replicated the Leopard well, all of its many features appearing in miniature. For instance, I was impressed by the anti-slip panels on the upper hull and turret parts, which though perhaps a little too smooth are a lot better than having nothing at all! I was also impressed by the delicate vents on the engine deck - that look amazingly three-dimensional, despite being moulded in one piece - superbly detailed suspension dampers and the finely rendered tools (the latter though, benefitting from replacement of their rather rudimentary tool clasps).

You’ll see that compromises are apparent in the breakdown of the hull, ‘flat-pack’ assembly being the order of the day here rather than a one-piece hull on which suspension details are added. Thankfully, the parts fit well together well resulting in a solid base for the rest of the model. That said, you’ll need to carry out some filling here and there, the nose plate being in need of some work to create a smooth finish. Similar points apply when the upper hull is fixed to the separate side plates, small gaps becoming apparent as this large piece is fixed in place. While you’re at it, you may also find that the gun mantlet needs some sink marks filling in too, several being found on this part in our review kit. Despite much of the kit being very impressive, there are compromises. The tracks are the most notable. Moulded in soft vinyl material, the tracks are extremely flexible, easily stretched and in each case, supplied in two pieces that need to be joined. Not good. I really wish Revell would take a look at

Here’s a close-up of that replacement resin and brass gun barrel from ‘Inside the Armour’. The quality of the parts is very good, the brass being cleanly turned and milled and the resin nicely detailed and cast. This little set certainly lifts the appearance of this part of Revell’s, otherwise splendid kit.

The completed Leopard 2A4NL detailed and ready to be detailed further with stowage. Before adding any small details, the basic hull and turret was built and then checked for any flaws, Alclad Grey Primer being used to check the joints between the individual panels that make up the hull and turret. Note here that the turret was originally built as-is, the rear stowage bin being closed-over with its kit-supplied cover. That didn’t stay in place for long!

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The turret’s rear stowage bin was originally covered over with the tarpaulin supplied in the kit, but it soon became apparent that this looked too stiff and out of keeping with the finesse I was trying to achieve over the rest of the model. Decision made, I removed the cover and then lined the inside of the bin with thin plasticard. The bin was filled with some random bits and pieces from the spares box and then covered with tarpaulin made from thinly rolled sheets of Magic Sculp, teased into place with a soft paintbrush and plenty of talcum powder.

In order to improve this kit, I used some parts from a redundant Tamiya Leopard that I had in the ‘stash’. These included the gunfire simulator fitting to the mantlet, the Tamiya parts perfectly replicating this distinctive piece of equipment. Whilst I was in a detailing frame of mind, the rails on the turret sides were improved by using the mounts from the Tamiya kit with Everygreen rod for the rails themselves

In the photographs on the Dutch Leopards that I found, there was a distinctive piece of stowage having from one of the side rails and so I decided to sculpt this for my model. This was down once again with Magic Sculp, a short roll of it being detailed with the same rubber-tipped brushes used for the tarpaulin. Very thin strings, rolled from more putty, replicate the ropes used to hold this piece in place

Because of its weight, the gun was fixed in place using 5-minute epoxy and then the mantlet secured with the same material, to remove any chance of the barrel drooping over time. Though the canvass cover just in front of the mantlet is supplied in the ITA barrel kit, I didn’t really like it and felt that I could create a more realistic item from scratch. This was done with more putty, some plumbers tape, wrapped around the barrel, adding the final touch of detail.

The smoke dischargers on the sides of the turret are a distinctive feature of Dutch Leopards and so replay careful assembly. In the kit they are rather simplified and so using the Prime Portal website as a reference, they were detailed up using plasticard, Albion Alloys steel wire and some fine florists wire bought from a local Hobbycraft store. Though a small part of the model, the two sub-assemblies for the smoke dischargers took some time to complete, but the results were certainly worth it, being far more detailed than possible from the box.

The glacis plate in detail revealing the Tamiya headlights, spare track links and stowed mirrors. Most obvious in this shot is the rolled hessian that’s a feature of Dutch Leopards. Once again I grabbed the Magic Sculp to create this distinctive feature, the soft nature of this material allowing it to draped naturally over the fixtures and fittings found on this part of the Leopard.

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Perhaps the weakest part of the model in terms of detail, are the hangers for the large armoured side skirts. These were improved with the addition of some small fixtures and fitting made from plasticard, rod and Evergreen strip. Though not perfect, the results were a huge improvement over the rather plain parts supplied in the kit. This shot reveals more of that sculpted hessian, including the rope that was sculpted to tie it all in place…

The photograph that I was using as my inspiration for this build showed some of the hessian pulled away from the roll that ran the length of the vehicle. This was represented in miniature by using two pieces of putty, one rolled up and the other, rolled out. I then carefully joined the two pieces, sculpting tools and paintbrushes being used to tease the folds and creases into shape

A close-up of the rear hull, its distinctive vents and the large mudguards. In the kit the mudguards – along with the tracks and the two cables – are moulded in a dreadful vinyl material that’s impossible to clean-up and so they were replaced with two pieces cut from the rear hull plate supplied in the Tamiya kit. Pioneer tools on the engine deck are a mixture of Tamiya and Revell items – the latter being used to create the ends of the tow cables stowed on the deck; the cables themselves are Karaya items.

From the off I knew that this model would end up in a vignette/diorama and so I would need some figures. As Dutch tankers are very thin on the ground in miniature, I needed to create my own. The larger of the two figures was made using a body from VPs NATO Tank Crew set with a hornet head, Tamiya helmet, Dragon hands and Magic Sculp arms. The smaller fellow was essentially made from scratch, a blank resin torso, VP head and Dragon hands being the detail on a uniform sculpted entirely with Magic Sculp, to match the uniform of the other crew member. The plastic drinks bottle was grabbed from Meng’s Pick-Up…

the production of kit tracks in future releases; if they can create ‘link & length’ tracks in their 1/72 armour releases, I really don’t see why they can’t produce them this way in the larger, more detailed, 1/35 kits. The design work has already been done and the cost savings are minimal; indeed, I would be happy to pay and extra few pounds to have better tracks in the kit, rather than over £10 for an aftermarket set… Along with the decals that differentiate the seven vehicles on offer to the modeller, Revell include the necessary pieces to replicate the specific detail differences between the standard 2A4 and the Dutch A4NL. These include tweaks to the gun’s muzzle, smoke dischargers,

MG fit on the turret and aerial mounts – the latter sitting above variant-specific fillets that find they way onto the sides of the turret. All of these changes are clearly laid out in the instructions, so even absolute beginners will have little problem working out what goes where. The decal sheet offers seven different vehicles, two German, one Spanish, one Polish, one Dutch, one Austrian and a single Greek example. Along with the changes to markings, these vehicles also exhibit three different camouflage schemes, two in disruptive camouflage and the rest in overall green. The decal sheet is stunning, being beautifully printed with plenty of vivid colours and detail in evidence.

CONSTRUCTION AND DETAILING Rather than go through the assembly and reworking of this model, I thought that it would be better to work through those stages using captioned images rather that extended text. That said, it may well be worth offer a few sage words of advice for builders of both the basic kit, as well a more heavily modified version thereof. Revell’s kit is a flat-pack kit, whereby the lower hull and sections of the upper hull and turret need to be assembled using panels, rather than being supplied in large sections. That being so, you will need to carefully line up the pieces and adjust everything carefully to ensure the hull and turret are both square

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With the construction finished, the model was checked for flaws and then given several thin coats of Tamiya’s Superfine Primer. Once dry, a dark brown colour was mixed from Flat Black and Flat Earth and then sprayed around the lower hull, roadwheels, tracks and any large areas of detail. This acted as a rather heavy-handed preshading layer and a way of preventing the grey primer showing up under the camouflage.

The ‘camouflage’ was applied using a mixture of Gunze Sangyo Olive Drab brightened with a few drops of Tamiya NATO Green. Though accurate, I don’t really like straight Olive Drab, feeling that the colour is rather too bland and so I often add a warmer tone into the mix to make it a little more pleasing on the eye.

Checking the reference photos, especially those found on the Prime Portal website, revealed an interesting feature: a distinctive wear pattern on the upper surfaces of the vehicle... and true. A little filling here and there will also be needed but this is by no means excessive. Though the kit is well-detailed, there are compromises. Those tracks really need to be dealt with, the aftermarket yielding suitable alternatives from Fruil, MENG, Orochi (used on my MEXAS), Bronco, Spade Ace and HK Creation Workshop. In this case, the spare Tamiya Leopard 2A5 used for the details was also used to supply the tracks, the quality of these parts working well with Revell’s kit. Should I ever build another of these kits, I would use the Orichi tracks as they are truly impressive and very easy to build… Before adding the details, check over the model for evidence of sink marks. These seemed to be particularly evident of the mantlet where some very careful filling and sanding was needed to cure the problem. On my kit, there were no other areas similarly affected, but a look its still work it, as it a check over for gaps between the panels that may need sealing. It really is up to you how far you go with the detailing. Though not a comprehensive reworking, this model was detailed to try and capture the intricate look of the original.

I found the Prime Portal website was particularly useful in this respect, some wonderfully involved walkrounds, being there for all to enjoy. In terms of actually detailing, the costs of reworking this kit were kept to an absolute minimum, only an aftermarket barrel from ‘Inside The Armour’ being used, all other features being improved with rod, strip and epoxy putty.

PAINTING AND WEATHERING Having spent a considerable amount of time – or so it seemed! – building my Leopard, it was finally time to apply some paint and a little weathering. From the outset I knew that this model would be painted in as close-to-the-original finish as possible and so I grabbed as many reference pictures as I could, to get a feel of what the real Dutch Leopard 2A4s looked like whilst in service during the Eighties. Anyone that’s followed my work over the years will know that I really don’t like muddy vehicles, as I feel that the application of thick layers of goop, tends to cover up the fine detail and you end up seeing the ‘mud’ first and the model second! So that was out. Having decided on a dusty finish, I now needed to work out how make the model

Though there are a range of shades at this point, the model is a still a little too dark for its scale and so it’s now time to apply warmer shades of colour to brighten the model’s finish. At this point I also sprayed the tarpaulins hanging from the sides of the model using increasingly lightened layers of Tamiya Khaki, very thin paint being once again used to great effect.

The additional layers of lighter colours and an run of drybrushed enamels has helped lighten the basecoats and highlight the detail.

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Weathering begins. Using a small metal tin, a drop of Windsor & Newton Raw Umber oil paint was thinned with a little of Mig’s Thinner For Washes (any other thinner being just as suitable, if you have it), this dilute solution being applied around all details and then blended-in with a soft brush dampened with clean thinners.

Drybrushing is a somewhat lost art, but carefully applied it is still a very useful part of the pantheon of techniques that we can use to finish a model. Here it is being used to blend the washes that have already been applied and accentuate the detail a little. The trick is to use shades that are half a tone up from the base colours and not overdo it – you don’t want the model to look like it’s covered in frosting!

The rear of the turret and that distinctive cable reel certainly pop following the drybrushing applied earlier. Note how subtle the effect is; there’s no obvious highlighting, just a refreshing of the detail. On this model I used Humbrol enamels to carry out this task, No.86 Light Olive, No.150 Forest Green and No.159 Khaki Drab, being used to great effect over the surface of the model.

There was no doubt that the model looked cool with the initial layers of dark wash and carefully accented detail, but it couldn’t really be described as ‘weathered’ and so it was time to apply some dirt. This began with the application of AK’s excellent Dust Effects, a thin, buff coloured wash that looks excellent on a dark model such as this.

With the Dust Effects dry, the next step in the weathering of the lower surfaces could take place using in this case, Mig Productions’ oil colours, Light Earth and Buff. Unlike the washes, the oils are applied neat, small drops being dabbed into place and then blended in to the surrounding surfaces, until the colours look natural. This can be repeated as many times as you need, different shades helping to create a finish that’s both realistic and interesting.

In close-up, the results of the washes and the oil colours can be easily seen. Note also how some of the paint has been drawn down the sides of the skirt to produce fine runs of dirt. Though time consuming, this part of the weathering process is vital if the resulting model is to look realistic and in-scale.

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a little different from a plain-Jane, green vehicle. Checking the reference photos, especially those found on the Prime Portal website, revealed an interesting feature: a distinctive wear pattern on the upper surfaces of the vehicle. Wondering what this was, I asked some friends, who explained that the Dutch Leopards had been German vehicles at one time and as such, had been painted in a dark green shade. When taken on by the Dutch, they had been resprayed in a paler Olive Drab finish and through use this lighter colour wore away to reveal the darker German finish underneath. This had to be a feature of my model! I liked the idea that it would add another layer of depth to the finish and though not obvious from distance, would repay the viewer keen to take a closer look, with paintwork that was just a little different from the norm. So I had a plan in mind, but the model was still a little bland and so the decision was made to replicate a vehicle that was on exercise, thus allowing the application of bright crosses, triangles and the like that the crews applied to their mounts, using coloured tape. Though the markings applied to the model would create a somewhat generic subject, I was careful to apply the crosses in prototypical positions, anything else jarring with the accuracy I was trying to achieve with the camouflage. The final splash of colour would be supplied by a coloured flag fixed to the side of the turret. A red flag usual denotes a vehicle in the process of live-firing the gun and according to guys who have served on these vehicles, should rarely, if ever, be used on a vehicle that is fitted with a Hoffman gunfire simulator. Surely I hadn’t made a mistake?

I used a number of different oil colours to add weathering effects and tonal variations around the model. Here, you can see Mig Productions Light Earth, Buff and Dark Rust oils ready for use.

There was no getting away from the fact that those tarpaulins, were a bear to paint! If ever I baulk at the idea of painting a figure, I’ll remember how long it took to paint these parts of the Leopard, multiple layers of very thin Vallejo acrylics being built up to produce the necessary light and shade on the sculpted folds. In this shot you can see the pallete that I used to mix the paint, several shades being created that could then be applied over one another, each being simply thinned with water.

The completed tarpaulins painted using Vallejo acrylics. You can see just how many variations in light and shade were used on these distinctive items, nearly two full days of work being needed to complete the full run…

Though reasonably happy with the appearance of the green camouflage, I couldn’t shake the feeling that further work was needed to ‘pop’ the surfaces a little more. That being so, I used some green filters over some of the more prominent details to make them stand out a little more – Mig’s Green For Light Green Filter being used in this shot.

With the basic camouflage in place, time was taken to replicate the worn finish discussed earlier. To show areas of wear, I simply stippled Vallejo Olive Drab acrylic over the upper surfaces of the model using a small piece of sponge. Constant reference to the amazing images on the Prime Portal website were used to ensure that the wear patterns were accurate in both shape and location.

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Had I imagined a vehicle kitted out in this way? I went back to check my references and sure enough, in Tankograd’s wonderful ‘Nederlandse Troepen – Vehicles Of The Royal Netherlands Army In Germany 19632006’, there’s a picture of a Leopard 2A4 crossing the River Weser with a gunfire simulator fixed to the mantlet and a flag flying from the right-hand side of the turret. The only slight fly in the ointment was that the simulator had its canvass cover in place, but that was a compromise I was happy to live with…

The red crosses are a real highlight of the model and were very easy to make. I simply used a piece of Tamiya masking tape, sprayed it with some red paint from an aerosol can and then cut the tape into fine strips with a new scalpel blade. Once in place the crosses were very careful oversprayed with Tamiya Deck Tan to blend them in and then weathered slightly with oil paints. Job Done!

An in-progress shot showing off the large areas of worn paintwork on the upper surfaces. I’ve also painted the stowage using exactly the same techniques and materials used for the tarpaulins, shades of grey being used here to create a little variation and add interest to the model.

There are a lot of lights around this model. Here, Tamiya Clear Orange is being painted over a basecoat of Games Workshop Mithryl Silver, to finish off the little lights on the mudguards. The same techniques were also used on the rear hull plate to finish off the lights in that area.

The reference photos didn’t really reveal much in the way of paint chips and the like, but they did show some areas of metallic wear – especially on the top of many of the weld beads and so I added these to the model using a graphite pencil.

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CHAPTER 4 THE NEXT GENERATION FINAL THOUGHTS Though not having the sophistication of delicacy of many of its competitors, I really liked Revell’s Leopard. Once past the awful green plastic, it became apparent that the detail was certainly comprehensive and given its innate simplicity, the kit would be quick to build. Of course, that proved to be anything but the case as I used it to form the basis of a superdetailing project that ran into many hours of enjoyable work the results of which, I’m extremely proud of. Revell’s Leopard is a fine model and as such I must recommend it as perhaps the best way to build the 2A4 in 1:35, either from the box, or as seen here, with some additional detail. My thanks go out to Revell UK for the sample used in this feature.

The two exhaust outlets were weathered with airbrushed layers of Tamiya Flat Black diluted with Mr Color Thinner.

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A close-up of the turret roof reveals the worn finish described in this feature, where the upper green has been removed to reveal the darker German colours originally used on these vehicles.

Carefully applied washes and layers of drybrushed enamels help bring out the detail around the engine deck.

MODEL SPEC TOOLS AND MODELLING PRODUCTS USED Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape GF9 Super Glue Tamiya Fine Surface Primer Daco Strong Setting Solution PAINTS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS Magic Sculp Tamiya Fine Surface Primer XF-1 Flat Black XF-52 Flat Earth XF-49 Khaki XF-68 NATO Brown XF-67 NATO Green XF-62 Olive Drab XF-71 Cockpit Green XF-59 Desert Yellow XF-7 Flat Red Gunze Sangyo Mr Color Thinner H52 Olive Drab Humbrol Enamel Thinners 86 Light Olive 150 Forest Green 159 Khaki Drab 33 Matt Black Mig Productions Thinner For Washes 502 Abteilung oil paint, buff, Light Earth, Light Rust, Dark Rust Dark Wash Green For Light Green Filter AK Interactive Dust Effects Vallejo Flat Varnish Vallejo 169 Black 150 German Camo Black Brown 306 Dark Rubber Vallejo Face Painting Set Revell’s Leopard 2A4 is a fine kit on which to add details and accessories, the completed model being very good as a result.

ACCESSORIES Karaya Leopard tow cables Verlinden Productions NATO Tank Crew

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CHAPTER 5 NOW YOU SEE ME…

NOW YOU SEE ME… NETS, RAGS AND RUBBER MATS Spencer Pollard show shows how, with some simple alterations, a little scratchbuilding and the additional of soft camouflage, even the most straightforward kit can look radically different from one built ‘out of the box’.

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W

hilst looking for a second build for this book I stumbled across a photograph of what I assumed was a fairly standard Leopard 2A6 covered with camouflage nets and rags and fitted with what looked like rubber panels, hanging from its side skirts. Feeling that it would be just different enough to create an imposing model, I posted a picture of it on a social media site and sat back until the Tamiya kit that I had ordered, arrived. A few hours later I received a mountain of information on this vehicle, including some that pointed to it being a modified 2A6M fitted with mine-resistant armour a newly configured smoke dischargers. Further study of the image revealed that it was also fitted with different side skirts that had raised bolts, rather than the recessed items incorporated into the kit parts. Add the rubber skirts, front and rear (fitted to cut down on shadows around the suspension, running gear and beneath the glacis plate) and I had the makings of an unusual model. It would involve not only some scratchbuilding for the new discharger mounts and updated skirts, but also the creation of the hessian rags, camouflage nets and those distinctive rubber skirt extensions. This model was going to be fun!

Tamiya’s Leopard is one of the best kits available of this vehicle and an absolute joy to build.

The completed hull – less than a few hours work.

Make the most of all of this lovely detail, as it will soon be hidden forever!

Tamiya’s etched set is a must for this kit.

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The kit’s side skirts were removed from the large section that runs along the length of the hull, leaving only the armour and rails in place. Once carefully measured, new sections were fashioned from 0.5mm plasticard, scribed and then detailed with plasticard bolts created using a punch & die. Note the missing section and evidence of a mounting rail between the two sections of extant skirt. The smoke dischargers on the turret sides were rebuilt to reflect their current appearance. Though I used the kit dischargers (not perfect, but close enough with a little adjustment) the rails and mounting brackets were fashioned from Evergreen strip and rod using images from the Prime Portal website, as my main reference. The real trick here was to build everything in place, adding the upper rail to the side of the turret and then all of the smaller details, one by one. It really was a case of look and do!

CAMOUFLAGE NETS – A FAR FROM NEW IDEA If you chose to build a collection of modern vehicles, there is going to come a time when you will need to model items of soft camouflage such as nets, rags and even foliage. Though painted in colours designed to hide their shape on the modern battlefield, tank crews learn quickly how to further conceal their vehicles, with the addition of these items and that means as modellers we need to try and imitate that in miniature, too. There are many ways to do this, from off the shelf nets and foliage sets – both material and more

The left-hand side of the side was similarly detailed. Adding further to the candid look of the model, the rearmost section of skirt was folded up, plastic rod helping create the illusion of a hinge. Note that the steps running along the bottom edge of the skirt were removed from the kit parts, carefully sanded to around half of their thickness and then fixed in place with Gunze Sangyo Mr Cement S.

recemtly, etched brass - through to basic, homemade solutions such as those seen here. Tackling the construction of this type of camouflage can be as easy, or as difficult as you choose it to be. For instance, you may elect to simply add some plain netting around the turret and gun barrel to disguise their shapes, just as would have been seen during WWII. Net is available from the likes of Verlinden Productions, AFV Club, Creative Models etc., so you could use that, but I like to use fine surgical gauze bought cheaply from the local chemist’s shop. This is cut up into 2” squares and then soaked

in a very dilute solution of PVA glue and water. With the excess liquid squeezed out, the nets can then be draped onto the model and then manipulated into shape with a paintbrush. Many modellers like to do this after the model has been painted, but I like to fix them in place before, painting the nets along with the camouflage so that the results are tonally balanced and look as though everything belongs together. Once happy that all is in place and left to dry thoroughly, the nets can be painted and weathered using your preferred materials and methods of application. So that’s the easiest method,

A view of the completed model, assembled and ready to paint. This image reveals just how different this model looks now, compared to one built out of the box.

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The rags and hessian strips were modelled using both Magic Sculp for the rags and Green stuff for the delicate strips and sheets of hessian. These were both mixed and then rolled out into thin sheets before either cutting then into squares and strips, or as seen here, tearing them to create delicate, ragged edges. Soft brush and sculpting tools helped manipulate them into shape, water, applied with a brush, being the binding agent needed to keep each piece in place. The netting was applied in small sections after soaking each piece in dilute PVA adhesive, layers of net and hessian being laid one on top of the other until the effect was as random and natural as possible.

how about other ideas? Well, you can embellish the nets to reflect the imitation leaves that adorn modern examples with materials such as tea leaves soaked in white glue and painted in various shades of green. You can add hessian strips using thin strips of masking tape, lead foil, tin foil or as in this case, thinly rolled-out strips of two-part putty such as Milliput, Magic Sculp, A&B or Green Stuff. Once in place, these little strips can then be painted in contrasting khaki and brown shades to make then stand out against the surrounding netting. You may even

choose to apply a little drybrushing here and there, washes, or even pigments to make them appear well used and uncared for! The idea of using the two-part putty can be pushed even further. Over the last few years we’ve seen a huge number of modern vehicle bedecked in piles of old hessian sheets, wrapped around barrels, dumped over turrets and hull fronts and hanging from the sides of skirts, all there to further break up the shape and purpose of these malevolent machines. In this book, you will find two examples of that

With assembly complete, the model was primed with several layers of Tamiya primer. Any problem areas were dealt with and then a final, thinner layer sprayed on. The model was now ready to paint…

In order to simplify the painting of the camouflage netting and rags, these were first preshaded with a layer of Tamiya NATO Black thinned with Gunze Sangyo Mr Color Thinner. This colour was also airbrushed under the hull and turret and in and around the suspension lower hull.

in action, with both the Dutch Leopard 2A4NL and the 2A6M seen here, liberally covered in these sheets. This is perhaps where a little more experience and sculpting skill comes into play, larger sections of rolled out putty being needed to recreate these flowing sections of material and there smaller straps and ties. It’s not something that should be avoided though, as the path to completion is fun and the results worthwhile – you just have to plan ahead…

More Green Stuff was rolled out and then rolled back in again to produce these delicatelooking tarpaulins. The Green Stuff is so fine that it allows very thin sheets to be created, perfect for items such as this. These two pieces were left to dry and then removed, to be painted and weathered separately.

The wheels were fixed to the back of a kit box with double-sided tape and then sprayed with several layers of Tamiya Rubber Black. Once dry, a circle template was used to mask the tyres ready for the hubs to be sprayed with Tamiya NATO Green.

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CHAPTER 5 NOW YOU SEE ME… As with the MENG Leopard seen earlier the camouflage was sprayed with Tamiya German Grey, Cockpit Green and NATO Brown lightened with a little flesh. Mr Color Thinner was added to each colour to a ration of 40% paint, 60% thinners to ensure that the demarcation lines were as tight as possible. Once dry, nets and rags were sprayed with basic layers of Khaki, Buff and Dark Earth – or mixtures thereof – before spraying the turret and hull in a layer of Games Workshop Purity Seal. The finer details were initially defined with a pin-wash comprising Mig Productions Dark Wash and Humbrol Matt Black, the latter, thinned with white spirit. This was applied over a surface dampened with white spirit, before being blended-in with a soft brush.

Once you have the basic ideas in place, there is no reason why you cannot then combine them all, as we have done here. The hessian sheets were added first, overlaid with nets and then further embellished with smaller pieces of hessian and some flowing strips. The process involved time and some simple steps: 1. Add the hessian wrapped around the barrel, on the front on the turret and glacis plate from thinly rolled out sheets of Magic Sculp, both cut to shape and torn to create naturally ragged edges. Leave to dry. 2. Soak some squares of gauze and then drape over the turret and hull. Push around with a paintbrush until happy that the look is natural. Leave overnight to dry. 3. Add a second layer of rags, this time using finer, Green Stuff. This allows the rags to conform more easily onto the nets and their underlying hessian sheets. 4. Add flowing hessian strips using Magic Sculp torn into fine lengths, using a steel rule to hold the putty in place on your cutting mat whilst ripping these small pieces away. Create the shapes you need and leave to dry. 5. Superglue the hessian strips in place. Create more strips as you see fit to sit on the netting, fixing each in place with water before they have dried out. 6. Leave everything to dry before painting and weathering (as seen in the pictures).

The lower hull was airbrushed in section with Vallejo Flat varnish thinned with water and then whilst still wet, stippled over with various earthy pigments to create a dirty, mud encrusted finish.

The tracks were painted with Tamiya Dark Iron and then weathered along with the wheels, using washes and pigments fixed in place with both white spirit and pigment fixer. Once happy with the results, these items can be fixed in place ready for further weathering to blend them in with the surrounding hull.

With the wheels and tracks in place, the model is really starting to come to life. Note the difference between the weathered running gear and the as yet, untreated upper hull.

Close up of the wheels revealing that pigment encrusted finish. European Earth, Dark Mud and Beech Sand was mainly used here, piled into the hubs and then ‘fixed’ with white spirit. After leaving it to dry overnight, an airbrushed layer of Pigment Fixer served to hold the still delicate layers in place.

Weathering of the upper hull begins with a very thin layer of Tamiya Buff, thinned with around 80% thinners and then airbrushed on at around 25psi. The results of this are very delicate layers of colour, perfect for the next round of washes and pigments.

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DRAWING UP A LIST OF THINGS TO DO… Before beginning any new model it’s important to gather together all available reference material and then write a list of jobs that need to be done. This is particularly important when building a model such as this where you will be carrying out your own conversion and not relying on an aftermarket set to guide you through the process. Here is the list of tasks needed to complete this model: • Assemble the basic Tamiya kit following kit instructions. • Remove location points for initial smoke discharger mounts, from both sides of the turret. • Rebuild new ‘six up, two down’ smoke discharger mounts using kit parts together with Evergreen plasticard, rod and strip. • Detail mounts for turret stowage bins with rod and strip. • Add fixing clamps to upper hull for towing cables, right and left. • Replace towing cables with either picture hanging wire or aftermarket items (Karaya being used here). • Replace flag mounting tubes on the turret side with fine brass tubing. • Remove unarmoured section of the side skirts from their mounting rails and replace with new sections cut from 0.5mm plasticard. Scribe in joint lines (carefully lining them up with joints on preserved mounting rail) and then detail with fine bolts

As with the running gear, pigments were applied to the model over a wet layer of Vallejo Flat Varnish.

The rubber flaps hanging from the nose of the vehicle were made from lead foil hung from a length of brass rod. These were painted Tamiya Rubber black and then oversprayed with a very thin mix of Humbrol Dark Earth and AK Interactive Dust Effects. Once in place, the colour was blended away in vertical strokes using a brush dampened with thinners. Several further layers of lighter and darker earth shades flicked on using an old brush, finished them off.

created using a punch & die. • Add mounting rails to upper hull for new skirts to be either folded up as on the left-hand side, or missing, as on the right. • Create new aerial mounts from brass tubing and aerials from 0.3mm steel wire (Albion Alloys). • Detail stowage baskets with Tamiya’s aftermarket etched set. • Using Magic Sculp and Green Stuff (see ‘Used and abused’ feature for more information) sculpt rags and hessian strips for gun barrel, turret and glacis plate. • Add camouflage netting using fine surgical gauze (available from chemist shop). • Add rolled tarpaulins to stowage bin, again using Green Stuff. • Add wiring to cable reel using fine copper wire.

• Replicate hanging rubber mats fixed to the lower edge of side skirts and hanging down from towing eyes on glacis plate. Build from carefully cut sections of lead foil, primed and painted with Tamiya Rubber Black.

THIS FEATURE… Through this chapter we take you through the building of this model and reveal as many of the new details that were added to the model as we possibly can. All of the additional features have been created with very basic tools and materials and as such, should appeal to the developing modeller keen to stretch out a little and create something a touch more advanced than a kit built ‘straight from the box’.

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CHAPTER 5 NOW YOU SEE ME… Over the painted rags on the model, Raw Umber and Matt Black washes were applied, before blending everything together with misted coats of Tamiya Khaki and Buff. Dry pigments and a little drybrushing helped complete the look of these old, well-used sheets.

All of the additional features have been created with very basic tools and materials and as such, should appeal to the developing modeller...

As with the rubber mats, the rear hull was further weathered with several layers of splattered paint, each applied thinly with an old flat brush.

All of the aforementioned stages combined to create a filthy-looking rear hull. Coloured lights help to break up the monotony of the finish. Note the anodised steel tow cables.

In order to recreate a delicate dusty finish on the upper hull, very thin layers of our Dark Earth/Dust Effects colour were airbrushed around, details, panels and the like and then left to dry for a few minutes. The colour was then wiped away using soft, flat brushes and cotton buds moistened with white spirit to leave faint traces of dust around these features. Dragging the paint down panels also imparted the look of rainwashed dust and dirt – as can be seen on the upper lid of this stowage bin.

Multiple layers of Khaki, Buff, NATO Green and Olive Drab acrylics were needed to bring out the detail on the nets and rags. Some tea leaves were mixed with some PVA glue and Vallejo USA Green and then stippled onto the nets to further accentuate the ‘leaf’ detail seen in the reference shots. Once dry, the nets were drybrushed with Humbrol Khaki Drill, Grass Green and US Light Green. Dry pigments added the finishing touch.

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Further strips of hessian were cut out and then fixed in place with superglue, each one being carefully lifted and bent backwards, to look as though floating in the wind.

Though as many of the new features have been added to the model as possible to reflect the changes made to this version, the belly armour now fitted to the 2A6M (‘M’ for Mine-Resistant) has not been fixed in place. The reason for this is simply one of time and the fact that with the rubber mats in place, this addition would be very hard to spot! Referral to images on the Internet will point you in the right direction should you wish to add this new armour package, a thick slab of plasticard covering most bases, during its construction. This then is our version of the Bundeswehr’s Leopard 2A6M – we hope you like it!

MODEL SPEC

A close up of the rear hull reveals the carefully painted tools and delicate layers of dust. The tool handles were painted with Vallejo Weathered Wood and then washed with Dark Wash, manipulated into a wood grain pattern with an ‘O’ brush dampened with white spirit. The metalwork was painted German Camo Black Brown, rubbed with graphite and the washed with Humbrol Dark Earth and Khaki Drill.

Having sprayed the hull with layers of Tamiya Buff and the Dark Earth/Dust Effects, a cotton bud dampened with thinners was used to carefully remove the dirt to reveal the underlying camouflage. Several attempts were made at this until the results looked natural, a final, very thin overspray with Khaki Drill being used to blend everything together.

TOOLS AND MODELLING PRODUCTS USED Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape GF9 Super Glue Tamiya Fine Surface Primer Daco Strong Setting Solution PAINTS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS Magic Sculp Green Stuff Baby Talc Tamiya Fine Surface Primer XF-1 Flat Black XF-52 Flat Earth XF-49 Khaki XF-67 NATO Green XF-71 Cockpit Green XF-68 NATO Brown XF-15 Flesh XF-85 Rubber Black XF-7 Flat Red XF-84 Dark Iron Gunze Sangyo Mr Color Thinner Humbrol Enamel Thinners 86 Light Olive 150 Forest Green 159 Khaki Drab 33 Matt Black 72 Khaki Drill 29 Dark Earth 119 Light Earth Mig Productions Thinner For Washes 502 Abteilung oil paint, buff, Light Earth, Light Rust, Dark Rust Dark Wash European Earth, Beech Sand pigments AK Interactive Dust Effects Vallejo Flat Varnish Vallejo 169 Black 150 German Camo Black Brown 306 Dark Rubber Vallejo Face Painting Set ACCESSORIES Karaya Leopard Tow Cables – TCR05 Tamiya Leopard 2A5/6 photo-etched parts set - 35272

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CHAPTER 6 LEOPARD 2A6 IN DETAIL

LEOPARD 2A6 IN DETAIL Rudi Meir walks us around the Royal Dutch Army’s latest MBT, providing plenty of ideas for those keen to build this impressive vehicle, in miniature. 1. Headlight detail. Note the recessed lens and the retaining wire.

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2. There are plenty of details on the glacis plate including spare track links, grousers and that towing shackle. Note the weathering on the shackle and compare it to the relatively new paintwork that surrounds it. 3. The indicator light on the mudguard is surrounded by this delicate guard rail. Note the folded mirror and appearance of the unit markings. 4. The turret is a mass of panels and bolts. The anti-slip is noticeable in this shot and must be added to any model of this vehicle if not already a feature of the kit being used to build it.

Our Leopard 2A6 basks in the summer sun.

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5.

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5. Gunsight housing reveals its optical glass and open doors. 6. Stowed camouflage netting in the right-hand, turret bin. The split pins and strapping are both noteworthy elements of this shot. 7. The Dutch Leopard 2A6s feature the same smoke dischargers as the earlier A4/5. Note the rubber cabs and retaining wires. Note also that the racks are painted separately from the rest of the vehicle, their colouration in this shot, being different from the surrounding camouflage.

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8. Power cables run under the discharger racks to power each one. Though hardly visible in 1:35m this would be an interesting detail to add. 9. The aerial mounts are often poorly replicated in miniature – here’s what they should look like!

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10. MG mount and rail. Note the locking handle. 11. The commander’s Peri sight. The cleanliness of this very important piece of kit is noteworthy, as is the red beading that surrounds the glass. 12. The massive gun breach for the Rheinmetall 120 mm gun.

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CHAPTER 6 LEOPARD 2A6 IN DETAIL 13.

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13. Either side of the hull can be found storage lockers for many of the smaller tools needed to operate this vehicle. Here are the two that are found on the righthand side. 14. Sprocket detail. Note the highly polished inner faces of the track links and their guide teeth.

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15. A close-up of that open storage locker reveals some of its secrets including gun cleaning rods, fluid bottles, axe and cleaning brushes. 16. The exhaust outlets are found on the rear hull plate, rather than sides of the upper hull as on the earlier, Leopard 1. 17. Another open bin with more tools. These lockers have helped to de-clutter the Leopard 2 series, allowing tools such as this to be removed from the exterior of the vehicle and carefully locked away. Note labels under each tool.

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18. The cable real fixed to the rear of the turret. The wire is very fine and should be modelled carefully in 1:35. 19 & 20. The empty engine bay shows off for the camera.

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21.

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21. The driver has the use of a rewards facing camera to allow him to drive away from danger quickly without the use of mirrors. Here it is in detail.

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22 & 23. The Leopard 2 is propelled by the MTU MB 873 diesel engine. Here it is in detail. 24. The clamps that hold the tools onto the engine deck are virtually identical to the size and design of the items used during WWII. 25. The driver’s compartment is compact and functional.

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26. The Leopard 2A6 is a wonderful looking machine – malevolent beauty in action. 27. A view through the commander’s hatch reveals how tight the space is, even inside a large vehicle such as this. The black item is the gunner’s seat, his position being down and forward of the commander.

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28. Another view of those polished tracks… 29. Gun Barrel detail. Note the textured surface. 30. A complete view of the empty engine bay.

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CHAPTER 7 DENMARK’S BIG CAT

I

n the year 2000, the Danish Army Command signed a contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann company to upgrade 51 of their Leopard 2A4 to the 2A5 DK standard, the upgrade incorporating features from both the German and Dutch versions, as well as the Swedish STV122. Most of these upgrades deal with passive armour and crew protection, auxiliary electrical generator and even the future upgrade to the longer L55 120mm cannon (or even the proposed 140mm gun). All of these modifications will give the 2A5DK a service life up to at least 2025.

IN MINIATURE Initially I was hoping to build the HobbyBoss Leopard straight from the box, with only some very minor detailing, but as construction got underway, it soon became clear that the accuracy and quality of detailing and parts was less than acceptable. After a quick conversation with Spencer, I got the green light to use the Tamiya hull in place of the HobbyBoss item, which is where most of the problem areas lay. Thanks to the near identical parts breakdown from the two manufacturers swapping and mixing parts was a very simple procedure. Detailing was still kept to an absolute minimum: a few items from a Voyager photo-etched detailing set designed for the Tamiya Leopard 2A5, along with some brass wire to replace the solid grab handles found on the hull. Lastly, the turret periscopes were made using party confetti to simulate the laser-proof coating seen on the real items. These were all fixed in place using low odour superglue for prevent fogging of these parts.

DENMARK’S BIG CAT John Murphy combines Tamiya and Hobbyboss kits to create the impressive Danish Leopard 2A5DK

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CHAPTER 7 DENMARK’S BIG CAT

On initial assembly of the Hobby Boss 2A5DK hull, all seemed well!

On the glacis plate, the problem is that HobbyBoss have In this comparison photo of the appliqué panel fitted to the confused the self-adhesive grip tape sections with some form Tamiya 2A5 hull, we can clearly see it is a flush fit. of raised detail. This prevents the appliqué armour panel from laying flat on the glacis plate.

Again we can see the difference in detail between the road wheels. The Tamiya rims and bolt detail is just so much more refined.

Fit issues started to arise once the DK specific parts began to be attached to the generic 2A5 hull piece. Here we can see the poor fit of the APU housing on the right rear corner of the hull.

Here we can see the difference in detail between the HobbyBoss sprocket (left) and the Tamiya item on the right!

In these two photos we can see how the grip tape panels are way too thick on the HobbyBoss hull. At this point I decided to proceed with construction using the Tamiya hull, as correcting the HB part would involve too much work.

HobbyBoss parts along with photo-etched parts from Voyager and brass wire handles are being used to detail the hull. The copper cable comes in the Voyager photo-etched detail set.

The lower rear hull plate has to be taken from the HB kit as this part differs from the German version depicted in the Tamiya kit. Note the driver’s reversing camera at the top centre of the engine grilles.

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The smoke dischargers received some extra detailing in the form of new caps and retaining chains from the Voyager photo-etched set and some plastic card detailing to the mounting brackets.

A small piece of confetti has been cut to size and fitted to the Commander’s independent viewer, to simulate the laser proof coating on the optics of the real thing.

This shot gives a good example of what has been used from the Tamiya and HB kits. The hardest part was cutting the rear of the Tamiya hull to accommodate the APU as seen on the Danish vehicles.

The prominent weld seams are missing from the turret lifting eyes, so these were added using thin strips of plastic card.

The HB front indicators are poorly detailed and so I opted to swap them for a couple of resin items I had in the spares box from an old defunct Hong Kong Creation Workshop Swedish STV 122 conversion. The guards are fashioned from thin copper wire.

Weapon of choice for assembly of this kit: Gunze Sangyo Mr Cement S.

They were then softened with liquid cement and then the weld effect simulated by stippling with a Micro-chisel

Due to the extra armour package fitted to the bow of the DK, the Tamiya side skirts will need modifying. This is simply a case of removing the first section on each side with a razor saw and attaching the HB parts.

The Leopard is now ready for paint. The Model Point turnedaluminium and resin barrel really is an improvement over the kit barrel.

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CHAPTER 7 DENMARK’S BIG CAT

Individual panels and portions of the Leopard are masked off in preparation for applying highlights in the form of the Modulation technique. After an initial coat of automotive acrylic grey primer, the model received a solid coat of green using a mix of LifeColor's IDF Green and Game's Yellow ink. I found this combination offered a very close match to the distinctive green used by the Danish Army.

Here we can see the Modulation effect in place. To achieve this, we used a combination of Game's yellow ink but this time using a lighter green in the form of AK Interactive's 4B0 Highlight colour.

This paste is applied to the wheel rims and repeatedly stippled to ensure it dries to a rough texture. Before continuing with the rest of the painting and weathering, the running gear receives a coat of dust and mud. To start with the wheel hubs are coated with Pigment Fixer before being sprinkled with European Earth using a large make-up brush.

To create the damp fresh mud effect, a mix of Wet effects Fluid and a dark earth pigment are mixed together.

Here we can see a completed wheel. The smaller splashes are applied by 'flicking' on the same mud mix with the aid of an old toothbrush.

The black camouflage pattern is applied using a dark grey, rather than pure black to allow for scale affect.

WILDER Products Takk is used to define the camouflage patterns.

With the basic camouflage, markings and some initial airbrush dust effects in place, it is time to add the first of the washes. For this wash, we are using an enamel dark brown wash intended for green camouflaged vehicles.

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For the rest of the dust weathering effects, a combination of these products is used and applied in thin layers using an airbrush to ensure a controlled and gradual build-up.

The model covered in its initial layer of dust.

Once this enamel dust effect has had some time to dry, streaking is added by first dampening the surface and then carefully dragging down over the surfaces using a soft chisel edged brush.

Finally tiny splashes and splatter effects are added by first flicking on a dust colour using light dust pigment mixed with pigment fixer. This is then repeated using a much darker pigment mixed with more pigment fixer. The fixer will ensure it adheres well to the surface of the model.

Further streaking is added using a buff coloured oil paint and the same soft bristled chisel brush.

Careful painting and weathering helps create a truly impressive replica of this imposing vehicle.

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CHAPTER 8 THE LEOPARD C2 IN CANADIAN SERVICE

THE LEOPARD C2 IN CANADIAN SERVICE Anthony Sewards provides some detailed background information for modellers keen to build the MEXAS, in miniature.

T

he Canadian Leopard 1 C2 is an updated German Leopard 1A5 turret added to the original hulls from 1978 with the new turrets fitted with the Leopard 2 fire control EMES 18 fire-control system, which was developed in Germany in the 1980s. The 105 mm L7A3 gun is capable of engaging targets day and night, while on the move under adverse weather conditions, through the use of a fully stabilized fire control system with an integrated thermal sight imaging system and laser range-finder. The Leopard C2 Tank is also fitted with a gunner's secondary fire control system and a commander's fire control system. It has two 7.62 mm C6 FN machine guns. One is mounted inside the turret acting as a coaxial MG and another can be mounted externally on either the commander's or the loader's, station. The Leopard C2 is also fitted with two banks of four smoke grenade launchers on the turret that can fire smoke or high explosive grenades. The tank may be ‘sealed-off’

against nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) threats. It is a minimummaintenance armoured fighting vehicle and complete replacement of the engine and transmission is possible in 30 minutes under field conditions. When properly fitted with a conning tower, it is capable of deep-fording or submerged fording where riverbanks are prepared for exit and entry. When the Canadian C2 first entered service in November 1999, the tank fleet went from 114 main battle tanks to 66 completed Leopards. In 2003 Canada had decided to replace its aging Leopard tanks with the light armoured vehicle (LAV) III Mobile Gun System (MGS). This MGS platform was to be a wheeled platform mounting a 105 mm main gun with an auto loader. With this decision going ahead to replace the tracked Leopard fleet with a wheeled fleet, the department of national defence (DND) started to dispose of the Leopard 1 fleet with selling to companies in North America twenty-three Leopard hulls.

Opposite: A closeup of the front quarter of the MEXAS reveals a number of interesting details including the rusty panels, damaged, track pads and tyres and the thickness of the metal sheet connecting the side armour, with the glacis plate.

Below left: Covered in dust and additional stowage, the MEXAS looks right at home amongst the dust and dirt of Afghanistan. Below right: Seeing so many Leopards so close together must have been a sight to behold! Note the detail variations in this shot.

Museums were provided with three examples. With two runners going to the Bovington Tank museum, one to the Canadian War museum, and two going as a gate guardians at Canadian Forces bases. There were twenty-one Leopards designated as hard targets for gunnery practice.

ENTER THE MEXAS… This all changed in the spring of 2006, when the International Stabilization Assistance Force (ISAF) Canadian Afghanistan commitment, switched from the northern region of Kabul, back to the province of Kandahar. With the Canadian combat operations and protracted counter-insurgency battles across Southern Afghanistan causing a lot of Canadian casualties (plus the arduous terrain that the Canadian Battle Group fought over) they did not have the correct assets and combat enablers (tanks) to fight in a built up area. The Canadian Government announced on the 15th of September 2006 the imminent deployment of an enhancement package to better facilitate “reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.” In addition to an Infantry Company designated to serve as close protection for the provincial reconstruction team (PRT), the enhancement package was to include a squadron of Leopard C2 tanks from Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) LdSH(RC) and an Armoured Engineer troop from 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER), both based in western Canada. The Canadian Army generated, trained and deployed a 17-tank squadron and armoured Engineer troop, across the globe within six

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TIMELINE OF CHANGES FOR THE C2 MEXAS

weeks of receiving the deployment warning order. The first Leopard C2 arriving at the Kandahar Airfield (KAF) on 3 October 2006. With B squadron as the first squadron deployed they had to conduct gunnery checks and crew training, before the squadron was to be deployed outside the wire. The deployed Leopards were equipped The Modular Expandable Armor System (MEXAS) which is a ceramic composite armour developed by the German company IBD Deisenroth Engineering. The MEXAS kits supplied for the Leopards were of a different system that was of metal type composite armour. On the 2nd of December 2006 (Afghan time) the Canadian Leopards rolled out of thier Kandahar Airfield compound heading for the Panjwaii District and a forward operating base named Mas’um Ghar. On the 3rd of December 2006 the C2 MEXAS Leopards stationed in Kandahar entered the field, marking the first time since the Korean War that a Canadian armoured squadron had sent tanks into an active war zone; they fired their guns in combat for the first time in as many years on the following day in response to a Taliban rocket attack. The deployed tank squadrons were in constant combat operations from late 2006 till July 2011. The Canadian C2 MEXAS armoured squadron was intended to provide convoy protection, supporting Canada's Provincial Reconstruction Teams and other organizations equipped with lighter vehicles, and combat operations.

The unit tasked with providing a tank squadron for each of the rotations for combat operations, was The Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) (except for the last rotation which came from the French specking Canadian Armoured unit) The Strathcona’s are now Canada’s only heavy tank unit equipped with Leopard 2s based at Steele Barracks, Edmonton Alberta. With other Leopard 2s stationed at the Royal Canadian Armoured School. The first Leopard tank Squadrons deployed from the Lord Strathcona’s Horse was B Squadron, then A Squadron and they deployed with just with C2 MEXAS Leopards. The Next tank squadron, C Squadron was combined in late September 2007 with the twenty Leopard 2A6Ms with slat bar type armour. The tank squadron in late 2010 added five of the new Leopard 2A4M's. The Canadian tank squadron operated with the three different Leopards until they were pulled from combat operations. The C2 MEXAS with the mine ploughs, mine rollers and the dozers were used alongside the Leopard 2's, until a bracket was installed for the Leopard 2A6M to mount the rollers. For most operations in Afghanistan, a tank troop was stationed at the FOB to act as a reserve and Quick Reaction Force (QRF). The troop had to be at 75% readiness at all times. This is the time when the troops could conduct needed track work and repair. Some troops would work independent of the whole SQN while deployed on combat operations.

• Late August early September 2006 17 Leopard 1 C2 tanks designated as deployable and work to repair and refit starts. Once complete MEXAS armour was to be installed on the Leopards, Ballard hooks installed for transport. • 29th September 2006 The seventeen Leopards are shipped via transport plan to Kandahar airfield. • 3rd October 2006 The Tank assistant team goes through each tank and confirms that they are ready to go. • 10th October 2006 B Squadron advance party arrives at KAF. • November 2006 Most of the Canadian tank squadron have been deployed and have taken over their tanks and start to prepare them for combat operations. Live fire and tactical exercises are completed in and around the Kandahar airfield. • 3rd December 2006 The tank squadron deployed to the forward operating base ( Mas’um Ghar) to conduct operations in support to the Canadian Infantry battle groups. • January 2007 The front sand shields are attached to help cut down on dust washing over the turret while on the move. Rubber matting and sheet metal were used to finish this field modification. • February 2007 The modification for the Thales electric counter measure (ECM) is fitted, just behind the loaders area. A Squadron of the Strathcona’s started to arrive 18th of February for handover. • March 2007 All troop warrant call signs fitted with mine roller attachment adapter. • April 2007 News of the new Leopard 2 A6M fleet coming to the Afghanistan. • May 2007 All Leopards received new radiators while stationed at the FOB (Mas’um Ghar). • June 2007 Starting with call sign 13B the thermal cover and cooling units are starting to be added. Each Leopard was shipped back to Kandahar airfield for refit. • July 2007 Modification for the Saab barracuda crew umbrella fitted to call sign 13A. End of July the last call signs were fitted with thermal covers and cooling units. Crews were wearing cooling suits to keep their body core temperature down in the Leopards. Average temps were in the 50 degrees area, plus inside the turret would be 5/10 degrees warmer. MEXAS plough and Dozer tanks have new armour added to the front area due to frontal threats. • August 2007 New fleet of Leo 2A6M’s start to arrive at KAF. • 10th September 2007 A Squadron of the Strathcona’s start handover with C Squadron Strathcona’s. • October 2007 SAAB Barracuda umbrellas installed on turrets of Leopard 2’s that Canada fielded. At the end of combat operations, all Leopards were brought home, a C2 CFR 78-85139 was the last Canadian Leopard to leave KAF in 2011. • 2008 A mine protection package was added to the bottom of the hull, requiring 72 hours of welding.

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CHAPTER 8 THE LEOPARD C2 IN CANADIAN SERVICE

FURTHER NOTES A Squadron of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) was the only Canadian tank squadron to fight the whole time while deployed from FebSept 2007, complete with only C2 MEXAS. This was also the bitterest fighting of any rotation with the loss of 26 Canadian soldiers from the battle groups. The follow on Canadian Tank Squadron rotations had a mixture of the C2 MEXAS Leopards and Leopard 2s, right up to the end of combat operations in July 2011. All deployed Canadian Leopard tanks and the MEXAS kits were painted over in CARC green, but there were a few hulls that had the NATO three-tone paint. The Leopard 1 after rebuilding to make them into C2s, were first striped down and sprayed with a TAN primer, and then given the anti-slip coating then painted in the CARC green paint. So after some wear and tear you would be able to see the TAN primer underneath. MEXAS kits were also primed in this same Tan primer then CARC painted with white MEXAS kit numbers added to the back panel. Canada bought a total of nineteen complete MEXAS armour kits. Once the combat operations were

Above left: Additional stowage fixed to the turret bustle and the open bin on the hull side, are all details worth modelling in 1:35. Above right: A factory-fresh MEXAS ready for service.

completed in July 2011, the tanks had to be stripped of their MEXAS armour, repaired and returned back to Canada. They then went through another rebuild series that took the tanks apart and repaired them and they received a fresh coat of paint. Once complete they were re issued and put back into service. Now these same Leopards are being repaired and set to disposal and an uncertain future.

TAKOM C2 MEXAS TWEAK LIST NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

Seeing the newly reworked Leopard in its freshly applied layer of CARC paint, is a stark contrast to the dusty, weathered finishes that would typify their service in Afghanistan.

This tweak list is compiled from my firsthand knowledge as a C2 MEXAS crew commander. I commanded all four different types of deployed C2 MEXAS during the hardest fighting any of the Canadian Tank squadrons faced throughout the whole deployment of the tanks in combat operations from late December 2006 until July 2011. On my tour with the combat deployed C2 MEXAS tank squadron from mid-February till mid-September we lost twenty-six Canadians the most of any rotation while conducting combat operations. Now the kit built out of the box, will not represent a true combat deployed version. Here is the tweak list required to update the kit. The kit will represent either the Squadron/ Troop commanders & troop Warrant officers tank. The other C2 MEXAS in the troop of four were mounted with an armoured dozer and track wide mine plough. 1. The MRS (muzzle reference sensor) located on the tip of the barrel is was too small and is the wrong size. The cover should be 50% bigger. 2. The canvas mantlet cover is incorrect for a C2 version, should

have Velcro panels for the maintainers to work on the mantlet. The mantlet sim-fire plate should be 25% larger and add ‘I’ shaped brackets. 3. The Commanders TRP sight cover is small, will need to be 25% larger. The TRP rubber seals require to be spit apart to look like two flat rings. 4. Leopard turret top should have a coat of anti-skid added. 5. The MEXAS armour side panel attachment pads (pucks) are not correct, the bottom rear ones should be tear-drop shaped. The front pads should have additional ladder type brackets. With the MEXAS armour removed you should see the attachment mount that would be fitted to the turret (metal ladder bolted onto the turret side, to swing the armour away from turret for engine maintenance) 6. Top steel plate fitted on top of the MEXAS armour should have a coat of scale anti-skid. 7. Smoke grenade launchers missing chain for caps and launcher wiring. 8. Side bore brush bin and signals wire container on the left rear of the turret right behind the loaders side. Not all C2 MEXAS had them added. 9. The crew commander’s area has the wrong number of episcopes, missing one. Both turret hatches are missing combat lock hinges. 10. The left hand armoured plate that mounts the bore brush and signals wire container, needs to be removed and replaced by the field modified armoured plate to protect the Thales electric counter measures unit. The ECM unit is missing as well. 11. The antenna mounting units (AMUs) are not the correct type, will

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need to be replaced. 12. Missing flag post mounts left and right sides by the AMUs. 13. The GPS antenna mount is wrong and will require to be modified. 14. Rear back bin, will require a coat of scale anti-skid on the top cover. 15. Right rear back bin stowage lid, should have a red air recognition panel attached to it. Standard on all deployed C2 MEXAS. 16. Missing the antenna bag under the back bin (not all had them mounted) 17. Supplied Jerry cans are incorrect shape. 18. The road wheels require back plate, and the hubs are the wrong shape. 19. The drivers armoured cover for the episcopes require the wiper cable. 20. Missing the fording plug posts on left side of upper front hull. 21. Missing headlight cables. 22. The tow cables hull attachment points are way too thick, PE would fix this problem. 23. The rear driver’s toolbox is missing the locking chain and stowage bracket and hinges are incorrect. 24. The rear track adjustor tool mounted on the rear deck to wrong. We operated with a modified type due to the Mexas side armour. This tool was never mounted there on the deployed versions. 25. The gun crutch or travel lock is undersized by 25 %. 26. Tank telephone handle will require to be replaced as they are very noticeably L angled. 27. Will have to drill out gun crutch spare position brackets. 28. Missing rear side skirt half-

Smaller detail changes would find their way onto this standard MEXAS before its time was up on the battlefield.

moon brackets on both sides of the rear hull. 29. Mexas hull armour attachment bolts should be hex bolts, not round. 30. The C6 mount requires a gun travel lock and not all had the MG version. The barrel is missing the barrel handle mount.

Markings

Below left: Fitted with a thermal cover over the turret and dozer blade, this is a fine example of how the MEXAS looked prior to being replaced by the newer 2A6. Note the repositioned lights. Below right: Boom! A Leopard C2 MEXAS lets fly…

The only set of markings on the sheet that are correct are the ones for SHQ. The other marking are for a combat deployed C2 MEXAS. The troop markings were applied in March/April 2007. The markings for 2nd Troop are incorrect for the kit. The rear markings are from my C2 MEXAS which was the Dozer tank, the tool box sticker. The Canadian Forces Registration number just below the toolbox is incorrect, it should read 78-58132. The markings for 3rd troop are incorrect; they never ever had the MEXAS side armour markings. The barrel marking that have the Canadian Forces Registration last

three are and Squadron names incorrect. By the time these C2 MEXAS entered into combat they were crewed by another tank squadron, almost all of these names were erased. The maple leaf decals should have had two different types. There should have been added with another set with the leaves outlined in white. Once again this list will address most questions on building an accurate version of the C2 MEXAS as deployed in combat. To build any particular C2 MEXAS that was deployed you will need to do your research as they all looked different. If more information is required in the way of photos and reference a copy of the Canadian Leopard Project DVD reference set of 2 DVDs full of close to 3,400 photos and word documents that explain a complete working history of the C2 MEXAS as deployed in Afghanistan can be made available from myself. (Anthony Sewards - author of the Canadian Leopard Project).

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT

T

he Modular Expandable Armor System (MEXAS) is a ceramic composite armour developed by the German company IBD Deisenroth Engineering. MEXAS was introduced in 1994 and has been applied on over 20,000 combat vehicles worldwide. The exact composition of MEXAS is secret, but it is known that MEXAS consist of a splinter foil-like specialized Nylon, ceramics (Aluminium oxide), and a backing like kevlar. MEXAS also includes spall-liner. MEXAS is normally not the only protection of a vehicle, it is normally overlaid on rolled homogeneous armour. MEXAS exists in three versions. MEXAS-L (light) offers protection against small-calibre rounds and can also be fitted on soft-skinned vehicles like MAN military trucks. MEXAS-M (medium) protects the vehicle against auto cannon and RPGs with HEAT warheads. MEXAS-H is for use on tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles. MEXAS is used on several vehicles of the German Army including the ATF Dingo, the Panzerhaubitze 2000, Fuchs 1A7 and the Leopard . Vehicles may be fitted with MEXAS prior to deployment on peace-keeping missions. Norwegian M113s and German MAN trucks have been fitted with MEXAS prior to their deployment in KFOR. Some Canadian Leopard 1s have been upgraded with MEXAS. Uparmoured Canadian Leopard 1s have been used in KFOR and as part of the ISAF in Afghanistan.

CANADIAN DESERT CAT Brett Green updates Takom’s 1:35 scale Leopard C2 MEXAS to combat standards using resin, photo-etched and scratch built parts.

TAKOM’S 1:35 LEOPARD C2 MEXAS Takom’s 1:35 scale Leopard C2 MEXAS was released in February 2014. This kit represents the Canadian Leopard C2 after it had received its additional MEXAS armour but before it was actually deployed in Afghanistan. The box is packed with a whopping 1,105 parts, but this includes 710 parts for the individual-link tracks alone. If you subtract these, you are left with a much more manageable 253 parts in tan and green coloured plastic, two parts in clear, five additional plastic parts for an Afghan figure, a length of string and a photo-etched fret with 17 parts.

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The box is packed with a whopping 1,105 parts, but this includes 710 parts for the individual-link tracks alone...

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT The level of detail is generally very good, with crisp detail moulded to the larger parts. Engine deck vents are moulded solid but will look good after painting and weathering. Surface detail is by way of crisply recessed panel lines and raised bolts, rivets, tie downs and more. Generally, the kit appears to be engineered for simple assembly. The only exception to this rule is the tracks. The 710 parts are made up from 350 polythene end caps and 360 black plastic parts for the track pads and guide teeth. In theory, these five-pieces-per-link should be a press fit – no glue required. Moulding quality is very high with no sink marks or ejector pin marks anywhere they will be visible on the finished model. The price for these clean surfaces is large and sometimes inconvenient sprue attachment points. This is compounded by very soft plastic, so you will need to take care to avoid gouging out chunks or damaging sharp edges when removing parts from the sprues and cleaning them up. The main areas of the model are moulded in green plastic, while the MEXAS upgrade parts are supplied on tan sprues. Some parts are simplified including the vision blocks and the road wheels, which do not have any detail at all on the rear faces. They look like wheels from the 1970s in this respect. The package is rounded out with two clear parts for the headlight lenses, a photo-etched fret, a length of string and an Afghan holding up a mobile phone – a dangerous action if ever I’ve seen one!

The individual torsion bars.

No detail on the back of the road wheels.

The finished suspension in the lower hull.

The suspension is fully workable.

Large attachment points for the drive sprockets.

the opportunity to build lots of nice new release models. One of the few curses is lack of time. I shuddered at the thought of assembling the 700+ track pieces so I looked for a faster solution. I checked to see if the well-detailed one-piece flexible tracks from Meng’s recent 1:35 scale Leopard 1A3 / 1A4 kit would fit Takom’s C2 MEXAS. To my utter delight, the tracks fitted the drive sprockets perfectly. As a bonus, the length was perfect too. I therefore traded in a couple of days of tedious track assembly for the five minutes it took to glue and clamp

MENG’s flexible track lengths. There is some margin for error with the fit of the MEXAS armour sections, as the locating points are a bit vague in places. I recommend that all the pieces are glued in place within a short enough time period to adjust the fit before the glue sets. Apart from this, assembly was fast and easy. A little more detail in the instructions would have been helpful here and there, especially around areas such as smoke dischargers and guard rails, but in general the kit was quite impressive.

BASIC ASSEMBLY In general, basic assembly is fast and straightforward. I started with the running gear and its torsion bar suspension. If you are careful with placement of glue, precisely delivering a spot only to the square locating peg, the suspension will remain fully workable. The wheels will rotate thanks to the polythene caps trapped between the halves too. I decided not to add detail to the back faces of the road wheels, as it would be difficult to see under the vehicle when it was sitting on its tracks. One of the blessings of this job is

The tracks were glued and clamped while they set.

Full-length flexible tracks were taken from MENG’s 1:35 scale Leopard 1A3/1A4. Detail is excellent.

Fit around the drive sprockets and the track length was perfect.

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The fit of the MEXAS armour is a bit vague in places, but the sections may be adjusted for a gap-free result.

Hull MEXAS armour pieces were taped while the glue dried.

I added non-slip coating to the turret roof and the top of the rear stowage bins by masking off the areas with Tamiya tape and slopping on Citadel Astrogranite texture paint using an old brush. This thick liquid includes fine and chunky grains. I thought the larger grains looked a bit overscale, but they were easy to remove by firmly running a fingertip over the dry paint. This was a very easy method of applying non-slip texture, and I will certainly use it again.

Some of the sprue attachment points are large and inconvenient. The plastic is very soft too, so take care!

The upper and lower hull parts were clamped while the glue set.

The gun barrel and MEXAS mantlet armour. Fit was a bit vague between these two pieces as well.

COMBAT READY If you want to build a pristine vehicle immediately after the MEXAS upgrade, you will be ready for paint right now. However, I wanted my model to represent one of the Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS tanks operationally deployed in Afghanistan from 2006. For this, I needed to add some details. Legends offer an upgrade set that provides most of the parts that you will need for an operational Leopard C2 MEXAS. This is Item No. LF1273. This was designed to enhance the Legends MEXAS conversion, but I can confirm that all the parts fit this new Takom kit too. Before I added the kit’s MEXAS armour to the turret, the rear panel

The distinctive stowage bins feature nice crisp raised mouldings.

The turret MEXAS armour elements.

Clamps were helpful to keep everything in place here too.

on the port side was cut off with a razor saw. The resulting scar was filled with Milliput White two-part epoxy putty and sanded flat the next day after it had set. The resin parts include an ECM device, three jerry cans and two antenna bases in the correct style, a lower turret stowage bag, a new muzzle and smaller detail parts. The two photo-etched frets contain new front fenders and mudflaps,

jerry can racks, cooling unit, chains for the smoke discharger caps, padlocks and more. Most of these parts are a simple drop fit replacement or addition. There is a bit of tricky folding required for the front mudguards, the cooling unit and the mount for the ECM device, but a few minutes of trial and error for each of these sub-assemblies resulted in good fit. I added a few other details

Turret parts ready for assembly.

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT Kneadatite was also used to make the inspection panels on the mantlet cover.

The kit does not include non-slip surfaces. The turret roof and top of the stowage bins were masked with Tamiya tape in preparation for the new surface texture.

from scratch, including inspection panels and velcro attachments for the mantlet cover; and an Air Identification panel for the top of the stowage bins. These were all formed from Kneadatite YellowGreen Epoxy putty. A length was cut from the strip of putty, then the two colours kneaded enthusiastically until they were a uniform green. The ball of pliable putty was rolled out using a glass jar sprinkled with baby powder to avoid sticking. The resulting thin sheet was then cut to shape and carefully placed on the surface of the model. I wore thin surgical gloves while cutting and placing the impressionable putty to avoid fingerprints. I also attempted to build a new Commander’s visor from sheet plastic to replace the kit’s undersized photo-etched part, but in the end I was not happy with it. Stowed camp beds were scratch built from strips of square and angle profile Evergreen plastic, with Milliput ‘fabric’ rolled around the folded frame assembly.

Citadel Astrogranite texture paint was used for the non-slip texture. It was slathered on with an old brush.

An Air Identification panel was made from Kneadatite two-part yellow-green epoxy putty.

PAINT – ANY COLOUR SO LONG AS IT’S GREEN… A number of reference photos show the roof of these C2 Leopards to be heavily worn. In fact, the paint is often scuffed back to reveal large areas of yellowish primer under the anti-slip coating. This was too tempting to resist. After a coat of Tamiya Grey Primer, I sprayed the top of the turret roof and the stowage bins – basically any surface with non-slip texture – with a generous coat of Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green. Once completely dry, the yellow paint was sprayed with Mig Productions’ Absolute Chipping

Acrylic Solution. This is a substitute for aerosol hairspray that is usually used as a medium for chipping. The thin clear liquid may be tipped straight into the paint cup of the airbrush and applied more precisely than hairspray. To create the distinctive green camouflage, I used Lifecolor’s acrylic Easy 3 4BO Green pack. For nice solid coverage I find that Lifecolor acrylics are best mixed with only 15-20% thinners – a much lower ratio than I would usually use for Tamiya or Gunze acrylics. The paint will look quite thick in the airbrush cup, but it should spray reasonably well, although a few dabs to the

Legends from Korea offer a Leopard C2A1 MEXAS upgrade to operational standards.

Legends’ resin parts.

Two photo-etched frets are also included.

Coming together now.

The turret roof with non-slip texture plus Legends’ resin scopes. The rear port side stowage bin was cut in two with a razor saw to prepare for the new ECM device and its cover.

The rough edges of the cut were filled and smoothed with Milliput two-part epoxy putty.

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Raised rivets were cut from the kit mudguards before the supplemental photo-etched parts were fitted.

tip with a thinners-soaked Q-tip from time to time may be required. Although the set provides paler and darker shades for variation, I simply applied the base shade (labelled ‘4BO Ground Colour’), UA259, as I thought that the dust and worn upper surfaces would offer more than enough interest.

CHIPPING Now it was time to revisit the turret roof, which had been previously prepared with a barrier of Mig Productions’ Absolute Chipping medium between the yellowgreen primer and the dark green camouflage. I used a damp stiff brush to gradually loosen the top coat. Initially, this worked well, revealing spots and flecks of yellow green, helped by the texture of the non-slip coating. Inside a minute though, this gentle rubbing started to peel back larger areas of paint – not the effect I was looking for at all! I suspect that the problem here is the composition of the Lifecolor paint, which almost has a vinyl quality to it. This is fine when the paint is intact – the surface is smooth and tough – but it does not appear to suit chipping. Next time I want to chip a vehicle, I will use a topcoat of Tamiya acrylics instead. In order to make the big chunks of peeled-back paint look a bit more convincing, I tore of a small corner of a kitchen sponge and dabbed first dark green paint over the effected area, then repeated the process with Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green. The sponge was dipped sparingly in the paint and wiped almost dry before this second

Matching lengths of square and angle profile strip were cut using NWSL’s ‘The Chopper’.

The cover for the ECM device, complete with punched plastic rivets.

The resin and photo-etched ECM device. An aerial from copper wire has been added.

These were glued together to represent folding cots, stowed on the side of the turret bins.

round of chipping commenced. In the end, I was reasonably happy with the effect.

UNDERWEAR AND TEAR… Before the dusty fun could begin, I wanted to deliver a lightly weathered finish on the overall olive green paint. First, a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown

was thinned heavily and carefully sprayed in shadow areas and along major panel line. Next, the tracks and tyres were painted with a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger (Black) and Model Colour 70995 German Grey, applied with a medium sized paintbrush. I usually start the paint job with a black coat on the running gear, but I

The photo-etched cooling unit and ECM cover, as well as the new Kneadatite covers have been added to the cot frames. Straps for antenna mounts; all supplied in the Legends upgrade. the resin jerry cans and for the stowage were cut from Tamiya tape.

Legends’ photo-etched fenders, mud flaps and chains for the smoke dischager caps.

Detail on the roof of the turret.

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT dispensed with that stage this time. Even so, painting the tracks was fast and easy. The front track skirts were masked and sprayed with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. The raw Vallejo 4BO Green was quite bright, so I decided to tone it down with SIN Industries (Mig) Filter, P245 Green for Allied Tanks. This lent a subtle shading effect to recessed detail and a very slight uneven finish to larger areas of colour.

The model after a coat of Tamiya Grey Primer straight from the can.

DECALS AND FLAT COAT I bought a set of Echelon Leopard C2A1 MEXAS decals, item no. D356049. The model was selectively sprayed with a couple of coats of Future floor polish over the areas that would be receiving the decals. The decals were then applied, including the barrel ring. They all behaved perfectly under a coat of Solvaset setting solution. As sometimes happens with the combination of a Future undercoat and Solvaset overcoat, a few patches of milky white appeared when the decals had set. These were quickly dealt with by simply spraying another coat of Future floor polish over the top of the effected areas. My flat coat of choice recently has been Alclad II’s Klear Kote. This comes in Gloss, Matte and Flat. This time I wanted a totally lustreless surface so I used Klear Kote Flat. As usual, the liquid was sprayed undiluted for a dead flat finish.

MIG Productions’ Absolute Chipping was sprayed onto the turret roof before the base camouflage coat of Lifecolor acrylic 4BO Green. This was then chipped off with a stiff wet brush.

The effect was supplemented with Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green applied with a sponge. This was followed by sponged 4BO Green.

The mudflaps were masked off and sprayed ‘scale black’ – a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

A 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown was thinned heavily and carefully sprayed in shadow areas and along major panel line.

DUST, ANYONE? One of the defining characteristics of these operational Leopard C2A1 MEXAS tanks is a heavy layer of dust, especially along the sides and rear of the hull. Some vehicles almost look like they are finished in a two-tone tan and green finish, such is the solid layer of fine dust. I started with a very lightly sprayed coat of Tamiya X-21 Flat Base and XF-57 Buff, mixed about 50/50 and heavily thinned with isopropylene alcohol. The Flat Base lightens the colour of the paint and adds a chalky quality to this stage of the finishing. The pale dust base was selectively sanded back, with 4000 grade Micromesh. This was followed by streaks and

Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green was sprayed onto the roof.

The model was selectively sprayed with a couple of coats of Future floor polish over the areas that would be receiving the decals.

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Echelon Leopard C2A1 MEXAS decals, item no. D356049.

light oversprays of heavily thinned XF-57 Buff. The effect was built up gradually, layer upon layer, with occasional sanding here and there. The sandy dust colour was applied more heavily in areas such as the lower track guards, the rear hull and the front of the hull. Next, the rear hull deck was sprinkled with a blend of Mig Pigments - P054 Alkaline Dust and P415 Light European Earth. The same mix was much more sparingly applied to the turret roof and top of the stowage bins. The pigments were fixed with a low-pressure spray of mineral turpentine (enamel thinners). The slurry of pigments on the engine deck was now oversprayed with a translucent coat of Buff. Upon re-examining reference photos, I decided that the dust was too heavy on the turret sides so these were sanded back lightly with 3000 and 4000 grit Micromesh cloths.

Details were brush painted with Vallejo acrylics.

Alclad II Klear Kote Matt was sprayed undiluted for a dead flat finish.

The dust effect started with a very lightly sprayed coat of Tamiya X-21 Flat Base and XF-57 Buff, mixed about 50/50 and heavily thinned with isopropylene alcohol.

This was followed by streaks and light oversprays of heavily thinned XF-57 Buff. The effect was built up gradually, layer upon layer.

The rear hull deck was sprinkled with a blend of Mig Pigments’ P054 Alkaline Dust and P415 Light European Earth and fixed with a lowpressure spray of enamel thinners.

The slurry of pigments on the engine deck was now oversprayed with a translucent coat of Buff.

The wheels and tracks were treated to a stippled application of Easy Mud Item No. 21104 – Pacific Beach (Buff). The dust effect was scrubbed back on the upper turret sides. How to Build... The Leopard Family in 1:35 63

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT YET MORE WEATHERING! The wheels and tracks were treated to a stippled application of Easy Mud Item No. 21104 – Pacific Beach (Buff). The side vents were airbrushed with a thin mix of Tamiya acrylic XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, representing the typical soot and exhaust seen in this area.

GO FIGURE Djiti Productions has recently released a nice 1:35 scale Canadian Tank Crew figure that I thought would lend some further interest and a sense of scale. The figure is supplied in four resin pieces, including separate arms and a head cast with helmet and microphone in place. Casting quality is excellent, and the pose is relaxed and natural. This is an impressive product. Clean-up and assembly was fast, with only a few smears of Tamiya Surfacer needed where the arms meet the torso. The head was not attached at this stage, but both the torso and neck were drilled out to accept a toothpick handle for painting. The head was prepared with Tamiya Fine White Primer (I find that flesh-coloured paints cover better over white); while the body was sprayed with Grey Primer. Both primers were shot straight from the spray can. The face and hands received a base coat of Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh followed by very thin lines applied to the lips and eyes with heavily thinned Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylic 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), which is actually a dark brown shade. The flesh areas next received a wash of Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna

thinned with mineral turpentine. This thin wash settles in low-lying area and also delivers a ruddy tint to the pale acrylic paint. The uniform was always going to be a challenge. The modern Canadian desert uniform is a threecolour digital pattern, with patches of muddy light grey-brown and smaller digital squiggles of dark brown over a base of light sand. It would be impractical to reproduce the tiny digital shapes in this scale (for me, anyway), so I resigned myself to painting approximate patches and squiggles. The base uniform colour is Vallejo Tamiya XF-57 Buff, with dry-brushed Vallejo Model Color 847 Dark Sand over the top. The two uniform mottle colours are Vallejo Panzer Aces 315 Light Mud, followed by smaller areas of 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) lightened with 315 Light Mud. I found a few photos that showed Canadian troops wearing green body armour over their sand-coloured uniforms. The body armour started with a dark mixture of Vallejo Model Colour 70895 Gunship Green and 70995 German Grey, which was highlighted with the straight Gunship Green and finally dry-brushed with a paler shade. The straps were painted Vallejo Panzer Aces 330 Highlight Russ. II Tkcr, with the shoulder mesh painted German Grey. After painting, I thought that the uniform still looked stark and flat, so I decided to add a very thin wash. My choice was Mig Productions P222 Neutral Wash, which is a dirty medium grey-brown colour. I thinned the wash further with mineral turpentine and brushed it onto the pale uniform areas. Before the wash completely dried, I wiped

MENG Model’s 1:35 scale Pickup kit includes some useful accessories.

Three styles of chilly bins are supplied on the accessories sprue.

These bottles will come in handy too.

The painted chilly bin and the cooling unit with its new Kneadatite thermal cover.

The tow cables were taped down and painted with a mix of Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

Smaller parts painted and ready for final assembly.

Periscope lenses were cut from selfadhesive Montex Mask material that had been painted glossy dark blue.

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a fingertip over the high points of the uniform, cleaning off the wash and increasing contrast. The paint job was sealed with a coat of Alclad II Klear Kote Flat. The drink bottle was painted light grey, with the lid and a band around the middle finished in light blue. The body of the bottle was then brushed with several coats of Future Floor Polish tinted with a tiny spot of blue paint.

The Commander figure is from Djiti.

DONE AND DUSTED - ALMOST Reference photos show a number of these Canadian Leopards with blue or red chilly bins strapped to the rear stowage bins. I really liked the look of these, and so began my quest, soon to become my obsession, with finding something similar in 1:35 scale. I eventually found that MENG’s 1:35 scale Pickup truck included a number of chilly bins as accessories. I ordered the Meng kit online and had to cool my heels for a few days until it was delivered. In this lull, I sent some progress photos to Jason Bobrowich, who assisted Takom with research into the kit. Jason mentioned that the cooling units were always fitted with a thermal cover.

Base colours in place. The basic camouflage and uniform colours before final weathering and the flat coat.

The completed Commander. I took some liberties with the uniform pattern in the interests of simplification.

Note the upside-down bottles strapped to the aerial. These were used to hold glow sticks for quick nighttime identification. The selfadhesive periscope lenses may be seen in place here too.

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CHAPTER 9 CANADIAN DESERT CAT The chilly bin and cooling unit in place on the side of the stowage box.

As I now had another couple of days, I decided to correct this error. I managed to pop the cooling unit off the side of the rear stowage box with no significant damage. I then rolled out a thin sheet of Kneadatite two-part epoxy putty and cut off a strip the same width as the cooling unit. This was wrapped around the photo-etched box. A rectangle was then measured and cut for the front face of the unit, and carefully blended into the edges of the Kneadatite that was already in place. Some very subtle texture was added before the box was put aside and allowed to set. Smaller details were now painted and assembled including the hatches, the machine gun and its mount,

The side vents were airbrushed with a thin mix of Tamiya acrylic XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, representing the typical soot and exhaust seen in this area.

The cahracteristic criss-cross arrangement of the tow cables may be seen here.

The Commander figure lends a sense of scale to this large vehicle.

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and the tow cables. Little Lenses 2.5mm lenses were used for the tail lights, while 4mm clear lenses were glued to the headlight housings. A piece of Montex Masking sheet was painted glossy blue and cut up to use for vision block lenses. Finally, the Meng pickup arrived and the cooler box was painted and glued to the top of the cooling unit. Straps were added from thin strips of painted Tamiya masking tape. Accessories included with the MENG Pickup included clear bottles. I strapped two of these bottles upside-down to one of the 0.4mm metal rod antennas. Glow sticks were placed in these bottles for fast nighttime identification.

CONCLUSION

MODEL SPEC

Takom’s 1:35 scale Leopard C2 MEXAS is well detailed and quite straightforward to build. Moulding quality is first class, and you have all you need to build a factory fresh vehicle straight from the box. The tracks do not seem consistent with the philosophy of the rest of the kit, but there are a number of alternatives if you want to avoid the pain of press-fit five-piece links. The addition of the Legends update will bring the kit almost up to full operational specifications, and the parts are of a very high quality. This was an enjoyable project resulting of a very interesting and significant subject.

ACCESSORIES USED Legends Item No. LF1273 – Leopard C2 MEXAS Update Set Djiti Production Item No. 35035 – Canadian Tank Crew Flexible Tracks from Meng Model Item No. TS-007 - Leopard 1 A3/A4 Echelon Fine Details Item No. D356049 – Canadian Leopard C2A1 MEXAS (Part 2) Little Lenses – 3.5mm Clear; 2mm Red TOOLS & MODELLING PRODUCTS USED Kneadatite Blue-Yellow Two-Part Epoxy Putty Evergreen: .060” Angle Strip; .030” x .030” Strip; Plastic Card Kitchen Sponge Copper Wire Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Tamiya Surfacer Gator’s Grip Acrylic Hobby Glue

The contrast between the paint, the dust and the exposed primer is interesting.

PAINTS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS MEXAS Tamiya Spray Cans - Grey Primer; TS-17 Black; TS-34 Camel Yellow; TS-49 Bright Red Citadel Texture – Astrogranite Lifecolor Acrylic Soviet AFV 4BO Green Easy 3 Set. Item No. MS041. UA 259 4BO Ground Colour Tamiya Acrylic Paints – X-21 Flat Base; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-4 Yellow Green; XF-55 Deck Tan; XF-57 Buff; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-85 Rubber Black. Vallejo Panzer Aces – 309 Periscope; 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 337 Highlight Ger. (Black). Future Floor Polish SIN Industries (MIG) Filter – P245 Green for Allied Tanks MIG Productions Absolute Chipping Acrylic Solution AK Interactive: AK 024 Dark Streaking Grime Alclad II Klear Kote Flat Easy Mud Item No. 21104 – Pacific Beach (Buff) MIG Pigments – P054 Alkaline Dust and P415 Light European Earth (50:50 mix) FIGURES Tamiya Spray Cans – Fine White Primer; Grey Primer UNIFORM Base Colour: Tamiya XF-57 Buff Mottles: Vallejo Panzer Aces 315 Light Mud; 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) lightened with 315 Light Mud. Dry Brush: Vallejo Model Color 847 Dark Sand Body Armour: Vallejo Model Colour 70895 Gunship Green; 70995 German Grey Straps: Vallejo Panzer Aces 330 Highlight Russ. II Tkcr Detailing: Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger. (Black). Vallejo Model Colour 70995 German Grey Wash: MIG Productions P222 Neutral Wash FLESH Base Coat: Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh. Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna. Variations and Highlights: 70815 Basic Skin Tone and Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh mix; 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) (mixed); 70995 German Grey.

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CHAPTER 10 IMPROVING THE IMAGE

MENG 1:35 LEOPARD 1A3/4

IMPROVING THE IMAGE Spencer Pollard builds another MEXAS, this time using Real Model’s update set, together with some carefully created, homemade stowage and scratchbuilt details.

B

y now you should have a good idea of what the Takom MEXAS is all about and how you can get the best from the kit, by either building it as it arrived in Afghanistan, or once it had been modified ready for the battlefields of that dusty, wartorn theatre. Brett decided to detail his model with the Legends set, which allowed him to build a vehicle that was quite late into its service career, exhibiting such things as the refrigeration unit fixed to the rear turret bustle and GPS. What if you wanted to carry out similar work, but would like to build a slightly more stripped-back MEXAS, with less of those later modifications? In this feature, I’ll show you how.

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CHAPTER 10 IMPROVING THE IMAGE GETTING STARTED Knowing that if I was going to build an in-service MEXAS, I would need to carry out some additional work, I contacted Anthony Sewards who pointed me in the direction of the Real Model update kit. This comprehensive set would – it was hoped – offer all of the additional details that I would need for my build including crew figures, accessories and smaller details, that would improve the look of the model. Additional work could then be carried out and combined with these off-the-shelf updates, to create a more representative vehicle. The order was placed and I sat back and waited for it to arrive. With the Real Model set to hand, a plan of action was drawn up, the additions and corrections being laid out on a sheet of paper, ready to be dealt with one by one. But first, let’s take a look at the update and see what it offers the modeller. Real Model’s set is a reasonably comprehensive little set that allows the modeller the flexibility of using some or all of it, depending on the vehicle being modelled. Given that almost every MEXAS was slightly different from the one sitting next to it, the inclusion of stowage for the

The completed hull and running gear. To this point, construction is quick and easy.

The engine exhaust vents are reasonable, without being perfect (though infinitely better than MENG’s woeful A4 parts!).

Rather that join the MEXAS panels to the hull individually, they were brought together to form one large sub-assembly thus allowing them to be adjusted for fit, before sliding the whole thing in place.

And here they are fixed to the hull. The fit is almost perfect.

There is no doubt that the look of the turret differs dramatically from a standard Leopard once those panels are in place.

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kit racks, an optional cooling unit to replace the left-hand rack, different antenna mounts, GPS with modified turret armour surround, dust guards for the front of the vehicle, correctly patterned fuel and water jerry cans, smaller items of stowage (tarpaulins, bed rolls, ammo boxes and coolers), together with two crew figures, is more than welcome and offers a huge degree on modelling flexibility. That said, the one item that really needs to be in the kit but isn’t, is a replacement for the undersized commanders TRP sight cover. As mentioned earlier this distinctive piece is too small, needing to be 25% larger overall and so I would have thought that it would have been the first item to be dealt with! Real Model is not alone in omitting this important detail: Legends choose to omit this item as well. So you are left with a choice: either build a new one from scratch (no easy task) or do as we did and use the kit part, ignoring its rather undernourished dimensions. Overall, the detail and casting is very good, little in the way of clean-up being needed. The etched fret is similarly impressive, all of the finer details being captured well, thus adding immeasurably, to the look of the completed model. Given that only a small part of this set

The kit supplies a set of Orochi tracks. These are made up from large styrene links, held together with individual vinyl end-connectors. Initially I thought these would be hard work to assemble, but in the end, proved to be relatively quick and easy.

A detailed view of the Orochi tracks. I will definitely be using these again…

With the Real Model set to hand, a plan of action was drawn up, the additions and corrections being laid out on a sheet of paper, ready to be dealt with one by one... would be used to build the model seen in this feature, here’s a list of the additions and corrections that I carried out, each of these being in keeping with a specific vehicle that I’d examined in both the Abrams Squad magazine and online. As you can see, this is a fairly early vehicle,

lacking many of the more sophisticated upgrades – such as the cooling units and GPS – seen later in the vehicle’s service in Afghanistan. Despite this, it is representative and we feel captures the look of these impressive tanks, their stowage and less than clean finishes!

The anti-slip texture was applied, by mixing together talcum powder with Humbrol enamel and Once in place and still soft, any excess anti-slip was removed from around the details using then thinning the mixture slightly with enamel thinners. This was then ‘painted’ on to the model. a paintbrush dampened with some enamel thinners. Quick and easy.

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The bespoke sand shields came from the Real Model set. These were bent to shape and then any additional pieces fixed in place using low-melt solder. This added strength to the parts, allowing them to be deformed with ease. The headlights were improved by the addition of some lead wire power cables. Note the plastic rod details add to the towing shackles.

The stowed tarpaulins fixed to the racks on the sides of the turret bustle were made from Green Stuff with Magic Sculp straps.

Tools of the trade for anyone wishing The canvass mantlet cover was improved with a Magic Sculp to solder etched-brass pieces: flux, inspection flap. Note also the additional details around the a soldering iron, a paintbrush and smoke dischargers. some low-melt solder.

Here are the materials used to build the stowage: Magic Sculp and Green Stuff – the latter used for its flexible properties once dry and the ability to stretch it out to create very thin sheets.

The rear bustle is covered with additional stowage. The ID flag has not yet been added. The jerry can racks and cans were replaced with resin and photo-etched parts from the Real Model set. The grey beds rolls are also from that set.

Ready to paint – the completed model shows off for the camera. Other that the removal of the wheels and tracks, this model was painted in two, large sections. Close up of the Real Model crew figures.

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The model was first basecoated in several coats of Tamiya NATO Black to help regulate the upper layers of colour.

In order to finish the model, Tamiya paints, thinned with Mr Color Leveling Thinner were used, over an initial layer of Tamiya Surface Primer.

CORRECTIONS AND DETAILS ADDED TURRET

Several layers of colour were sprayed over the model, Tamiya NATO Green and Cockpit Green being the predominant shades used. Carefully applied highlights and shadows helped to bring out the shape of this vehicle, carefully masked panels further accentuating the MEXAS armour and it’s facetted shape. With the green in place and dry, the additional stowage was airbrushed in various khaki and grey shades, the tones being kept in line with those applied to the rest of the model. This is one of the benefits of painting these items in place: you can ensure they look as though they belong rather than looking like an afterthought.

• Built from the box in the main. • Anti-slip added to the upper surfaces of MEXAS, turret roof and rear turret bustle using a mixture of talcum poder and enamel paint. • Inspection cover and Velcro strips added to canvass mantlet cover, added using rolled-out Magic Sculp. • Smoke discharger caps detailed with punched plasticard discs and photo-etched chain from redundant Eduard Gepard set. • New Antenna mounts added from Real Model Set. • Scratchbuilt stowage added to right and left racks, made from brass tubing and rolled-out Magic Sculp and Green Stuff. • Upper surface of bustle decorated with additional tarpaulin and identification panel on right-hand, rear most lid. Both pieces made

An overall layer of Games Workshop Purity Seal preceded a pin wash with Mig Productions’ The tracks were airbrushed with Tamiya Semi Gloss Black and then with a layer of Alclad II Dark Wash. This was applied around all details, panel lines and areas of shadow and then Polished Aluminium. The width of the wheels was then measured and strips of Tamiya masking blended-in with a soft, flat brush, moistened with Mig’s Thinners For Washes and white spirit. tape applied to the inner faces of the tracks, before spraying them with a layer of Tamiya Dark Iron. The result was a set of tracks that exhibited the highly polished look of the originals. How to Build... The Leopard Family in 1:35 73

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Initially, I decided to recreate the worn and dusty paint finish using the ‘hairspray technique’ and Tamiya Khaki, Buff and Deck Tan paints. The results though attractive, didn’t really capture the look of the original machine I was copying. Time for a rethink…

In order to improve the look of the dust the bulk of the ‘painted’ dust layers were oversprayed with Vallejo Flat Vanish and then whilst still wet, stippled with a layer of Mig Productions Pigments, European Earth and Beach Sand. The results were now much more in keeping with the original. Whilst doing this constant referrals to my references were made to ensure the weathering was as accurately portrayed as possible.

One of the problems with using pigments is that they can sometimes look out of scale. To remedy this, the newly applied dust and the panels on which it sat, were carefully sanded to smooth out the finish and force the dirt into the underlying green paintwork. The results of that can be seen here.

Once happy with the dust, the detail was brought back out with a drybrushed layer of Humbrol Matt Black. Though seemingly extreme, when done carefully, this can create a wonderfully natural appearance, the black, blending seamlessly with the surrounding paintwork.

from very thin sheets of Green Stuff. • Jerry can racks and cans on rear wall of turret bustle replaced with Real Model photo-etched and resin details. • Where visible, tie-downs on the bustle were replaced with photoetched details. • Real Model resin stowage fixed in place on rear of bustle, scratchbuilt bungee cords being an added detail (lead wire and miniature springs). • Real Model crew figures used to complete the turret. • Additional small bolts added to MEXAS using the addendum sheet and small bolts supplied in Takom’s kit.

Small scratches were added to the surface of the model with a sharp, coloured pencil.

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Careful painting and weathering brings out the best in the stowed items around the turret. Washes of Raw Umber oils paint and Humbrol enamels, thinned with white spirit added shadows and staining, whereas Vallejo acrylics, heavily thinned and glazed onto each piece, add the highlights and detail. Pigments, fixed in place with Mig Products Pigment Fixer, add the finishing touch.

My chosen vehicle had a very distinctive patch of dirt on the side of the turret so this was copied as closely as possible in terms of both shape and colour. Indeed, all of the weathering on this model was copied from the reference photos, very little imagination coming into play during the weathering stages.

The dust and dirt thrown up on to the partly finished rear hull The dust was built up on the glacis plate and then left to plate, contrast nicely with the anodised silver/grey tow cable. dry. Once so, a cotton bud moistened with white spirit was used to work through the delicate pigment layer to create the stained appearance that you see here.

HULL • Photo-etched dust guards assembled from Real Model parts, each being soldered together, before fixing to the front of hull with superglue. • Power cables added to headlights using lead wire. • Locking handles added to towing brackets on the glacis, made from Evergreen plastic rod. • Round bolts on the MEXAS panels drilled out and replaced with hex-bolts created with a Historex punch & Die and 0.5mm plasticard. • Upper rail of sand skirts detailed with the addition of small bolts. Stowage bins on each side of the hull detailed with reworked hinges and clasps – both from Evergreen plastic strip and rod. • Tow cables replaced with fine, brass, picture hanging wire, annealed to make it more flexible. • Engine deck vent replaced with Real Model etched-brass piece. • Towing shackles detailed with lead wire seen in reference shots to keep clevis pins in place. • Solid handle on top of stowage box replaced with Evergreen plastic strip and rod.

The engine exhausts were sprayed with a very thin layer of Tamiya Flat Black to imitate the soot-stained look of the originals. A dusting with pigments finished this part of the model. Note the distinctive colour of the towing loop, Games Workshop Mithryl Silver mixed with Vallejo Light Grey being used to create this anodised look. The red end to the clevis, adds a splash of colour.

Further staining was applied to the model using Mig’s Dark Wash applied with a paintbrush and then blended in and also with the airbrush to allow the application of very delicate glazes, with ease. Note the difference between the painted dust and the pigments in this shot.

A metallic finish was added to the MG rings around the hatches with graphite powered worked in using a cotton bud. Note the look of the aerials in this shot – both of which were made from lengths of .3mm steel wire – and how careful painting has made them a little more interesting. The red ID patch on the upper turret adds a much-needed splash of colour. This was made from a section of rolled-out Green Stuff airbrushed with Tamiya Flat Red and then weathered with pigments.

Dry pigments were applied to further bulk-out the weathering around the model.

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CHAPTER 10 IMPROVING THE IMAGE Given that Brett and I approached our models differently to create two distinct vehicles, this feature has guided you through the construction and painting steps that I took, in order to complete my MEXAS. Space precluded us from including everything that was carried out, but hopefully you’ve found enough information, both visually and through the use of extended captions to build a similar model yourself. When building this kit, I would suggest picking a real MEXAS, studying as many images of it as you can and then replicating what you see. With only seventeen vehicles seeing action, their details

MODEL SPEC TOOLS AND MODELLING PRODUCTS USED: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape GF9 Super Glue Tamiya Fine Surface Primer Daco Strong Setting Solution

and equipment fit were extremely specific and so I would urge you to try and model as closely as possible the way they looked, both in terms of detail and finish. In this case, I found a few pictures of an early vehicle and then replicated much of the stowage and patterns of weathering that could be seen. At no point was I tempted to simply follow current trends and apply proprietary solutions, powders and the like; I very much wanted the finished model to look like a miniature of a real vehicle, not a model that looked like another model. In terms of markings I chose the Squadron Headquarters Troop MEXAS, which is only one suitable for the kit as supplied. Happy that this was so, it seemed appropriate to use them for relatively stock vehicle, too.

PAINTS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS: Magic Sculp Green Stuff Baby Talc Tamiya Fine Surface Primer XF-1 Flat Black XF-52 Flat Earth XF-49 Khaki XF-67 NATO Green XF-71 Cockpit Green XF-7 Flat Red Gunze Sangyo Mr Color Thinner Humbrol Enamel Thinners 86 Light Olive 150 Forest Green 159 Khaki Drab 33 Matt Black Mig Productions Thinner For Washes 502 Abteilung oil paint, buff, Light Earth, Light Rust, Dark Rust Dark Wash European Earth, Beech Sand pigments AK Interactive Dust Effects Vallejo Flat Varnish Vallejo 169 Black 150 German Camo Black Brown 306 Dark Rubber Vallejo Face Painting Set ACCESSORIES

Real Model Mexas Update Set (RMA35202) Picture hanging wire

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CHAPTER 11 LEOPARD C2 MEXAS IN DETAIL

LEOPARD C2 MEXAS IN DETAIL 1. In order to cut down on the amount of dust thrown up over the front of the vehicle in service, these bespoke dustguards were fitted once in Afghanistan.

Anthony Sewards provides the modeller with plenty of detailed information on this iconic vehicle, from its service in Afghanistan. 1.

2.

2. Turret roof detail. The anti-slip is obvious in this shot as is the appearance of the ingrained dirt. The colour of the hatches is interesting, as is the well stain just in front of the turret bins. 3. The rear of this well-used Leopard reveals some interesting features such as the red primer shackles, black stowage bin and the evidence of rust amongst the layers of dust and dirt.

3.

4. In order to mount the GPS unit, a section of the turret armour was removed and replaced with this field-applied, plate – here seen painted black. 5. GPS unit in detail. This item of kit is included in the Real Model’s set. 6. The smoke dischargers are mounted on the sides of the turret in clusters of four. Though well dealt with in the Takom kit, extra detail, as seen here, would not go amiss. Not the colour and appearance of the anti-slip on the roof of the additional armour. 4.

5.

6.

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7. An interesting little feature that is missing from the Takom kit can be seen here. Plasticard and strip would make short order of this small detail. 8. With the bin missing, its mounting lugs can be seen. This would be a fun addition to the basic kit. Note also in this shot the stowed ammunition container and coolbox, strapped to the turret – again, both of which are found in Real Model’s update set.

7.

8.

9.

10.

9. There is a large slab of MEXAS armour fitted to the glacis plate of the C2 – here’s what that area looks like with the armour removed… 10. The wheels take a hammering in service! 11. Later MEXAS’ were fitted with a cooling thermal blanket and refrigeration unit to keep the crew comfortable. Here, you can see the turret covered in one of those blankets, the refrigerator being fixed to the left-hand wall of the turret bustle. Though also seen on the hull, that area does not seem to have been covered in this case. Note the lessthan-fine look of the aerials. 12. Rear exhaust detail. Note the look of the side skirts, the missing bin and the odd, red-oxide colours seen in this shot.

11.

13.

12.

14.

13. Another change that could be made to the basic kit is to removed one of the large armoured panels, as seen here. 14. As with the wheels, the tracks come back looking much the worse for wear!

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APPENDIX

KITS AND ACCESSORIES

W

ith the upswing in interest in the Leopard in miniature, the modelling world has been quick to offer all manner of accessories to help you improve your builds… When we started to plan this book we contacted Michael Shackleton who many of you will know, is something of an expert on all things Leopard. During our discussions he kindly offered us a complete list of products that had been compiled for his ‘Leopard Club’ website, so that we could reproduce it here. As a result of this amazing offer, we are in Michael’s debt, as the sheer depth of information and the exhaustive nature of the list, is simply something that we would not have had the time, of resources to do ourselves! For anyone building the Leopard, I would wholeheartedly recommend

a visit to the ‘Leopard Club’ website at http://leopardclub.ca/

LEOPARD 1 • Tamiya 35064 • Revell 3017 LEOPARD 1A1/A2 • Heller 81125 • Italeri 374 LEOPARD 1A3 • Meng Model TS-007 • Nichimo 3533

Within its many pages you will find a whole raft of information, builds, links, photo galleries, reviews and online resources, as well as a shop from which many of the products listed here, can be bought. It is in every sense, a onestop-shop for fans of the Leopard! My thanks go out to Michael for helping out with this list and with the book in general. Thank you!

CONVERSIONS AND UPGRADES ALL VERSIONS • ET Models ER25-027 - NATO Aerial Mounts • Leopard Workshop LW005 - Leopard 1 mantlet plugs • Perfect Scale Modellbau PE005 - tool clamps and brackets • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35113 - PZB 200 LLTV • Perfect Scale Modellbau PE006 - cooling air intake grill and screen • Voyager PEA327 - Modern German AFV antenna bases BATCH 1 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35106 - A complete cast resin, photo-etch and copper cable conversion set designed for use with any Italeri or Revell Leopard 1 kit • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35107 - A complete cast resin turret and main gun designed for use with the Italeri/Revell Leopard 1 hull 1A1A1 • Peddinghaus EPHS 293 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35111 1A2 • Centro Ricerche Storiche (CRS) Art.02/35 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35073 1A3 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35020 - Resin replacement turret intended to be used with the Italeri 1A4 kit. 1A3/ 1A4 • Mouse House MA149 - Corrected lower turret for the Italeri Leopard 1A4 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35119 - A cast resin and

http://leopardclub.ca/

photo-etch detail set designed for use with the Meng 1A3/A4 • Voyager PE35631 (1A3) or PE35636 (1A4) - An extensive multi-media detail set designed for use with the Meng 1A3/A4 1A2/1A5 • Italian Kits IKA35005 (see below for the Leopard update set) - A cast resin update set for the Italeri and Revell kits contents include: Oval range-finder heads, Hydraulic bump stops, Smaller diameter idler wheels, A5 commander's episcopes, Detailed road wheels, Turret lifting bollards LEOPARD 1A5 • Maple Leaf Models MLM1014 - OOP - Leopard 1A5 turret parts • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35112 - A cast resin and photo etch set representing a production 1A5 turret C2 MEXAS • Voyager PE35652 - An extensive multi-media detail set designed for use with the Takom C2 MEXAS. LEOPARD 1 BASED VEHICLES FLAKPANZER GEPARD • Tamiya 35099 • Heller BERGEPANZER / LEOPARD ARV • Bergepanzer 2A2 - Elite 3510 • Bergepanzer 2 with interior - Perfect Scale Modellbau 35026 • Bergepanzer 2A2 with interior - Perfect Scale Modellbau 35102 • Bergepanzer 2A2 - Perfect Scale Modellbau 35103

LEOPARD 1A4 • Italeri 224 - also released as Revell H-2126 in Germany • MBK Models MBK35224 • Meng Model TS-007 • Tamiya 35112 • Academy 1312/TA028 • Heller 81136 (new edition kit number) LEOPARD 1A5 • Revell 3028 • Italeri 6481 • Takom #2004 - Leopard 1A5 / C2 2 in 1 LEOPARD C2 • Takom #2004 - Leopard 1A5 / C2 2 in 1 • Takom #2003 - Leopard C2 MEXAS

PIONIERPANZER / LEOPARD AEV • Pionierpanzer 2 Dachs - Elite 3508 • Leopard 1 AEV with interior - Perfect Scale Modellbau 35117 • Leopard 1 AEV - Perfect Scale Modellbau 35121 • Brückenpanzer/Panzerschnellbrücke Biber/Leopard AVLB - Elite 3518 • Fahrschulpanzer/Driver training tank MULTI-NATIONAL LEOPARDS - AUSTRALIA AS1 CONVERSIONS • Armour Bits AB01 (available through Mouse House Enterprises) • Aussie Armour 355 (available through Mouse House Enterprises) • Mouse House Enterprises, MA101 - Leopard AS1 circa 2007 conversion (designed for use with the Italeri or Tamiya 1A4) • Mouse House Enterprises, MA116 • Mouse House Enterprises, MA117 • Mouse House Enterprises, MA120 - Leopard AS1 conversion for the Meng Leopard 1A3/1A4 • Mouse House Enterprises, MA121 • Mouse House Enterprises, MA122 - Australian produced L7A3 105mm gun • Mouse House Enterprises, MA122 - Hydraulic dampers AUSTRALIAN CAMO PAINT • Mouse House MAP05 - OzCam 3 pack/DPP Camouflage Pack - A set of enamel paints in 14 ml tins matched to authentic Australian Military colours. The set consists of one tin of each of the following colours: Olive Drab lusterless (available separately as MAP01), Brown FS30219 (MAP02), Black FS37038 (MAP02) - The instructions include camo patterns for Leopards, Abrams and ASLAV vehicles in Australian service

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CANADA C1 • Maple Leaf Models MLM1006 - Leopard C1 early conversion (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1022 - Leopard C1 late conversion (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1026 - Leopard C1 late update (OOP) • Trackjam Models TJM001 - Leopard C1 early (OOP) • Real Models 35210 C1 MEXAS • Maple Leaf Models MLM1027 - C1 MEXAS conversion (OOP) C1 GENERIC • Maple Leaf Models MLM1025 - Leopard C1 (Late) Turret Bustle bin (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1017 - Leopard C1 lower turret parts (OOP) C2 • Maple Leaf Models MLM1010 - Leopard C2 Conversion (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1014 - OOP • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35114 C2 MEXAS • Legend Productions LF1272 - C2 MEXAS conversion • Legend Productions LF1273 - C2 MEXAS update set • Legend Productions LF1285 - C2 MEXAS • Legend Productions LF1284 • Maple Leaf Models MLM1031 - Leopard C2 MEXAS up-armour kit (OOP) • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35115 - Leopard C2 MEXAS (as used in Afghanistan) • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35116 - Leopard C2 MEXAS with thermal cover (as used in Afghanistan) • Real Models RMA 35202 - PE detail set for Leopard C2 MEXAS • Real Models RMA 35269 TAKOM C2 MEXAS • Trackjam Models TJM-003 - This set includes a complete turret so it may be used with any Revell or Italeri Leopard 1 kit ALL CANADIAN LEOPARDS • Maple Leaf Models MLM1023 - modern Canadian jerry can racks (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM2001 - modern plastic fuel cans (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM2002 - modern plastic water cans (OOP) DENMARK • Accurate Armour C072 - 1A5DK conversion set • Legend Productions LF1282 - 1A5DK SFOR conversion set Legend Productions LF1283- 1A5DK UN Conversion set, designed for use with the Meng 1A3/A4 (TS-007) SUSPENSION UPGRADE • Suspension upgrades were applied to late Canadian C1 (and C2), Italian 1A5IT and Belgian 1A5BE Leopards. • Centro Ricerche Storiche (CRS) Art.03/35 PHOTO-ETCH ABER • German clasps and clamps - 35A93 • Net with interlaced mesh 0.5 x 0.5 mm S19

ALLIANCE MODELWORKS • LW35046 German late WWII tool EDUARD • Leopard 1A4 (Tamiya) 35084 (OOP) • Leopard 1A2 (Italeri) 35338 • Leopard 1A4 (Tamiya) 35753 • Leopard 1A4 Zoom (Tamiya) TP075 • Leopard 1A5 (Italeri) 36159 • Flakpanzer Gepard (Tamiya) 35654 ET MODEL • E35-207 - Leopard 1A3/A4 (Meng) INSIDE THE ARMOUR • 35071 - Modern German Tool Clamps PERFECT SCALE MODELLBAU • Leopard 1 engine grill PE002 VOYAGER • Leopard 1 engine grill AP024 • Modern German clamps and clasps - AP036 Leopard 1A3 or 1A4 (for Meng TS-007), PE35631 (1A3) or PE35636 (1A4)

ROAD WHEELS The Tamiya road wheels are too small in diameter while the Italeri/Revell wheels have little grooves and under-sized bolts. • Accurate Armour A068 • Leopard Workshop LW001 • Maple Leaf Models MLM1013 - worn Leopard 1 road wheels (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1024 (OOP) • Maple Leaf Models MLM1035 (OOP) • Mouse House Enterprises MA142 • Mouse House Enterprises MA143 • Mouse House Enterprises MA144 • Perfect Scale Models 35036 ACCESSORIES AMMUNITION • Peddinghaus # 120 DOZER BLADE • Mouse Armour MA119 MINE ROLLERS • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35069 - Leopard 1 and 2 mine rollers

TOW CABLES • Eureka XXL -ER-3507 • Karaya - TCR05 • Minimeca - 3520 • MR Modellbau - MR-50022

ENGINE/POWER-PACK • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35025 - Leopard 1 powerpack and engine compartment • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35104 - Leopard 1 powerpack • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35105 - Leopard 1 engine bay • Real Models RMA3504

SMOKE DISCHARGERS (WEGMANN 76 MM MBGD) • ET Models ER35-028 • Lion Roar LAM038 - modern German smoke dischargers • MR Modellbau - MR-35209 • Orange Hobby G35-108 • Voyager - ME-A016

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES • Mouse House MA146 - towing A-frame • Bundeswehr tool set - MR Modellbau MR-35105 • Bundeswehr accessories No. 1 - MR Modellbau MR-35106 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35120 - Hofman device (main gun training simulator).

TRACKS • Elite 35H01 (also released as HKCW TL-3501) • Fruilmodel ATL-141 • MENG SPS-016 • Orochi PF-003 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35037 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35024 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35109 • Spade Ace Models SAT-35181 • Spade Ace Models SAT-35181S GUNS MAIN GUN WITHOUT THERMAL COVER • Accurate Armour B35009 • Model Point 3558 • RB 35B100 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35108 • Tamiya MAIN GUN WITH THERMAL COVER • Model Point 3558-1 • Orange Hobby G35-138 • Perfect Scale Modellbau 35021 • Voyager VBS0182 • Voyager VBS0186

DECALS AND MARKINGS AUSTRALIA • Austencil (available from Mouse House Enterprises) • Mouse Armour Decals - MAD 606 CANADA • Archer Fine Transfers AR35118B • Echelon Fine Details D356006 - Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS markings • Echelon Fine Details D356049 - Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS - Part 2 - LdSH(RC) A Sqdn, 1st troop • Echelon Fine Details D356050 - Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS - Part 3 - LdSH(RC) A Sqdn, 2nd troop • Echelon Fine Details D356051 - Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS - Part 4 - LdSH(RC) A Sqdn, 3rd troop DENMARK • Leopard Workshop LW003SFOR • Leopard Workshop LW003UN - markings for the Danish Leopard 1A5DK in service with UNPROFOR GERMANY • Truckline - several generic sheets GREECE • LM Decals LM 35011- markings for the Leopard 1 in Hellenic Army Service

GPMG AND MOUNT • Maple Leaf Models MLM1015 - OOP

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FINAL THOUGHTS…

FINAL THOUGHTS…

L

ast year when I began the first of what would be four Leopards, there was really no plan at all to build any more, I was simply happy to be finally building a model that had been a dream for more years than I cared to remember! Now, one year and four models on, I have a collection and time to ponder on what to do next. There will of course be other Leopards to complete. For instance, I’m very keen to build and paint the reissued Italeri kit; it will be interesting to see how this ancient kit will look under a finish similar to those applied to my other Leopards and though I know it will not be as detailed, it should still result in a fine model that I can display alongside the other four. Which I guess leads me onto other possible collections based on single subjects… During the mid Eighties, Tamiya released a number of modern vehicles, almost all of which I built, sometimes more than once. Amongst these kits were the Abrams, Bradley, Challenger, Sgt. York, Merkava and various smaller vehicles such as the M151 MUTT. Over the years I’ve collected almost all of these kits, either thanks to Tamiya’s reissue policy, or through various kit swaps and second-hand dealers. What this has allowed me to do is plan for a collection of models based on older kits that are perhaps of little interest to an insatiable market, keen to buy the latest hyper-kit. The idea here is to see, much like the Italeri Leopard, how these older tools would look once painted, weathered and perhaps detailed using state of the art tools and techniques. A number of the moulds for these kits - such as the M1 Abrams and M3 Bradley CFV – were altered for later releases and as such, will never be released, so their value as projects is raised as a result – after all, kits are there to be built, aren’t they?! The reworking of the moulds of course allows a collection of different machines from the same basic kit. For instance, Tamiya’s M1 Abrams spawned the M1A1, then the M1A1 with mine-plough, M1A2

and finally M1A2 TUSK – that’s five models, from one basic kit. Add to that the Dragon kits, M1A1, M1 Panther and the ancient ESCI kit of the 105mm armed M1 and you have a similar collection to the Leopards seen here. Maybe you don’t want to build a gun-tank, what about the Bradley? Tamiya first released the M3 CFV, then the M2 IFV with interior, M2A2 IFV and then M2A2 ODS. This year, MENG have released a brand-new M2A3 with BUSK (full interior) and M3A3 (without interior) with the promise of another from Orochi, again an M3A3. Another seven kits: another collection of models in 1:35. Today, it is easier than ever to build families of vehicles in 1:35, using both old and new kits. Though counter-intuitive, I feel that the use of both helps maintain a level of creativity and originality that is perhaps not possible when only state-of-the art products are used. Tackling a set of parts created thirty years ago and then adding detail, figures and accessories that you have brought together allows the completion of a kit that is unique to you, rather than being a facsimile of something built by another modeller. In this book, the kits have crossed many different levels of skill, but they all share one thing in common: they are reflections of the modeller’s personality. Each individual Leopard says much about the approach of the artists involved, illustrating their approach to the hobby and the models that they complete as a result. They are original, memorable and inspirational in equal measure. Should I decide to tackle another collection, it will follow a similar path to this one, utilising a number of different kits that allow the greatest degree of construction, detailing and painting fun as possible, because that’s why we all do this in the first place! I may not have decided what I will build next, but one thing’s for sure, I won’t be leaving it thirty years before I get started – there’s just too much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it all! Perhaps I should simply get started as soon as possible? Hmm… Where’s that Abrams?

Built almost fifteen years ago, “Nose Dive” shows what is possible from one of Tamiya’s older Abrams kits, in this case the M1A1.

Maybe it’s time to build that ancient Tamiya M1 Abrams?

The evolution of a 1:35 kit: Tamiya’s Abrams from M1 to TUSK…

82 Final Thoughts

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The ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series

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Given that we can now build virtually any member of this family, it seemed like a good time to bring together some cool features to show you the modeller, how to build up a small collection using readily available kits and accessories...

The Leopard Family in 1:35 If ever a family of vehicles deserves to be looked at in miniature, it is the Leopard and it’s many offspring. Classic in design and bestowed with the kind of character and detail often missing from more modern, Heath Robinson designs, the Leopard is the ultimate example of form and function on the battlefield. This new book will introduce you to seven individual models that reflect the use and development of this vehicle from the earlier Leopard 1, through specialist recovery vehicles, the reworked Leopard II and finally its use by the Canadian forces on the battlefields of Afghanistan. In so doing, you will find a whole raft of hints and tips, assembly, painting, weathering and detailing, all of which can be combined to create your own family of models, either as found within this book, or from your own personal collections. This is the Leopard family in 1:35 – we hope you enjoy their company!

Published by: ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX Telephone: 44 (0) 1525 222573 • Fax: 44 (0) 1525 222574 Website: www.adhpublishing.com

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