RC Tanks Australia Forum

I'm pleased with the result after the filters are on, It has just the look I was looking for.

Loaders MG is now painted and on. I will definitely be building a new ammo box for this one. Open can with a belt (my usual) I think. might get that done today if I can, but a bit more weathering to be done today ready for a new tank meet we have in the south east of England tomorrow.





The first pic also shows the anti slip texture well too.

Paul

The more I looked at the Loaders MG the less I liked the ammo box, so I decided to go ahead and make a new one. This is scratch built from .5mm thick plasticard. The pics are of the test fit before painting, and the ammo can and belt are still loose at this stage. I had some of the AFV Brass ammo belt, so I tried that this time instead of my more usual ammo belt supply from AFV magazine. Very good product, and relatively easy to work with, but I would still recommend the AFM magazine one as the best ammo belt for MGs.





Paul

So nearly finished. I still have the periscope lenses to put in place, but this is how this one will be going to Tunbridge Wells tomorrow.

MG has been painted and fitted. Aerials made from Guitar strings added. Some light over all weathering using the "mud" colour from the Tamiya weather master compact "A". This was applied more heavily towards the bottom of the tank getting lighter as I worked up the vehicle. I applied extra to the skirts to represent earth and dust kicked up whilst off road etc...

The exhausts were completed using a combination of Rust and soot colours from the "B" compact, and Orange rust from the "C" compact. The rust colour was applied liberally to the exhaust and a little way around, referring to pics to see the limits of the exhaust colours. a few hi lights of Orange rust colour were than added, and then the soot colour was added. A few small dabs of orange rust were added after the soot to preserve highlights.

Gun metal and Silver colours from Compact "C" where used for hi lights on weapons, and to provide some subtle wear on some corners etc. This will I think be all the weather ing I will apply. This is the look I was hoping to achieve, and I think it is really easy to over do things.












Paul

So no peace for the wicked as they say, so on to the periscope and sight lenses

I wanted the iridium coated effect that I did for my Abrams, but with a little more subdued look to the lenses which the Challenger seems to have.

I used the same red foil wrapping paper that I did before, but this time I put a thin layer of Mig Crystal light blue clear on the red foil surface of the paper.

Painted on the left, unpainted on the right.



I then cut .5mm clear plasticard to the correct sizes to fit the periscopes.

For the drivers periscope and the commanders independent panoramic sight I backed the clear plasticard with the foil paper just using the bare minimum of white PVA glue on the edges. These assemblies were then glued in place using a blob of PVA glue on each side to hold them in place.

This is the drivers periscope.



The periscope lenses around the commanders cupola slope in towards the centre of the cupola at the bottom. H/L have very helpfully moulded this angle into the cupola periscopes, so I tackled these slightly differently. First I cut a strip of the foil paper to the correct width for the cupola periscopes (10mm). Next I cut and pasted a piece of the paper into each aperture using the mould angle at the back of each periscope. I then repeated this process with the clear plasticard but inserting then with out any glue, and then secured the two pieces together with a blob of PVA at the bottom.



So the periscopes are now all done. Here are some pics of the lenses in place.





When the glue has dried I will resemble the tank and tank some pics of the finished article. Keep watching though as I will be posting the details of painting the commander figure I have.

Paul

The Challenger is now back together, Here are some pics with its new optics fitted.






This morning I also added the bottom of the frame and wipers for the drivers periscope.



I also found at the SEAG meet that the stubby aerial at the back gets in the way of the barrel when traversing the turret. So now it will fold flat like the original does.




Paul

I realised today that I had not touched the inside of the hatches. The Loaders hatch as some moulded in detail which I decided to just paint without adding anything. The commanders hatch has no detail at all, so first job was to make up the padding in the hatch lid. I did this using .5mm thick plasticard. I cut out the shape and smoothed the edges to look more like the padding, I also roughed up the surface a little with a file again to help this look more like the padding. In all the Challengers I could find these pads are a lighter shade of green, so for both hatches the pads where then painted using Tamiya NATO green.



Next hatch handles, grab strap and other furniture for the Commanders hatch were fashioned from plasticard, masking tape and some white metal nuts and bolts I had lying around. These were then added to the hatch. The grab strap was painted with Tamiya Khaki Drab before fitting.



The details on both hatches where then painted in again using Tamiya colours. On most Challengers the hatch handles seem to be either black or red, but on the tank I am modelling they are white.



I then added a filter using the same Mig brown for dark green filter that I used on the rest of the tank. I also added some scrapes and wear using Gun metal and silver from the "C" Tamiya weather master compact.



Lastly the hatches had a light dusting of Mud from the "A" compact from weather master series. This just blends the final look and adds a little more grubbiness.



Everything was then sealed with an quick shot of Tamiya flat clear.

It is not in these pics but I also added the vertical handle to the left of the loaders MG mount which is used to assist in turning the top of the hatch.

I also added the black and white strip pattern to the rear of the hull above the towing eye, which I assume is for keeping distance in convoy. I also added the white on green cross on the first add kit. I looked everywhere to get one of these but could not find one the right size. In the end I printed a picture of the rear of the real tank on foto paper and cut out the cross which came out about the right size. These were weathered in using weather master colours, and sealed with Tamiya flat clear.



Paul

Started on the figure for this one today.

This is the Fox commander from AFV. Reasonable crisp casting, but does need a little more cleaning up than usual.

Here are the parts straight from the box.



I have done a general clean up on the parts and established the position I want the arms in. The head is loose still for painting, I will mount it on a toothpick to make painting easier. This pic is a test fit in the tank, some filling is needed before waiting begins.



Paul

Filler is now applied, and the body has had a base coat of Tamiya Wooden Deck Tan. I will be attempting to achieve the look of MTP camo on this figure.

The head has a coat of flat white applied as a base for the underpainting, and the pupils of the eyes have also been painted.



Paul

The head has now had the underpainting done in NATO brown this time, and the uniform has the second colour added. The light green is a 50/50 mix of wooden deck tan and NATO green.




Paul

Flesh tones are added. The 3rd camo colour has gone on which is JGSDF brown, and the shemagh scarf has a base of olive green. A few other details added too.




Paul