Stokesy's 1/35 Tamiya Desertized Challenger 2 MBT

[Stokesy44]

I fancied the SIG and had several kits in the stash that fit the bill.



Here's the blurb

The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MOD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems (now known as BAE Systems Land & Armaments).

Vickers Defence Systems began to develop a successor to the Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. The Ministry of Defence ordered a prototype in December 1988. In June 1991, the MoD placed an order for 140 vehicles, with a further 268 ordered in 1994. Production began in 1993 and the unit's tanks were delivered in July 1994, replacing the Challenger 1. After a production delay, the tank entered service with the British Army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002. The Challenger 2 was also exported to Oman.

The Challenger 2 is an extensive redesign of the Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive components seem similar, they are of a newer design than for the Challenger 1 and only around 3% of components are interchangeable. A visual recognition feature is the armoured housing for the TOGS thermal gunsight: the Challenger 2 has this above the gun barrel, the Challenger 1 has it at the right hand side of the turret. The tank has a 550 km range and maximum road speed of 59 km/h.

The Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120-millimetre (4.7 in) 55-calibre long L30A1 tank gun, the successor to the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Unique among NATO main battle tank armament, the L30A1 is rifled, because the British Army continues to place a premium on the use of high-explosive squash head (HESH) rounds in addition to armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot rounds. The Challenger 2 is also armed with a L94A1 EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun and a 7.62 mm L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun. Fifty main armament rounds and 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition are carried.

The Challenger 2 has a four-man crew. The turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham armour (also known as Dorchester). To date, the only time the tank has been destroyed during operations was by another Challenger 2 in a "blue on blue" (friendly fire) incident at Basra in 2003 when the destroyed tank had its hatch open at the time of the incident.

It has seen operational service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.

AND a brilliant bit of trivia - Challenger 2 contains a boiling vessel (BV) for water, which can be used to brew tea, ramen or produce other hot beverages and heat boil-in-the-bag meals contained in field ration packs. This BV requirement is general for armoured vehicles of the British Armed Forces, and is unique to the armed forces of the UK and India.

So here's the kit, its a slightly older Tamiya kit but still looks a beauty.



Lots of plastic and nicely packaged. Feel at home in Tamiya's warm embrace already



Polycaps, bit of rope, decals, optics and the usual user-friendly Tamiya instructions.



Build starts tomorrow

[DBMiller]

Another eager beaver! Nice tank, too.

[BigWall]

[RangerNeil]

AND a brilliant bit of trivia - Challenger 2 contains a boiling vessel (BV) for water, which can be used to brew tea, ramen or produce other hot beverages and heat boil-in-the-bag meals contained in field ration packs. This BV requirement is general for armoured vehicles of the British Armed Forces, and is unique to the armed forces of the UK and India.

To supplement the trivia any 24v vehicle can carry a BV - including FFR Landrovers provided there was space and you bribed the REME LAD unit with beer tokens to wire a socket and relay into the vehicle AND you can beg, borrow or (more likely) take an unauthorised loan.
In my day Cheiftains, FV43x, Saladin, Saracen, Stalwart, Ferret, CVR(W), CVR(T) and CTRE's carried them as issued kit. But I saw them in 24v FFR's and Mk1 Militants.
And they didn't just boil water - you can fry bacon and eggs in the pan and cook a mean range stew whilst in transit....
I have the updated RAK15 model in my FFR - the low voltage relay is now in the BV so you can just plug it into the banana socket!

[digger303]

A mean looking tank and a great subject.

[Quax]

It's a great kit, you'll enjoy making it
Good luck

Paul

[Kevthemodeller]

Oh yes

[KungFuDrew]

Nice! I built this a few years ago and even though it's an older kit it still makes a damn fine model.

[Stokesy44]

It's a great kit, you'll enjoy making it
Good luck

Paul

Nice! I built this a few years ago and even though it's an older kit it still makes a damn fine model.

Its a 2004 rebox of an earlier tooling. Scalemates is a bit sketchy on the original issue but no bother, the running gear went on with no issues. Rubber tracks which look perfectly serviceable too.

With the desert side armor and skirts on the tracks are barely visible so I may leave them on and paint them in place.

Typical Tamiya, polycaps to retain the road wheels, simple bathtub style hull, all very easy.

[digger303]

Almost half way...

[Stokesy44]

Almost half way...

I wish, it gets quite busy once I start on the rear plate. There's load of detail which is great for a kit of this age.

[Kevthemodeller]

Typical Tamiya, polycaps to retain the road wheels, simple bathtub style hull, all very easy.

That what I love about Tamiya, they don't fight you and suck the mojo away

[Tomcat64]

That's off to a great start mate - all typical Tamiya even on their older kits.

Looking forward to seeing you beat it up!

AND a brilliant bit of trivia - Challenger 2 contains a boiling vessel (BV) for water

I mentioned this to Stokesy offline but for everyone else I feel honour bound to admit that I first read "boiling vessel" as "boiling weasel" - I thought it was some kind of countermeasures suite I hadn't heard of I've obviously been sniffing too much TET!

[Stokesy44]

Got a bit more done on the rear panel today. Its nice and busy with all the detail bits added







Upper hull goes on next. Its a cracking kit to work on. Detail is nice and crisp, fit is great. Just what uou would expect from an older Tamiya.

[aur0ra145]

Wow, that's a great looking kit!

[Tomcat64]

Lovely clean build as always mate

Looking forward to seeing it develop top-side

[Stokesy44]

Wow, that's a great looking kit!

Cheers, for its age and price its a beauty

Lovely clean build as always mate

Looking forward to seeing it develop top-side

As you wish.....

The upper hull fits like a glove courtesy of 2 polycaps at the front and a kind of latch at the back.





Once the hull is on it has to be glued down because the reactive armour section on the front wraps around the upper and lower hulls. Side skirts done, greeblies are mostly done. Headlamps and tow cables left.

Reactive armour and skirts attached. The detail is stunning and should look great when painted.





Exhaust system, stowage boxes and gun travel lock added







So just a couple of bits left then its on to the turret, and that big honking gun

[BigWall]

It's lookin sweet!

[Stokesy44]

It's lookin sweet!

Thanks mate.

Started work on the turret. Its an amazing shape, all angles and slopes. It comes in 5 pieces, lower, upper, sides and rear. They go together nicely and with a bit of filler the turret looks nice and solid. Its a big so and so too!









A little filler to cover the joins in the panels. Some of the joins are supposed to be there so I was careful not to sand out a join that needed to be there.



Still quite a lot to do on the turret top. Both hatches, range finder, MG mount and assorted greeblies still to do.



For a tank, its quite a looker







I like the look of the gun. I have no idea what all the wrap around stuff is for but it makes the barrel look nice and busy.



More work scheduled for tomorrow

[ElCapitan]

This is looking great. I have one on the shelf of doom just sitting waiting to be painted. Can't remember if I did a build thread for it, come to think of it....

What paint are you planning to use? I think the call-out is for a rattle can colour.

[digger303]

Looks good as usual.

[Stokesy44]

This is looking great. I have one on the shelf of doom just sitting waiting to be painted. Can't remember if I did a build thread for it, come to think of it....

What paint are you planning to use? I think the call-out is for a rattle can colour.

Hi Rob, I think either Tamiya Desert Yellow or their Dark Yellow. If the colour looks a bit off I'll mist some yellow or buff onto it depending on what's needed.

[Kevthemodeller]

Now comes the best bit, painting and weathering

[Tomcat64]

That's come together really nicely mate - it's definitely an impressive looking piece of kit from any angle

[BigWall]

Very nice build up. My popcorn is ready for the painting process.

[Stokesy44]

Very nice build up. My popcorn is ready for the painting process.

Cheers, You'll have to hold on a wee bit longer.

Got the turret and crew finished











Its still going together like a Tamiya kit should. I got a really nice vibe when I looked at the box at the end of the session today. Virtually nothing left on the sprues - nothing wasted. Thanks Tamiya



Just the tow cables left and then its painting time

[Garion77]

that went well and fast together ! Have some catching up to do for the GB !

[Tomcat64]

Nice work mate - all very clean & tidy

Love the way the figures give a sense of scale too

[aur0ra145]

Wow, that went together fast. Looks great!

[digger303]

ripper stuff cobber

[Stokesy44]

that went well and fast together ! Have some catching up to do for the GB !

Nice work mate - all very clean & tidy

Love the way the figures give a sense of scale too

Wow, that went together fast. Looks great!

ripper stuff cobber

Thanks Gents.

Apologies for not posting for a few weeks. Only minor work carried out at the bench due to life circs and a bit of mojo 'meh'. Still, its all good.

The only thing of note I've done is add the CIPs (combat ID panels) to the frontal armor panels either side of the turret. Tamiya provide a beautiful thin sheet of plastic and a template to use within the paper instructions. After careful cutting and some minor fettling I applied them to the turret then got on with getting ready for painting.

I used Microscale Krystal Clear to cover all the viewing ports, aiming system lenses and lights then got down to priming. I used Ultimate Grey Primer and it went down beautifully. I did the whole session without any tip dry and the smoothness is really pleasing.



You can see the CIPs attached to the main armor panels either side of the gun. Beautifully thin.



Lovely and smooth. Its magic juice given my ham fisted priming skills



A weathering dream? Cant wait to get the filters onto these side skirts.



Time to throw the paint at the beast

[digger303]

Nice primer coat and I hadn't thought about using crystal clear, I've been able to use masking fluid that well. It dries so damn quick !
I like the way they have recreated the rubber apron.

[WordenB]

Looks really nice even in just primer. Will be looking out for your posts on paint and weathering, I desperately need some tips!

[BigWall]

Very nice build! Watching for more for sure

[ElCapitan]

Lovely primer coat. Can't wait to see you paint and weather it!

[Tomcat64]

That's looks superb mate - cracking job on the priming.

Looking forward to seeing this painted up & weathered

[Stokesy44]

That's looks superb mate - cracking job on the priming.

Looking forward to seeing this painted up & weathered

Lovely primer coat. Can't wait to see you paint and weather it!

Very nice build! Watching for more for sure

Looks really nice even in just primer. Will be looking out for your posts on paint and weathering, I desperately need some tips!

Nice primer coat and I hadn't thought about using crystal clear, I've been able to use masking fluid that well. It dries so damn quick !
I like the way they have recreated the rubber apron.

Thanks Gents, much appreciated.

Base coat went down last week. Tamiya desert yellow with a yellow filter on top for that 'British' desert look (on the Tamiya box anyway). Paint went down really nicely. Tamiya's acrylics still continue to agree with me.



This morning I masked up for the CIPs and the turret hatch interiors. Tamiya tape on Tamiya paint - the very definition of 'safe'.





No drama, happy with the paint









Looking like a proper Chally now



More detail painting up next then it will be chipping, decals, matt coat and dot filters.

[digger303]

LOVELY another great result coming up. The paint is superb.

[BigWall]

That's looking magnificent Stokesy! Keep up the great work

[WordenB]

That looks so good, beautiful paint job.

[Tomcat64]

Nice work mate - looking forward to seeing how you beat it up now

[Stokesy44]

LOVELY another great result coming up. The paint is superb.

That's looking magnificent Stokesy! Keep up the great work

That looks so good, beautiful paint job.

Nice work mate - looking forward to seeing how you beat it up now

Thanks everyone

After a bit of research I repainted the hatch interiors. They are definitely not white and look much more normal now.



Then it was on to the decals





That was last week, apologies for not posting.

This morning it was time for dot filters with my trusty oils.

Side armor and skirts. I used more white on the skirts as I wanted them to be a different hue after filtering it all in.



Its a subtle effect but I can see the difference. There's a lot more weathering to come (wash and pigments) so its s good base to lay down.



I've washed out the front end to make it paler due to sun bleach while the rear deck is under the turret and the engine deck is mostly grills which will take the wash and really dirty up.





Not too shabby. The effects are subtle but I'm ok with that. The kit will show some nice variation under the wash when its applied and that's what I'm aiming for.









I'll let the oils cure then its Aqua Gloss all over before a Ultimate Dark Dirt Wash. Then it will be oil stains and grime followed by pigments to finish.

[BigWall]

Very nice!

[digger303]

Great artist at work.....

[aur0ra145]

That looks good!

[Stokesy44]

Thanks gents,

Bit more of an update. Fired up the AB again and got the gloss coat laid down. I love Alclad's aqua gloss, its beautiful stuff, goes down super easy and hard as nails once its dry.







Started on the figures. They were primed weeks ago but I've started on the base colours now.



I'll apply the dark dirt wash to the tank later today or tomorrow. Got a couple of day's annual leave so between seeing the new Batman move and general chillin' this will be finished by Tuesday.

[digger303]

[BigWall]

it's looking great!

[Tomcat64]

Nice work - the tonal variations on the bodywork show up nicely and the figures are coming to life

Please report back on the Batman movie too

[Stokesy44]

After yesterday's glossing I got stuck into the dirt wash today using Ultimate's Dark Dirt.

Its a great wash and I'm always surprised just how little is required for a 1/35 MBT. As soon as it was dry, I went at it with the kitchen roll and cotton buds.

For the side panels, everything was wiped downward, for the horizontal it was front to back.

And no matter what angle I took the pictures from the turret forward CIPs panels reflected the light - they ARE properly weathered, trust me









Got some nice effects on the grills on the rear deck











Finished off with a little bit more done on the crew figures



Nearly there now