Takom C2 Leopard MEXAS

[ForbesHutton]

So far:



The kit, and it seems the tank, are basically a older Leopard 1 with lots of bolt on armor (armour since it's Canadian).





For a brand new kit it's a little disappointing, there are very small bits of flash here and there. Another annoyance is that Takon molded many of the parts with the sprue-gate on the visible surfaces, requiring all kinds of sanding with a full range of grits.

Some things are quite good, for example the smoke launchers have a square peg and the base has square holes, so the angles are determined for you, no guessing which way they should point.

The tracks required 4 pieces for each link. Both sets took about 8 hours of work in total. It's a shame most of them will be hidden behind the armour.

[garywintin]

I will be following this wip with great interest

[Coen]

I've been thinking of getting this kit for next years honour our heros GB.... It doesn't look like a total stinker. Just a kit with typical amount of work. Something I've noticed a lot of modellers forgetting lately. Something that our most basic skills as modellers should be able to handle with ease.
You're right though, with the standards today in kit construction there are some things that are just present because of pure lack of care.

[ForbesHutton]

It may end up wearing a mine roller ( http://www.perfect-scale.de/product_inf ... cts_id=211& ) in a diorama with a LAV-3.



I'd rather have a anti-mine plow but no-one makes one for the Leopard and I don't feel like buying a couple of other tank kits just to bugger up the plow.

[PaulAyrey]

Despite the flaws looks like a good kit. Great start, look forward to seeing more!

[schweinhund227]

Enjoy this Great Kit !

Its light years ahead of the OLD very.... old Italeri offering... (leo1A5) which is the base chassis for the C2 !

I am pleased to have this puppy in my hands now... for a mere 39$ US.

not 67$ like at my LHS ! what a rip off !

but for 39$ it is a SWEET machine !

[ForbesHutton]

Base coat and tracks on:

[ForbesHutton]

Decals and gloss done.







The kit comes with decals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd and HQ Troops of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadian). I went with 2nd Troop, as while the spider or scorpion on the side of the turret are more appealing, I wanted to use the bumper sticker on the rear storage box and the palm tree on the rear of the bustle reminds me of the DAK logo.

Now it gets dusty and sandy...

[Coen]

Hehe... Good choice!
Man that's a cool looking rig Nick, I'll be ordering this kit next week I think. Well work the money.
It builds up really well and you make it look really tasty!
Very inspirational.

[AchtungPanzer]

Nice model and good work buddy . I look forward to the weathering . Well done !

[ForbesHutton]

Nice model and good work buddy . I look forward to the weathering . Well done !

[ForbesHutton]

Hehe... Good choice!
Man that's a cool looking rig Nick, I'll be ordering this kit next week I think. Well work the money.
It builds up really well and you make it look really tasty!
Very inspirational.

Tip #1: Paint the tank without the added armour on the turret and the armour separately before mounting it. The armour is slightly spaced and, on the rear storage bustle especially, you end up with voids that are almost impossible to get paint into.

Tip #2: Figure on 8 hours to get the tracks done. You don't have to do them all at once, but it's the most time consuming part of the model.

[Tiger131]

looking real nice think i might have a bash at this kit my self

[Coen]

Ugh!.. I just had an armourgasm!


Thanks for those tips too bud

[ForbesHutton]

^ Yep. Kind of screams out for a diorama. Sandbags, barricades, barbed wire, cardboard boxes gear dumped on the ground, a gravel road, etc. I have a LAV-3 in the stash as well, but modelling that is far beyond my skills just now. I like this photo because it looks like someone tried to wipe the dust off the MEXAS armour at the front of the hull, in a horizontal motion, but it looks like giant brush strokes.

[ForbesHutton]

So the tracks are done.

The rubber pad side was sprayed with Tamiya "black rubber", then "dark iron" was brush painted onto the metal areas.

The inside of tracks and sides were sprayed with "dark iron", then the groove of contact with the road wheels was brush painted with "metallic grey". Trying to get this:





I used AK rust pigment over everything but the rubber-pads. First time using a pigment, put it on with a dry brush and then put a bit of mineral spirits on it to set it.



The pads will be cleaned off with sandpaper, the scratches into the pads will look like wear on them and will hopefully grab some of the dust and sand washes.

I only did the areas that will be seen:



The rust is a little much just now, but I want some of it to show through the dust and sand.

[ForbesHutton]

DONE!

Ultimate light dirt wash

Ultimate snad wash

Vallejo soot pigment

[Coen]

I think that you nailed it Nick!! Damn dude, you caught the effects just like in the photo.
Massive well done bud!

[ForbesHutton]

I think that you nailed it Nick!! Damn dude, you caught the effects just like in the photo.
Massive well done bud!

Thanks!

I'm slowly getting better with new products and techniques.

I don't know if you find the same thing, but the quality (and more importantly, the color) of modern photos makes it easier to model the look than a old black & white.

[Donkeywalloper]

Hi Nick
I have to admit that whenever a model gets the varnish applied and it looks so shiny, I get worried.
Then the weathering and washes and filters get used and you end up with an absolute gem of a model.
You have studied and observed those pictures and got the look to a tee.
Well done
John

[schweinhund227]

Gorgeous !

[lasautin]

That is one fantastic looking Leo! It's really dirty, yet not overly so, like a "well patrolled" war machine. Good work!

[JayCub]

brilliant work with some really nice touches, those towing hooks look like they would kill someone if dropped on them, really like the weathering as it brought the whole project to life and to be honest it would be hard to tell if where real or not.
Tom

[ForbesHutton]

Thanks all!

I've started a LAV-III while I wait for the dangerous cat GB to start. It seems I'm going to be putting the C2 and LAV-III in a diorama like the photo above.