Once again, more Canadian content.....Leopard C1

Italeris venerable Leopard 1A4 provided the base kit and the Maple Leaf conversion kit was used to upgrade to Canadian standards. Some Eduard PE was used and Karya provided the tow cables.

I used the kit track but detailed the end connectors. I think next time I will use the Hong Kong Creation Workshop track, as the kit track has nasty ejection pin markings on the inside of the track.

Old, out of production Quartermaster depot supplied the decals.

Tamiya provided the paint, although I can not remember the recipe. MIG the pigments. I also did for the first time some oil paint fading on the beast, very cool, subtle but there none the less.

I did miss cutting out the footholds on the side skirts and may ( if I have nothing better to do one day) cut them out.

Thanks goes to Dan Hay, Scott Tremblay for photos and JB for his amazing knowledge.

Cheers

Pete

Very nice Pete, outstanding work as usual. I've saved these pics as reference for my build.

cheers

Bob

JOker- What an outstanding build! I really like the Karaya cables

Chris

Looking Good

Pete looks good, well done.

Cheers

Anthony

Great build and nicely weathered. Cranking them out like an assembly line.

What is the inspiration for the hatchet in the handle on the turret side?

Paul

Ahhhhhhhhhh......that is a trade secret only Canadian Leopard crews know about.......the small hatchet was commonly carried there in order to bang the combat lock on the driver's hatch closed when the hatch was closed from the outside........you would swing the hatch shut, step on it to compress the spring and give the exterior portion of the combat lock a few taps with the butt end of the hatchet to secure the hatch shut. The hatchet wedged perfectly in the grab handle and never fell out even over the roughest ground.

If anyone has ever walked into an open hatch on an AFV in pitch blackness you would understand why it was closed shut when the driver was out of his hole for extended periods of time at night....and it keeps out the elements too.

Pete

Wonderful work there. I really love the look of the Leopard 1 C1. I've built the same kit but didn't use any conversion kit. I did it about 10 odd years ago I think before I had any Idea of the broader aftermarket stuff available. I may need to build another one some day.