Thanks guys for the comments. Here's a update on the two Leopards.
This is the heart of the PSM kit the side skirts for the 2A4 . All Leopard 2A4 have these mounted. The skirts with the Revell and Hobby Boss kit are passable but the armor mounting brackets are incredibly bad. Perfect scale do sell these separate for about 15 euros. With these alone you can build a decent 2A4 but I recommend the whole kit. The etch alone is some of the best etch parts I've used.
Here's the parts all cleaned up. PSM put great though into the resin poor so it cuts off clean and easy.

The instructions

Everything in place

Don't think I'm neglecting you Finland, I've done some work on the Finnish build. I need to work out the bugs with the Norwegian build before I go at the Finnish Leopard mainly due to the Fin Leo has a complex camo pattern with lots of masking so I need the parts on there nice and snug.
the Finnish Leopard have some small but important mods done to their Leos. They have a heavy anti slip on the turret. I used the rustuliom again.

Chris,

I have been following your phantastic build from the start. Thanks for sharing!

In this forum a modeler speaks about it and shows the heavy fit problems of the Bronco tracks for Leopard. Did you have the same experience?

http://f3.webmart.de/f.cfm?id=2078181&r=threadview&t=3639273&pg=1

Harald

Hello Harold
I read the thread on the tracks I'm not having that problem with these models because I'm using the drive sprocket from Perfect Scale and the other is from Revell.
I'll have a look at them on a Tamiya drive, maybe come up with a solution for my Tamiya builds. This is kinda disappointing I bought 4 sets. I do have enough Revell and PSM sprockets for about 3 more Leo builds.

Here's a couple more pics. I finished up the skirts and side armor plates. I got some primer on so I could start the painting this weekend. Always my favorite part of the model getting a cover on the mix bag of parts, plus this one was looking so ugly because it is a rebuild.





The right cable is to far forward so I'll be fixing that.

Hi Chris, I check Armorama every day to see the progress on your skandinavian Leopards. They are really a great job. Nice to see that the photo of the Finnish turret was helpful for creating the anti-slip surface! Cannot wait to see them finished!
Cheers / Stephan

Great to have you aboard on this website Stephan. Your knowledge and photos will be appreciated here.
I studied those photos for hours trying to figure out the pattern on the top of the Finnish Leo, I think I got it right.
Please let me know if you see any errors.

On a side note the Canadian Department of National Defence released some info about our Leopard this week. Next year we will be sending 20 of the Dutch 2A4s we have to Afghanistan to relieve the 2A6ms. Its going to be interesting to see how they turn out. I'm going to have to add another Leopard build to my list. Hopefully no slat armor, maybe the IBD armor will be used. I did read in Frank Lobitz's book on the Leopard that one non-European country has ordered the IBD package???

I've been doing some painting today let me know what you think.

Here's the base coat with a little dark shading. I used Tamiya JA green for the dark and NATO green for the base.

here's 2 pics of the lighter tones sprayed on.



now with the brush work done

the base coat and the lighter tones look great. I may have missed it but could you post a picture as to where you're going with this? i.e. a clean finish Leopard 2A4. From what I see now this looks quite amazing and you're building is spot on.

Sean this is the Norwegian Leo there straight up green camo. The Finnish Leos use a three tone green pattern called splinter.
The idea of the varying tone is a combination of the paint technique called color modulation and the current paint on the 2A4NOs. They have mixed parts from old and new Leopards and some of the old parts are still in the German yellow olive. The Norwegian Leos are ex Dutch Leopards.

Im sorry thats what I meant to say. Excuse my novice

And I assumed it would be color modulation however I wasn't sure if both Leo's had a Camo Pattern. None the less, the color modulation is executed very well. Did you have to take photos of the process? I am still learning these new techniques so watching them and seeing the execution is very helpful.

Keep up the good work

This is it for pics Sean. Check out the features column, there is a good article in there by Adam Wilder. best way to do this is just go for it.


You could do it with your Challenger build.

thanks, I actually switched gears. I am working on a Stryker MGS now Still plan on using the same technique as well for everything. I'm still following these builds with much interest. Your workmanship is quite amazing.

The paint job looks the goods so far Chris, well done !!

Is that Nato Green "straight out of the bottle" or did you lighten it ?

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul. Its at the mid point of the CM. It is NATO green straight up but the coat is light so the dark grey is coming through in areas. Also I added a small amount of contrast in editing to highlight the different colors.

Hallo, Chris,

you "used some mesh from a etch set for the anti slip" on this box http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss214/cjerrett/DSC_00132.jpg . It is needed here http://www.andreaslarka.net/ps273140/27314035.jpg too.

Aber offers an etched net under the numbers S-05 to S-08 but it seems not exactly the one we need. As yours looks exact to me I would apreciate to learn where you took it from.

Thanks for the help.

Harald

Harold
Thanks for the info. You might have what I used for the anti slip. Its the mesh for the baskets on a 2A6. It came in the Euduard etch set for the Revell 2A6 model. As you call tell its not right for the basket application because its too wide. The etch set number is 35 302. I bought some on close out for $5.

Oh, Ja,

you are right. Lucky the man who knows his kits. It was completely out of my remembrance.

Harald

Harold I have alot of Leopard kits and after market product in stock here.

I have the brush work of the CM done and I went back and did a little more dark spray as recommended by someone on ML.













I'll move on to the filters and washes next.

Little update

I blended the greens by doing a filter with oil paint from Windsor and Newton. Next I put down a clear coat with Future floor polish. The clear will do a better job of helping spread the washes that are coming next.
Most of the photos of the 2A4NO Leos that are on the net and in books seem to be an old dark paint. The pictures I'm working with are what seems to be newly painted Leopards. With paint resembling NATO green.Some of these more resent pics are in the new Tankograd book on Leopards in foreign service.

Got the basic washes done first I did a green wash to blend the greens then I did a mixed color with small blobs (check my Canadain Leopard build)



heres a picture of the start on the wheels. I mixed the colors with Mig pigments.

Mmmm... Good, old Rimgrimner. She looks good Chris. A couple of things to notice though. The markings are Pre-2006 and then the color should be the original Dutch olive drab. The IFF V-sign on the turret were only used during NRF 4 in 2004/2005. All operational tanks (except two turretless training tanks and two NACMTC tanks) have been re-sprayed in a semigloss NATO green color. Telemark Batallion also use light front skirts from Leopard 1 instead of the heavy ones you have mounted. Only newly upgraded A4s use the heavy skirts. These vehicles have a different setup for the bustle rack than the one you have modelled. However, she looks better than the ones I made and none of the things I mentioned really does mather. They are not really correct, but on the otherside they are not that incorrect either. I guess I should have told you earlier, but I don't surf Armorama that much anymore...

Here are a couple of pics I took of Rimgrimner a few years ago during a MOUT excersise.




Erik

PS. Rimgrimner was a troll from Norse mythologi who lived in Hell...

Thanks Eric I wanted to put the arrows on to add color. I figured it was a common thing used for exercise. They don't look so hot so I might take them off. I have pictures off 113 with the heavy skirts and looked no futher for 112, oh well. The call signs are still open for option I may add them. the skirts are not coming off, lets just say that 112 got an upgrade.

Don't worry about not letting me know before hand. Its my own fault I should have mailed you. I'll fix it all up.
Do you know the vin# for 112? I took a guess at that as well.

Erik I just did some checking 114 has the side skirts but the picture I have has a white net covering the call sign do you know the call sign of 114? I can add the call sign and change the number. Also 114 has the bustle I have modeled.