The Otzelot has just appeared in my prefered dealers webshop here in germany. Still listed as "on backorder" but from experience that means "will arrive within the week"

Nice...I never did hear....is this all new tool or does it involve the AFV Club Wiesel in some way?

New tool, it is built on an extended Wiesel Chassis, longer chassis than the AFV Wiesel

Thanks Scott!

An link to the Revell Germany catalog page. As soon as I have the kit (It's ordered) I try to post a few shots of the sprues

Are the Wiesel 2's all using the new track?

Paul

Hi Paul,

Yes the Wiesel 2 family used a new individual link steel track with end connectors. The Wiesel 1 TOW and MK had a one-piece rubber band track with steel cables inside(similar to the US halftrack). So this means that you can`t use the AFV Club Wiesel kits for later theaters like Kosovo or Afghanistan.

Cheers
Hans-Hermann

Hi all,

just picked my Wiesel 2 LeFlaSys Ozelot in my LHS. I am very surprised about the excellent quality of the sprues. Looks like Revell created a "perfect" kit for the first time. Kit contains four sprues, vinyl tracks and decals for all three AA batteries of the Bundeswehr. And the parts on the spures suggest that we might the AFF radar track by next year. A good buy for 18€.

Cheers
Hans-Hermann

Thanks for the info Hans-Hermann. I'm glad to hear of the high level of quality of the kit. I was hoping it would be better than some of their past releases.

Great. Finally a Wiesel 2.

Paul

Really?... I checked all photos of Revell "demo" model available online very carefully and was very disappointed with what I saw. Details were nowhere near the AFV Club Wiesels quality. But maybe it was built from early test shots? Can you post some close up photos of parts?

Pawel

Hello Pawel,

pics of the OZELOT will be uploaded soon, I hope my camera caught it.

Cheers
Hans-Hermann

Here are HermannB's build photos.

There are a couple of grills/screens areas that are crying out for PE but still better than no Wiesel 2 at all.











Paul

That looks like a very nice kit!

does anyone have pictures of the tracks please!!?? I think a lot of people would like to see them.
Cheers,
Andy

Hi Andrew,

I do some pics of the track today at daylight, since in artificial light, my camera didn´t get them right. Please be patient.

Hans-Hermann

Finally a possibility to replace the awful tracks from the AFV kit!

Except these are longer because of the additional roadwheel and the new track style.

Here are HermannB's track pictures:




Paul

[quote]


Except these are longer because of the additional roadwheel and the new track style.

/quote]

The new tracks were also adopted to the Wiesel 1 and slashing the track to the length needed for the AFV Club kits is done within seconds.

I suspected as much. Is there a big change to the drive sprocket to support the new track?

Also, is there a firm date as to when the new tracks were used?

Thanks,
Paul

I don't see any difference on the drive spockets on photos of Wiesel 1 fitted with the new tracks. Drive spockets, road wheels and idler wheels are the same as the ones mounted on vehicles fitted with the old track (like the AFV kit is). So i guess it should work withouht any problems and changes.

It would have been illogical and uneconomical to design new tracks for which you have to change big parts of the running gear. The old track was all made of rubber. The newer one is a modern, "living" track with end connectors developed and produced by Diehl, is made of steel and has removable rubber pads. So the new tracks are on the current state of the art and much more durable.

I don't know when the new tracks where introduced. I haven't even seen photos of Wiesel 1s in service fitted with the old tracks yet expect the prototype made by Porsche.

Hi all,

yes there is a difference in the sprockets. On the early rubberband track, one can spot teeth inbetween the sprockethalves. AFV Club reproduced with PE parts. On the new living track there rods between the halves that transport the guide teeth. Also, the outer surfaces of the sprockets are of different design.
I don`t exactly knew when the new track was fielded, but I guess it was somewhen in the mid 1990`s.

HTH
Hans-Hermann

Just looked at some reference photos. I was wrong indeed!

In fact the drive spockets for the new tracks are totally new and actually not round but more like "angularly". But that doesn't matter. If you buy a Revell Otzelot kit to use it's tracks you can also use the drive spockets.

Old sprocket:


New sprocket:

If you tak the tracks from the Revell kit what will you do with te "barefoot" model?