Just a few shots of my current project. This is the Trumpeter challenger 2 kit with Accurate Armour additional side panels, scratchbuilt sand skirts, IFF panels, netting, tarps and bedding.

After these pictures were taken I've improved the sand skirts by adding some minor details and completely re-painting them

Good job... I like the paint chips on the turret; how did you do it? How did you make IFFs?

Mario M.

Thanks Maki

With the none-slip surface on the turret, I stippled and drybrushed dark grey/black paint onto the sand yellow surface, and when dry I stabbed the surface with a sharp blade repeatedly to enhance the rough texture.

The IFF panels were simply made from 0.5 mil Evergreen styrene plastic card, as were the sand skirts.

you did a very nice work with a good weathering and good detailing
only once.. the tents on the back up the barrel, they could be painted better...
so congrats

Skii:

Love the paint/weathering on this one. Care to share how you painted this one, i.e. the colors used and your weathering techniques?? Thanks.


Steve

You've done a great work !
It's looking good (and that's weird for a vehicle that looks so bad) ! #:-)

Thanks guys. The sand yellow used by the British Army in Operation Telic / Gulf War 2 is a very yellow tint, and I had to mix various shades of Humbrol paint to get it looking right, namely Sand Yellow, white, and trainer Yellow.

After covering the entire vehicle with an even coat I gave it a wash with brown oil paint, then when dry I drybrushed heavily the horizontal and some of the vertical surfaces with black/dark grey. Particularly heavy stippling and weathering on the turret surfaces where the none slip surfaces would be.

Finally a few lighter shades of the original base coat drybrushed over the top to enhance some of the raised details.

I'm on the final stretch now - some more divisional markings to be added, straps to the bedding to be painted and tidied up, and small fine details to be painted here and there.

I also need to improve my photography skills and find a half decent background lol !

Hi This is one very, very fine looking model. Much impressed with the weathering and detail painting on it. What did you make make those rolls and camo netting out of? Just curious, as they look really nice.

What's you're over-all opinion of the Trumpeter kits? Have yet to buy one, but am becoming more and more impressed with them the more I see of them being built. Lots of detailing on it.

Take care, sgirty

Skii,
looks really well the way you have done the paint coming through looks very realistic
the only thing I'd say is wron with it if you dont mind is the bedding/roll mats they
are a little too long the ones we are issued with normally just come up to your
knee/thigh area and are a very dark olive colour almost grey colour with the ties being a
dark green colour due to the material of them some have gouges and small tiers
in them and some have been rolled up almost by snapping it in half and some will
be rolled tigher than others and most will have names on them with the squaddies last 3
digits of their army no on them I've added a picture of one for you too see
I hope you dont think I'm being rude as the chally looks great

Hi sgirty

The camo net is made from gauze bandage soaked in pva glue - and the rolls are made from milliput, rolled very thin and rolled up into shape.

This is the only Trumpeter kit I've made, and it has its good and bad points. The detail and moulding I think is very good, certainly as good as many Tamiya kits I've seen, the kit is let down however by having too many small fiddly parts and over complicated assembly. The kit is infamous for the dreadful way that the rear turret bins fit to the main turret structure, leaving huge gaps and uneven surfaces - lots of sanding and filling required to look anywhere near half decent.
This is widely regarded as one of Trumpeters poorer kits, their T-Series Chinese/Russian are supposed to be excellent.

Basically apart from a few niggles, its a good kit, especially considering how cheap it is.

mikeli125

Thanks for the info m8 - I could have really done with that lol !!! Also thanks for the kind comments. Thats the best picture I've seen yet for the rolls .

skii,
you want to see their tranporters and faun look absolutly fantasic and they have PE
with them the chinese tanks/rocket launchers are very good for the price and come
full ints and stuff too heres the link to the review on them
trumpeter tanks

I'm very tempted to go for the AS90 next, mikeli125. BTW if you know of anywhere I can get some crew figures for my Chally I'd be v. interested.

skii,
accurate armour have some in on their web site you can see them here,
figures
cheers
mike

Great looking model Skii.

You're right about the turret bins though they fit where they touch and they don't touch much. I have started my kit, got the turret well on the way and purchased the Eduard photo etch set, includes lots of fine details, but I promised myself I would have to finish my Chieftain first before I tackle the rest of the kit.

How did you find the fit of the tracks mine appear to be a little short (but I have the Armour Track set ready for when the time comes).

For the price Trumpeter are asking I think this kit is excellent value for money after all Tamiya's Chally 1 is almost twice the price and not much better quality.

I love your bed rolls and camo nets by the way .

Happy modelling :-)

Ant Phillips

If you're looking for Modern British tank crews theres a very limited choice, as mentioned previously Accurate Armour do a few sets, and Warriors also do a CVR(T)/Warrior crew that includes three half figures and an additional standing figure with SA80. The set includes optional heads with berets or kevlar helmets

I'm not sure if the Warriors set is stll available, I bought a set from Great Models back in March, casting quality is excellent.

Happy modelling

Hi Ant

Tracks seemed to be an ok fit to me, possibly a little tight putting a bit of strain on the rear sprocket, but I suppose too short is better than too long on modern AFVs.

Good luck with your Chally , and thanks for the pointers on the figures.

I rarely comment on these armor posts because I just don't know anything about the subjects but I really like this piece. Good job.

Thanks chaps

The only real significant difference between this and the Challenger 1 is the turret, the hull essentially remains the same, and very similar to the original guf War chally 1 - hence I was able to use the Chally 1 up -armour set and stlightly modify it with scratchbuilt sand skirts and extra armour panels.

Anyway - I'll put up these final in-progress shots, just with some further 'tweaks' done .

All that remains is to find some number decals and add some aerials. Nearly there

Hi Skii , welcome to the site ! This is a very nice build . It reminds me of the matillda of WW2 fame , guess its the sand skirts that suggest that . I built the tamiya chally 1 a few years ago , from what i see on this tank is that they are almost the same . The turret has defantely went through some changes . The gun sits lower than any other tank i think i have ever seen , no fault of yours its the way the tank is made . Great use of the home made gear , it gives the tank that "lived in" feel . I salute you on this build .

Man, If this is "in progress" I can't wait to see it finished. Outstanding job. There is a review of this kit in this months FSM, if anyone is interested.

Shaun

Howdy Skii,

Many kudo's on the 'Chally 2' there mate! Your building almost exactly what I had in mind myself. In fact, I just went out yesterday and purchased the most recent copy of FSM with the Challenger review, the newest release of 'Journal of armoured ASSAULT & Helibourne Warfare' Vol.5 with the photo spread of the Challenger 2 MBT, plus the Osprey/New Vanguard Challenger Main Battle Tank 1982-1997 by Simon Dunston as research material. All this based simply upon a photograph I came across during OIF!! So, you can understand how my coming across the pics of your 'Chally2' were very enjoyable. :-)
It's always good to see how someone else creates his/her version. Really good.

It's funny, I am British by birth (and still actually hold 'dual' citizenship) but have never really delved into the British side of the armoured equation much (even though the British have played a significant role in armour developement and design). I am really enjoying my research on the Challenger 1/2, and am looking forward to building mine. Which brings up one of my points.
The 'sand skirt' is actually made of a canvas material and obviously 'moves' like canvas. Using sheet styrene to simulate the dust or sand skirts had to have been a tough assignment, but you have done a wonderful job. You have somehow managed to portray a sense of movement, or flexibility to your sand skirts.....good on ya mate! Me, I'm trying to decide on the best material to use to portray that as well. I have some VERY good photos in the 'ASSAULT" book that will be quite helpful.
Additionally, the Chobham, or 'Dorchester' Level 2 applique armour is something I had planned to pick up from Accurate Armour. I was just trying to confirm if the conversion kit from them would include the TEC's as well. I guess a question here is; does the Trumpeter kit come with the Chobham armour?

Regards,

Tread.

BTW, your paint work is very good. Including the weathering. I plan on painting mine in OIF colours as well. So, any measurements or instructions on making the IFF panels would be especailly helpful since yours look so good.
Also, the ONE thing I will miss including in my Chally, will be the inclusion of all that great 'stowage'.........darn limey's like to keep their MBT's reading for inspection!

Many thanks for all your kind comments, its funny to think that I almost actually gave up on this project after a couple of unsuccesful paint jobs but decided to come back to it a few weeks later !

Tread - Yeah those dust skirts turned out well, basically I used a sheet of styrene card, cut into it with scissors to simulte the 'pleats' and then held it over a candle to warp and bend the plastic into a believable shape.

You can now order the Challenger 2 applique armour from AA, although only the challenger 1 type was available to me at the time so I had to make do with that. However they now provide IFF panels (which I would have bought If they were available at the time lol ) and yes, the TECs are included in the Trumpeter kit, although I had to adjust the angle that they 'sit' as they actually hang at an angle as opposed to sitting flat on the rear of the tank.

apparently AA are making the dust-skirt version currnetly and that should be available soon.

Also be aware that the smoke dischargers are wrongly positioned on the Trumpeter kit, and need to be repositioned nearer the main gun.

Again - thanks for the comments.


John