I have the interior detailed Centurion ,so I like BIG.I will mod it to be an Isreali vehicle.There are 2 guys who build a lot of IDF stuff,and I can probably turn a profit on it...

Lets keep this going. :-)

I have finished the first of the Rail trucks. waiting for the glue to dry completely, then I'll start weathering this one, before starting on the next one. I am going to love this kit.

Here is first rail car.

Pieter:
I haven't touched mine for a day. I did the wheels in a titanium, followed by a raw umber wash on which I sprinkled baking poweder for rust. I will next add a rust color, followed by another wash of raw umber and a bright silver here the wheel meets the track.

All I can say is holy *rap. that is one big mother.
God wish somebody would do a set of plans in 1/35 scale of this thing with sizes that are needed. Thanks for the site looks killer. Don't worry Nate mine would go along with me on it maybe even buy it for me. (++) (++) (++)


Looks like this would be the ultimate model.
oh well guess just have to wait and hope that Dragon or Trumpeter decide to do one.
Or stick with my Dragon K5 (++) (++) (++)

Hey guys!!! Just got news that archer has released a New dry transfer set for the K5!!!!! It has corrected spelling and updated marking that Both companies left out on the decal sheets. The bonus is its only 7 USD!!! Its one AM my wife isn't complaining about!! STUG

Hello- I have purchased both the Dml kit and the Trumpeter kit. I began building the Dragon one first as it is the one I got first. I am glad. It is a good learning platform. After seeing both kits in person - I have to say that the Trumpeter kit is a better kit. While it costs more I feel that the level of detail is strikingly different with the Trumpeter kit coming out trumps! I have been a Dragon faithful - ever since they brought out therir Panzer III kits when no one else had them. When people "dis-ed" them in favour of Tamiya, would come to their defence. However. I have to honestly say that I have been let down by DML's latest releases- the Karl, (over simplified), and this Leopold, (again over simplification and man! knock out circles everywhere.!) Here is an example of one of the differences I've have found in the kits.
This is a slice the Dragon instruction sheet. It shows the area behind the gun the aft area on the big section. The red box shows the area I'm talkin' about.



Now here is a sample from the Trumpeter kit



On the DML one the slatting, duckboard is not even included in the model!!! In my case this is okay, it will be fun to scratch build the slats from Evergreen plastic strips.
I must say that in my humble opinion- Dragon should start taking their time in researching and creating their molds. I feel they are rushing their releases for profit.

The Good news is, I will be joining this group tomorrow. I have picked one up from a guy who bought two. As they are not available yet in Sweden, he bought 2 to divide the freight price and it made it cheaper! I talked to him on the phone on thursday and as he was away for the weekend ... I have to wait till tomorrow to pick it up! Cant wait.
Its the trumpeter version ..... which after reading reviews I had my heart set on and Im tankful now after reading what has been written by Jet.
Keep posting with updates and pictures ... they will be invaluable!

i won't join this group untill after christmas and by then i'll be far behind... but maybe there will be some good AM stuff for it by then perhaps a JR barrell? i'm geting the DML version this christmas as well as the new Aztek chrome airbrush

Jet,

Is this the area you are talking about....



I have seen this area done this way and with the wood.
like in this picture here..

Hi Pieter
where have you seen this done- on models, the dragon model? I'm sure people have done this, but I'm a feared it may be out of ignorance. I can attest to this as I knew no different -- until I looked at the artwork of the Trumpeter crew due to be released. The loaders were standing on wood duck boards. I looked - scratched my head and I went "Hey that guy didn't get it right! " So I then began checking the references more closely and looked at my Trumpeter kit and I went , "what the hell", gently under my breath.

Pressing my investigation further I began to wonder if maybe Dragon had mistakenly represented the gun at Calise - where after 60 years in the elements the wood slats would have rotted away. This is troubling to me, but hey!, live and learn. And while ignorance may be bliss, in my case I feel that the representation I am after is of a war time K5. I realize that Dragon most likely did the best they could but I am still not totally clear. Are there pictures of war time K5 with out the slats or is my assumption correct- that since DML never saw the slats on the one at Calise they did not include them because they were not aware that they were part of the war time gun? In any case I still feel the level of detail on the Trumpeter K5 out strips the DML. My 2 cents. #:-)

This is where I saw it. I believe this was a scratchbuilt or a ironside model.



The adding of the wood slats. What size you think will work out right.

Jet ,

I think I found out what happen to the wood ont he dragon kit. They copied the old ironside model kit. got ot this address look under models click on the irons side brochure....

http://www.one35th.com/model/k5/k5_frme.htm

Either way guys, The slat boards don't realy matter in this!!!! because the guns were all detonated when captured then rebuilt later by the respective museums!!!!!! DML's K5 is fine, and trumpeter is missing stuff as well. Both are made off of restored guns. Anyway either one will be made in to an impressive model. I might do the trumpeter gun, but only if someone does markings for "Robert" the other K5 at Anzio. STUG

Sorry I could not disagree more - nothing personal. I can't imagine having this important detail excluded, Considering all the effort we put into making an accurate Panzer II, for example- why not make the same effort for something on this scale.

This smells of some kind of white wash!

Can you imagine trying to keep your footing in the rain on the smooth metal surface - loading explosives into the gaping maw of this monster. The slats would be really important to those poor slobs! I feel Dragon dropped the ball on this one. Any how- it will give me the oppurtunity to do some scratch built slats. For some reason I get real job satisfaction from doing slats and boarding. I went to the local plastic pusher( hobby store) , with the Trumpeter sprue with this detail( the slats) in hand. I walked up to the evergreen scale models plastic rack and after comparing many of the pre cut strips I walked away with Item No. 134 - .030X.080". It seems to match nicely.

Here's a few shots of where I'm at on it at this point.













I have had issues with the joint of the top panel with the tub sides- that why the cammo appears a bit foggy- I'll have to re paint the red brown.

Hi. The main thing is that the kits are there. No model kit is perfect, and shouldn't be, really. I bought the Trumpeter over the Dragon because of what I read about them both on the PMMS site and made my decision from that. And have been well satisified in doing so.

I know that no matter which one I would have ended up it, I won't be doing it justice with my poor modeling skills. I'm just overjoyed that they are out there to begin with.

To me, it's not so much the model itself that counts in the end, but what the builder can do with it that really shows up. Have seen many models out there on this and other sites that aren't really that good of a kit, initially speaking, but once the person has worked their 'magic' on it, well....., that changes everything and is what counts in the end.

Good luck to all of you on your Leopolds, no matter which one you have ( or you real lucky ones who have both). Have you checked out the one on the Hyper Scale site yet? 128 hours worth of work paid off handsomely there. And those figures!!!!!

Take care, sgirty

Thanks for all of the detail pictures.I was wondering what a major difference would be,and those really help.So,it is off to the LHS to get evergreen strip fo rmy Dragon model.

Wow guys,

Just took the time to read thru this thread. You guys really whet the appetite for K5 building ya know!! And the pics have been great too.

jet: From your pics, does that mean you've already built this behemoth?

sgirty: You're doing the right thing in "taking your time".....but, brush paintin the whole thing?? As my signature says, '...you're a better man than me Gunga Din'

pieter & porkchop: Thx for the updates on your progress......keep it goin' mate's!!

Tread out.

sgirty,

I've just looked at it. WOW that was some impressive building. For other here is the link....
http://hsfeatures.com/leopoldje_1.htm

i will post somemore pics of mine later today

Hi TreadHead. I'm kind of wondering if the brush painting was really a good idea, as I'm getting ready to build the crane unit and now see that I will probably have to use the Testor's spray on this, as their is just too many little pieces in there to be able to get it all with a brush. Although I've done the barrel and cradle system, elevating system, and ammo car with the brush and it turned out pretty good. Have to do some more thinking on this as I build it. I've also put together the L-Track unit too, but as yet haven't done anything with it. I now have it hanging up on the wall in the garage, as I have no where else I can put the thing. It's so big that ever the wife is impressed with it. And that's saying something from her. Ha!

Yes, waiting for others, a lot more accomplished than myself, to build this thing is kind of the best way to go, for me at least. I've already gotten some good ideas on finishing the track section from the pictures posted on the Hyper Scale site of this finished model. To tell the truth I'm really looking forward to building an actual in-line railbed from the scale R.R. stuff and want to use some ideas on finishing this particular section of the model from some of the ideas I hope to pick up from some of the modeling R.R. sites around on the Net., plus at the local hobby shop. But this will be months down the road, as I can feel myself aready getting some 'burn out' from working on it and will need to take a break and go back to something 'simpler' and far less complicated in the over-all picture of things. After spending well over a month to 6 weeks just building what I've built so far, I really haven't accomplished a whole lot on the over all kit. For anybody who hasn't taken a look at one of these things--no matter which company the kit comes from--this is truly one MASSIVE kit to build. Truly.

And as well as this particular unit is going over, by all indications on this and various other sites, I would have to venture to guess that this is just the tip of the iceberg on 'big' kits that will be coming down the line in the future. And this will be a good thing, as long as the makers can continue to make the quality and detail up to the standards of the many 1/35 scale kits out there today.

Take care, sgirty

I have most of the major "big" pieces glued together. I will keep the smaller bits off until I have done the oil wash as these have a tendancy to break off when I wipe back the oil paint wash which is part of the aging process. The rear rail car has to be built as well. I would say of the physical build I am 70% done- It's the painting, weathering, and detail painting that will require some time to make this baby shine. I will most likely use a few yellow after see that guy's work over on Hyperscale. Amazing work, eh?
I will improve the rail embankment as well.. Tchuss

Hey guys
here is the update.

front rail car


rear rail car


I am doing this one with the preshading technique, which has worked good on my other projects. I am also waiting on the archer transfer to come in .

sgirty, go for the airbrush!!! Ive got one and i'm not building my k5 until i get a compressor, dont fancy running out of air for this beast. Couldnt contemplate brush painting it either!

Looks like we have started a mini-group build here, looks like a lot of work goining into a number of these suckers.
I'm just doing a little work on the wheels then it'll go back in the box for a while, My GMC 2.5 ton truck, the Trumpeter Faun (German tank transporter) and an LAV-25 look much more managable. Looks like Sgirty and I are gonna be finishing about the same time!!

Hi. I just can't get over how really big this kit is. You work and build on one thing and look around and realize that this is just one small part of the whole over-all kit. Then you go to something else and build a while and again see that you are just doing a part of the total kit again. It's kind of like a whole bunch of single models all in one box. Which is kind of good as this does help to justify what it all cost you to begin with. I have never seen such a model before. It's really amazing that modelers, esp. armor modelers, have such a pull in the buying public that such a kit could be comtemplated by two companies. We seem to have truly come of age in this hobby. Let's hope that it will continue. Personally I'm kind of scared--in a good way--at what we may be seeing in another couple of years or so at this rate! Ha!

Take care, sgirty

Here are few refence phots I took for weathering details.
These first two are from the train yard in Vancouver.




The next two are from germany
(that is frost next to rails.)


and Berlin


I have some I took of wheels and weathing on them I'll post them when I have the time.