Hi Everyone

i thought i show you what i am building over Christmas.
i am building the SWEDISH Strv102r Centurion 105mm meteor engine
also STRV104 swedish upgraded tank
so i am going to build and paint them in the three tone camouflage not four which was common .
the strv102r will be serial number 80406 like the one in the picture
strv104 will be one of the gotland brigade of 1999 /2000 just before withdrawn from service.
so what do i have to build these, well here is the list i have
AFV CLUBS NATO Centurion AF35122 and Australian Centurion MK5 AF35100
2 x AFV CLUB Centurion workable track AF35102
2 x Hobby Fan HF066 STRV104 conversions
2x TW60012 Swedish markings
ALT 65 FLUI Centurion track
eduard etch 35932 CENTURION BINS MK5, 35925 CENTURION MK5/1,35303 Centurion Mk3
2 x Acurate armours EB04 side plates
1x Accurate Armour Centurion WHEEL set

I will also use/ try some new wheels by a firm called bits krieg as well.
even tho i have lot s of etch i will not use it all i am a old school model maker who has made patterns.
but this is my first centurion for some time. reason for the blog easy . i build tanks as a day time job and just need some incentive to build some models.

well gents i got stuck in to the models yesterday . so here what i done so far. i have built the AFV Wheels but may get some others in new year.

note the bottom rear plate is differant and also the track adjust wheels on strv104 is as well.

i must say the quilty of resin is unbelivable. .before some one asks the engine deck is totaly differant to iserali. number of louvers, hump. the way they sit strv104 deckd fit flush and iserali fit on to rear plate.

i just placed it on top for now

ok the next part of the model was the back plates both different .
STRV102 LOWER PLATE was built has per the instructions except
i changed the wing nuts on the dust deflector also added a plate under the wing nuts, after searching my bits box i found some resin wing nuts bingo that does it, then i left the lower bollards clear as i have to get a set of bollards type used on mono trailers. or make some
i also used the STRV 104 rear top plate but still have some more modifications to do yet to like the tow rope bracket and extended lips above boxes.

STRV104
the bottom plate of the hobby fan kits were slightly small so i decided to make anew one also added the plate under the lip which is common on STRV 104 . Added the top plate
added the display bracket using 10 thou card and rod and also added the weld strip between the lower and the base of the upper plate


next part of the build is the engine decks and top parts of hull so be a couple of days before next update.

Good starts Michael.
It looks like the Centurion has given birth to an infinity of variants !

Enjoy your parallel build
Olivier

I'm certainly digging it. I have a question on the AA wheels. Are they cast from the AFV Club wheel/ tire combo? Or do they at least have the undercuts? If so this is something I've wanted to see for a while.

hi
no the wheels are smooth internally and come from there kits but the rear axle arm has been changed , one reason why i am going to try blitz krig , from QUICKWHEEL
http://quickwheel.istore.pl/en,product,8208858,re35,081,road,wheels,for,mbt,centurion.html
i like the fact they have the FV number on the hubs. s i see, to get firestorms from Australia is just to expensive in postage

Great work as I luv the Centurion... all variants as well.










~ Jeff

Well its christmas evening and i got stuck in to the strv104 , got a slight problem where the turret plate and the front plate fit , not a problem i just add a weld seam .

Finally someone is building this conversion!

Keep up the excellent work Ossie! Happy Holidays to you!

happy holidays to you as well . i also helped with the design and i know Andrew very well.
i was going to scratch build but decided to use there conversion so delicate very much like there IKV91 and is so good that be another one on my list soon .
glad you like the model . i will be building it as a Gotland brigade vehicle
ossie

Those road wheels are made by Panzer Art...you can buy them directly from Panzer Art and on eBay too.

cheers jason

Christmas is over so i thought i show you a update .
i decided to add a small weld seam where the join of the two top plates are there is one in real life but normally ground flat , this does resolve a problem i have where the top dropped when i glued them together.Also added one at the front of the drivers hatch plate. i used 10 thou Rod .
now i am working on the strv102

Nice work so far, Ozzie, and great to see these Swedish Cents being built.

Ironically, I am building the same two, albeit slightly differently since I started the 104 a couple of years ago and have scratched a few of the parts. Now I have made some adjustments and added the Hobbyfan parts here and ther, and will now use the HB conversion fornthe rest of the build.

The 102 will be the regular 102 without the extra armour.

It would be great if we could compare notes along the way. I think you will be done with yours before me, though :-)

http://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1021&hilit=104

(sorry, in Swedish)

Sorry, not my intention to hijack your blogg.

Keep up the good work!

Hi Seven

well i am lucky to found pictures of 80406 in three tone it says 102R but its only a 102 due to it does not have later front light layout and front armour plates.
http://centuriontank.tripod.com/STRV104R/index.html
i love the three tone camouflage which is what i paint it in . as a museum exhibit just like in the pictures.
it is the one in the museum in sweden but now resprayed in just green.

STRV104 i helped with the design of the conversion i see you changed the engine decks well spotted yes they are different and the rear plate well done.
i am building a Gotland vehicle again in three tone colour scheme but i have a picture of one with a engine heat cover fitted when the engine is running so i will build it with the cover up . 80445 plus other pictures including one with a mine plough fitted but they may well be a later model .


i have thords pictures of both 102 and 102r and i noticed a few things different as well.
just doing the engine decks on the strv102.
i be interested to see your pictures of the strv 102

Hi Ossie,

I am looking forward to seeing more of your builds, always exciting to see Swedish Cents being built. Mine have been on the shelf for a few months, perhaps time to get working on then again :-)

The 80406 is a curious vehicle because of the 3-tone cammo. Am I interpreting you correctly that this is a museum paint job which is actually not correct, or did some Cents in active service actually get painted in three-tone cammo? I had not heard of these vehicles.

Nice job on the design of the 104 conversion, by the way, its a nice kit.

Cheers,
Sven

Hi!
80406 is TODAY an operatable museum vehicle of Södra Skanska Kamratföreningen P7. During the time when it was photographed in 3 tone camouflage (see linked page), it was actually in service. However, P7 tank regiment was an unit equipped with Strv103, and this Strv102R was the only Centurion in the regiment and used to train drivers for Bgbv81C (Centurion ARV). With the withdrawal of Bgbv81C from P7 regiment, 80406 was also withdrawn from service and was then preserved at Kamratföreningen P7 collection of historical vehicles. Within the museum, the 4th (brown) colour was added for a few years. In 2011, to act into the celebrations of 200 years Södra Skanska regiment, the people from the association repainted it and from this time until today it is plain Mörkgrön. No idea yet if they will repaint the splinter camouflage later on. Last actual service of 80406 as a MBT was at Kristianstad P6 tank regiment. From there, it went to P7. 80406 is actually a Strv102R (REMO) vehicle, however the REMO was not completed on it before Centurions went out of service. So, it has only a few components from the REMO package. Information coutesy of Fordonsgruppen Södra Skanska Kamratföreningen P7.

Hope that helps...
Andreas

HI ANDREAS

with out your kind help i would not be building this model so thank you my dear friend.
ossie

STRV102

Ok i start from the front and work my way back .
so i started by adding a strip of 15 thou plastic card to lower plate top edge . reason i did this was to emphasize the weld in the base of the front top armor , having removed all markings and filled in light holes with super glue and baking powder i then stuck it on . i then added again with 10 tho rod a plastic weld . now when stuck with plastic weld it tends to look like a Weld Mark which is simple and perfect.
then same with the drivers top plate as i did with the strv 104 as you can see with the pictures

Now the engine deck well this has to be modified to have to access hatches to the aux engine, so i use d 10 tho plastic and 15 tho and some plastic evergreen rod .also had to fit two strips are on two engine decks . on the gearbox decks i had to remove the verticle strip behind the hinges as well.
Also i made two etch brass handles out of some old etch i had lying around.
yes i seen the peace of wire but now gone lol. its where i used wire wool to clean up.
i since photo taken i have filled the gap between the engine deck outer wall.

hi SEVEN
three tone camouflage
i didn't realise there was this scheme till i got sent some pictures from Gotland brigade and also those pictures linked. so i looked in to it . thanks to Thord Wedham who found out it was real.
it seems when LEOPARD was introduced they went to three tone so they did all tanks like it including centurions.
so the Centurions in the last few years of its had three tone and some still sported four tone.
ossie

Thanks for the info, Ossie. I had seen the pics of this vehicle before, but was convinced that it was a "botched paint job". I have to agree with you that the Cent in the newer three tone is very attractive.

Well, you have now built more on your 102 than I have, haha. Nice work, and great tempo. I will have to get started again. I have a thought that my 102 will receive a winter cammo (splinter), we'll see what happens.

Thord and his friends at SPHF are always so helpful, without them none of of my Swedish projects would have been completed (or even started for that matter).

Following your builds with great interest!

Cheers,
Sven

STRV104

OPPS had to get the super glue and baking powder out today , suddenly realized i had to fill some holes in both sides of the hull all done and filed and sanded good.

Also spotted the rear track roller damaged so i change that. but here is a picture showing what i filled in and detail i removed.

Ok some one has asked why baking powder and super glue , well i first heard of it from two sources one is a dear friend who showed me lots of model making skills John Tassel and the other is a book on German armor whose name eludes me at the moment.

i can honestly say its stronger then miliputty as a filler but each has a its own place in the hobby

Next stage is to decide how much detail or if i replace the kits hull bins on both vehicles with etch or just detail them

hi everyone

i have not got much to show tonight has i have been busy . But what i thought i do is show you the contents of one strv104 kit also what i use on the strv 102 i . but still thinking of scratch building some of the 102 bits for it . just so i know i can still build.

i have decided to just replace the handles on the strv104 bins and leave them alone as the detail in the casting is nice .
strv102 we'll i might just do the same the kit locks are good . Got to add to axe stowage brackets to the top of both front bins as well .
my motto why use etch when you don't have to.
so got a few chores tomorrow then i be flat out want to build the Strv 104 infantry ride completely. then let them set.

hi all

Well today i got stuck in to the strv104 well i built the infantry rides and added the bins and then the air cleaners .
WARNING keep a eye on instructions and download pictures. even i got the air cleaners wrong way around oops !!, remove them turn them around and re- glue them back on lol.
I had a problem with the left hand side due to being warped but solved in teh end.
I never fitted the fire extinguisher under the cover i could not see the point as its not seen . added the bits to the rear plate again check your references.

it does pay to photograph your model as you go as it does show all your mistakes and other flaws . so few of those had to be sorted . .

Also stuck the turret to the turret ring , wow lovely fit.
So tomorrow i build the strv 102 but as i do the bins i add the handles to the strv104.

so what do you think so far?

Looking good Ossie.