Hi guys

I would like to make a chieftain from the Berlin brigade. I have the Tamiya mk5 and would like to know if this is suitable and what changes or upgrades are required.

To be totally accurate, you need to upgrade to a Mk 10 with Stillbrew Armor. Accurate Armour is your best best bet there. I still have some resin bits for it but it was by another company and did not include all of the other minor details, ie, Clansman(?) radio...
That said, if you just want to do the paint job the Tamiya kit is fine. I did one around '85 or '86 using nothing but three rattle cans of primer - white, brown and grey. Some sites will fail to tell you that the road wheels should be black. I only had one photo I took in a parade back then so I incorrectly did a mirror image of the left and right sides. There are many references out there to help you get it right. Perhaps tomorrow I'll post a photo of the kit with the resin I never finished. If you go with AA it will be costly but worth it.

Hi Paul;

Do you want the Urban Block Camo,
The Mk,-5 is o.k. I dont remember who else made a Cheiftain in 1/35, I think your kit will be fine.
Check your references, Ospreys book, and there is others that show the Urban sceme.

CHEERS; MIKE.

Yes it was the urban cam that drew my attention.I could only source the Tamiya kit this end of the world so i will give it a go.

Not really. The Berlin paint job were applied to non-Stillbrew Chieftains as well. The main issue with the Tamiya kit is that it's said to be more of a Mk. 3 than 5.

This thread should be of interest:
http://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/171206&page=1&ord=1

Cheers,
/E

The Urban Cammo Scheme was worn by Chieftains Mk.5 to Mk.10 inclusive from what I have seen. The earlier vehicles were first painted in the urban block scheme in about 1982 or so by D Sqn 4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards and since the tanks were assigned to the Berlin squadron with crews rotating in the Mk.10s crewed by the 14/20th KRH were amongst the last to wear the scheme and I have never seen any evidence of Mk.11s being assigned to the Berlin Squadron, hope to be proven wrong! Bob Griffin's upcoming Kagero Chieftain book does cover the Berlin Scheme in the colour plates and would be good reference, due out in mid January.

The scheme was devised by an Officer Commanding a Sqn. of 4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards; Major Clendon Daukes.

Rob Griffin being in the same regiment he should have the correct dates and details.

Keith.

I've built mine a long time ago and used the old Tamiya kit OOB.

During construction I've paid atention mostly to the color scheme. The result pleased me a lot. Look:



The complete article here: In Berlin Cammo

Happy New Year people !

Maro

I stand corrected. The reason I said Mk 10 is because that was what was in use when I saw the cammo sometime around '86. It may even have been as late as '88 as I stayed in Berlin working in a civilian capacity the first time I got out of the army. At any rate, my memory of the resin Stillbrew kit was also not quite right either. It didn't just include the armor, but an entire turret! I even found another Chieftain kit I didn't even know I had, plus the Khalid conversion which I'm selling on the BST forum.

Here's are some photos. I'd consider selling the Stillbrew conversion with the Chiftain kit. The hull with armor is around somewhere...

Hello Paul,

I was looking at your post and thought you might want to see this companies site.

http://www.castoff-models.co.uk/products

I have built the stilbrew with TOGS myself and thought it was a lovely conversion.

take a look at all their stuff, they do baskets with stowage in them and 1980s crew gear.

Send me an email if you need any pics.

Anto

Robert.
In the upper photo the commanders episcopes are incorrect for the time period being replaced by the angled ones..
The Antenna base (left side as you look at it) should be sitting on top of the ATU box and not attached to the turret?
Who's conversion kit is this?

In the lower one, with the MRS system fitted (indicated by the Light source box) the .50 Cal ranging gun was gone and the hole plugged.

Keith.