Afternoon all,

Started Takoms Mk11 last night and I am really impressed. I got the running gear together, it's really well engineered and just flies together in no time at all. From memory everything so far is correct and the detail is nice and crisp. Even the twin channels in the road wheels are there using a very well thought out rim that slips inside the outer roadwheel section. Be careful here as it is easy to put it in the wrong way. There should be two distinct channels in each wheel as opposed to on large one. I've tried to show it in one of the pictures below but if it's not that obvious google Chieftain roadwheels and it becomes apparent from online pictures. The wheels are just pushed on at the moment and still requires some clean up.







I'll be completing this as my old wagon when I served on MBT. !5th/19th Hussars A Squadron c/s 32.

Well lots of views but no comments! A small update after a few hours of building over 2 nights and it's coming along nicely. The parts are nicely thought out with a lot of detail without resorting to an uber massive parts count. A small criticism at this point is that some of the attachment points are in awkward positions and you have to be really careful shaving the stubs off after cutting from the sprues.

Put the headlight lenses in at this stage. The outer light has been painted silver before the fitting of the lens which you can see on the left hand light. The mudflaps will be shaved off as they are completely wrong and will be replaced with lead foil versions which are longer and have an elephants ear on the inside which covers the track tensioning nut.


I added the wiring for the headlights. The stillbrew armour around the driver took a while to fit due to having to carefully shave off the moulded on detail. the instructions tell you to drill two hole on each side to fit the add on armour, however it is blatantly obvious if it is positioned correctly so I didn't bother with the holes.


The exhausts need a small amount of filler on the inside to get rid of the just visible seam.

How are you liking the kit so far? It is looking good from what I can see of your build. I don't know a lot about the Chieftains, but i like they way they look.

Max,
Nice work. I have the same kit and have the majority of the kit built. Went together with some filler in places. I am currently working on scratching the lifting handles on the engine deck as well as finishing up with some of the smaller details. I do have several burning questions that a Chieftain crewman hopefully can answer.
- Do you have pics of the mud flaps and the elephant ears? I am still at the stage where I can saw my mud flaps off and make new ones.
- Did your vehicle have/use covers on the smoke grenade launchers? My experience on M60A3s and M1A1s were that they stayed covered unless we had the RP grenades loaded, usually during tank gunnery training.
- What kit was usually stored in the open baskets? Crew bags, camo nets?

Thanks

John

Cory,
I will bring my Chieftain in on Saturday, for your examination, unless you have another "birthday party" to attend. It is a nice kit that assembles easily.

JC

Hi Cory, I think the kit is very good, as accurate as any I've come across. Things that are wrong are easy to correct such as the mud guards, just got to be careful when cutting. An obvious statement but it's streets ahead of the old Tamiya kit.

In answer to your questions John,
I'm at work at the moment but when I get home I'll post some pics of the mudflaps, there are loads on the net though and if you get a close up you can see there is an extension of the mudflap on the inside of the mudguard.

The smoke grenade dischargers were always covered with the canvas covers unless you were firing grenades on ranges or in Canada. As the launchers had a light coating of grease on the inside tube faces they would get clogged with dust very quickly if left uncovered.

On our wagons the basket on the commanders side usually had a third 5 gallon oil can, tin of grease or vehicle tools. On the loaders side the crews large packs were usually stowed. After TOGS was fitted the basket had a metal liner and so was a lot more waterproof. Over the top of this an IPK (individual protection kit) which is like an individual small tarp was wrapped. Sleeping bags went inside wherever they could fit to keep them dry.

Max

Hi Max,

Very nice work so far, always great to see Chieftains being built. I have the Takom kits in my stash, one day I will have to get started on one of them.

Cheers,
Sven

Morning Sven,

It's a lovely kit, builds really well and if indicative of other Takom kits I'll definately be looking at getting more. I really like the fact that it doesn't have a huge parts count apart from the indi link tracks. I've recently built a Trumpeter T90 and although it was a nice kit and looks great the parts count was quite big. I'm going to have to get the Mk10 also and build a Berlin Brigade version, just gotta have a go at that colour scheme.

Max,
Thanks for the information, it fills in the blanks on the stowage that I need to put on my Chieftain. Once I quit fiddling with the engine deck handles I will post up some pictures.

JC

Your Chieftain is looking great so far.I bought the Mark 10 a week ago but haven't started mine yet I am currently working on the Dragon Ersatz M10.I will probably buy all 3 versions of the Chieftain.

Max, good job so far and your little tit bits of information are great, I'm taking notes .
I have the Mk.5 and 11 in the stash but I'm getting some Centurions finished first, just done a 5/2 now working on a Aussie 5/1 these will be followed by a Challenger not the 1 or 2 but the original A30.

HI Guys thanks for the encouragement. It's getting there at the moment, fitted the rear mudguards and bins but no tail lenses yet, filled the seams in the exhausts and fitted the wing mirror mounts. I cut the arms off and will replace them with wire in a lowered position because in 8 years of serving on Chieftains I never saw wing mirrors mounted.

Just off centre left is the mirror arm mount with the arm cut off.


Finished rear end. I have left off the first aid kit box on the rear left hand bin as it was common practice to carry two oil cans on the rear of each wagon. The box would typically be re-mounted on the top of the left hand rear bin instead.


In the pic below if you look closely at the rear right hand bins above the tow rope end you can see that an old fan belt has been bolted between the rear bin and the right hand coffin bin. This strap held the oil can in place with sometimes a bungee across the top to stop it jumping out.


You can see what I mean in this pic.I'm assuming they are the OMD 80 cans from Accurate Armour.


Also on this picture on Prime Portal you can see the mudflaps I mentioned earlier and the elephants ear extension covering the track adjuster nut. A point to note as well is that the kit gives you the mudflap strengthening strips as one continuous bar to be bent round the mudflap when in fact they are 3 separate strips.

http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/erik_jan_eskes/chieftan_mk10/images/chieftan_mk10_31_of_31.jpg

Although I thought I would only buy one kit I think eventually I will get all 3 as I crewed Mk 9s, 10s & 11s and it wouldn't take that much to make the 5 into a 9.

An update to show where I have got so far. The kit is still impressing me with how much detail is present without hundreds of parts. The turret went together with few problems, the most awkward part being the mantlet cover which is a bit fiddly to get to sit right. Once done though it looks good.
The hull top isn't glued yet until the tracks are done and ready to put on as there will be very little clearance between the track and the sponsons due to the return rollers. Also the tow ropes won't be fitted until the hull is as the attachment points are on two separate sub assembly's.








The commanders cupola will be painted and fitted separate so I can get the the periscopes painted with a green tint and then not overspray them.

For some reason the links have stopped working so have had to repost some pictures.

Slowly but surely getting there, one side of the tracks is done but not fitted yet. They will be once primed and painted and the track pads fitted. Most of the etch is on apart from the handles on the back decks which will get added later tonight. I have scratched half a long bin for the front, all 15/19 Hussar Chieftains had this fitted in place of the splashguard it held the track tensioning tools, one of the drivers toolbags, shovels & pick etc. It looks strange as it covers the drivers IR lights but they were never used anyway. The commanders cupola is just placed at the moment and will be secured once the wagon is painted and the vision blocks put in place.

To continue slightly in my thread, have been doing some work on and off on my Chieftain and have got to here.No antennas yet as I've run out of the size brass rod I usually use (.010) and am thinking of getting the AA carbon fibre set to see how they are. AA usually have a stand at the Northern Model Show so I'll give them the once over then. Will get some OMD80/OEP220 cans while I'm there. Anyway pictures below.














hopefully you can see my attempt at the green hue on the commanders periscopes.


put this on to show the elephants ear front rubber mudflap.

Looking real good.
Very nice detail.

Extremely nice. I hope to build this too.