Hosted by Darren Baker
Best Leopard 1?
blank
Joined: August 28, 2003
KitMaker: 190 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 06:01 PM UTC
I'm looking to make a model of the Leopard 1 in West German service. Which out of the Italeri, Revell-Germany or Tamiya models is the best?
nfafan
Joined: August 01, 2003
KitMaker: 335 posts
Armorama: 315 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 07:10 PM UTC
Tamiya - I believe - is the only one who makes a true Leo I. Their old Kamfpanzer Leopard from the 70's.
HastyP
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 1,117 posts
Armorama: 468 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 12:26 AM UTC
I can only comment on the revel-germany one, but It was a great build. I am not a rivet counter so if there are some inaccuracies I wouldn't know but I did love the build. Pics are in my gallery if that helps.
Cheers
HastyP
Cheers
HastyP
deadman
Joined: May 12, 2002
KitMaker: 90 posts
Armorama: 85 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 01:31 AM UTC
i will surely say italeri no 224 because tamiya's leopard is out proportion in some parts
thanks,
orkun
thanks,
orkun
Trackjam
Joined: April 12, 2002
KitMaker: 831 posts
Armorama: 614 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 02:30 AM UTC
It really depends on the version you want to make.
If you are going to build a Leopard 1 early production then the Tamiya is the only out of the box kit, but it has all the marks of a 1960s era plastic kit. The dimensions are wrong and the track lacks end connectors. You could take an Italeri Leo 1A2 and back date it a bit. The tracks ads will be a bit of a challenge.
On the other hand the Italeri kits and the Revell kits all share the same tooling. They are quite accurate. For the welded turret the Italeri Leo1A4 (no.224) is the only way to go. It is easily converted to an 1A3. The Tamiya lacks a lot of detail.
The Revel Leo1A1-1A4 and Leo 1A5 are also excellent kits.
If you are going to build a Leopard 1 early production then the Tamiya is the only out of the box kit, but it has all the marks of a 1960s era plastic kit. The dimensions are wrong and the track lacks end connectors. You could take an Italeri Leo 1A2 and back date it a bit. The tracks ads will be a bit of a challenge.
On the other hand the Italeri kits and the Revell kits all share the same tooling. They are quite accurate. For the welded turret the Italeri Leo1A4 (no.224) is the only way to go. It is easily converted to an 1A3. The Tamiya lacks a lot of detail.
The Revel Leo1A1-1A4 and Leo 1A5 are also excellent kits.
1907
Joined: December 27, 2003
KitMaker: 52 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 03:52 AM UTC
i have just finished Tamiya s one. just great .. u can buy without a doubt... have fun and happy modelling.
scoccia
Joined: September 02, 2002
KitMaker: 2,606 posts
Armorama: 1,721 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 04:57 AM UTC
This is a Tamiya L1A1:
and this is a Revell/Italeri (the moulds are the same, I like a bit more the Revell's plastic):
Details on the Revell/Italeri are much more crisp and better. On top of that the tracks on the Tamiya are absolutely unaccurate (due to the motorizez nature of their kit at the very beginning). You should use tracks from AFV (T80E1 for M26/M46) to correct the problem or a set coming from an Italeri M47 (the ones I sude for my Tamiya kit).
Ciao
and this is a Revell/Italeri (the moulds are the same, I like a bit more the Revell's plastic):
Details on the Revell/Italeri are much more crisp and better. On top of that the tracks on the Tamiya are absolutely unaccurate (due to the motorizez nature of their kit at the very beginning). You should use tracks from AFV (T80E1 for M26/M46) to correct the problem or a set coming from an Italeri M47 (the ones I sude for my Tamiya kit).
Ciao
blank
Joined: August 28, 2003
KitMaker: 190 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 12:38 AM UTC
Thanks guys! Looks like I'll be hunting down some Revelleri kits next time I visit my LHS....
BTW, Scoccia, where'd you get the pics? That's some masterly work....
BTW, Scoccia, where'd you get the pics? That's some masterly work....
scoccia
Joined: September 02, 2002
KitMaker: 2,606 posts
Armorama: 1,721 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 01:17 AM UTC
Blank,
glad to see that you like the pics! These are pics I shoot to models I've done. If you want to see more please visit my site Cavalleria Italiana and follow the link Modellismo on the menu at the top of the page and then choose a unit on the menu on the left. The Leopards are one under "Lancieri di Novara" and one under "Cavalleggeri di Treviso"...
Ciao
glad to see that you like the pics! These are pics I shoot to models I've done. If you want to see more please visit my site Cavalleria Italiana and follow the link Modellismo on the menu at the top of the page and then choose a unit on the menu on the left. The Leopards are one under "Lancieri di Novara" and one under "Cavalleggeri di Treviso"...
Ciao
GaryKato
Joined: December 06, 2004
KitMaker: 3,694 posts
Armorama: 2,693 posts
Posted: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 06:06 PM UTC
Well, I seem to have come to this thread 3 years too late. I should point out that the Italeri/Revell kit is of a Leo1 Batch 4 or later due to the different exhaust slot configuration. The Tamiya kit is of a Batch 1 due to having a square infantry communication box on the rear plate. This is a bit difficult to correct as it is molded into the plate itself. There were 400 Batch 1, 600 Batch 2, 500 Batch 3, and 345 Batch 4.
I have not checked dimensions of the Tamiya kit yet but since it is from the early motorization days, I'll assume compromises were made to fit existing motorization pieces.
If the Italeri/Revell kit is really of a Leo 1A2, then the turret is a different size than a Leo A1 or earlier. The 1A2 had thicker armor. The rangefinder covers on the earlier turrets are round and oval on the 1A2 turret. 232 of the 1A2 were made.
Glad I found this thread since I would really like to replace those old (no detail on the inside) tracks and was wondering what to use.
I have not checked dimensions of the Tamiya kit yet but since it is from the early motorization days, I'll assume compromises were made to fit existing motorization pieces.
If the Italeri/Revell kit is really of a Leo 1A2, then the turret is a different size than a Leo A1 or earlier. The 1A2 had thicker armor. The rangefinder covers on the earlier turrets are round and oval on the 1A2 turret. 232 of the 1A2 were made.
Glad I found this thread since I would really like to replace those old (no detail on the inside) tracks and was wondering what to use.
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 2,798 posts
Posted: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 07:57 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Well, I seem to have come to this thread 3 years too late. I should point out that the Italeri/Revell kit is of a Leo1 Batch 4 or later due to the different exhaust slot configuration. The Tamiya kit is of a Batch 1 due to having a square infantry communication box on the rear plate. This is a bit difficult to correct as it is molded into the plate itself. There were 400 Batch 1, 600 Batch 2, 500 Batch 3, and 345 Batch 4.
I have not checked dimensions of the Tamiya kit yet but since it is from the early motorization days, I'll assume compromises were made to fit existing motorization pieces.
If the Italeri/Revell kit is really of a Leo 1A2, then the turret is a different size than a Leo A1 or earlier. The 1A2 had thicker armor. The rangefinder covers on the earlier turrets are round and oval on the 1A2 turret. 232 of the 1A2 were made.
Glad I found this thread since I would really like to replace those old (no detail on the inside) tracks and was wondering what to use.
The Revell version (at least) should have alternate exhaust grilles and communication boxes allowing different batches to be made. I believe the Italeri 1A2 turret is more like a 1A1.
The other Leopard no-one talks about is the Nichimo 1A3, which is apparently not that great.
David
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 2,798 posts
Posted: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 08:07 PM UTC
Leopard comparisons here
http://www.onepointed.com/dan/model/LeopardList/Leopard-1.shtml
I really should have book-marked it before.
David
http://www.onepointed.com/dan/model/LeopardList/Leopard-1.shtml
I really should have book-marked it before.
David
GaryKato
Joined: December 06, 2004
KitMaker: 3,694 posts
Armorama: 2,693 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 01:15 AM UTC
Thanks for the link! I was just reading up on Leopards with Frank Lobitz's Leopard 1 series from Tankograd!
I hadn't expected that the later welded turret versions would be the first retired by the German Army (oulasted even by M48s!).
I remember seeing Revell's 1A1A1 on the shelf at one time but haven't seen them around for the longest time.
I hadn't expected that the later welded turret versions would be the first retired by the German Army (oulasted even by M48s!).
I remember seeing Revell's 1A1A1 on the shelf at one time but haven't seen them around for the longest time.
ahueger
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 217 posts
Armorama: 214 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 08:37 AM UTC
If you can get hold of any of the Revell/ Italeri Kits, go for them. They are way ahead of any of the Tamiya Leo 1 kits. Even if you have to convert, that's rather easily done 
and there's so many good ref's in the net to check that you'd be able to find about any pic needed 
cheers - Andreas
and there's so many good ref's in the net to check that you'd be able to find about any pic needed cheers - Andreas
GeraldOwens
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 10:43 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Well, I seem to have come to this thread 3 years too late. I should point out that the Italeri/Revell kit is of a Leo1 Batch 4 or later due to the different exhaust slot configuration. The Tamiya kit is of a Batch 1 due to having a square infantry communication box on the rear plate. This is a bit difficult to correct as it is molded into the plate itself. There were 400 Batch 1, 600 Batch 2, 500 Batch 3, and 345 Batch 4.
I have not checked dimensions of the Tamiya kit yet but since it is from the early motorization days, I'll assume compromises were made to fit existing motorization pieces.
If the Italeri/Revell kit is really of a Leo 1A2, then the turret is a different size than a Leo A1 or earlier. The 1A2 had thicker armor. The rangefinder covers on the earlier turrets are round and oval on the 1A2 turret. 232 of the 1A2 were made.
Glad I found this thread since I would really like to replace those old (no detail on the inside) tracks and was wondering what to use.
The Revell cast turret Leopard 1 kits depict a Leopard 1 or Leopard 1A1, as the telltale oval castings for the rangefinder hoods seen on the 1A2 are absent. It does offer optional early or late exhaust grills. The lower hull is based on Italeri's excellent Leopard 1A4 kit of 1978. For the cast turret, the hatch insert on the turret roof may be a bit too far forward, but it's up to you if you want to do major surgery to correct it. Heller's turret shell is reportedly better, but every other thing about Heller's Leopard 1 is worse, like wheels with no lug nuts at all, just the hub bolts. One could cross kit them, but that gets pretty expensive.
Nichimo's Leopard 1A3 is not as nice as Italeri's or even Tamiya's A4, but can be built up decently if the tracks are replaced and the motorization holes are taken care of. Eduard photoetch for the A4 will help a lot. If it's already in your stash, it could be worthwhile, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find one. Frankly, it's easier to backdate the Italeri A4 than it is is detail up Nichimo's A3.
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