Hi guys. Building the Flyhawk Luchs has 2 very different sides to it.
One is the fact that you are building a latest-gen plastic kit, where everything fits without adjustment.
The other is you can't build this kit with your hands - you need tweezers for every as everything is so small :-)

Anyway - I started with assembling the hull. After you cut out and prepare the parts - it takes about 10 minutes to reach this stage:





For a kit this tiny - details about, even on the bottom and the back:



The final drive covers fit precisely where they have to be:



Since the tail-end cooling gills have a see-thru effect - I blanked them out with a piece of scrap plastic.



Next up - the turret.

This is a beauty of a kit and goes together like a charm. You could build it in a day.

I am sure it could potentially be built in an hour, because best of all the sprue connectors are VERY thin, which
- makes it easier to separate parts from trees,
- reduces time for cleanup,
- reduces possible damage to parts.

Molding is sharp, details are excellent.

Turret with the font plate added:



The molded in supports on the main turret part (sprue E) and the front face make the turret base part a drop fit.



Here's the turret with the mantlet fixed in place:

Have fun with the PE lift hooks! I put them on mine, but only because they were included on the PE fret - didn't want to waste them!

I actually went for the plastic ones, as I am notoriously bad with supergluing tiny metal parts together. I don't regret this one bit.

Next steps: boxes, shock absorbers and their protectors. The idler axles are cleverly positioned using two pins, which makes it 1) very easy to align, 2) particularly hard to switch :-D



If you come to think of it the shock absorbers on first and last wheel station is something that would come in much later, and is used to this day on a lot of tanks.



The boxes on the side are all drop fit, not a hint of underdatailing. I like the hinge line on the spare gun barrel box at the right rear.



You can clearly see my goof with the plate in front of the driver/radio operator. I decided to add it last, which was a big mistake causing gaps around the plate.

When you add the center fake visor, that will help to hide that gap.

Is that a fake visor, or a strenghtening piece? It does partially hide that hideous gap I produced, but not the error up top.

A bit more of the turret:



Replaced the plastic handhold with a metal one:



OVM tools and lights added:



Shiny PE grille supports:



Pity those at the back are so flat. Here are a few pics of the real deal:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1348076030/Pz+II+Luchs+engine+compartment

Wheels are on:



They are extremely easy to fit, and nearly self-aligning.



The idlers require a bit of attention so the patterns of the halves match (despite the key).

The PE mesh in place - a bit overscale methinks.



Nearing its final form now :-)

Hello Pepi, my forest friend
Another sweet little thing from you
Cheers buddy

Hey dude, happy to see you here, it's been a while

Yup - a tiny gem before the T-55AM in 35th scale coming up next

Here's some more work done! Starting with the PE harnesses for the jerrycans supposed to be mounted on the turret. Truth be told - that looks ugly on pics, so the cans will be located elsewhere.



These are soldered together, as tome it's easier than supergluing them.

Tracks are finally on. Considering they are made of individual links and I've never quite managed that - I think they turned OK.



There are 2 long sections (1 top and 1 bottom) with molded-on grooves for you to bend and adjust around the wheels - worked like a charm this time. As the tracks are really thin - don't put too much pressure on them to prevent breaking them.



These are the first plastic 1/72 tracks I've ever put on a kit and did not think of ripping of and doing again.



Provided you clean up the sprue connectors on either side of the track - the fit is just surgically precise...



... especially around such tiny wheels.

If you can't be bothered to work with tweezers - 2 options here:

1. You might consider counting the number of links in the instructions, and gluing those BEFORE adding the idler and sprocket on the kit.

2. OR you can add the whole fender/upper glacis assembly after the tracks are glued.



Here's the Luchs with the turret in place.



BTW the tracks were my first time using Tamiya cements - they've been a blessing!



Antennae, fenders and tow cables to add (not a big fan of covering my kits with stowage), then onwards to the paint booth!

Nice and clean, as always
Oh and nice photos by the way of details, because I'll not see this little fella without glasses for sure

P.S.: take some photoshoots for me of 747-400 Ed Force One if you can
Cheers my friend

Hey there!
I was really curious about this new brand. SO far I only bought the tool set from them, which is superb. Thanks for sharing your build. I think I will buy one or two of those kits myself now... Looking forward to seeing your paintjob...

EDIT: I was wrong to correct the original post regarding the lenght and links track, so I removed it

Apologies for the delay. Sometimes real life gets into the way of modelling and there's little we can do.

Back to the Luchs. I am not a big fan of the "elefant ears" setup for the jerry cans. Since there were couple of spare track runs I used them as extra turret cheek armor:





Here are the 2 jerry cans and their holders:



I realize the rear lower can be easily hit and smashed but I figured the idler would protect it and I am sticking with the setup

Note the front and rear fenders are placed for the photos with a dab of Tamiya Extra Thin.

Next I hit it with some Surfacer 1000.



The detail on this kit is just amazing.



Honestly I am thinking of not painting it sometimes.



Sprocket and track:



Hull bottom and suspension:



I wish there were Panzergrau machines, but looks like I will be settling for a Dunkelgelb one with a whitewash camo.