found one and it's on the way, in a coupla weeks or so. since the trakcs no doubt'll be pretty much stiff vynal crap, found a suspension set from wee friends to go with it. got no patience for it, so it'll be a LONG painful wait . one of my 2 favorite tanks in Armored Warfare

Ahhhh, talk about nostalgia! 🍻I built four of them in my younger days including one that I tried to scratch build into a Chieftain 900 (still not completed). They're still around in a storage container somewhere. For what I recall, they weren't bad kits, especially for the era. Sadly I don't remember much about the tracks except that they were vinyl. The original kit is a Mk. 2 but a Matador Models did make a conversion kit to upgrade it to a Mk. 9. In fact, the "Airfix: Build and Convert" book states that the Matador resin set has parts to build the original in from a Mk. 3 to Mk. 12. Hope this information is in some way helpful to you.

Cheers, 🍻
Jan

would be, if AW wasn't coming out soon with a Mk2, so I think I'll leave it as is, tho I just might tank a look as the ones I do have ingame are Mk6 and 5/10, depending on what upgrades are mounted. had one quite some time ago as well, the mpc version and as I recall, it had soft black rubber like vinyl. based on the evilfleabay pic this one has esci type tracks

got it a short while ago. just waiting on friendship models suspension set. hopefully I'll have it this week

Congrats and you'll have to do a Blog here when you start the build.🍻

--Jan

nope, sorry no blogs. got it nearly complete, after about 3hrs. all that's left is the running gear. just not sure if the horstmann suspension is included or not, with what I'm waiting on, or they'd've been fitted.

as for the kit itself, it's exACTly as I remember it, right down to the not the best fitting turret roof section. there was also little to no flash, the one real exception being a tab. all in all it went together rather well. it's fortunate there're AM tracks available cuz the kits' are still crap. got a coupla sink holes in the gun tube to fill, and the turret half seam, but that's nothing.

Well, no blog! What a let down after such a build-up of anticipation? At least you could show some in progress picts of what you have so far, and/or what you mention (i.e.-the tracks, the turret seam...). And yes, I do vividly recall that turret half seam on the ones that I built. BTW, if you will be using the side skirts then why the concern about the suspension (it won't be seen)?

Cheers,🍻
Jan

You might consider removing the multitude of protrusions on the top of the main armament depression stop rails round the engine deck. They are actually bolted down via countersunk holes so smooth is better than what is provided if you don't fancy drilling them.

haha, yeah drilling would be REAL fun turret seam is what you recall, the halves. the tracks are silver vinyl. got a point about the suspension, but I don't know what's included with the friendship models set, other than roadwhweels/tracks

try to ignore the setting. bad light and imager

here's the airfix
[IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f146/warmonger180/176%20Cfieftain_zpsjibf0eow.jpg" BORDER="0">[/img]

takoms
[IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f146/warmonger180/Chieftain_zpsvg0lapds.jpg" BORDER="0">[/img]

FINally it arrived, the suspension set from friendship models. overall, the detail looks good, particularly the roadwheels, where the tire is properly raised from the rim. included also are the horstmann suspension units. they, however, don't have much in the way of detail, as compared too the kit parts, but they DO have one saving grace. no sinkholes. they ALso have no locating pins to match the hull, but they'll still fit nicely the raised areas on the lower hull. the tracks are something of an improvement over the vinyl version. being made of white metal, as all the parts are, they're in 26 link sections which will have to be bent around the idlers/drivers. there IS some flash on quite a few of the parts, roadwheel mold lines and the tooth holes in the tracks, but nothing that can't be dealt with with even a DULL #11. the top/bottom track runs'll have to be shortened by a coupla links. also included is a little instruction note on fitting the tracks. this set will add a bit of heft. so, is this suspension set for airfix's Chieftain Mk2 worth getting...., yeah I'd say so.


(as a side note, if anyone wants to put this somewhere as a mini review, knock yourself out)