Build complete:




Hope to start painting in the next couple of days.

Tat, Colin and Ronnie, good to see your builds shaping up - can't wait to see them painted and/or weathered.

Jerry

Cheers Jerry! Tat

Great to see the tracks were able to be fixed Colin. Sometimes miracles do happen!

In regard the rubber tyres, at least the sprue attachments were not over the rib detail like some manufacturers would place them.

Looking good Ronnie.

I hit a snag with my tracks for the Gepard last night - I spilled the bottle of Tamiya Extra thin cement over the pile as I was attaching the guide horns to the links.... ruined 3/4 of a track run.



Lesson learned, all separated pieces will be in containers and removed one by one from now on.

I have a set of Bronco AS90 tracks I bought for the Trumpeter Kit, which are the same track as the Leopard 1/ Gepard, so hopefully they will fit this kit... otherwise I may have to buy a Meng track set to use, Takom not doing a separate track kit.

Looking good Tat. I hope the MG's slide in from the front!

Peter - sorry to hear that, that really sucks....

I hope your Bronco tracks fit.

Jerry

Thanks Peter. No MGs on this one, with reference to the period photo I've seen.

If you don't have other recovery options, you may want to try brushing on some of that Tamiya Extra Thin on it. While still wet you should be able to get those parts loose. Messy, but its an option.

Cheers,

Tat

Oh man, Peter that's too bad!

Dang Peter that stinks at least you had plan B and a lesson for all of us

Doing an all grey vehicle instead of the complex camo version....

Whimp!!!

Hi again Tat

The centre rods of the main track pad sections of the Gepard tracks, where the guide horns attach, is quite fragile. I bent several and broke a couple removing them from the sprues, and broke many more levering the melded pile off the cutting board. Attempts to salvage the ones I have will not end well, even with steel or brass pins inserted to replace the moulded on ones...

I would also need copious amounts of mud obscuring all the lost/melted detail unless I go with the exhibition vehicle depicted on the box art. That one has side skirts which would hide the bad tracks if I used then on the top run each side. Its a thought.

I can get replacement tracks from an Aussie online trader at a reasonable price, so I'll likely pass on an attempt to repair.

I reckon that if I do the camo bit this turtle may not get near the finish line at all

Well, the Bronco AS90 tracks, whilst Diehl 640 tracks, do not fit the Takom Gepard sprockets:


I will put an order in for a Meng track link set. Hopefully they will fit. If not plan B will be build the kit with the track ends glued to the return rollers, and add the side skirts to hide the gap where the tracks won't join across the top. This leaves just the box art paint scheme as the German Army doesn't fit them (only one pic I have seen has a stationary vehicle with skirts and a Nato 3 tone scheme, which I expect is not operational fit out). The Dutch do use the skirts, but the radar unit they use is different).

Just about finished the basic build into the main sub assemblies, only the etch to solder and attach. Paint is on hold until I find out if the replacement tracks will fit or not. Will post pics when the last bits are attached.

My entry-Bulgarian T-55AM with Kladivo FCS, mid 1980's- is finished:

Beautiful build angel!

Thanks John,
It is a beautiful tank the T-55.

You have a lot going on there, Angel, and it all looks good! Very very nice work!

Very nice Angel. Really does look the business. Thanks for joining in

I finally, got my kit from the mail. And this is my group build project. A lot of Takom kits to choose from, but this is the winner!

I'll be going over "inside"the box, later. I have a few Takom kits in my stash but this is the first time working on a Takom.

Angel, that T-55 is beautiful. Very nice job sir.

Max, welcome aboard!

Thanks Clayton,Peter, Dustin!
It was both honour and pleasure for me to join-and finish-this campaign!

Thanks Dustin for initiating this campaign, its been a long time now since the Iast time I joined Armorama's GB

Nice choice Max. That is on my must get list, so I will be interested to see how it goes together. Welcome aboard

OK gents, officially finished my Takom 1:35 AMX-13 w/ SS-11 ATGM today.

I put the finished pics up in an imgur gallery as its the easiest for me!

This is the WIP gallery:

WIP Gallery

and the final reveal gallery:

AMX-13 w/SS-11