I have 4 Leo 1 projects in the works. One is back dating the Italeri A4 to an A3 . As near as I can tell I just need to replace the PERI scope with the older scope and add the PZB 200 night scope. Sounds like all the other mods were internal. Anybody happen to have the Italeri/ Revell PZB 200 and the scope (part 177 in Rev #03017, part 176 in Ita #374 and 6481) in the spares box? Thanks.

Hi!
If you want to do it the easy way, you can use this conversion:

http://www.perfect-scale.de/de/www-perfect-scale-de-3/Leopard-1A3-Turm.html

The manufacturer has top quality castings and an excellent service even overseas!

When you look at the turret top, you will see also a circular plate behind the loader´s hatch which was also a specific detail of the A3.

Greetings,
Andreas

The circular plate was the cover for the hole for a grenade-launcher system that was intended to be mounted in the roof, but never was. By the time they moved on to the 1A4 it was dropped from turret production, so it's one of the few visible differences between 1A3 & 1A4.

And the gunner's fixed periscope in the right front of the turret.

One of the projects I have planned is a Leo 1A5DK. They were built off of 1A3s They do not seem to have the circular cover. Were some A3 turrets (late production?) made with out? Or did the Danes remove and fill the hole when the did the upgrade?

Hi!
Some Leopard 1A5 DK were based on the old 1A3, and some on a batch of second hand 1A4 was bought from Germany and also had been converted to 1A5-DK. Danmark enlarged their MBT-fleet with that replacing aged Centurions.

The latter did not have that circular plate, and on the 1A3´s this cover was welded out and closed by a welded-in steel plate that was flush with the turret roof. You only see the welding seam on these old A3´s.

Andreas

The other thing you need to do with the Italeri kit is sort out the TC's ring of periscopes, because the folks at Italeri can't count! I did a drop-in replacement that gets 3D printed at Shapeways, or you can look at the lists on the Leopardclub website for other options. To be fair, it's not too hard to scrape off the wrong periscopes and replace them with new ones carved from plastic strip...

PZB 200 is not present on all 1A3. Presence makes it a 1A3A1.

I think I got my Leo 1A3A3 back date done. It look about right to you guys? Also, was there an external cable for the PZB 200 (like the Spot light) or did it run throuugh the base/mount and through the mantel?

The PZB200 cable ran externally to the second connector on the turret.

Any photos? All the ones I've seen are from ground level looking up.

The cable attaches to the socket on the rear of the PZB200...it then runs in the same fashion as the cable for the searchlight to the right side turret connection.

Thank's Jason. Who you pulling for in the NHL play offs? Winnipeg or Toronto? And how the hell did California end up with more teams in the play offs than Canada?