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Armor/AFV: Modern Armor
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Flakpanzer Gepard Prototype - Tamiya 1/35
GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 04:39 AM UTC
This kit had been in my stash for many years prior to the release of the equivalent TAKOM and Meng kits. The kits has its shortcomings (wheel spacing,details missing etc) and it was only recently that I found photos of the prototype on which Tamiya possibly based their kit on, in the book DIE LEOPARD-FAMILIE by Michael Scheibert.

I used the Meng indi link tracks, Eduard photoetch set for the kit, Eureka XXL wireropes, Leopard Club antennas and some scratchbuilding here and there. The smoke grenade launchers are from a HobbyBoss Leopard 2 kit.

I had fun building this kit, the addition of the pe details took me longer than I expected due to the lots of tiny pieces offered.

The vehicle will be painted in the green color used by the West German Army in the mid 70's and I am thinking of putting it on a Faun tank transporter, as if the vehicle is being transported to a museum.

Comments and suggestions are more than welcome.


























Bigred69
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
Joined: December 27, 2015
KitMaker: 290 posts
Armorama: 249 posts
Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 07:11 AM UTC
The kit looks great,what a little PE does for the kit.
petbat
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: August 06, 2005
KitMaker: 3,353 posts
Armorama: 3,121 posts
Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 07:36 AM UTC
Very nice work. The detail brought out is fantastic. I built this kit in the early 80's and even then, it called out for such work.
GazzaS
#424
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: April 23, 2015
KitMaker: 4,648 posts
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 08:24 AM UTC
Awesome work!
BootsDMS
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: February 08, 2012
KitMaker: 978 posts
Armorama: 965 posts
Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 09:07 AM UTC
Nikos,

Absolutely love it!

Just one thing, and I'm sure you are aware, the colour for the seventies will be the brownish shade used by the Bundeswehr back then. I'm sure others will have their preferences but I would suggest Gelboliv by Revell (enamel), though it will need lightening a bit, or Tamiya Khaki Drab (acrylic), again, may benefit from a little lightening. Anyway, just a suggestion.

I also have several ancient kits in my stash and it's always a challenge - and sometimes a pleasure (!) to bring them up to standard.

Well done you.

Brian
knewton
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New Zealand
Joined: June 19, 2013
KitMaker: 1,217 posts
Armorama: 1,092 posts
Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 09:29 AM UTC
Great work. In fact, I’m amazed at how little work was needed. Amazing what a little workmanship can do. About my only comment would be, if those are packs at the back of the vehicle, I’d expect the straps to compress in a bit more. And that is optional, too.
chnoone
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
Joined: January 01, 2009
KitMaker: 1,036 posts
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2019 - 06:30 PM UTC
Hey Nicos !

Nice job .... so far I recall the Prototypes were based on the hull of the "Biber" ABLV .... same big hatches on the rear hull plate .... 4-6 of them all together.
In the later TANKOGRAD mag. on the "Gepard" it is mentioned that, I believe, 4 of these Prototyp hulls were integrated in the final production.
In this mag. there are some very good pics of such a vehicle even in NATO - camo .... being brought up to A1 standard (not sure) ?
I don't know in detail how this would differ from your kit/build ... maybe just the spacing of the wheels ?

Cheers
Christopher:-H
canismalus
#465
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Joined: September 12, 2014
KitMaker: 398 posts
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Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2019 - 06:41 AM UTC
Nikos, great job - that‘s some magnificent PE work, wow!

Jerry
GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2019 - 07:41 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nikos, great job - that‘s some magnificent PE work, wow!

Jerry
Many thanks, some cleanup required though.


Quoted Text

Awesome work!
Thank you


Quoted Text

Very nice work. The detail brought out is fantastic. I built this kit in the early 80's and even then, it called out for such work.
Thank you. This kit has a good fit and decent detail OOB. IMHO These old kits have some great potential for superdetailing, since I do not get in the mood to superdetail recent offerings that have very good detail and molding.


Quoted Text

The kit looks great,what a little PE does for the kit.
Thank you
GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2019 - 07:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Great work. In fact, I’m amazed at how little work was needed. Amazing what a little workmanship can do. About my only comment would be, if those are packs at the back of the vehicle, I’d expect the straps to compress in a bit more. And that is optional, too.


Thank you.

This is the photo that inspired me to build the 2 bags/rolls. It is an A2 vehicle but i thought I could add 2 similar rolls like the left one on the photo. The color of the stuff I used does not show details, I have "compressed" the rolls for the straps to fit, it will be more obvious when I prime the model.

GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2019 - 07:47 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nikos,

Absolutely love it!

Just one thing, and I'm sure you are aware, the colour for the seventies will be the brownish shade used by the Bundeswehr back then. I'm sure others will have their preferences but I would suggest Gelboliv by Revell (enamel), though it will need lightening a bit, or Tamiya Khaki Drab (acrylic), again, may benefit from a little lightening. Anyway, just a suggestion.

I also have several ancient kits in my stash and it's always a challenge - and sometimes a pleasure (!) to bring them up to standard.

Well done you.

Brian


Thank you for the information. I found the correct color from Revell, gonna try to some type of color modulation with it with different darker and lighter shades of the basic color.
GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2019 - 07:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Nicos !

Nice job .... so far I recall the Prototypes were based on the hull of the "Biber" ABLV .... same big hatches on the rear hull plate .... 4-6 of them all together.
In the later TANKOGRAD mag. on the "Gepard" it is mentioned that, I believe, 4 of these Prototyp hulls were integrated in the final production.
In this mag. there are some very good pics of such a vehicle even in NATO - camo .... being brought up to A1 standard (not sure) ?
I don't know in detail how this would differ from your kit/build ... maybe just the spacing of the wheels ?

Cheers
Christopher:-H
I will look for the Tankograd publication.

The main differences of this prototype from the A1 standard are the front fenders, the shape of the air intake for the front APU (the bulge on the left part of the glacis), an extra stowage box just in front of the left exhaust grill, some reflection lights at the back of the hull, a couple of detail at the rear left and right side of the turret and the sideskirts (photos of the prototype show sideskirts, while all German in service vehicles did not use them)
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