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Challenger 2 Megatron sprues and instructions
HermannB
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2020 - 04:11 AM UTC
Instructions and sprues from RFM`s Challenger 2 "Megatron"

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10666784

I keep my fingers crossed that they will release a "normal" Challenger 2, too. Time to put my Trumpeter kit into the bin.
TankManNick
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2020 - 04:30 AM UTC
Looks very nice! Polycaps and workable tracks should make painting the suspension easier. Mostly hidden under skirts though
Violetrock
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 02:57 AM UTC
The holes in the road wheels look quite oversized. Also, somebody who has this kit and a Trumpeter and/or Tamiya kit should make a comparison between the main components. In a FB group (unfortunately I forgot where) one guy showed the Trumpeter and the RFM already built side by side and the RFM kit is significantly bigger in all dimensions compared to the Trumpeter kit.
HermannB
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 03:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The holes in the road wheels look quite oversized. Also, somebody who has this kit and a Trumpeter and/or Tamiya kit should make a comparison between the main components. In a FB group (unfortunately I forgot where) one guy showed the Trumpeter and the RFM already built side by side and the RFM kit is significantly bigger in all dimensions compared to the Trumpeter kit.


I personally trust RFM.
18Bravo
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 03:20 AM UTC
Das ist aber eine Überraschung.

I trust my own measurements. And yours. I'd think you do as well.
Violetrock
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 03:30 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

The holes in the road wheels look quite oversized. Also, somebody who has this kit and a Trumpeter and/or Tamiya kit should make a comparison between the main components. In a FB group (unfortunately I forgot where) one guy showed the Trumpeter and the RFM already built side by side and the RFM kit is significantly bigger in all dimensions compared to the Trumpeter kit.


I personally trust RFM.


That would imply that the Trumpeter kit is too small and therefore the Accurate Armour AM stuff.
Would be great, if somebody would have a possibility for comparison.

HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 03:34 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I keep my fingers crossed that they will release a "normal" Challenger 2, too.


I am not a Chally 2 officanado, but it looks to me like if you leave off the armor blocks, RWS, and any other Megatron-specific mods, then added standard side skirts from another kit, it would be a standard Chally 2. How far off am I?
Violetrock
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Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 06:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Das ist aber eine Überraschung.

I trust my own measurements. And yours. I'd think you do as well.


Robert,

I don´t have either kit. Therefore I cannot measure and compare. What I have is the Concord Challenger 1&2 book with 1/35 drawings of the Challenger 2 kit. Given the drawing is correct, I could compare some general measurements against the drawings.

Thomas
MB6400
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Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 12:04 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Das ist aber eine Überraschung.

I trust my own measurements. And yours. I'd think you do as well.


Robert,

I don´t have either kit. Therefore I cannot measure and compare. What I have is the Concord Challenger 162 book with 1/35 drawings of the Challenger 2 kit. Given the drawing is correct, I could compare some general measurements against the drawings.

Thomas


That would be interesting !

Anybody has a comparison to the Tamiya Challenger ?
barkingdigger
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#013
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Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - 07:44 AM UTC
Looking at the pics it seems they have created some weird semi-torsion suspension system, while I thought the real thing had the same HP system as the original Chally 2? Or is this just a "play-time" gizmo to let modellers roll their model tanks over pencils while watching each wheel go up & down?
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - 09:34 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Looking at the pics it seems they have created some weird semi-torsion suspension system, while I thought the real thing had the same HP system as the original Chally 2? Or is this just a "play-time" gizmo to let modellers roll their model tanks over pencils while watching each wheel go up & down?


Tamiya 35274:


Trumpeter 01522:


RFM


http://fighting-vehicles.com/challenger-2-tank/challenger-2-tank-suspension-close-up/

Looks reasonably similar to me?
Rather tricky to make a HP suspension in 1/35 so replacing with an invisible plastic spring (wannabee torsion bar) seems like a justifiable compromise.
I will glue mine solid since I am not interested in these gimmicks. The suspension arm (F21) rotates as it would in real life even if the actual mechanism is different
/ Robin
barkingdigger
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Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - 11:55 PM UTC


It was the extended mounting peg I was referring to - the real suspension is of course bolted to the outside of the hull and does not intrude. I've built the Trumpy & Tamiya versions, with their stubby mounting pegs, but it was the long peg on the RFM kit that made me wonder if they were aiming at more "play value" that can't be had from a typical glued-in-place arm. Reminds me of AFV Club fitting "recoil springs" in gun barrels...
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 12:04 AM UTC
Yeah, I understood what you meant when I saw the "long peg" but I don't mind as long as the "gimmicks" don't interfere with the external appearance.
The suspension arm would move in the same way as the real thing, that cylinder thingie is fixed in 1:1 scale as well as on the model.
I nearly always glue everything solid anyway, turrets are left movable since it makes painting easier and sometimes I need to rotate the turret and gun barrel when parking space in the display cabinet is tight.
/ Robin
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 12:28 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I don't mind as long as the "gimmicks" don't interfere with the external appearance.
/ Robin


I don't find it to be a gimmick at all. It's far easier to display a tank's suspension working over obstacles with this feature. If course, back in the day, Shep Paine's models (the Monogram "Patton" comes to mins) had compressed suspensions. You had to plan ahead and raise certain bogies. Then you have to make sure your terrain on the base matched. I emulated this a time or two, and doing it on old Tamiya Centurions wasn't nearly as easy with the Horstmann suspension components all molded as one piece.

I much prefer the option of putting the tank on the terrain where I want it, and screwing it down until the suspension molds itself to the terrain. If that's your thing. If not, nothing lost.
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 12:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I don't mind as long as the "gimmicks" don't interfere with the external appearance.
/ Robin


If that's your thing. If not, nothing lost.

Exactly
kruppw
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Joined: March 17, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 03:20 AM UTC
Hello everyone, just got back into the hobby after taking a break from things between school, work and family. I have this very kit in hand right now and currently working on it. Very nice kit, can't say how accurate it or how to stands up next to Tamiya or Trumpter in size comparison. I have the hull and turret shell assembled so far and working on the suspension as we speak. Part F21 has a small peg on the back side that when attached to the hull it has a positive connection and all the arms stay level with each other. To make the suspension work just cut the tab and the arms swing freely. The part just have some stiffness to it and should support the weight of the model with no problems. Where as I have the Miniart Tiran kit and the torsion bars in that kit seem very weak. As a bit of a warning there are tons of ejector pins on the back side of the major panels for the hull and turret that need to be dealt with. Not the kind you fill in but the tab kind you have to cut of. Most can be left in place, but the one around corners or where parts connected needed to be sanded smooth. Also there seem to be parts in the kit that may indicate they are going to release another version of the challenger. There are fuel drums and a different hatch for the loader with an MG mount on it.
cabasner
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Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 05:52 PM UTC
I can hardly wait until this TES kit is available at my 'usual suspect' on-line hobby shops. I want this thing really badly!

I built the Tamiya Challenger 2 Desertized as my first model I when I got back into the hobby 10 years ago, mostly because I thought it looked like a spaceship, with those canvas extensions on the side skirts. I also have 2 more, as yet unbuilt, Tamiya Desertized kits that I plan to build in a few direct 'guises', a rebuild of the first Chally, now that I have developed a few more modeling skills, and a second one that is primarily green, with bar armor around the rear of the hull and turret. Now, I have the TES that I will build, whenever I get it! I'm thrilled that this kit going to be available.

And, has been requested, I'd like to measure the two kits, the Tamiya and RFM, to see how much difference, if any, there is between them.
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