Hey all....

I have a Tamiya Challenger Mk.1 that I am just itching to get my hands on....

I am thinking of making a little diorma of a British tanker repainting his green camo Challanger to a desert color...in preperation of the first Gulf War.

Now my question is....did the Brits use the Challenger Mk.1 in the Gulf...or did they have only the Mk.3 there, (which I also have the Tamiya kit of!!). And if so...were they shipped there in their green camo, and painted on site...or were they shipped already in the desert camo....essentially an overall desert sand color?

Any help would be much appreciated!!!!

I took a quick look at the kit...and it seems like a very good kit....looks like it will go together very smoothly.

Anyone built this kit and can give me some pointers as to what to watch out for?

Hi Scott
i think you will find that most if not all Desert war challengers came off the transport already painted in desert sand and had the extra armour added in Theatre.As far as i am aware all Challengers arrived as MK3s. If you need reference books try :
Europa Militaria no 29 "Challenger Squadron" or
New Vanguard no 23 "Challenger main battle tank 1982-1987" .
As for the Tamiya kit of the mark three,I have built 2 and can remember no major problems doing that.I cannot say whether they are a really accurate kit but they look good in sand.Perhaps someone else can tell you of any faults.
HTH
Happy modelling
Peter

According to a briefing I received by a UK major in November, it took the entire BAOR to produce the one unit they sent to the Gulf. They took the best equipment they had.

The company I work for supplied equipment for both the Challenger 1 and Challenger 2, there is no Challenger 3 - whatever the kits available say. There is a Challenger 2E (for export), but none have been sold.

Rather than desert sand, there is the chance that the vehicles were painted desert pink during the Desert Storm campaign.

Its not a Challenger 3, its a Challenger I Mk.3

I believe it was the last version of the Challenger I before the Challenger II was put into service.

Just as a side point, the British had to take all their power packs with them, leaving most tanks in the UK and what was left in the BAOR without engines.

Try looking here: http://www.armouredengineer.force9.co.uk/feature/chal.htm

or here: http://www.ifrance.com/armyreco/europe/Angleterre/vehicules_lourds/Challenger/Challenger1_Angleterre_diaporama.htm

or even here: http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/modern/bzchal.htm

Jack at your service

Hi,
the Challenger MK.1 were first batch vehicles without TOGS (because of developing). During desert storm (in GB called OP. Granby) Challengers of MK 2 and MK 3 were used. The MK 2´s were modified to bring them to MK.3 standard (new ammo bay in the interior...).
For reference see Osprey New vanguard Challenger MBT.

Bye
armyarne

The Tamiya kit is good for a Challenger 1 Mk2 used in the Gulf War, most being with the 4th Armd Brigade. However the majority of the tanks that saw action were the Challenger 1 Mk3, but these have a new engine deck, unlike the one in the kit.

The Tamiya kit is good for a Challenger 1 Mk2 used in the Gulf War, most being with the 4th Armd Brigade. However the majority of the tanks that saw action were the Challenger 1 Mk3, but these have a new engine deck, unlike the one in the kit.

As has already been stated the tanks were painted when they arrived in theatre, the armour package was added while they were there before the ground phase of the war began. I built this kit last year and it is a great build. I added some details but it looks good OOTB. Also here is a link to Ron Puttee's Challenger in the Missing Links gallery it is the best looking Desert Storm Challenger I have seen http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/modern/rpchal.htm

If I didn't do the link thing right just copy and paste to your browser
Cheers,
Mike