I have the new AFV Club kit and wondered if someone could help me with the particulars of an IDF Sh'ot OR Sh'ot Kal. Here's what I have come up with so far.

1. Bazooka plates and related supports installed.

2. US lights front and rear

3. 105 barrel and dust cover on mantlet

4. .30 mg on cmdrs cupola or .50

5. Rear turret basket scratched

6. IDF call box on rear plate.

7. Spare track holders 2 on front glacis

8. Cont. Engine deck/ air cleaner boxes on sides.

9. rearrange loader's hatch - it should be rotated 90 degrees (?)

The IDF used the Mk3 and 5. I think I will stay away from the later Sh'ot Kal and the Sh'ot Kal Mk. D with the blazer suite and thermal wrapped sleeve.

Thanks as Always,
Chris

All current conversions (Corree/Legend, AEF Designs) are for the Tamiya/Academy models. If you wait long enough, I'm sure one of them will do a switch to the AFV Club model. Doing one yourself isn't too hard (I did one in 1/25) as most of what you need is already available from other kits. If you'd like to just try a Metoer engined version (still used in '73) AA do a conversion for about $12.50.

18Bravo,
I hadn't thought about the AA route, but it looks like its @ 34.00 USD. I can scratch if needed.
As far as AEF Designs .... I would rather dip my nards in gasoline and have a ccook-out than give Tony business. (Ouch!) The Legends stuff is okay. I understand the turrets are a bit underscale, but still nice all the same.

Chris

Check the perth site... Bronco has announced several versions of the Centurion including an Israeli one. Their current kits so far are quite good, so it might be worth it to wait rather than attempt an extensive conversion w/only few references.

Rob

Chris,

I'd wait if I was you...I wouldnt be the least bit suprised to see AFV Club do the IDF varents in the future. I'd get the current Cent, but I'll wait till the IDF ones hit the market before spending money on a model I'll most likely wont build

No argument from me on AEF. I bought a couple of these back before I knew better:

Almost nothing was usable. I still had to scratch the barrel, light guards (lights came from M113) and most of the Blazer array. None of the smaller parts were any good at all-fire extinguishers, phone box, first aid box. And he supplied a "corrected" turret top that I tossed. It's easier to patch up the loader's hatch hole and make your own hatches.
The hull was severely warped in both kits. Tiony told me i must not have a lot of experience in resin. I didn't. But thanks to him I do now...

Scott, I know Bronco Models has announced the Mk 3, mk 5/2, and an IDF 82 Sh'ot. I just don't seem to have much patience these days. At least I won't have to wait another 30 years for a Centurion kit!

Chris

Chris by using parts (or using them as templates) from Academy’s IDF M60A1 Blazer you can get the following from the kit:

Sh'ot (1967 vintage)
Blazer kit’s extra barrel with some mods (It’s an M68 not L7)
Extra .30 & .50 Cal mgs

Sh'ot Kal (1973 vintage)
Blazer’s extra barrel with some mods (It’s an M68 not L7)
Extra .30 & .50 Cal mgs (including FN MAGs)
Blazer’s extra (Old M60A1) Air cleaner boxes on sides (with some mods, using Blazer Ac boxes as template)

Shot-Kal Mk. D/Brak-Or (1982 vintage)
Blazer’s thermal sleeved barrel
Blazer’s ERA (with some mods and scratch building)
Extra .30 & .50 Cal mgs (including FN MAGs)
Blazer’s air cleaner boxes with some mods.
Smoke dischargers

With the top two conversions only the spare parts are used from Academy’s IDF M60A1 Blazer kit. The last conversion still allows you to build a stock US M60A1 tank. Plus the Blazer's decals should help.

Not sure about the Shot-Kal Mk. D/Brak-Or , but on the other Sho’ts I see no reason to ‘re-arrange’ the loader's hatch?

Hope this helps

Almost forgot the image (from Israeli Weapons)

Chirs

Wait a couple of months for Legend to redo the conversion sets. Then AA for the machine guns.

You will also need you buy the barrels for 1967 and 1973 models, the barrel store.

Then fun and games with paint.

Then when finished AFV will bring one out.

If want to do hard way find the book WAR DATA Centurion it has a nice 1/35 scale drawing in it.

A S'hot Kal from the AFV Club Mk.5?? Not likely unless you plan on re-building the entire engine deck and rear end. They were re-engined for the same diesel engine used in the M60 series, so the entire engine compartment was changed. Compare the posted photo (Eric's) with the kit, quite a difference. Hang tough, I bet there will be aftermarket galore with this wonderful kit. AEF is already listing new stuff for the AFV Club kit (at least, that's what is says on the site)

Jim

You shouldn't have long to wait for the AFV club one. I had an interesting discussion with the Australian Distributors at the toy fair here and they indicated up to 11 Variants to come. Not all of these will be regular releases and most will be AFV/Hobby Fan ltd ed kits but the Isreali one is a regular kit and it will come. BTW the Australain Distributors and the RAAC Tank museum (Hence the Aut 5/1 as the first release) were very large contributors to this project so have quite a bit of knowledge of it. If you can't wait get the Legends conversion or the Koree one if you can find it. I wouldn't touch AEF UNLESS you could see it firsthand to assess it. Some of his later stuff is very good but I bought $200 worth of useless resin crap from them in the late eighties and to say their after slaes service is abysmal would be a gross understatement.
CHeers
AL