Hi guys

haven't been on here for absolutly ages, so long i had to great a new account!!

basically I have had one of the first trumpteter challenger 2 kits (i don't know if they have updated them or not since) for about 2 to 3 years - i haven't done anything on it except paint a couple of bits with primer, and attempted to use and air brush that I don't seem to get on with. Due to work etc I haven't done anything else on it.

I was wondering whether anyone could help me out painting wise:

I have been using a white primer on the kit (in fact I have to buy some more as I ran out) - would that be a suitable colour to use??

What shade of 'desert' would I be looking at - I mainly use Tamiya paints however I am flexible (bank balance depending!!)

Can you get a good look from using brushes as I can't get on with an air brush. I tried my fathers but it was just, well it felt alien for some reason, whether thats me being a lefted handed idiot or not I don't know!!

Also I have some Accurate Armour resin tracks. How on earth do you put these together (and bend them) as they come in little sections and obvioulsy the orignal rubber track is alot longer.

Apologies if these are really basic questions but I haven't done any serious modelling for about 10 years now.

Many thanks for your time

Hi Kev,













Some pictures of 2 Trumpeter Chally 2's I have made (sorry for the poor quality ,bloody camera phones !!). The normal Chally 2 is painted in Tamiya Desert Yellow and then given a burnt umber wash and the Op Telic Chally 2 is in Humbrol Matt Pale Stone. The images ar a bit poor but they do give you and idea of the different types of colour. I have Tamiya's Op Telic Challenger 2 and there Mk1 Challenger Desert Storm to build soon (Im making Academy's Warrior right now) for which I am going to try mixing Humbrol 250 (Desert Sand) with a bit of Revell Silk Wood to darken it down a bit. Hannants make British Gulf Armour Stone, which I have but I am stilling gaining enough courage to mix and use in my new airbrush set up.................

Hope this helps


Cheers

Kev

Thanks Kev

I'm presuming that the first pics were the Op Telic version (what with the side skirts (how did you manage to do that?) which is mighty impressive, will have to try and get the effect like that. Very stupid question but why is the barrel green??

Kev

Hi Kev,

The side skirts come with the kit (it's all out of box), if you have a spare fifteen odd quid I can recommend the Trumpeter Op Telic Chally 2 it is just that much better and more detailed than a bog standard Challenger 2. The barrel is green because I was using a reference photo from googles picture search of a Queens Lancers Challenger 2 in Iraq that still had a green barrel (maybe they didnt get round to painting it ??) .I have been told by an ex-army vehicle painter at work that quite a few British tanks/ APC's in Iraq were still in there UK green camo months into the war.

Have fun mate !!


Kev