Border Models Leopard 2
Really not too much to say about this kit.
Probably the nearest thing to a perfect kit as I’ve encountered.
The detail is incredible ( go lightly with the paint!) the anti slip tex-
tures panel lines etc are just incredible.
Be very careful with the smoke dischargers, they fall off the sp
rues just by being looked at my tip remove, bag and label first
thing.
If I have a criticism and I am REALLY stretching things here, its
about the etched mesh for the turret baskets.
It rather adds to a discussion we had on here about scale thick-
ness.
I’m confident that the gauge of the mesh is spot on scale wise
but what it doesn’t allow for is the paint.
A layer of primer followed by a couple of coats of camo means its
tricky to have it ‘look’ open enough easy to get it gunked up.
If the designers had tweaked to mesh by increasing the gauge
by a few percent the end result would look better.
The only other thing is the turret MG its accurate blue print meas-
urement wise but to my eyes it doesn’t look right, lacks the
weight and mass of the real thing, again to me a matter of scale
spot on but not looking ‘right.
I know its anathema to many but sometimes you have to fiddle
with the size of things when scaling down.
Meanwhile I thought the Leopard would look better with crew fig-
ures, not much info around covering the crews and so decided it
was likely that the Leopards were going to be supplied with at
least the German headgear as these would have all the com’s
gizmos built in, bit like Stuart’s/Sherman’s being supplied to the
Brit’s with US tanker helmets and even Thompson’s.
Anyway as I need crew for the Vespid Leopard it seemed a rea-
sonable punt.
Designs shamelessly cribbed from the excellent Miniart set that I
bought to go with my 1/35th scale Marder.
I may release a small set of these as a fund raiser for the
UNICEF appeal for the Ukraine if I think there’s enough demand.
L