I’m a bit late to the party on this one; Cold War modeller that I announce myself as, my interest in the Canadian component of the Central Region has been a bit hit and miss. There are Cents in the stash and a yearning to purchase Sylly’s Models Lynx, but that’s about as far as it’s got.
This thread though has reignited my interest - after all - Leopards? Yes please! So I started undertaking a little research, prompted by my stumbling over the Legend conversion kit for something like 25 quid - which was perfectly acceptable. However, once I started digging down - and digesting the various inputs on here - I realised that acquiring the set wasn’t a definite necessity. As it happens I have the Pzb sight in my stash, albeit destined for an early Leo 2, but amongst my - mainly Revell Leo 1 stash - the sight crops up in a number of kits - so no problem in what may have proved to be the most exacting construction challenge. Everything else seemed to be a matter of scratching; if one eschews the stowage rack, then most mods seem perfectly straightforward. Plus, of course, I like to add cam nets to my models, which I know may seem a cop-out, but to me, adds realism, yet can also facilitate an easier build!
Incidentally, if one requires the Pzb sight, Perfectscale Modellbau do one at an extremely reasonable price.
Further research led me to the Tankograd publication shown here (always inspirational for Cold War builds I find):
(Received today!)
Disappointingly perhaps, there was scant coverage of the 1A2 version briefly in Canadian service - kit wise - select Revell hull of choice, and add the Perfectscale Modellbau 1A2 turret:
Thereafter, excellent coverage of the C1:
I’m not suggesting that the Tankograd booklet is essential, but it’ll certainly help and give no small inspiration, especially if you display your models on a base or add figures.
Regrettably, I won’t be starting a build anytime soon; I’ll need a base kit to start with, and, forgive me if it’s already been covered, are decals of the black and white-outlined maple leaf readily available?
PS: I actually remember the Canadians at Soest in the early 70s; there was a military prison located there as well.
