Dear all,
I am looking for some inspiration to build a green or black/green Challenger 1 preferably without the hull armour package. I was thinking about the Challenger 1’s as were used in IFOR, SFOR or KFOR ?
Does anybody have some suggestions where to find some inspiration or make can share some pictures here ?
Thanks in advance,
Marc
Marc, if you are doing one without the add on armour then forget the KFOR ones, both Sqns that deployed were fitted with it.
If you don’t have any reference books then Google will be a good start point, just look for Challenger 1 tank that will give you an abundance of images and you can then add in things like Bosnia, SFOR/IFOR etc. You could also finish one as a UK OPFOR tank in sand and green or a BATUS one in Sand and green, the C/Ss will be different for BATUS ones.
Thanks for the pics and the tips.
Marc, Hi.
I think before you start this, you just need to think about what sort of build you are going to do. I think the only kit option is the Tamiya one, Challenger 1 (Mk.3) No. 35154. This is far from perfect but its a good base kit to work from (the only one lol)
Although it shows the desertised/up armoured version on the front it has all the main parts that you can show an unarmoured Mk 2/3 without the external fuel drums.
Depending how your scratch building is, there are some little things you can add to it to enhance the look.
Scorpion Miniature Models https://www.scorpion-miniature-models.co.uk/ offer a very good and comprehensive range of resin upgrades and replacement packs for Ch1, including a nice turret basket set and a set with the correct rear turret bin for a Mk2/3.
The next step will be do you want to try and build a kit of an actual vehicle with the correct VRN and C/Ss ? That will mean looking for decals or making your own - or just building it straight out the box and using the kit decals ? external fuel drums or not ?
Then its just a case of searching for images and finding one you like and going from there.
These are just some online open source images -
Hope that helps a bit more.
Hi John,
Thanks for the further input and advise.
What you described, is roughly the plan I set out. 
I have the 154 kit plus some AM Cr1 tow cables as well as metal replacement tracks. The next step would be to find some reference Cr1 which I can base my build on.
The external barrels are optional as I found in the mean time a lot of interesting pictures that I am slowly thinking to also build a KFOR at some point in time.
But for now I want to find a IFOR or SFOR version w/o the armour package. Than pick up some applicable sets like the detail sets and the sideskirts from SMM. On the glacis armour I need to understand better when and where this was added.
In the mean time I found 2 decal sets, 1 from star decals and 1 from Echelon which could be interesting. 1 of them seems to have the decals of the nr20 in one of your pictures above.
Regards,
Marc
Scorpion Miniature Models have a whole series of sets to depict the Challenger 1 from any period, including what you are looking for.
Reference for CR1 can also be found on the SMM website: https://www.scorpion-miniature-models.co.uk/spotlight
Hi Marc, ref your last post - it looks like you have made a good start with getting some parts you need.
As you are going for the unarmoured version, I would suggest not worring about the side skirt pack from SMM, but would recommend the turret basket pack - 3546G, and the large detail set 3546D - these 2 packs will give you loads of additional and better looking (and correct parts).
The 35154 kit although not perfect does have a lot of the other bits you can use.
Ref the external fuel barrels - when or if you do a Kosovo one (KRH Battle Group), they didnt have them fitted. They (KRH) did have B Sqn deployed to Bosnia at the same time and I think they were fitted but will check, but the Bosnia B Sqns wagons were not fitted with add on armour packs - again, I will try and check if they had any hull front armour packs fitted as these were sometimes left on regardless.
Ref individual wagons I will have a check tonight once I get home from work and have a look through some stuff - A lot of the time vehicle reg numbers are obscured or covered in dust or mud, so you have a bit of artistic licence with those, then you just need to worry about IFOR/SFOR and Veh C/Ss and Regt badges if they had them fitted.
I will have a good look tonight and get back to here ok
That SMM stuff looks very useful…
Michael does indeed do very good packs, and his CVRT stuff is equally good. Your problem is you have pretty much done the vast majority of things you need to do so yours is upto the standard of Kosovo fielded wagons.
Oops… I’d love to explain that to my insurance agent.
There have been worse ones than that lol
Hello Geico…? 
Gents, thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated !!
@Russel, I just found your build and it looks really nice. Looking forward to your next updates. May I ask which square mesh you used on the bin on the front of the turret ?
Also in my old Stash of magazines, I found AFV issue nr29. Not time to read it yet but hopefully tomorrow.
@micheal & @John, probably tomorrow when I have time, I will order some sets from SMM. I had downloaded their workinstructions and the sets seem to cover more than I would need. Most likely I will also order the glacis plate. Just to be sure 
Question; for a IFOR / SFOR Cr1 would the Bowman antenna set 3520 be applicable ?
Regards,
Marc
I had a look through some images for a few hours tonight and I eventually came back to the tankograd book and page 50/51 and the L and R side images of the RSDG A Sqn wagon which gave you some decent references. Then I looked at the KRH A Sqn 20, and I think that would probably be the best one to follow and try and do. The Star decals from SMM will give you the correct bits for a photo referenced wagon and possibly the 2 resin Ch1 sets I mentioned if you are happy to spend the money. I intend to redo the Ch1 I did a while of my own wagon (42 C Sqn) and those are 2 sets I will get from SMM
I will try and find some more 2 Troop KRH references tomorrow at work ( would rather do that than the 3 annual personal reports I’m meant to writing up lol) 
Marc, for the SFOR KRH 20 you do not need the glacis armour plate.
And the radios were clansman, not Bowman for that time frame so the ABAs that come with the kit are fine.
@Johnnych01 thanks for the great support.
The 20 is the choice for now. 
Will have a look at the Cr1 Tankograd book tomorrow. Same here for that matter; much more interesting than defining the KPI’s for next Fiscal year which is on the tomorrow’s agenda 
I don’t think you can go far wrong with the 20 one. I will dig around a bit more tomorrow and look for some more references. The RSDGs wagon in the Tankograd book was ok, but I think the KRH is the ideal one solely because you can get the decals for it which adds to it as a real vehicle.
