What would be the best kit? Or is there one?
I have the ancient Tamiya Leopard kit, which, is well, ya know…
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Don’t use the Tamiya kit, it’s really dated. You could start with something like the Hobby Boss or Meng 1A5, leaving off/removing the A5 features and backdating it to an A2? Alternatively, you could use an Italeri or Revell Leopard 1 (pre-A5) and convert it to A2.
Remember here that the main external feature by which you can tell it’s an A2 is that the rangefinder “ears” are oval in shape, when viewed from the side, rather than circular.
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Wasn’t there a resin A2 turret, that sorted the extra thickness and oval hoods?
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Perfect Scale Modellbau.
https://www.perfect-scale.de/en/www–perfect-scale-de-3/Leopard-1A2-Turret.html
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Im making the same tank!!.I started off using the Italeri Leopard 1A5 kit which has the uparmoured A5 with add on armour on the turret supplied to Italy for service in Kosovo in 1999.I believe the Bundeswehr supplied Italy with A5 turrets to be mounted on the Italian 1a2 hulls.Well all im doing is using the instructions from the 1A2 kit to ring the changes.Michael Shackletons leopard book Foreign usage is a great reference and i like the look of the Italian A2s as they are colourfully marked with tricolours etc.The reissued Italeri A5 kit is in a nice to use grey plastic and the newer boxing has a Bundeswehr version on the box lid.
Richard
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With the new boxing have they sorted the issue with sink marks? It’s all to do with the temperature of the molten plastic and how long before they de-mould it I believe.
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There a few sink marks here and there.I seem to recall some on the idler wheel swing arms.Ive got x3 of the original italeri A5s with Italian version on box lid and i bought the reissued one with a Bundeswehr on box lid.I will check this one over tommorow.I still like these older kits as even the newer Meng 1A3/4 isnt lightyears ahead in quality.
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I have a stash of the Italeri & Revell kits (same sprues despite different brands) and agree they are still quite good. Tools are a let-down, and those slotted road wheels! But with a little elbow grease they shape up surprisingly well.
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Yes the tools are bit of a bug bear.I did the whole etch thing on one A4 and boy im not keen on it.So much faffing around gently cutting lumps and bumps off the kit tools and then the mounting clamps etc with etch.Nah not for me and kills the enjoyment.The Meng tools i believe are better in that respect and im surprised nobody has not done any in 3D.Im quite happy tinkering with plastic strip and do a bit of super detailing.Just enjoy putting them together.Shame that nobody does a real top notch Leopard A4 or early Canadian C1 Leopard.
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