Something a bit different.This time an Italian Leopard 1A2.She started off as a 1A5 from the reboxed Italeri 1A5 but as usual i changed my mind and thought no lets make an Italian 1A2 from 1980s period.Went about backdating the 1A5 and as im no fan of etch ive built mainly from the box and titivated a few areas.I even used the kit tow cables and im sure i shall live to regret this decission.Its nice to build mainly from the box at times and embelish older kits without hours spent with etch and it constantly flicking off.I took the kit into our club last week and they were surprised its a late 70s boxing and guys were impressed with its fairly decent quality.Of course theres flash and a few sinkholes but to be expected.I even bought another Italeri 1A5 from a show on the 1st March for a good price.I did buy a Meng 1a3/4 kit as well just out of curiosity and really just as it has the tropical fan to do an Australian AS1 sometime.Im just happy the enthusiasm is still there as many builds stall!!!.
I feel I need to point out that if this is intended to be a 1A2, it has incorrect rangefinder end caps … On the 1A2 those were oval when seen from the side (long side fore-aft), on all other Leopard 1s they were round.
Yep thats the boo boo with this kit.Its more a Leopard 1a1.I did think about trying to fabricate some A2 proper ones but bottled it.Im wondering if any newer tooling kits have the proper shaped ones.I must do a Netherlands one with the 3D stuff out there.Ive never seen any NL leopards at model shows ever apart from 2a4s etc.Real shame and the IPMS Leopard SIG are working on this.
Richard, if it’s this kit - originally - then it is in fact a 1A1 - at least according to Michael Shackleton on his Leopard trilogy, and I defer to his Leoparditis(!)
In addition to the oval rangefinder issue, the turret base was thickened too.
So, instead of pursuing a Leo 1A2 which one can’t really do without tackling at least the rangefinders (the turret thickening might not be so discernible in 1/35, then I would either pursue the Perfectscale Modellbau bespoke turret (which I did recently, planned for my Canadian efforts) or, model a 1A1, from the Italeri purported “1A2” as I did some time ago:
That’s not to micro-manage your modelling habits of course, but it means then you don’t have to worry about 1A2 accuracy elements. And, after all, a Leopard on the display tables is still a Leopard - which must be a good thing(!)
Hi Brian.Thanks for dropping by,Ive got the old Italeri 1A2 kit as well in a lovely sickly shitey brown shade.Im so much of a Leopard fanatic i can see me wanting to do a few Bundeswehr versions from early Leopard up to 1A5.Camo would be handpainted as my airbrush skills are lacking apart from single coats.This one suits my muddled modelling and i can live with rangefinders( Sssh dont tell Michael).I think the Canadian versions are a big favourite and Danish ones.I watch videos on youtube and see them in 1990s on exercise on Zealand with Bundeswehr and Netherlands forces.
Shame i cant follow Dutch sites,Plus the language barrier,Wasnt the upgraded Leopard NL known as ruined??,Chile ended up with them if i recall,Vereslijk???.
Apparently the new Honeywell fire control system on the NL leopard caused problems.I read some NL tankers called it Leopard 1 Verpest? Instead of improved Vebetered.
Exactly. The V in 1-V stands for Verbeterd, “improved” (literally: “enbettered” ) Verpest means “ruined” — or literally, “enplagued”, as the word derives from the Dutch name for that disease, pest. It’s a very common word for expressing that you think something was better before.
I read the internal fire suppresion system used to go off and foam in tank.Bet NL tankers were glad to see the beasts go.But a good modelling subject for sure with the original Diehl tracks.
Also, come to think of it, 
