Korean K9 users?

I’m about half way into a build of Academy’s K9, “FIN” and have gotten very limited results from Google and PrimePortal. The kit comes with Finnish markings but I seem to remember Finland performed some mods to the vehicle before putting in use. I’ve also read that S. Korea has sold the K9 to a variety of users but again, limited results from Google. If I’m going to build it as Finnish, I’d like to make whatever corrections/additions I can, or maybe build it as used by someone else.
It’s a nice kit btw, aside from the tracks which are old school melty-pin types with soft detail and a fair amount of flash. I subbed Tamiya Challenger 2 tracks.


It also begs for an interior. Not only is the rear hull door separate and detailed on the inside, the turret access doors are all separate, and the engine access doors as well. A conversion for the K10 ammo carrier would be nifty as well… DEF? Legends?
Any suggestions welcomed.

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I’ve been lobbying for a K10 for years. It may pay off next year.
You could always add some mods to the hull and add an AS-90 turret…

I have a Trump AS90 in the stash… please enlighten this unworthy student. :grin:

Look up the AHS Krab. They’re even being used in Ukraine right now, I’ve got several photos and am doing one myself.

You’ll need a different muzzle brake as well but it’s fairly easy.

Looks like some hull differences as well, I’ll poke into it, sounds neat.

Yes, even the front hull lifting lugs are different, but it was going well until I got sidetracked…

Must do! I did a quick search and I can tell I’ll need pics of the new gun travel lock for sure, and rear 3/4 views of the hull to see what’s been changed there, but oh yeah, I’m in. Any reference links you could share would be appreciated.

Send me your email address. I’ll wetransfer them to you.

On the way! Haha, pun intended.

Sent. The toughest part is that weird storage bin in the back. That’s why I took a break.

Easy part is done…


Just an observation from looking at both kits: seems like the real things are suspiciously similar.

Don’t we live in great times? From request to suggestion to photos to starting of project, all in four hours. How did we ever get things done thirty years ago?
Yeah, you’re already halfway there. :grinning:
Ah, for those vents on the back, Cannon and Co. Inertial air filters may work. Actually one is large enough to cut into two.

'Tis a great time to be a modeler! Even more into left field than this, freeing up the K9 turret has me started on a “what-if” I’ve had in mind for a while too. I’ll throw up a pic later, but it’s also blocked up, should come together nicely.
And yeah, 30 years ago seems like, well, 30 years ago. What did we do.
I give up, “Cannon and Co inertial air filters”? 'Splain please.

image

For HO scale 2nd generation EMD locomotives.

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Nice start, Russel! This is my “Moukari” from 2019. I built it out of box as it was shown on the Flag Parade Day in June 2017 in Helsinki and Parola …

NATO user of the K9 so far are Estonia, (Finland), Norway, Poland and Turkey.

It’s a nice build but it will be a masking monster if you do the finnish splinter camo … :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Have fun!
Torsten :wave:

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Robert: looks like the louvers on a Challenger 1 engine deck. I’ll have to get an idea of size of course, but lots of possibilities there. Thanks.
Torsten: very nice! And yeah, the camo looks “fun”. Hopefully the KRAB sports NATO colors.

Per pics (thanks Robert!) turret is located and I’m starting subassemblies now.


There are quite a few small items to be changed on the hull, and then there’s that wacky basket on the back of the turret to figure out.
And since I found myself with a K9 turret with no home, I got busy on this too, using up an old Academy Merk 3:

It’s another “proposed” IDF SPH, alternative to the M109.

Now we’re even. I didn’t know what to do with an extra K9 turret…

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It was pretty easy to get it on. I had to build up the turret ring about .080" to get it out of the depressed Merkava turret position, and the centerlines of the ring are different to give room to open the driver’s hatch, but the proportions are good, probably better than this one:
IMG_1874 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
It actually looks more like the “real” Slammer…
IMG_1360 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I’m going to continue this on a separate thread, keep things organized.