Hi friends.This one ive been working on past fortnight.This time a Leopard 1A3 Bundeswehr.Took the light grey hull from the Leopard 1A5 from Italeri plus a mishmash of parts from my Leopard spares box.This one went ok as i had beefed up the idlers and Sprockets with brass rod drilled through the mounts.I scratchbuilt the tow cable mounts and added the gunners sight and shorter periscope mount.Few more bits to do like adding sprue to canvas mount as Italeris leaves a gap when mounted on turret.Happier with this one so far.Painted the chassis and wheels by hand with Tamiya XF51.
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That’s what we like to see: parts from all over the place coming together in a single model 
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Thanks Jakko.Still got a bit too do.Got the close in weapon blanking plate to add on turret top and ive been told my TRP sight is too tall,Will check my references as i used a shorter one from a 1A2 kit.
Cheers mate.
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The TRP is too tall, yes, now you mention it. It needs to be just tall enough to look over the gunner’s periscope. The part you have looks to be from a 1A5, which had a taller housing for the gunner’s sight.
Also, something I just noticed (and was probably aware of twenty years ago ): there should be a round plate in the turret roof behind the gunner’s hatch opening, for a close-defence weapon that was never fitted. You would see it poking out from under the open hatch on your model — see this drawing that I found here:
In 1:35, the plate is about 9 mm in diameter with a 1.5 mm edge around it, according to the drawings in The Leopard 1 Trilogy.
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Very nice work, Richard.
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Cheers Jakko.Yes i got too carried away and neglected to check the TRP.An easy fix and ive got an etch brass plate from an old AS1 conversion for the blanking plate.Off to a small model show tommorow so always on the hunt for a bargain or leopard bits.
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Many thanks Christian.Next on my list is a Danish one.Not sure what timescale model will be,Maybe 80s carpet 1A3DK.
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Hi Richard.
If you go for a carpet Leopard, let me know. I have a bunch of pictures of it.
Re. the blanking plate of your Bundeswehr 1A3, it is not actually a plate laid on top of the turret roof. It is only a welding seam indicating that a plate has been welded flush with the turret roof. That’s what I have noted on the Danish Leopards.
Cheers
Christian
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Nice work on that Leo! Where’s the “small model show” tomorrow? Are you in the UK?
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Cheers Christian.You have kindly sent me carpet images,I was thinking of maybe either a 1A3 or one with 1a5 turret on a3 hull with remnants of glue and carpet on.A friend kindly 3D printed me a few sets of the tool boxes on hull sides so ive got enough to do a few.My wife thinks im a Leopard addict!!,Tend to agree.
Richard
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Hi.Show is in Mildenhall.IPMS show in a little hall.
Richard
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I’m with Jakko here, great to see lots of parts coming together into a big happy family.
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Ah, oh well - I’m at the London Plastic Modellers show at Chalk Farm (north London) tomorrow. If we’d been at the same one I’d say we should meet up! Will you be at the MAFVA Nationals in St Ives next month? If so I’ll be there with the Essex MAFVA club, but splitting my time there as a judge for the competition after lunch. I’ve built more than a few Leopards in my time…
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Thank you Russell.Happy modelling to you
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Sadly our club doesnt do MAFVA anymore.We used to do it when it was at Duxford in the tent.I loved the show and was a highlight of my year.We are doing Hannekins farm in July and Littleport next month.
Enjoy your show mate.
Richard
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Fair enough - I’ll see you in July as we’re one of the “four clubs” that runs the Hannekins Farm show!
Chalk Farm was good today - talked to lots of folks and even got some modelling done. Hope Mildenhall went well.
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Sure.Mildenhall was ok,More of a modellers social show with only a few traders,Nobody selling paint and tools sadly,Ive set up a Sherman SIG so will be at Hannekins with them and IPMS Clacton.
Happy modelling.
Richard
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Nice work Richard; I’ve been hors de combat for a bit but you might wish to consider some chains on the smoke dischargers. They’ll (inevitably) be overscale a touch but will add something I feel:
Fiddly work but worth it I feel.
PS: Yours - unless just lodged in position - may need a bit or repositioning - from where I’m standing that is)
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Hi Brian.Nice of you to drop by.I did consider adding the launcher chains from the Eduard 1A2 etch set.I seem to struggle getting the launchers in a good position.I will leave them as id end up breaking too much.I think the rails over them wasnt such a great fit.Might end up redoing them as ive got fair few spares.Sometimes the Italeri ones are moulded a bit short
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Well, good luck with whatever you decide; I hasten to add it wasn’t meant to be a piece of micro-managing.
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