Nice update Russ, the bins and baskets are looking very good, more so as they are scratched 
You can easily get away with the small RH basket it looks nice and the overall size and fit is good
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Pics don’t show a lot of progress as I’m down to doing the little things, but I had a good three hours or so of finestkind modeling time today.
IMG_3475 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_3476 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I may get to primer next week…
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The hours paid off. It is looking terrific with some very nice detailing and extra scratch building you’ve done
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Beautiful work on Him. The added Detail is starting to show character of the Challenger…Cheers mark
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Looking great Russel.
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Thanks y’all! Having all the help has been tremendous. I’ve got a trip to Cozumel coming up, so I’ll be taking a break for a few days, more when I return.
I haven’t had much time to model lately, but I did squeeze in enough to do the smoke launchers.
Other side:
I thinned and modified the kit mounts and added the data plate from scrap PE.
I want to get the rest of the stuff on the top and rear of the turret added, then ponder before I paint.
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Looking good still Russ. The different view of the cutaway and new flat hull plate to the dvrs front looks good from those angles. Any further ideas about the paint ?
Russ,
https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?search_direction=asc&product_type_id=1873
Although that’s a UK store, it has some names you can search for etch mesh like Aber or airwaves the square and oblong and medium oblong look decent. Will probably order some this week and see what it’s like.
@Michael- That’s some fine looking stuff right there, and while I’m a big fan of AM, I’m also a big fan of scratching what I can. It’s not pain, it’s weakness leaving the body… If I was in the mood to wait (not your fault at all) I’d definitely order up the set that contains the radio antenna mounts as I’m shy one. I robbed kit #2 when I broke one doing kit #1. Oops. More shedding of pain to come. BTW, my decals arrived in perfect shape, thanks.
@Johnny- I’ll look. I always need some kind of mesh, either wire, expanded metal or pierced steel, and having a stock around would be a Good Thing. For paint, I’m going to do it the same scheme as the first one, also from deployment in the Balkins. I have enough decals now, even a 4-view plan in the Echelon sheet. For those that have that set of decals, it’s example #2. It’s got extra tanks and no added armor.
All this has fired me up to pull an M1 out of the Repository of Stalled Projects and do one from the same time period, same place. It’s become a theme thing now.
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Russ, now do not shoot the messenger… The grease gun looks really good, but your ABAs are well over scale on the lower portion.
… And don’t blame me, I know your a perfectionist… That’s my defence 
I know… I’ve reduced them some since I took that photo, and I may try turning them down some more, they’re just dropped in the holes now. I was afraid I’d lose the fillets when I did.
The various Challenger blogs running at the moment have inspired me.
Tamiya base, SMM update sets, and Masterclub inidividual link tracks.
The SMM Chally 1 driver’s compartment is installed and weathered. Will need to turn turret to either 3 or 9 o’clock position so the detail can be seen.
Basic paint laid in. Just started a weathering process - there is a fair bit to go. Yes, there will be stowage in the various bins.
Going to be a gift for a retired Australian Lt Col RAAC who, while on loan to British Army, spent time commanding a squadron in Kings Royal Hussars [correction - not Kings Dragoon Guards in original post]. He showed me one photo briefly and talked for a few minutes so the model is representative rather than researched and exact.
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Did you mean Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) ? or Royal Dragoon Guards (RGD) ? The Kings Dragoon Guards rebadged into the QDG in the late 50s or early 60s ?
Sorry ….Kings Royal Hussars
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Build question here… Given that I have the mesh basket mounted on the right side of the turret, where would the fine extinguisher typically go? I don’t have any pics clear enough to see.
You mean the small mesh basket ?
