Looking very good Russ, you’re making these easy work !! Another great build. Well done 
Excellent, excellent work. You are really turning these out and the level of work is outstanding.
Nice work Russel, nice work.
Thanks all! Okay, I think I’m done.
IMG_3691 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_3692 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_3695 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_3698 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_3694 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
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Very nice Russ, you have very nice pair of Chally 1s now. Some great scratch building on both and they both have lovely finishes… Well done
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After seeing some of the great Challenger builds over the past couple of months I may not ever build another. Too much too live up to.
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There is a lot of help at hand on the Scorpion Miniature Models website with many Challenger 1 detail sets to ease the task of updating the Tamiya kit.
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Really great looking tank! Very well done indeed!
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very nice Russ !!
Which one is next ?? 
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Thumbs up Russell @rfbaer for a nicely executed build! I’m not so knowledgeable on the Challenger series MBT but I really like the tank’s profile, it just looks aggresive and capable. Although I tried to follow along with the dialog of this thread I admit I got lost in the mix. I admire any modeler that can cut and fabricate all the tiny detail parts and get them square and nailed down rightly aligned, thats where I normally falter in my scratchbuilding attempts, so kudos to you. For some inexplicable reason I almost prefer the pre-painted version but the fit and finish of your completed model is superb. I confess though the tracks are throwing me off, they seem unfinished, I’m used to seeing a corroded or dirtied appearance. Not meaning to criticize just noting a visual aspect. Well here’s another one that sets the bar pretty high, thanks for posting and sharing your experience
Cajun 
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Really superb work, Russ.
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Thanks, all. These two builds were quite a journey for me, actually. I learned a lot about Challenger, and I was also helped a lot by a few very generous contributors as the builds progressed. Pictures of in-service tanks, manual excerpts, personal experiences, construction tip, all were invaluable. In a nutshell, the perfect function of the “Constructive Feedback” part of Armorama. That was as much fun for me as the actual builds were.
@Cajun, re the tracks: I’m one of those people who believes most models are “over weathered”. It’s just my personal opinion, not a criticism. Studying pics of in service tracked vehicles (tanks mostly) will show the different effects of wear and corrosion on different materials or alloys track links are made from, with more modern materials showing much less “rust”. And then about five minutes of operation will polish any and all contact points. So that’s why the tracks on almost all of my models are “clean”. I have a model planned of an abandoned T-55 that I’ll play with, or take a look at the Syrian T-72 I recently finished: dirty but not “rusted”. I’ve been dinged by enough contest judges for “clean” tracks, doesn’t even made an impression on me anymore.
This is only my reason for the state of the tracks on these two Challengers, not a rebuttal or anything like that.
And with that I’ll say again, thanks all! Next is the Trump (with lots of Tamiya parts) Chally2, and something else, 'cause I work better with two on the bench. And I need to score another Tamiya Cr2…
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Ref the tracks Cajun, it’s a pretty fair finish for Chally 1 tracks on the tank park or on a road move.
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I like those pics, Boots. Good weathering reference.
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It’s the nature of the beast … They do get filthy…
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