Angel, between you and Nick, it’s always enjoyable seeing the scratch builds you do.
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That is one fantastic opportunity you had there!!!
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Great idea…
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Indeed it was! It was the highlight of the model show in Koblenz that weekend.
It was my 2nd visit to the WTS after 2023 and if I would have been already 10 times in there, I would go an 11th time for sure. There’s always something to discover which you haven’t noticed before. They have mainly older Bundeswehr stuff (some unique vehicles and planes), but also old warriors from WW2. Always worth a visit, Entrance is 3 Euros.
During dinner I sat next to this old monster … 
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I’ve been there one time, in 2005. I understood it has been closed for quite some time. Glad to hear it is open again. I will certainly visit it again in the future… I have a much better camera now, so the pix should be better too!
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Yes, it was closed for renovation and reorganisation for quite some time. 2023 I’ve been there with my club and we visited also the other building with weapons, uniforms etc. I noticed that my 2024 Samsung mobile phone takes better photos in diffuse light conditions than my old Canon Power Shot Camera (roughly 20 years old). The photos above are taken with the Canon camera, while the Panther photo in Post 7856 is taken with my mobile phone.
I was told that they try to get a Tornado when they are finally phased out at the end of this decade and give away their MiG 21 and 23 to the Gatow Museum. Surprisingly they don’t have a F4-F Phantom. Okay, these birds need space, a lot of space …
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The olifant hull, primed….
Turret will take a lot more time, with all this deflector thingis
Enjoy Rabbits
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Thanks Angel, and very much the same to you 
I really enjoy seeing your builds - they’re very inspirational. For example as you just posted - reworking the hull! Looking very good. That said, the variety of builds posted here is all pretty inspiring - lots of ideas, techniques and assemblies worth trying to remember!
I’m still adding to the D1:
The blade is now added. The small scale is still proving a challenge. I am developing a lot of appreciation for the work our friends who build 1/48 scale aircraft do. On one hand, you can clearly see what you want to do, but unlike 1/35, the spaces are are tight, and getting everything to fit is not easy! As of now the blade tilts up and down, and left/right, but my guess is that will not be the case when paint goes on. It’s funny that the C frame looks huge in these photos, but in reality, it’s pretty small and close to the real thing.
This is proving another good case for keeping unused PE materials - as with cutters, files, and drills, it can be adapted to meet many unintended uses!
This is getting pretty close to being ready for paint. It needs door handles and a few other bits, then on to a couple more vehicles, which will also get some scratch work but less dramatic than this.
Cheers
Nick 
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Beautiful work Nick , just as we have come to expect from you .
Not a criticism by any means but just an interesting point - Most new Cat dozers have the operator’s seat turned , not square across the machine . This to ease strain on operator as the machine may spend as much time in reverse as going forward. The D 1 may not have this feature.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your work - always a pleasure to see.
Cheers - RT
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Well @RDT1953, RT you are absolutely right, I might have blown it! I forgot about that 
I’ve built a couple of the Meng 1/35 D9Rs, and as I recall, did you build up a civilian version? that was a great project (and if it wasn’t you, whoever built it did a great job!)
I even made a D7R in 1/24 scale following the same process as the D1, converting the old AMT D8…and made it with the correct seat placement!
Well, I guess only we the readers of the “What did you do in your modeling workshop today” thread will know that it was done correctly in the D7, and I blew it in the D1! 
For the D1 I used this pic as a reference:
I didn’t notice in the pic the seat was angled, and still can’t tell from this, but because I was curious, found this quote in CAT sales info:
The spacious and comfortable cab features an optional heated and ventilated seat, along with heated joystick controls to make the operator comfortable no matter what the conditions are outside. The seat height and armrests can be easily adjusted to the operator’s preference
but no mention of the angled seat, and AI provided this:
The seat in smaller Cat dozers (like the D1-D4) is typically straight or “square with the tracks,” which is common for grading dozers that use a 6-way blade. In contrast, larger “push” dozers (such as the D5 and up) often feature an angled or “offset” seat design. The angled configuration in larger machines is primarily intended to reduce operator neck strain when frequently looking backward during tasks like ripping or pushing scrapers.
But, the source provided is Reddit, not CAT, so I can’t say for certain, though this does have the 6-way blade, and it seems unlikely this unit would be doing much ripping, or any pushing - maybe the seat is adjustable? like on a farm tractor? I really don’t know 
I must say, questions like this are why I like scratch building! For at least a short period of time I get to dig into subjects I don’t know too much about!
Cheers
Nick
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It looks like you got it right Nick - seems like the seat should be square across the machine.
And yes , I did the civilian conversion a while back - also did a scratch build of a Hyster Logging arch with a D7. I seem to be in naval mode at the moment with a couple of destroyers on the bench - a refreshing change of pace.
Once again , thanks for sharing your prolific works - I admire your skills and subjects.
Cheers- RT
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Got the three upper hull/fighting compartments together.
The Jaguar 2 on the far left has some minimal “through the TOW launcher” hatches interior details.
I guess it’s time to start painting lower hulls and road wheels and some white.
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Only just caught up with this and as I have the Das Werk Kanonjagdpanzer in the stash and keeping an eye out for the Jaguar 2 version (at a big show this weekend so one may find it’s way home with me) I’m following along.
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Got some work done on the ‘Hopeless Diamond’…
The cockpit tub received a little attention… some scratchy Tamiya Tape seatbelts and instrument painting. 
…
I added exhaust deflectors to give the aft end a bit more bustle.
• Evergreen Styrene Strip 106 (.010” x .125”) (0.25 mm x 3.2 mm)
Moving on to the diorama base…
I printed a tarmac joint layout onto paper (2"x2" @ 9°). Then, I transferred and scribed the joints onto the base.
• Wood Block (1”x4”x6”)
The base was primed…
• Rust-Oleum 334020 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint, Flat Black
Here’s a rough mockup. Keep in mind, this is only pre-shading and not the final tarmac color. More paint layers to follow.
Then, I went on a tangent… as I often do. … So, to prevent the model from rolling off of the workbench, I scratch-built a few wheel chocks.
• Evergreen Styrene Angle (293) .100” (2.5 mm)
• Tamiya (87053) Basic Grey Putty
• Mr Surfacer 1500
• Vallejo Sun Yellow (72.006)
• Syren Ship Model .018 (.45mm) ULTRA Tan Scale Rope
• Tamiya TS-80 Flat Clear
Added brake lines to the Landin gear.
• HARELINE Lead Wire (L15) .015
• AK Real Color Marker: Aluminum (RCM010)
“Tower to Hopeless. … Gear separation at takeoff? … Over.” 
“Hopeless to Tower … Negative. … Trying-out new stealth paint job. … Over” …
Thanks for having a look!
—mike …
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Looking great Mike. Maybe you can help me with a question: was this thing ever a functioning jet? It’s my understanding that it was an engineer’s creation of the ideal (at the time) stealthy shape, which they then worked backwards to make flyable in the Have Blue and then F-117. Basically it was a solid block mounted on a pole for radar testing.
Is that correct? In other words it never had engines, a cockpit, etc. I ask because your excellent model is making me want to build mine similarly—as a working plane. My original plan was to paint the whole thing black, windows and all.
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@ Spitfier: Thank you. And you are spot-on. Here’s a quote that I plucked from somewhere on the web:
"The Lockheed “Hopeless Diamond” was a computer-generated and later 10-foot wooden model created by Lockheed’s Skunk Works in the mid-1970s to test and demonstrate their concepts for stealth aircraft. This faceted, tail-less design was intended to minimize an aircraft’s radar signature, with a small model achieving a radar reflection “as small as an eagle’s eyeball.” While not a flyable aircraft, the lessons learned from the Hopeless Diamond’s development were incorporated into the subsequent Have Blue program and the resulting F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.”
So, the kit is a 1/72 scale representation of a 10-foot model (scale reference below). … But in our minds, it actually flew. 
“Ach! Das ist a model of a model!”
—mike …
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Thanks that helps. And I’d never thought of it like that—a model of a model!
@frank that chipmunk is looking fantastic.
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