Here is my Challenger 1 which started out as a basic Tamiya kit.
Hull. The front has been modified behind the headlights to match the production vehicles. The wiring conduit to the headlights/horn has been added.
The fuel covers are from etch brass. The lift handles for the engine covers are scratchbuilt from copper wire. The rear fuel drums are from the kit but with ratchet straps and the frames to hold the drums from Scorpion Miniature Models and the tracks are from Fruil.
Turret. The straps to hold the barrel thermal blanket are scratchbuilt. The smoke dischargers have new mounting brackets from etch brass. The front basket is also from etch with elastic bungee and scratchbuilt bungee hooks over the tarpaulin. A spare Chieftain tool box has replaced the basket on the turret left side. The two rear side bins now have civers and straps with the horizontal bar moulded in the kit offering removed and replaced with a metal bar as per the vehicle. A totally new rear turret bin has been scratchbuilt, replacing the prototype one in the kit. The track tensioning tools have been added to the turret roof where they were transferred from the front glacis plate. The commanders cupola has had all new periscopes added, rods to join the wiper motors to the blades and new wiper blades from etch. The 7.62mm ammunition storage in the kit comes as a moulded part with ammo boxes, I scratchbuilt a new storage ready rack from aluminium sheet, and finally the GPMG was cleaned up and a new muzzle added.
The cam net on the right side was scratchbuilt from muslim gauze and the scrim from tissue.
The paint was SMS Light Stone, then given a light wash of diluted Burnt Umber oil, as these vehicles were freshly painted before being sent out to Kuwait there is very little wear, but I added some to the hull upper front and the front of the turret to represent paint being worn away and the original NATO Green showing through..
The base is a piece of 10mm MDF with a foam top added and then textured with a mixture of fine sieved cat litter mixed in with a 'sand' pigment mixture. The sides are balsa sheet cemented with PVA and once dry cut to size and stained woth a wood dye. The pallets are from AK and the water cans from Mini-Art, and the wrap from cling film cut to lengths..
Hull. The front has been modified behind the headlights to match the production vehicles. The wiring conduit to the headlights/horn has been added.
The fuel covers are from etch brass. The lift handles for the engine covers are scratchbuilt from copper wire. The rear fuel drums are from the kit but with ratchet straps and the frames to hold the drums from Scorpion Miniature Models and the tracks are from Fruil.
Turret. The straps to hold the barrel thermal blanket are scratchbuilt. The smoke dischargers have new mounting brackets from etch brass. The front basket is also from etch with elastic bungee and scratchbuilt bungee hooks over the tarpaulin. A spare Chieftain tool box has replaced the basket on the turret left side. The two rear side bins now have civers and straps with the horizontal bar moulded in the kit offering removed and replaced with a metal bar as per the vehicle. A totally new rear turret bin has been scratchbuilt, replacing the prototype one in the kit. The track tensioning tools have been added to the turret roof where they were transferred from the front glacis plate. The commanders cupola has had all new periscopes added, rods to join the wiper motors to the blades and new wiper blades from etch. The 7.62mm ammunition storage in the kit comes as a moulded part with ammo boxes, I scratchbuilt a new storage ready rack from aluminium sheet, and finally the GPMG was cleaned up and a new muzzle added.
The cam net on the right side was scratchbuilt from muslim gauze and the scrim from tissue.
The paint was SMS Light Stone, then given a light wash of diluted Burnt Umber oil, as these vehicles were freshly painted before being sent out to Kuwait there is very little wear, but I added some to the hull upper front and the front of the turret to represent paint being worn away and the original NATO Green showing through..
The base is a piece of 10mm MDF with a foam top added and then textured with a mixture of fine sieved cat litter mixed in with a 'sand' pigment mixture. The sides are balsa sheet cemented with PVA and once dry cut to size and stained woth a wood dye. The pallets are from AK and the water cans from Mini-Art, and the wrap from cling film cut to lengths..
