Search the Community

Leopard 2A5/A5NL 1:35 Revell The Leopard 2 was developed in the 1970s as a replacement for the Leopard 1 MBT then in service with the West German Army. Throughout its service life, this highly capable tank has been upgraded through A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 variants. The most modern variants, such as the A5 presented here, are easily distinguished from earlier versions as they feature heavily sloped armour on the turrets. The A5 was the last variant to feature the short barrelled, but still highly effective, Rheinmetall L44 gun. The Kit This kit is a re-boxing which dates back to 2012. The kit comes on seven main sprues of plastic, with 4 sections of rubber band tracks and a wire for use as an antenna. The moulds seem to have held up fairly well with little flash present. The sprue holding the main upper part of the tank did seem a bit distorted but was able to be bent back into shape. Construction starts with the lower hull of the tank. The sides are built up, two internal bulkheads are added along with the rear of the tank. Once the lower hull is complete, the top deck can be added along with the engine cooling fan grills. The next area for construction are the suspension components. 5 top parts are added to each sides along with 7 torsion bar parts. The main road wheels of two parts each, along with the drive sprockets and idler wheels are made up. The single part top idler wheels are also added at this point. The kit instructions have the modeller add the tracks now, these are of the rubber band type with each side being two sections. The rear of the tank then receives some attention. Various fittings, lights, mud guards and tools are added to the back, and the rear engine deck. The front of the top deck then receives the same attention with hull fittings dependant on the nationality of vehicle being built. The drivers hatch is also added at this point. Following this the main hull is finished off by adding the side skirts. Construction then moves to the turret. The bottom section is built up along the gun and its breach. The completed gun/breech is then fitted in. The top of the turret is then constructed and added to the lower section. The side sections then finish the main part of the turret. Additional armour, the rear turret area, machine gun mounts and sighting system are added, along with turret baskets and smoke grenade dischargers. Last items to be added are the mounted machine guns. . The completed turret can then be added to the hull, the last items to be added are a few parts on the engine deck, and the drivers mirrors. Decals Markings are small and in some cases only consist of the vehicle number plates. Markings are provided for three German Army tanks, and one Dutch Army Tank. Decals are produced in Portugal, and standards seem to have slipped from the usual Italian printed decals in other Revell armour releases. Conclusion It is good to see this kit of an important modern MBT re-released. Recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit