JonMim

Isn't the camo net there to help keep the interior cooler, I'm sure I read that somewhere, just ask me to reference it!

I'm back to modeling after 25 years off, & still have my first build on the go after 6 months. Indi tracks have not caused all of this delay but they took a long time to put together, paint & install, plus by the time I'd got the hull etc to a point where the tracks needed to go on, I had to remove the idlers to get the tracks to fit. Thankfully the kit is an IDF Centurion, so the armored sand skirts cover the missing idlers & the Centurions ran with quite tight tracks, not a lot of slack or droop. I have another set of these tracks for an M113 that might be project 2.......

Impressive build. I can't even manage a car kit OOTB, let alone the techniques you are using.

I managed to see a Harrier flying once, must have Been a GR7 or 9, at Southport airshow back in about 2007 or so. It took part in a mocked up CAS display with pyrotechnics etc.

It is a bit of a trip to see it, but I seem to recall Musee Des Blindes in Saumur, France, has a Berlin camo Chieftan among it's vehicles. I have some photo's somewhere, I will see if I can get them posted on here soon.

M113's look interesting.

Is this any different that the Games Workshop version that looks identical & appeared around the same time before Xmas?

I'm using a white filler at the moment, can't remember brand, certainly solvent based. Sands OK, but difficult to sculpt. TBH I'm probably going to replace it with Milliput, as I like the wet sculpting ability of that filler with dry sanding, but I might look at this Humbrol stuff as well.

Bike shops have easy access to ball bearings, maybe not as cheap as the eBay ones above but a decent bike shop is likely to supply stainless bearings. You can even buy ceramic bearings if you have deep pockets, no corrosion there.

http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-Letraset-Safmat-Self-Adhesive-Printing-Film_262829.htm

Thanks Dave, indeed it is the nose numbers that are being elusive. I'll see about inkjet decals as I'm sure the ability to custom produce decals will be handy again.

I have an Airfix 1/24th SHAR that needs building. For various reasons extending back to childhood I want to build the model as XZ457, also known as black 14, based with 899sqn from Hermes. My problem is that I can't find any suitable decal packs, but I will be content to use the kit decals if I can obtain the appropriate nose & registration number decals. Has anyone got any ideas of a suitable source? I've looked at Hannants but nothing seems to come up to help.

DOA paints list a UK desert sand/stone in their range, if you can get the Trackpads website to work or answer their phone.

The Tamiya Pinkie has the 15 inch rims with large sand tyres, standard LR's have 16 inch rims with usually 7.50 for the 109 & 6.00 for the swb, although I seem to recall military swbs used 6.50 tyres, so if you kitbash two kits into two models then one will have the wrong size wheel & tyre combo.

One small detail difference between S2 & 3 is that the S3 has a blockier hinge connecting windscreen to the front bulkhead, S2 & 2A had a flatter metal hinge, so some extra plasticard on that hinge would be needed to build up the thickness.

Raga, I recall a very, very old article from a 1980's Aifix magazine that looked at converting the Airfix injected kit into a Lebanon era IDF vehicle. I remember the writer described cutting out the fume extractor from the kit tank barrel then regluing it back in place "off centre" as per the 105mm barrel. He felt other differences were too small to be noticeable due to the scale of the model.

As I live not too far from the A580, how do I go about finding out more details of the club? Re the Accurate Armour stuff, I'm close to finishing an IDF Yon Kippur era Centurion & bought their resin Centurion tracks - awful. Poor molding & the longer lengths broken from new, probably from the postal service - I notice they have a trackset on offer for the Centurion so thought I'd put my oar in on that subject.

I last ordered Fruil tracks direct from the manufacturer, as the ones I wanted (for Centurion) seemed difficult to obtain. It was a straightforward process vis their website.

I have others of the Hendon Phantom, but probably not as good as those already posted.