BillS

On a related topic, does anyone know the dimensions of a rapier missile transport crate / box? The ones that came with the old CMSC rapier trailer always looked too narrow to my eyes.

Tankograd's Modern British Army Tank Transporters may also be of interest, though it's focus is on Antars onwards. Matador Models website has a page on post-war tractor / trailer combinations - http://matadormodels.co.uk/tank_museum/14 nato/models_nato_2_Antar.htm which may be of help.

Just noticed that Scale Link have the BW Mountain Rescue set listed in their catalogue - https://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/BW-Transfer-Sets.html . I seem to remember that their postage rates are high, but they are likely to be easier to contact than Matador Models. Their website includes a telephone number which means you should be able to phone them to check on availability, and possibly to negotiate cheaper postage given that what you want will fit in a letter.

If you can get the old BW set from Matador Models go for it: in my experience BW transfers are, with one exception (their very first British army registration plates set) excellent. If you can't get them from Matador try searching on Ebay - I have picked up a couple of BW transfer sets from that source. A few years back (three or four?) I managed to get the Airfix Club transfer set mentioned above by Modelldoc by writing to Airfix. Although I am not a club member they were happy to sell me one. Whether they have any left now is another matter. If all else fails I can let you have the Mountain Rescue bits from my sheet as I am unlikely ever to need them. Bill

When I did mine I would have worked from photos and information in an old Concord book Leopard 1 and 2 (which strangely makes no mention of the Leopard 1A2) and photos on the Original Fahrzeuge "In Detail" website ( http://www.panzer-modell.de/referenz/in_detail/in_detail.htm ) which has various detail photos of both the Leopard 1A2 and 1A5. A Google search will turn up plenty of other photos. The differences between the various Leopard marks can also be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_1#Leopard_1A2 .The instructions for Revell's 1 A5 are on Revell's downloadable instructions page (for some reason I can't post the link, but a Google search will turn it up. You want the instructions for kit 03115.) What you need to do will depend on the mark you want to model. You could, I think, backdate the 1A5 back to a very close approximation of the original Leopard 1 by leaving off the side skirts (parts 35 and 36), the add-on armour on the turret (parts 65,66,70 and 71), the fire control system (part 83), the commanders periscope (part 84), and the extra armour on the gun mantlet (part 54). The smoke discharges will need to be attached directly to the turret in the appropriate position together with new equipment rails fashioned from wire to replace kits parts 72,73 and 76 (you could probably use parts 72 and 73 instead, but you would still need to make an extra pair). You would also have to remove the moulded on racks for the ice cleats from the hull, replace the barrel (or remove the thermal sleeve from the kit part), scratch build a new commanders periscope (a bit like the old one, but smaller), the rectangular searchlight box that sits above the gun (though this was no always fitted) and the optical rangefinders that sit on either side of the turret just back from the mantlet (they were removed on the 1A5 and the apertures plated over, but it is obvious were they were). An easier conversion would be to a 1A1. This would still entail dispensing with the add-on armour for the turret, the extra armour for the mantlet, the fire control system and the commanders periscope, and you would still need to scratch build a replacement commander's periscope, and the optical rangefinders and searchlight box. But there is no need to replace the main gun or to remove the ice cleats from the hull. The side skirts and the from the kit would also be fitted as per the instructions. The smoke discharges and equipment rails would be fitted direct to the turret as above. (If you look at photos of Revell's 1>35 kit of this version it will give you a good idea of what needs to be done). Hope this helps.

You could backdate Revell's Leopard 1A5. From memory it is a relatively straightforward conversion.

Tankograd British Special no 9019 - Jackal and Coyote by Carl Schulze should give you all of the photos you need - both interior and exterior.

It's the Revell Bradley Upgrade set.