Simon Cornes

Yep, it passes muster - go and have fun!

Now that Chally looks great!! And what a huge machine a modern MBT is! Now the Leopard 2 A6 is a sexy machine and the Abrams - well have you watched video of the real thing? The Colonial Cousins have fun throwing them about but everybody is better at selling tanks abroad than we are! The Aussie Abrams is impressive for sure. But you will definitely have more chance of wearing your tanks out than I will!

I haven't bothered with a T90 but I did buy a Sherman and thats a good mover in my opinion. Heng Long had to produce a more obscure machine didn't they? - their Sherman has a 105mm gun and was really used as track mounted artillery whereas the more common Sherman had either a 75mm or 76mm gun. I wonder if the 105 lent itself better to BB firing? Of course you can get 75's and 76's from other manufacturers but its a pity HL did't go for a 75, but it is what it is. Being slightly mad I picked up a resin conversion to make a British 17lbdr Sherman Firefly - similar to the US 76mm but actually better! I also bought a pretty expensive resin conversion to make an M3 Grant. The M3 came before the M4 Sherman but has essentially the same running gear and lower hull. I had an Airfix 1/76th Lee/Grant tank when I was a kid so I've always fancied the idea of a 'big' one. Again, being a tank conversion instead of an aeroplane conversion its more basic and requires more from the modeller and because fear are sold I had to sell my granny to buy it but that effectively means I have 3 HL Shermans to get around to - confirming the madness! I will do my Chally 2 in Nato Green and Black and then very 'dustified'. The Haynes manual is very interesting and you realise how much better the Chally 2 is compared to the Chally 1 and how UK MoD penny pinching prevented the Chally 1 from being as good as it could be. Of course the Chally 1 fought in Gulf War I and Chally 2 in GW 2. You can do a lot with a Chally 2 though - upgraded front and side skirt armour and bar armour around the rear hull and turret. And then there is 'Megatron'. Yes, loads you can do with a Challenger but I'm happy with bog standard green and black! Glad to hear you've factored storage into your shed! My boxes keep the dust off but you use yours so much that the dust is actually realistic weathering!!

Do you know I think that you might actually wear these things out! You probably have the right idea. I treat each one of mine as a scale model and get a lot of fun out of painting and weathering but I've got 7 tanks sitting in 50 litre plastic boxes sitting in the garage, all ready to go but nowhere to go! But heh, we all have our reasons!

Doesn’t the Chally turret turn faster? But you’re right, maybe a t34 is more nimble?!!

Ah - ha! Yes, that’s how i remember it. I think I found it by chance. It’s a pity because I think the Tiger I switch location is great, especially given how old it is but you find that many of the more recent ones have the switch on the bottom of the hull and the Some have it on the side between the running gear. Having the switch below a hatch is surely the best but HL didn’t think like that for a long time - after all, these are seen as toys!

Well I’m glad that you found the on and off switch anyway!! You’ve obviously used yours more than I’ve used mine to. I’ve read the Haynes on the Challenger and I will be stripping mine down and repainting it before it hits the road. Probably next year now.

Trying to remember - might be on the underside of the engine deck - right hand back corner? Can't be more precise but both the Abrams and Leo 2 have the switch under a hatch you have to lift - and which the turret can cover when left fore and aft!! You'll find it though!

Oops indeed!! And a big beast it is too compared to the stuff you have already! Part of the fun is finding the on and off switch! Think this is what you call 'slow addiction' or maybe 'creeping addiction' ?!!!

Keep going!!!

Ha!! ..... No, I'm afraid I don't do uploads anymore. If I can't just drag and drop an iPhone image then its too much hassle!!

Errrrr…..,,, double figures!!! What you call rapid growth! But I repaint each one so I have a backlog!!

I suppose so. I’ve just taken delivery of a Stug III and that came with a USB charger which doesn’t work! A replacement coming from China!!

Thank you for that extra bit. I think I probably have enough reference info to get me going. I think that I'll work with the references I have and then, if I need something in particular, I'll ask again. Hard copy of all our advice produced and inserted into Airfix reference book! Thanks again

Thank you for that - I will copy and paste onto a piece of A4 to keep with the references! I am building a 1/16 radio controlled Grant so I think one will be enough ! Mind you a Lee would be tempting to!!