Mr Bowcat Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Hi guys, Finished this one up over the weekend, its Meng's Gepard SPAAG in the A2 configuration. The scheme is (supposedly) one used on a vehicle tested in Cyrpus. As such, it's weathered to show light wear with ingrained dirt covered by lots of dust. As anyone who has spent time in Cyprus will know, it doesn't rain that much and vehicles (at least civilian vehicles, I assume the same for military) don't tend to get washed that often. The kit went together beautifully, the only issue was the tracks. Each link is made up of 5 components, 4 track pads (inner and outer) and a link. The pads weren't too bad as they only had 1 connection point each (still 340 of them though!), but the links were incredibly fragile and had 5 connection points each! Anyway, on with the pics. Cheers, B 39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celt Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 A nice looking model of an AFV thats not often seen.Well tidy mun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzby061 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Excellent. Painting & weathering are very well done and, as Celt said, a rare visitor to this forum. I think some some manufacturers have a warped sense of humour & like to think of modellers tearing their hair out when confronted with over engineered kits. 5 parts per track - Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagtail Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 (edited) Very very nice, love the little face on the back, adds some real character to the thing. Great finish too, having spent several tours in Cyprus you're right about the dust lol Edited April 30, 2018 by Wagtail spelling (thick fingers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris B Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Cheers gents. Funnily enough, Meng sell an aftermarket track set for this kit. It's exactly the same parts, just already cleaned up and ready to build. I'm too stubborn (and cheap) for that malarkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Wasley Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Super build all round,love the base it sits on,Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Cheers Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Great looking Gepard. Superb modelling. After looking at your finished build I thought I'd quite like to make one of those, at some point, but when I read the reviews - which included info about how many parts there are just for the tracks - I decided not to bother!! Very well done with yours! KInd regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 WOW! Very very nice, don't think I'd want to fly to near this guy. Exceptional weathering and attention to detail and the base just makes it look real and dangerous. This one is right up there with your previous Meng Bradley, less the interior and of course the camo backdrop curtain☺️. I looked at one of these at the LHS but now I think I'll pass as the tracks sound like another nightmare ala Rye Field's Abrams tracks and there is no way I could ever approach this awesome display. Probably end up as another "build it but don't post any pictures" if I tried, LOL. Take care, Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fewr9fkr9595 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Looks great mate , Very dry and dusty. Super convincing can feel the grit like being back out there. However there are a couple of fingerprints in the finish? Perhaps in the pigments you used and not the final varnish which the pigments have brought out like a crime scene being swabbed? So hopefully can dab them out? On the front right sloping part of the turret next to the round scope(?) and on the front left of the turret top hatch too it seems. Apart from that it’s perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 That's very nice, looks sharp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 That’s a great build fella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 1, 2018 Author Share Posted May 1, 2018 Cheers gents. Yep, guilty on the fingerprint front but they are just in the pigment so should be able to cover them. Time to invest in some gloves methinks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Is this a vehicle tested by Cyprus because they were considering buying Gepard (presumably 2nd hand) or a German one sent to Cyprus for hot/dusty trials for the A2 upgrade? Either way, whoever designed the cam scheme clearly took inspiration from WW2 colours and schemes! Very well done. Looks just right for either scenario. Just dusty enough. Assuming it to be on trials of some sort, one of the objectives would be to see what happens when you don't have time to clean the vehicle to RSM's standards. How quickly is it overcome by dust, how long can you go without changing filters etc. Halt Parades and daily maintenance regimes are fine, but operations don't necessarily permit those on a stopwatch schedule and the hot places in the world aren't uniformly dusty. I like the finger-in-the-dust graffiti on the rear stowage box: wouldn't have thought of something like that. I've never made a Gepard, but always thought it to be an imposingly ugly vehicle. Much better in camouflage than as a Big Green Thing. Especially when done well, as this one is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 Cheers. Not sure who was testing it, I assume the Cypriot National Guard as they already use Russian & French armour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Even though the Gepard is not one of my favorite AFVs, the work you have done with it, is great, a very interesting subject, with a very original and well finished scheme. Cheers mate 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 Cheers Francis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 As a kid I built and absolutely loved the Tamiya German Semi-track with the Flakveirling mounted on the back. I wasn't so keen on the Wirbelwind, or the Flakveirling mounted on the Panzer chassis (I'm drunk and can't remember what it was called) but I remember when the Gepard kit came out and I lovvvvvvvvved the look of that. I must say this is the first Gepard I've seen in kit form and what a cracker it is! In my head I always imagined them being plain green (Thanks mainly to the Tamiya catalogue) so I was surprised to see this one in the 3-colour camo scheme. WHAT A BEAUTY. And that groundwork is also superb. I looked, but I didn't notice the fingerprints. I suspect I mistook one for non-slip coating Rearguards, Badder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 5, 2018 Author Share Posted May 5, 2018 Cheers Badder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 6, 2018 Share Posted May 6, 2018 Great job all round. The cammo scheme is unusual, and you've made a good job of it. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 6, 2018 Author Share Posted May 6, 2018 Cheers John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetifan Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 That looks terrific, excellent camo scheme. Turret looks like something from a sci-fi movie. Really great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bowcat Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 22 hours ago, Yetifan said: That looks terrific, excellent camo scheme. Turret looks like something from a sci-fi movie. Really great job. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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