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Trumpeter Challenger 2 Desert


Hamden

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I intend to build this one more or less out of the box, I have an Accurate Armour resin crew to man it and I may or may not use the Bronco individual link tracks I have in the stash. 

Here are the obligatory box pictures

 

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I intend to build this along side a 1/72 Mosquito so this will be a slow build

Thanks for looking more soon

 

       Roger

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I know there is a problem with the turret on this version of Trumpeter's Challenger 2 particularly with the fit of the turret side bins. There later versions of the CR2 had a revised turret moulding in which the side bins were moulded as part of the turret rather than as separate items. Hopefully I will be able to make a reasonable job of what is in the box, time will tell.

 

    Roger  

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

A last I found some time to make a start on this one, not too much done but a start non the less! Hull rear panel was fitted first although there is no mention of fitting it at all in the instructions! The front hull brackets were next followed by the idler arm brackets and hydraulic track tensioner, return roller mounting brackets, final drive units and last but not least the twelve hydrogas suspension units.

 

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So far the fit has been reasonable and any injector pin marks in places that will not be seen on the finished model.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to look, more soon I hope

 

             Roger

Edited by Hamden
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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Found five minutes today so off to the bench and in no time the hull top was attached to the lower half, the engine deck was fitted together with the towing pintel   and various brackets on the rear panel. At this point in time I discovered that I had forgotten to open two hole in the hull front panel to fit the up armoured panel. This was also a good time to enhance the hull anti- slip, and fit the exhaust outlets, barrel rubber bumper strips and travel clamp on the rear deck. I have also started to prepare the crew members ready to paint, these Accurate Armour figures are very well detailed and fit together well I just hope I can do them justice with the painting.

 

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Not a lot done but every little helps move this forward.

Thanks for stopping by

   Roger 

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4 hours ago, Sandbox said:

Nice progress.  What method or paint did you use for the anti-slip surface effect?

Thanks

Anti-slip is only Mr Surfacer 500 applied with a piece of sponge. HTH.

 

  Roger 

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Another quick update, the rear deck hinges have been added one having to scratched as the last one fed the carpet monster, also the deck lifting handles have been replaced with copper wire replacements.

The crew have also been undercoated the start of a long process.

 

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Not much to show this time more soon

Thanks for looking

 

            Roger

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I have primed the hull using Vallejo NATO Green primer, I have used NATO Green as I intend to have some green showing through the desert camouflage due to wear and tear in theatre. Most Gulf War vehicles would have been repainted on route to theatre over the top of their existing colour scheme. I have also made a start on the crew painting as well as the turret build.

 

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Thanks for looking in your time is appreciated

 

      Roger    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Another week gone and little progress on this, the jerry can holder, tank telephone and first aid boxes added to the rear of the hull. Tool boxes on the top of the hull sides beside the exhausts have also been assembled and fitted. In regards to the turret the top and bottom halves have been joined together trapping the main gun mantlet, the turret rear tool box has also been assembled and fitted the grab handles have been replaced with wire and the rear side panels put in place ready to accept the side boxes. This area of the turret has a reputation of poor fit and alignment ...................so far so good!

 

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Lastly one with the turret resting roughly in place

 

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Many thanks for dropping in your time is very much appreciated 

 

            Roger

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Work continues on the turret, loader and commanders hatch mounts fitted, rear turret side bins assembled and fitted. LH bin is a good fit but the RH bin is to short in length, the resulting gap at the front edge will need to be filled with a plastic card spacer to close up the hinge line. These rear side bins are hinged on the full size vehicle to allow access to the turret batteries and other turret electrical systems. Also the first of the fuel barrel carriers for the hull rear has been assembled.

 

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Thanks for stopping by

 

  Roger

 

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  • 1 month later...

 

Not been updating for a while but progress has been made! The poor fit of the RH turret bin has been attended to, the front reactive armour has been assembled and fitted, the side armour has been assembled but can't be fitted until the tracks are on. Various details have also been added such as the aerial mounts, fire extinguishers, tow bar, butterfly and rear lights. The hull and turret have also received a thin coat of the desert sand colour allowing some of the green to show through.

Enough of my waffle here are the pics: which explain progress better than me

 

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Lastly one with the driver trying out his station for size, may have to adjust his seat slightly for height, I'll check that with the turret on.

 

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As always thanks for taking the time to stop by and hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

 

           Roger

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Two updates in one day anyway remember from the start I said that I intended to use these tracks

 

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in place of the kit supplied rubber band type. Well I could put off no longer the track bashing to see if they would fit the Trumpeter kit, so I made a small start and assembled around six links......

 

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As you can see each link is made of four pieces and this is the result

 

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The assembled links fit perfectly around the kit supplied sprockets so that's a tick in the win box just got to put the rest together now! I never did like track bashing!

 

Thanks for looking

 

  Roger

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Things have moved forward at a much slower pace this week. 

Both tracks have been built up as you see

 

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 I have primed the tracks and main gun barrel. The barrel has been fitted to the turret and the extra fuel barrels have been added to the rear of the hull. No pics: though I'm afraid. 

Have to find out why the the drive sprockets don't sit correctly on the final drives before I can fit the tracks.

 

Thanks for dropping by your interest is very much appreciated 

 

                         Roger

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13 hours ago, BlackMax12 said:

That Mr Surfacer anti-slip sure looks lots better than the mess I made on a Merkava with buffing powder. I'll try your

method next time if you don't mind.

Feel free

Thanks for the comment

 

    Roger

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Still trying to get this finished in time for the model show at Bovington Tank museum next month, to that end some of the detail has been added the recognition panels to the turret sides, the crow bar and the drive sprockets which had to be modified as the location axles were to large a diameter. To over come this I cut off the kit axles, reduced the sprocket axle tube to allow the sprocket to fit in its correct alignment with the road wheels. The sprockets have been fitted to a solid axle running the full width of the hull. Here are some progress pics:

 

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Thanks for stopping by, hopefully the tracks will be fitted tomorrow together with some other detail bits so possibly another update tomorrow or Monday

 

                Roger

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A quick update as this inches towards the finish line, tracks on, up armoured side skirts and front and rear mud flaps attached. Eureka XXL tow cables fitted and the crew placed in position together with the radio aerials from Accurate Armour.

 

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Just the loaders machine gun, flexible side skirts and a couple other details left to do now.

 

Thanks for your time

 

       Roger 

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