Takom 1/35th Chieftain Mk 11

[Bish]

There are 2 British army vehicles i really have a thing for, other than the Warrior of course. Back in the 70's when i was 6 or 7, there was a large fair at a local park in Norwich, and the Army were there. I recall they had 3 armoured vehicles, and while i think one might have been an Abbot, the other 2 i am certain of, a Scorpion and Chieftain. I think it was from that day that my desire to join the Army started. So when i got interested in building modern British armour a few years back, those 2 were high on the wish list. Now i have both in the stash, and this is as good a time as any to build one of them.

 

 

I will be building it in the scheme of one of the BATUS training vehicles as shown on the box. The only extras will be an Accurate Armour resin barrel and some 3D printed exhausts from FC Model Trend.

I started a few weeks back while i was doing the Harriers so i could get the lower hull and suspension painted early.

 

 

These parts were assembeled on the sprue so i could get all round them.

 

 

And an armour build is not complete without a wheel forest

 

 

Once the lower hull and suspension parts were painted, they got put together. I use my usual Tamiya mix here of NATO green and field grey. But i will be useing MiG paints on the rest.

 

 

These are the 3D exhausts, first time useing printed parts on an armour build.

 

 

And then last weekend i started on the rest of the build. For a well detailed kit, it goes together very easily and quickly. The hull is ready for primer. I left off the wing mirrors as these are not used in BATUS.

 

 

 

 

And the turret is just waiting for the TOGS on the left side. I left off the top of the comanders hatch so i can paint around it before fitting the clear periscopes.

 

 

The gun barrel was originally part of the Accurate Armour kit, now sold as a seperate AM part. A hole had to be drilled to allow it to fit on the Takom mount, but i was able to get a nice tight fit.

 

 

 

I should be able to get the primer on by the midle of the week. Then i can start on the tracks. I am useing MiG paint so i have a good match for the sand colour. But my LHS didn't have their field grey so i have ordered some which should be here by the end of the week.

 

 

[Bullbasket]

You've made a good start. We now have two Chieftains on here. Can't have too many IMO.

 

John.

[Hamden]

Nice start to this one, mind if I follow along?

 

  Stay safe       Roger

[Bish]

Thanks guys. I need to check out the Mk 10 build.

[viper-30]

Nice build coming along well.. 

[ivan-o]

Nice work👍 LHS Model Junction by any chance?

[Scimitar F1]

Good start here. The Mk11 was the first tank I commanded on Salisbury plain.

[Bish]

Thanks guys.

ivan, in did it is.

 

Scimitar, i never got to see it on acion. My battalion only moved into the armoured role in 95. But i did see plenty line up on one of the camps on the plain ready for selling off. A nice source of side bins to fit onto the 432's.

[Hewy]

Looks a nicleybuilt up kit so far bish

[Bish]

Thanks Hewy.

[Bish]

Some more progress to report on the Chieftain, i was slowed down some what by the paint. But before that i had to wrap up the turret with the addition of the TOGs. I painted the inside black before putting it all together, the clear part on the front has ha the lense covered with liquid mask.

 

 

Than the painting. I decided to use MiG paints as that is the recomended colour by Takom and i didn't want to try and find a match for the sand colour. For the green, i usually use Tamiya NATO Green mixed with some field grey, so i ordered MiG's field grey set thinking i could use it on my figures. But the field grey in the set was very light, so i used the field grey shading which was more like the Tamiya field grey. Not sure if MiG just got it wrong or they are meant for a more artistic style of painting.

 

One think about the MiG paints, they don't like a cold damp English winter. 24 hours after painting the green it was still as wet as it had been when applied. I had to bring it inside in the warm to dry. After that i free handed the sand and after some touching up, this is what i have.

 

 

 

 

There still some rough edges here and there. I am not a fan of the paint, it seems similar to vallejo model air, which i don't like eitehr. I won't be getting them again. I think the sand used on the BATUS fleet, which is also used on the Warminster based Demo battalion vehicles, is the same as that used on desert vehicles prior to Op Telic, so if i need to do another of tehse schemes i can use the Gulf War colours. I also maske and added the white V for the arc marker.

 

Then the decals, not keen on these either. They damage easily and are very matt looking. But they did conform well enough and there's not many of them.

 

 

 

 

And the tracks where put together, and here's another issue. There are 200 links and the instructions say to use 97 on each side. I put one track together forming it around the idler and sproket and over the top rollers adding slight sga. But when i out the send run together i was one link short. On counting the second lot it had 100 links, so the first must have 100 as well, but has not come up short.. Not sure what i have done wrong to use the extra links and still have a gap, the sag doesn't look to much. But at least the gap is behind the side skirts, unless i can force it together.

 

 

Next up some weathering and hoping for no more problems.

[ivan-o]

Coming along mate👍In my humble opinion though it could use some  more green instead of just thin stripes 

[diablo rsv]

Hi Bish, looks like your making good progress with your Chieftain.

7 hours ago, Bish said:

On counting the second lot it had 100 links

I'm currently building the Mk.10 and had a quick count up on mine and I have 100 per side. There is little sag on these tracks and I do have a few links left over although not as many pads. Once the bazooka plates are in place you can't see any of the top run anyway. 

How did you find the Accurate Armour barrel? I bought one of theirs for a late Centurion but was really disappointed with it and ended up scratch building my own so for this build I have gone with the kit one.

 

Wayne

7 hours ago, Bish said:

24 hours after painting the green it was still as wet

I used the MIG paint on mine and I'm also not sure the colours are an exact match for this Berlin scheme, but it's difficult comparing to period photos. I thought they sprayed and dried quite nicely but I did thin them with Mr.Color lacquer thinners. What I have found though is that they are quite delicate and have rubbed off in a couple of areas where I have had to handle the model.

 

Wayne  

[Bish]

Thanks guys.

 

ivan, i mainly followed the instructions as i could only find one pic of this vehicle.

 

 

There is a lot of sand on it, though i agree the green on the side skirt could be a bit wider in places. I migt widen a couple of the green areas slightly.

 

Wayne, i have a tad more sag in the track than you have, i reckon that would account for the gap. Well, i'm not going to try and remove any sag now, i'm sure it will do more harm than good. I had no problem with the barrel, i rather liked it.

[Bish]

Been ploughing through with the Chieftain to get it done. I did some oil dot filters followed by AK Streaking grimes.

 

 

 

 

 

After a flat coat, wet pigments were applied and the excess dusted off. Once everything was together, it then got a light dusting of dry pigments. I managed to solve my track problem when i remembered i have the Takom marksman in the stash. I raided the tracks from then and took one to fill the gap and 2 more for spares on the rear. I had bought the Master metal tracks to use on this kit but decided to try out the kit ones. I'll just use the metal ones on the Marksman.

 

So here is my BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) based Chieftain Mk 11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to come back to this and add some stowage. I have all of the Accurate Armour sets, but am not sure what right for this. So hopefully, you ex Chieftain guys can help out.  So, a few questions if i may.

 

What oil would be used on the Chieftain, and would putting one in one of the side bins be ok.

 

When was the Mk 11 in use at BATUS. I first went in 96, but which time they had the Chally.  I got to depot in late 90 and we used 58 pattern, but we got the plain Olive PLCE when we got to battalion in 91. Assuming it was issued in a similar way to C95 and MTP, over a couple of years and to units going on op's first, with i would imagine Inf units getting priority, would the crew of the Mk 11 have had PLCE at any point or would it just have been 58 pattern.

 

And would the plastic water jerrycans have been carried on these, i don't know when they were brought into service. As i am sure people here are aware,post war British kit is limited, mainly to what AA has, which is non-existant when it come to anything from post war to the 90's. So i am hoping i can at least fit it out with a couple of rocket sacks.

 

The only thing i am sure about is roll mats.

 

Thanks guys.

[Hamden]

 

That is a stunning result, great workmanship and superb paintwork

When working for ABRO/DSG I was involved for a short time with Chieftain AVRE and AVLB and remember them having drums of OM90 strapped to the rear mud guards on the back plate above the final drives if that makes sense.

 

  Stay safe          Roger

[diablo rsv]

You've made a great job of that Bish. The paint work and the way you have done the weathering look give it a very nice lived in look and the base sets it off nicely.

 

13 hours ago, Bish said:

would the plastic water jerrycans have been carried on these

 

There are photos in the Berlin brigade book of a MK.7 ARRV carrying the plastic cans which predates the Mk.11.

 

Wayne

[Bish]

Thanks guys, and thanks for the info.

[ivan-o]

Oil cans? 😂 it’s a Chieftain! You can put cans on all over the place and it still wouldn’t have enough!

Very nice job done there Bish 👌

[Ernst]

Great paintwork Bish, the result looks the part. I have similar experiences with vallejo and Mig paints but I'll try Wayne's advice on the mig's. I love the weathering too.

Cheers,

Ernst.

[Bish]

Thanks guys. I had heard this things went through quite a bit of oil. I guess i will just add some oil and water cans, roll mats and leave it at that.

[ivan-o]

22 hours ago, Bish said:

Thanks guys. I had heard this things went through quite a bit of oil. I guess i will just add some oil and water cans, roll mats and leave it at that.

Here’s how some of my references shows Jerry cans and Oil cans

 

HTH

Ivan

[didithevan]

Great model, my only observation - as someone who commanded 20, 21 and 22 in BATUS  more relates to the decals They are very nice 'stencilled' renderings, In reality many were hand painted as they weathered out. We also had '45' markers on the back bins. Check out 17/21 Lancers on facebook. They have some great pictures taken during my BATUS in 1991. Only other addition would be that we tied the cam polos to the side shields and there would usually be a stray broom in there. The bins were full of cam nets, bergens and rate -  we kept our doss bags inside in case the grunts shot at them! I am going to update my very old Tamiya kit. Half finished, but I could never scratch build the TOGS properly. My crew used to use the white plastic spacers from ammo boxes to write messages on so you would find them stuck to the episcopes and other flatish surfaces for when we all frantically tried to write down the messages.Would love to know if there are any of the Accurate Armour resin upgrades out there! As for oil, gallons, we were all black and stank for weeks.

Edited July 1, 2021 by didithevan

[Bish]

Thank you, and thanks for the observation. I know what you mean about the markings, i've done a few med man's myself (GRUNT). I still need to add some stowage, was thinking about sttraching the gun state indicators. But one question i am sure you can answer is did you have the new PLCE when you operated these at BATUS or where you still useing Pattern 58. I know these tanks were operating there at the time of the change over but am not sure when you tankies would have got the new kit. There is a company which is now producing Gulf War stowage which include 58 webbing and large pack, butstill not sure which would be right.