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Challenger 2 MBT - RAC


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Glad the white paint issue is universal! 😂

 

After white comes brown, so I masked up and did the final spray. Having the enjoyment of a one coat, even tone, nice to apply brown paint which brought me back from the disappointment caused with the white session. (At this stage I haven't encountered the other issue of the white paint that was mentioned before💫)

 

Concern for the texture being lost in 4-5 coats was thankfully abandoned when looking at the brown sections, the texture was clear on most sections still. :) 

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Finally I can reveal the result, get round to the illusive 💫 issue and talk about the next steps. 

 

I had a great joy when 'un-masking' the turret with most if not all sections neatly painted! To showcase:

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Then there was slight disappointment with the hull, and even more so on the side armour assemblies(💫) The sweetheart white paint had collected an ran through some of the smallest gaps in my masking job. Leaving an annoying bubbly white blemish on most grey sections. I proceeded to remove this additional layer of unwanted paint being careful with a scalpel. Realising this wont be so easy on the textured sections. Other small paint issues such as brown making its way through certain gaps when the angle was just right, are only present on white sections. And so, I can paint over with my acrylic white paint with a brush when I come to paint on other details with blacks and silver. Finally, I will also perform allot of chipping to hopefully cover any unwelcome bleeding, but also to follow the real life knowledge about how prevalent chipping is, as pointed out by @Widow 65.

 

Anyways, I'm sure most of you just want to see the thing by now!

 

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I Also made sure to paint the front end so if I do decide to reserve the dozer for the TES (if that still becomes a berlin camo bearer), this chally wont have a naked front end. The extra front armour is also painted and is removable just like the dozer. 

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I think I may take a little break before progressing with this. Just to come back with a fresh mind and not get carried away with chipping, as I can see myself now wanting to remove all the imperfections in the paint bleeding - which could go wrong. At least the colourful tank fits in with the other models so far :)

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Did some detail painting today and put all the main components together ready for weathering tomorrow. Decided I would weather after it was put together, as that's the order the real challengers undergo. Think weathering will consist of moderate chipping, pin wash, perhaps some grime but mostly dust and no mud due to the AO of this tank. Enjoy the progress pictures from today:

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Just realised from posting these pictures I need to do the headlamps! 

 

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On 3/18/2021 at 4:15 AM, British Army Platforms said:

Finally I can reveal the result, get round to the illusive 💫 issue and talk about the next steps. 

 

I had a great joy when 'un-masking' the turret with most if not all sections neatly painted! To showcase:

 

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This photo gives me anxiety!

You're just asking for one of those boxes to tip and those models to go flying. 

You're playing with fire! :D

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Happened to stumble across a very specific find. I thought I would be the first to consider the TES for the Berlin Camo Treatment. Was hoping to take what I’ve learnt from the trumpeter model and make a flawless TES. Both disappointed but also reassured, and satisfied to find out that I’m not the first! This way I can see how it turns out on all the extra kit and decide whether it’s better to have two Berlin Camo tanks, or 3 unique ones, without troubling my own TES kit first. 
 

Here is their progress documented on Instagram: 

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In other news. I thought I’d be weathering today, however decided that decals get weathered too so would look odd wacking nice clear symbols etc on a dirty tank! 
 

With use of some insignia chats out on the forum, I decided to mark this one up as 1st Troop’s 2nd Tank or tank 12, of D Squadron. The 12 is seen on the turret and 1Trp signified by the 1 stripe around the bore evacuator, 2nd tank of the first troop signified by two strips at then end of the barrel. Therefore you can identify the tanks by the barrel! There were no 12’s on my decals sheets so I had to mock up. It looks OK. I did this so that I can do the TES as a no. 10 therefore the Trp Commander of 2 Trp with this one as a Troops tank.Hope that makes sense 😂.

 

You’ll also notice this is Megatron 2 (nickname) as the TES will become Megatron 1 if it goes Berlin. 
 

Anyway, here are the decals:

 

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still need to paint headlamps!.....
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Decided to practice and get a bit experimental with weathering. From left to right:

 

Dark pin wash in groves of panels, seen most clearly on the left groove of the first white panel.

 

Streaking grime attempts on white panels, look best coming from expected start points such as bolts. The random spills look out of place but were a good demo how me to use them. 

 

The third and fourth white panels have a dark wash all over with some europe earth brushed over, creating a yellowy dirty wash.

 

(A) Mixed some anti slip texture with europe dirt which created this half mud half concrete looking texture. 

(B) Added some charcoal powder which made a much more convincing concrete texture. 

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Both the A and B textures were also applied on the sides, left to try, then lightly sanded off to produce deposits that look more like the dirt-mud and gravel-dirt materials encountered in an urban environment: 

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For the real challenger, I think ill definitely avoid the concrete looking textures, but still apply it and reduce the harshness of the texture with sanding to create those muddy/dirty and dusty deposits. A pin wash to highlight panels and rubbing the charcoal powder on its own and some streaking grime to weather exhaust and vent ports. Europe earth pigment on its own to dust the whole model. 

 

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After some of the texture B had dried up in clumps from where I mixed it together. I rubbed the dry clay like material over the surface which created accents on the texture A concrete streak and collected in other grooves. Not sure if will have any use, but though id share the outcome of this further experimentation. 

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After a long shift of weathering, she's more or less done. It comes at a time aswell where we chally lovers can relax slightly knowing that, despite the Army's less favourable hand when dealt by the Integrated Review and Defence Paper, there will be 148 Challengers left when the 'New Soldier' is in full swing. These are referred too as Challenger 3's, presumably the BAE Systems (AKA Vickers) upgraded CR3. 

 

Here are the pics before the last two finishing touches (antennas and dust!) I will post the link to the RFI page once that is up with the final photographs. 

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Edited by British Army Platforms
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On 18/03/2021 at 00:07, British Army Platforms said:

Interestingly stumbled across some images from this tank computer game, where someone from the community made a Berlin Scheme for the In-game Challenger 2. They make some decent reference photos. However, I don't like the way the scheme is applied on the large enhanced armour. Perhaps it was based on the scheme seen on Chieftains as there are no images of real challengers in Berlin scheme with any other side skirts apart from the Bazooka plates. 

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That's from War Thunder mate.

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After following ERK's TES build this last week, and the extended Easter weekend.... I was tempted to continue the model 'train'. Started with fixing a few breaks on the first CR2 I built. Time to start the RFM TES!

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Antenna, wing mirror and decal fixed. (decal did shrivel a bit with using PE glue /superglue. 😕 

 

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Nothing feels quite as good in modelling, as seeing a fresh sharp sprue sheet from RFM:
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Starting with the hull as always, the centre rib -which will pick up the suspension beams- was particularly straight and true compared to my first RFM chally. Starting off well! 

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Holes, holes, holes... Using a 1mm drill bit by hand and creating a very light countersink with a scalpel. Annoying how some holes exist and others we have to continue ourselves. Presumably it's so this piece can be used in both chally sets which have different mountings, without two separate pieces being designed. 
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A thick ,anti IED bottom plate was added. However I cleaned up the small bolts on the side. The new theme with this build is extreme attention to detail. Taking allot longer to remove any flash or mould lines. Before and afters:

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Finished the hull with the sides, making sure that the top of the hull will mate perfectly later . It does.... thankfully.
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Along with removing seams and making parts look whole when they are constructed from two halves.......

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.....I also want all cemented pieces to mate perfectly to their corresponding surfaces / locations. Hopefully this plate with four bolts which the barrel mounts attach too, looks equally as welded on as the existing (cast/ moulded on) mounting plate below it.
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The IED plating on the bottom also being 'welded' on in appearance, using the cement. 
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Finishing a little fun shift of modelling on the second page of the booklet complete. The most visual progress of the whole build due to the size of the hull. 5/6 faces of the hull complete (excluding the top), including details such as rear lamps, spare tracks and hooks attached:
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Overall, quality control for this build is going to be the best so far with time the main ingredient. Excited to continue this build. May do some more this weekend, however going to have to give it up a little more with work starting soon and weekends and evenings dedicated to preparing for AOSB Main Board which I have in early May.

 

Some kinda relevant news, had an informal interview with the RTR. So the ball is rolling with aiming to eventually work with these Tanks, more likely to be the descendants of this TES, as if all goes well I may be in the thick of it when CR3 (LEP) is established. Although that will only be the plan if I don't pass my upcoming AAC selection at RAF Cranwell. Lots of very competitive aspirations, so got to work hard. 

 

Have a fantastic Easter everyone. 

 

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