SoftScience Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Hello, I'm very excited by this GB, and my first entry will be Trumpeter's Rooikat AFV in South African service. The vehicles are used for reconnaissance and in the tank destroyer role. They entered service around 1990 and took part in the South African and Botswanan 1998 intervention in Lesotho. About 250 of these decidedly strange looking vehicles are still active. The Trumpeter kit looks pretty nice, but these tie downs on the turret could use replacement...or at least some kind of camouflage netting to conceal their solidness. Im not looking forward to drilling 88 little holes and bending 44 tiny cleats, but I guess I have a few days to figure it out before the build starts. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchem Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Built that kit and had a blast with it. The only issue I had was the undercarriage, but that may have been down to my impatience. Enjoy mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 It's always good to see AFV subjects in a GB and this is a particularly cool on You've a few days to experiment with your 44 tie-down cleats and still be well inside the 25% mark if you wish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 And we're off! This is one of those kits where most of the construction will be the suspension parts. Trumpeter's kits had decent detail here, but there are some pesky mold lines; the ones on the suspension springs being particularly tricky. Nevertheless, you can pose the front wheels turned, which is a nice touch. And most of this stuff will be hidden behind the wheels anyhow. Three more to go, but I need a break. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Hell, I like this, the sort of kit that could make me break my "no 1/35 armour" vow, they are so cool. I recall seeing TV coverage of these smashing their way through scrub & small trees & being impressed to blazes. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 10 hours ago, stevehnz said: Hell, I like this, the sort of kit that could make me break my "no 1/35 armour" vow, they are so cool. Such vows are just asking to be broken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Your off to a great start and it looks to be a beast of a kit! Really nice detailing on the suspension units, and as you say the option to have the front axles turned is a nice touch. Have you managed to add all the tie downs to the turret yet??? Regards, Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 Woo! Suspension iS done!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 7 hours ago, fatfingers said: Have you managed to add all the tie downs to the turret yet??? Regards, Steve So uh, well, you see...hey look, new kits!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 The major hull panels are together. Fit was a bit iffy on the front plate. There is a very gradual curve on the top, which the upper hull part didn't entirely follow. Some flexing and bending got me part of the way there. Tamiya white putty (a dissolved-plastic-like substance) does the rest. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 You've effected a good fix for the shape issue there. Nice work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Tonight the Rooikat was fitted with details on the front and rear hull plates. Nothing too extraordinary up front. In back, Trumpeter gives you some cleverly designed tool clasp parts, which I'm really happy with. I still haven't added the rear tow-shackles as the pieces they go on needed some filler (not visible in photo) that needs to be sanded down, once dry. I'm really enjoying this kit, so far. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 There is some lovely detail there. 3 hours ago, SoftScience said: In back, Trumpeter gives you some cleverly designed tool clasp parts, which I'm really happy with. I'm intrigued, What did they do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 2 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: I'm intrigued, What did they do? Handy for a spot of landscape gardening when the crew gets bored 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Sorry - I meant the tool clamps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 6 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: There is some lovely detail there. I'm intrigued, What did they do? I'm not really sure how to describe it. Its just nicely engineered, with the tools fitting into these u-shaped clamp wells, and then having the outer part of the clamp as thin add-on pieces. I guess its nothing earth shattering, but this is the sort of thing somebody like Tamiya would mold as a little bump on the tool handles rather than as actual parts. IDK, its just nice, I guess. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 And the completed hull; minus the side mirrors which look fragile, and will be added at the end. And the first bits of the turret. I think I'm going to leave well enough alone with the tie downs. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Taking shape nicely 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Woo! Last pictures before painting begins. Primer tonight, but then I need to figure out how to mix the SA colors. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchem Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Excellent progress. With regards to paint, not sure if you've seen these ? I used them on my build and tI was really impressed with them. mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 6 hours ago, mitchem said: Excellent progress. With regards to paint, not sure if you've seen these ? I used them on my build and tI was really impressed with them. mike Hi Mike, I've had my eye on that paint set, but as I don't foresee many SA subjects in my future I was going to save money and space, and mix my own colors. I enjoy the puzzle aspect of paint mixing, and really prefer to use Tamiya or AK Real Color whenever possible. That said, all my attempts at to mix that light yellow beige color have failed. It's like middle stone and khaki, but also neither. Trumpeter's instructions suggest mixing gunze pink and red :D. Mmmmm.....kay. I'll try a few more things, but I might end up just getting the Hataka set 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 Primed with Vallejo black primer. I like using this paint as an off-black semigloss when brush painting details, but it doesn't get along with my airbrush. The paint dries inside the tip and does it's magical circus trick, wherein it stops spraying for half a second, and is immediately follows by a big wet glob of paint shooting out. The bottle says it doesn't need to be thinned, but momma didn't raise no fool, so I add Vallejo's thinner to the mix. It doesn't seem to help. I usually use Tamiya for my dark undercoats, but I was concerned it wouldn't stick to the large PE grills. No matter, it turned out fine. I'll let it cure for a day, just to be sure. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchem Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 20 hours ago, SoftScience said: ...and mix my own colors. I enjoy the puzzle aspect of paint mixing.... Crikey! I hate the painting stage of any build so mixing my own colours would be like getting flogged with a cat o' nine 🤣. IN the meantime, I'll sit back and enjoy your build. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Base paint on. I originally intended to do the camouflaged version, but I like the look of this early 90s Bush Wars scheme that I think I'll keep it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 That does look good. The single colour scheme does highlight the lines of this one well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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