gregair Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) This is my 1/35 resin “Red Carpet Models” Ratel 20 IFV of the South African Defence Force while being used by Natal Mounted Rifles in 1988. Although tank crew, I spent a month as crew on this particular Ratel. It is not fully complete, I still need to complete the registration numbers, add callsign’s (T10) and the vehicles name (Diesel & Dust), also a few details need adding on, more antenna, indicator light guards and some weathering/ paint touch ups.. All the hand holds, railings and the rear turret gun mountings were made using various thickness wire supplied with the kit. I drilled out the solid crew commander position and vacum molded a new hatch lid. The turret has not been fixed in place yet and I have I noticed after I took the photos that the turret was out of alignment (see darker brown unweathered section around top of hull near turret ring). It was a great kit to build, unfortunately this company has closed down and this particular kit is unavailable. There is however a 1/35 Ratel available by Baxmod (http://www.baxmod.co.za) Edited July 13, 2011 by gregair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basosz Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Nice, unusual subject. Thanks for sharing Who's the guy in the turret yelling at? He seems rather cross at someone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 Nice, unusual subject. Thanks for sharing Who's the guy in the turret yelling at? He seems rather cross at someone Thanks. Probably the Bl%&dy Infantry!!" ha ha. The crew commander needs some work too. Actually, to reduce radio chatter, if there was not too much bush, crew commanders would sometimes raise their hand to indicate that they had recieved and understood messages from the troop commander. A troop would heve consited of 4 vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hello Greg Smashing model Just some general info on the subject though.The smoke generators is missing the rather prominent cover around them running from front to rear and is also a bit far away from one another.Secondly the drivers hatch seems to have the wrong kind of hinge and there is a protection plate around the front end across the indicators and lights not the same as the cage represented on the kit.(Us INFANTRY types especially the MECHANISED INFANTRY types still use the ratel).The kit however is very well constructed and besides for the minor inaccuracies of it still looks like a ratel.Did you serve with the Natal mounted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 A great looking Ratel...like it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) Hello Greg Smashing model Just some general info on the subject though.The smoke generators is missing the rather prominent cover around them running from front to rear and is also a bit far away from one another.Secondly the drivers hatch seems to have the wrong kind of hinge and there is a protection plate around the front end across the indicators and lights not the same as the cage represented on the kit.(Us INFANTRY types especially the MECHANISED INFANTRY types still use the ratel).The kit however is very well constructed and besides for the minor inaccuracies of it still looks like a ratel.Did you serve with the Natal mounted? Hi Thanks very much for the input I appreciate it, however there were various mods to these vehicles over the years. The photo attached is my vehicle (bright colour is from the early morning sun and discolouring of the photo) as used in July 1988, at the time it was referred to as a Ratel 20 Mk2. Note in the photo the 20mm barrel has been temporarily removed as is the towbar. We were using it as a command vehicle at the time and besides the 3 antenna on the turret there is another one near the spare wheel. This vehicle had the newer turret with the lower profile crew commanders hatch, yet retained the headlight and indicator light protective"cage" type guards. (you can just see headlight cage covers in photo just below the name) As you see in the photo, these Ratel turrets smoke launches were further apart and had no protective plate around them. I cannot remember the drivers hatch hinge for that time period but I have to disagree with you (sorry) everything else on the kit is accurate for this version which I am depicting as the photo shows. Yes I was origionally School Of Armour (E-Squadron Tanks) but my Citizen Force Unit was Natal Mounted Rifles, Olifant Mk1A Tank unit, but during this particular excersize I crewed this Ratel (Photo below), they were wonderful vehicles. What unit are you in? I am now away from home for 5 weeks so can only complete it when I get back.....then to start my Olifant Mk1A Thanks again for the input. Edited July 13, 2011 by gregair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Nice work Greg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 Nice work Greg! Hey thanks Dave, whats happenning with your Ratel 90? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hi again Dave.As was said the model is really exceptionally well done.I didnt know of the cage type light guards and the smoke gens.I used to be an instructor at MLC 1Sai BN Gunnery and signal branch but I am now the caretaker at De Brug.Tell me something though where did the sandbag bin come in that was sometimes attached to the nose I have seen it but have never used a vehicle with it and does your kit have it in?The ratel that you are busy on is a MK2 but retrofitted right?Hence I was wondering about the light cages can you perhaps tell me If there was a certain time period that all of the remaining cages were replaced by the Bin types and the gen positions changed? Regards: Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hey thanks Dave, whats happenning with your Ratel 90? That one is proving to be a real pain Greg. Warping, poor fit, undersize wheels etc. Baxmod are releasing their version at some point, so I'm telling myself that I should plough on and finish the poxy thing I hate wasting money so I will have a bash at it again soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Greg not Dave sorry!I had another look at the pics and Boy oh boy I now feel like anoriginal jackass!The vehicles that I worked on is obviously a much later model!A quick look gave me the following:Wheels not the same "tuinrak" on back andnot on the side like yours the AA gunners mounting is different and what the heck was the function of the bar thingy in front of the AA position?Rearmost engine Decking is also slightly different and once again the AA gunners hatch cupola is now now longer raised. Enlighting model you did there Greg.Goes to show that evolution happens EVEN IN AFRICA! Have a nice evening M8! Regards; Humble pie eating Shaun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Greg not Dave sorry!I had another look at the pics and Boy oh boy I now feel like anoriginal jackass!The vehicles that I worked on is obviously a much later model!A quick look gave me the following:Wheels not the same "tuinrak" on back andnot on the side like yours the AA gunners mounting is different and what the heck was the function of the bar thingy in front of the AA position?Rearmost engine Decking is also slightly different and once again the AA gunners hatch cupola is now now longer raised.Enlighting model you did there Greg.Goes to show that evolution happens EVEN IN AFRICA! Have a nice evening M8! Regards; Humble pie eating Shaun! Thanks for the compliments guys, I am really looking forward to finishing it. Haa haa Shaun, don't worry about it, the facinating thing about this hobby is that we often learn something new! I am not certain but if I remember correctly the bar in front of the AA mounting was to prevent the gunner shooting too low in that area, especially to keep his fire above the right side troop hatches and right hand door whilest troops were deploying under fire. The Baxmod Ratel 20 has the later welded indicator and steel plate type headlight guards etc, so you could probably do your version straight from the box. I spent a long time on "De Brug" during training...April to October we lived with our tanks / tents there......melting hot and dry in the day and freezing cold at night! G-Range, Storemberg, Glen Hope, Jonker Loots......ja Broer...De Brug! I am hoping to take my son to School Of Armour in the next few months..maybe we can meet up for a beer? Do you know an Armour guy called Wiegnand Van Braakel? Dave, thats a bummer, I have sent you a pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Hi again Dave.As was said the model is really exceptionally well done.I didnt know of the cage type light guards and the smoke gens.I used to be an instructor at MLC 1Sai BN Gunnery and signal branch but I am now the caretaker at De Brug.Tell me something though where did the sandbag bin come in that was sometimes attached to the nose I have seen it but have never used a vehicle with it and does your kit have it in?The ratel that you are busy on is a MK2 but retrofitted right?Hence I was wondering about the light cages can you perhaps tell me If there was a certain time period that all of the remaining cages were replaced by the Bin types and the gen positions changed?Regards: Shaun I am not totally sure about the bin, I think it was origionally used on the recovery Ratels but later was filled with sand bags to give extra frontal protection from Zsu-23s used in ground role. I believe they were used in early 80's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks greg helps a lot mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks greg helps a lot mate Here you go...the strange bin on the front of a sad looking Ratel 20, must have hit a big hole or trench going pretty fast...Ouch! This photo is fairly late, I think it was taken during 1987 or 1988 so there were still some around at that stage. Got this photo off the net and don't know who to credit for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 HEHEHEHE the tiffy's gonna be lank pee'd about that!The reason I asked is that I saw a ratel with one of those things on the nose in Lohatla during a excercise in 2000. But with the light boxes and without the funny things on the nose.Smoke gens also boxed in and closer. Thanks for the picky though! Gonna show it to my tiffy buddy bet he'll be impressed! Yes we may be able to meet up and no I do not know a Van braakel but I am still in touch with the younger of WOI "Hond" Coetzee's sons he may be able to point you in the right direction also some other ou manne in the unit that still hang around there the eldest I can think of at the moment is WOI (Oom Sieg Marais) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 HEHEHEHE the tiffy's gonna be lank pee'd about that!The reason I asked is that I saw a ratel with one of those things on the nose in Lohatla during a excercise in 2000.But with the light boxes and without the funny things on the nose.Smoke gens also boxed in and closer. Thanks for the picky though! Gonna show it to my tiffy buddy bet he'll be impressed! Yes we may be able to meet up and no I do not know a Van braakel but I am still in touch with the younger of WOI "Hond" Coetzee's sons he may be able to point you in the right direction also some other ou manne in the unit that still hang around there the eldest I can think of at the moment is WOI (Oom Sieg Marais) Cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Ok ...I am calling the Ratel 20 "done"!! Could still have a few things touched up/added but I have decided to leave it as is! More pics in "Ready for inspection" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaykay Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Gents really enjoyed this thread. The history and debate was great and the model looks brill. Cheers for the entertainment, Jk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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