Time to actually do something to get out of the post Model Expo doldrums mojo slump.

Fossick around and get this Hobbyboss 1/35 Strigsvagen 122 (Leopard II) out

Had this is the stash for a while. Let's see where it goes from here


I am thinking a gun upgrade to something like this

Quote from: buzzbomb on June 18, 2024, 02:10:27 AMTime to actually do something to get out of the post Model Expo doldrums mojo slump.

I tend to suffer similarly post Telford. Strange 

Liking the idea of this 

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 18, 2024, 02:26:15 AMI tend to suffer similarly post Telford. Strange 

I'm the exact opposite!

When I get home from a Telford event (always the IPMS Nats to me............) my brain's overloaded with ideas, usually more than I'll ever have to time to do anyway.

I like it Buzzy and I've got a Hobbyboss Leo ll A7 in the stash too..very nice kit 👌 👍.

One thing about your upgrade ...that vehicle had a 75mm gun .
It's called the  High Survivability Test Vehicle (Lightweight) (HSTV(L)) ..wiki there 
Armament is the 75 mm XM274 CTA autocannon..it's quite alot weaker than the L55 120mm the Leo's got at present .
Now if ya kept that turret design and went 140mm ..that equals yummy 😋 😍 😜

If you used a Stryker MGS-style turret, you could ramp the calibre up considerably... just saying...   

Quote from: Wardukw on June 18, 2024, 12:27:34 PMOne thing about your upgrade ...that vehicle had a 75mm gun .
It's called the  High Survivability Test Vehicle (Lightweight) (HSTV(L)) ..wiki there 
Armament is the 75 mm XM274 CTA autocannon..it's quite alot weaker than the L55 120mm the Leo's got at present .
Now if ya kept that turret design and went 140mm ..that equals yummy 😋 😍 😜

The picture was always only an example of style... as we say.. Go big or go home 

Turret is remaining.. because it is way cool.
This kit goes together quite well, sure it is simplified compared to maybe a meng kits.. but that is the point for this type of build.
Bit of experimentation for gun changes, so heading in sort of this direction


More tinkerings coming up. Rail gun is too far fetched for a tank at this stage, but maybe some sort of propellant breakthrough, caseless ammo, redirected recoilless style gases to both decrease recoil and increase muzzle velocity, sort of like a gun version of a triple expansion Steam engine, use the sames gases multiple times down the projectile path. Oh dear...  mutterings of a madman

How about additional propellant charges as the projectile travelled down the barrel.
Like the...I want to say nazi V3?  Was that the one that was meant to have the barrel buried with side galleries where additional charges fired as the missile went past?  IIRC 617 sqn bombed it.

<does a interweb search>

Yes, here it is;

Quote from: zenrat on June 19, 2024, 03:50:14 AMHow about additional propellant charges as the projectile travelled down the barrel.
Like the...I want to say nazi V3?  Was that the one that was meant to have the barrel buried with side galleries where additional charges fired as the missile went past?  IIRC 617 sqn bombed it.

Dead right on all counts. Good thing they did bomb it or I might not be writing this............

Yes thanks Fred, great info.

Sticking a bit more conventional  but work has progressed, not getting too carried away, so far it is mainly about the gun.
Mods around the jacket and maybe a calibre increase to say 130mm (Dukwy    )


The kit is ok, some of the fit is fine, some a bit vague, but all in all getting together.
There is one minor hurdle ahead, in that I used the tracks and sprockets of this kit for the Gas Turbine Chieftain build to give it more modern tracks. Might do a swappy back to full metal tracks for this.

Matey I think 130mm is a nice increase in bore diameter.
Have ya seen the KF51 MBT from Amusing Hobby?.
It's the latest prototype upgrade for the Leo ll ..basically I'd call it the A8 or A9 variant of this tank and irs z  pretty cool looking machine..ive got the kit along with a Hobbyboss A5/A6 Leo ll and when they get offered to ya for a stupidity low price there's only one thing to say ..yep!!!  😀

As this is largely out of the box, and pretty simple, it has zoomed ahead as far as the build goes
Gun mods, the muzzle brake is a try out to see if I like it... so far... not so much. They are pretty much old school these days.


This kit has bundles of spare parts, for other Leopard II version. Given my thoughts are that this is a life extension upgrade and given recent events in the Ukraine where drones are taking out many tanks,
perhaps there is more thought given to Drone defences other than clumsy Cope Cages. I toying with modding the left over smoke launchers to an active drone defence system, mostly facing rear around the engine deck area where the Drone danger is highest. Perhaps sort of like a WW2 German S-Mine system active defence. Or even launched nets to  tangle up the drone.
Might be less dangerous to close friendlies  Some blue tack engineering at this stage.


Another overview. i do like the enclose smoke launchers on this version.

The new barrel certainly gives it a "look" all of its own 

Quote from: buzzbomb on June 22, 2024, 01:18:05 AMand given recent events in the Ukraine where drones are taking out many tanks,
perhaps there is more thought given to Drone defences other than clumsy Cope Cages. I

I wasn't aware of that, and wondered what those "cages" were. Thanks for adding to the data bank aka my noggin    Maybe give the crew some butterfly nets ? 

i keep expecting to see a remote weapon system with an auto shotgun mounted   

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 22, 2024, 01:43:19 AMThe new barrel certainly gives it a "look" all of its own 

Quote from: buzzbomb on June 22, 2024, 01:18:05 AMand given recent events in the Ukraine where drones are taking out many tanks,
perhaps there is more thought given to Drone defences other than clumsy Cope Cages. I

I wasn't aware of that, and wondered what those "cages" were. Thanks for adding to the data bank aka my noggin    Maybe give the crew some butterfly nets ? 

Chris those cope cages are not only for drones but they were originally to stop Top Attack Missiles ...Javelin being the main weapon as they figured that I'd they could detonate the war head before it could hit the turrets roof then the tank would be safe ...well we've all seen quite convincingly that they don't do dodo   
Alot of russian tanks are running a active drone protection system on the top of their cope cages ..there's plenty of footage on you of the tube showing these systems at work just as a Ukrainian drone slams into them 😀
Fact I've only seen 2 examples where these have actually worked with the drones going haywire and crashing into the ground ..but 2 out of several thousand tanks protected ain't bragging rights for curtain.
Yep I know that not all russian tanks have these systems but apart from 2 every other one I've seen with em have been munted catastrophically. 
The russians will never learn to store their ammo like we do in our tanks . n

Brian mate if ya need ideas for this beasty have a look at the new M3 Bradley protection systems that their going to use ..which finally work at last too 😆
Then wifffy up ya own ...either way ya go still going to look sweet 😋

Quote from: Wardukw on June 22, 2024, 11:38:00 AMChris those cope cages are not only for drones but they were originally to stop Top Attack Missiles ...Javelin being the main weapon as they figured that I'd they could detonate the war head before it could hit the turrets roof then the tank would be safe ...

That's what I'd assumed to be honest, that they were there to protect against stand-off/HEAT weapons..

Cheers for the extra info, you never know when it will come in handy