Thinking tanks

[PR19_Kit]

Hehehe, no thanks Jon, it's going to be Berlin Brigade camo, and I'm already developing a futuristic back story for it.

I've got two Le Monstre's already, a resin static one in 1/43 that I've been building for at least 10 yrs, and a 1/32 resin slot racer that I got recently. I used to run a 1/32 vacform Le Monstre in the 60s, and it was a VERY good car, not the least because it was so long I could nerf my competitors off from 2 slots away! 

The futuristic back story, the one that requires the Berlin Brigade type camo, would obviously be in an urban environment, what the Army call 'FISH', (Fighting In Someone's House') so my Challie won't need the desert style dust skirts below the side armour, so I've just sawn them off. 

I've never built an 'out of the box' kit before and I see no reason to start now....

And you're right, it does look a bit like Le Monstre.   

[PR19_Kit]

While trying to work out the correct order and method to paint this thing, I've been building up the various sub-assemblies that have to be added to the main structure, and there's LOTS of them!



The sawn down side armour is at the front, and the stuff that hangs on back is on the right, but I've no idea where the boxy things in the middle go yet. I 1quite like the teeny-weeny GPMG that sits on top of the turret, but it was a real fiddle to make, even though there's only five parts to it. I managed to screw up the tiny smoke dischargers by cutting off their bases, thinking they were part of the sprue gates, so mine are now the Mk 3 versions, the ones without the bases...   

I've started painting it, albeit only the insides of the commander's periscopes. I didn't think sand coloured scopes would work for an urban warfare tank, so they're matt black now. I'm going to take all the tracks and wheels off later on and give the hull a good coat of Halfords Grey Primer, and I think that shade f grey will work quite well for one of the Berlin Brigade colours too.

[Gondor]

I'm going to take all the tracks and wheels off later on and give the hull a good coat of Halfords Grey Primer, and I think that shade f grey will work quite well for one of the Berlin Brigade colours too.

You could probably get away with leaving the lower hull, undersides and wheels in grey primer as long as you do the tires in rubber grey/black. Might be able to use the primer for the upper surface grey areas as well.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

The lower parts going to be NATO Green, but I'll use the grey primer as the grey in the Berlin Brigade style camo. I'll do the tyres black of course, and I may go mad and weather the wheels and tracks as well [Shock, horror!]

[jcf]

Speaking of urban warfare tanks. ROC tank during urban combat exercises.

[PR19_Kit]

Now that's what I CALL a camouflage scheme! 

In case anyone doesn't know what I'm on about with the 'Berlin Brigade' business, here's a diagram of the scheme the Chieftains in Berlin carried when I lived there. My Challie won't be in exactly the same colours, but the idea will be similar.

[jcf]

Are you going to add a Starbucks logo? To complete the contemporary urban look? 

[PR19_Kit]

I'd have to check the likelihood of Starbucks branches in the country where the urban conflict might be taking place........

[jcf]

I'd have to check the likelihood of Starbucks branches in the country where the urban conflict might be taking place........

Hmm, wouldn't that be the unlikelihood? 

[PR19_Kit]

I've painted the lower hull tonight, NATO Dark Green.

Now I know why I've not built tanks kits for myself before, they're the very DEVIL to paint! There's so many nooks and crannies to cover, so it takes ages and needs GALLONS of paint too! I can see an order for more NATO green in my future.......

[Rheged]

I'd have to check the likelihood of Starbucks branches in the country where the urban conflict might be taking place........

Your own second rule of Whiffery means that Starbucks franchises are not a problem.  Of course you could have a  Harrods or Fortnum and Mason logo   if it's in one of the Gulf states.

[PR19_Kit]

Hmm, wouldn't that be the unlikelihood? 

All three of my possible sites don't have any Starbucks branches. 

[rickshaw]

Hmm, wouldn't that be the unlikelihood? 

All three of my possible sites don't have any Starbucks branches. 

The entirety of Downunder only has IIRC about three Starbucks.  They closed them all here about 2 decades ago.  Apparently Aussies prefer real coffee, over plastic coffee...   

[jcf]

over plastic coffee ?

[PR19_Kit]

The NATO green could have gone on better, perhaps I'm not used to these acrylics yet.

I used Tamiya NATO Green and it looks OK in small areas, but it's very variable in it's 'matteness' in different places.

I suppose the answer is to spray it, so I hope Halfords do a suitable green to match, as there's no way I can get a proper NATO green spray can during lockdown, or even ever as the GPO won't accept cans in the mail.