DONE @p.2 +++ 1:72 Patria XA-2000 "Ilves" Light Battle Tank, Finnish Army, 2018

[Dizzyfugu]

Yup, a tank this time, because I am not certain if I find enough time in the next week to complete both an aircraft AND the usual scenic shots. A tank is potentially quicker to build, pics are simpler. Will be a simple travesty of a Meng ZTQ-15 tank. Model looks nice, BTW, but instead of the PLA it will roll through Finnish woods. 

[Dizzyfugu]

We're off, and hardware progress is good.

1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, things have gained monentum, and at the moment it looks like a 24h build rather than a 1 week project...

Wheels built (and painted) separately, plus a remote-controlled barbette with a machine gun and a grenade launcher:


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I will only do minor mods, since the ZTQ-15 looks very generic and modern. One thing I'll change are the side skirts - they will be replace with parts from a Leopoard 1 (green piece).

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]ilv02373 by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


I'll also add a figure into the opened commander's hatch. Still have to find a good pic with a Finnish uniform!


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dry-fitted hull, turret and barrel - looks like a juvenile Abrams?


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting also already started - the colors of the typical Finnish splinter cammo are hard to tell, IMHO it's a dirty black, a rather bluish dark green (reminiscent of RLM 70?) and a yellowish olive-green. The running gear area has to be painted first because the wheels and tracks have to be mounted before they partly disappear behind the side skirts. Doing this on the already painted model bears IMHO too many hazards.


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The turret has, due to the smoke mortars in the side baskets, to be painted separately, too.

1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


And the second tone, the yellowish green, is already applied, too. The pattern is inspired by real-world Finnish Army T-72s, but slightly modified, due to the bigger turret and thewider hull.


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

So far for the moment. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Almost 10h into the build, time for painting effects and some weathering. The basic tones are Humbrol 195 (Oxide Green, RAL 6020), a mix of Humbrol 159 and 80 (Grass Green and Khaki Drab), and Revell 06 (Tar Black, RAL 7021). Model has received an overall washing with a mix of black ink and watercolors in umbra and sienna, and light dry-brushing with earth brown. Decals/markings next. I even found a picture of a modern Finnish tank commander, who wears a simple all-over olive-drab uniform. This makes life easy! 
The Meng kit is really nice. Fit is very good, just the attachment points to the sprues are a bit weird, because they reach into gluing surfaces, calling for thorough cleaning. The benefit, though, is that there are no marks on the visible surfaces.


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Last steps from yesterday evening: wheels and tracks were mounted:


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


This morning the Leopard I side skirts were mounted, and they blend in well.


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...and after some finishinhg touches like antennae, lights and more light weathering, the model as such has been completed - much quicker than expected, but it was just an OOB build of a kit that offered only little resistance.


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

Woo! Nice!  

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you! I hope I can add scenic shots until the GB's deadline, though.

[perttime]

I like it!
Colour often depends on age, lighting, and how clean it is.... I wonder about the code number on the turret. I don't usually see that on Finnish armoured vehicles. Does it have a serial number front and back?

[Dizzyfugu]

Keen eye! The code on the turret is a personal addition, without them I found it to look quite bleak. Normally, the only ID on a Finnish military vehicle is its "registration plate" - and the model has these at the front (hidden through the angle of sight, mounted to the lower front add-on armor) and on the back, improvised from an IDF Merkava marking. The official registration of this one here is "Ps 520 031".    Might become visible on eventual scenic shots, though.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yay, good news - the Patria Ilves went through a photo session, picture selection and diting next. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Recently, during nocturnal manoeuvers in Finnland...


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank; Finnish Army, 2018 (Whif/modified Meng kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[NARSES2]

Great photo Dizzy 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you, more coming soon! 

[PR19_Kit]

Looks like it was taken with an infra-red camera.  .

[loupgarou]

Great photo Dizzy 

Yes, it's very good. I didn't know there was an infra-red version of photoshop.
But the poor tanker is going to shot from some dastardly russian from behind.
Training should be stepped up!