Back in the early 90's quite a few Leopard 1A5's were taking part in a NATO exercise around a small town in Norway, and at some point three of them took up positions in a farmyard while the crew rested for the night in the barn.
Needless to say, the size of these steel behemoths, the grace with which they moved through snow so deep it would swallow a man, and the characteristic V10 engine roar that vibrates the air in your very lungs, left quite an impression on the farmers young son.
Two and a half decades later that boy has gotten a bit bigger and older, but the interest in armoured fighting vehicles stayed.
After a stint in the army as the driver of a NM217 ARV, a Leopard 1-based vehicle, countless hours in games such as World of Tanks and War Thunder, and a pilgrimage to the Bovington tank museum, that interest has only grown stronger and stronger.
With the disposable income to justify the splurge, and a very understanding girlfriend, I am now the proud owner of a 1:16 Torro Tiger II.
I've only had it for a few days and am loving the big girl, but I'm already getting the itchy fingers on how to improve upon and change the parts that I don't like or which I think are designed wrong.
Incomplete to-do list.
- Give it a paintjob. Picked the unpainted Pro Edition since I wanted to put my own touch on it. Leaning towards recreating 104 at Bovington, but we'll see.
- Sort out the wiring inside. It's a bit of a spaghetti nest, and it's a wonder the gearboxes haven't started chewing on the motor wires yet.
- Gearing/movement. Would like it to feel more hefty, deliberate and realistic in its movements.
- 3D print accessories. I have a printer and do CAD for a day-job, so there's a lot of possibilities here.