That said, and although it looks like a Bulldog, the HL version is flawed in so many respects that they can't all be fixed without major surgery. The best route is to fix what can be fixed using the minimal amount of effort, which is what this thread is about. The one thing I am peeved about is that for previous builds I used a hollow Schumo barrel as this allowed me to install a muzzle flash and have a recoil. I can't see these for sale anywhere now, if anyone knows where to get one I am all ears (a bit like Prince Charles
).Lower Hull:
First job, and quite an easy one is the reduce the height of the lower hull by cutting a strip off all the way around, the easy way to do this accurately is to use a cheap vernier caliper. Set it to the width that you want, and run it around the hull using the straight edge on the top of the hull as a guide to keep one side of the jaw running true, while the tip of the other jaw scribes a line. Do this a few times then use a styrene cutter to deepen the groove until it eventually cuts through. Hey presto, a perfectly parallel strip.
Cut the rear hull below the mounting slots for the rear lights, you will use this later.
Job done.
Exhausts
The covers sit too high. Remove them and shave a strip off the lower edges. Remove the mounting posts.
The plastic is too thick, dremel the outer edge down to a thin 'tin' effect.
The D shaped covers are too high.
Remove them and lower them by shaving off a couple of mm till they almost touch the periscopes beneath.
The machine gun mount is in the wrong place, it can be moved, but I simply remove mine as if the tank rolls it gets broken off anyway.
Front periscopes
There are two ways to tackle these, they sit too high and need to be slightly below the hull casting, and angled slightly.
One is to remove the periscopes and cut them down. This is very fiddly on small parts, though I have done it previously.
The other, easier way, is to enlarge the holes in which they sit, and push them in further, this is what I did this time around.
This sits too high, and should have a slight slope on it.
Remove the rack, cut down the mounting posts and remount.
Hence there is a wanted ad.
