Israeli Centurion - Sho’t Kal C (Gimel) - IDF 1980s - Build
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Fantastic work Louis , great solution to the final drive and the nut & bolt do really dress it out!
Barry
Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Hi, thank you Barry.
This post is presenting the tracks.
These are the massive Elefant tracks provided with the Centurion basic kit.
The tracks were installed. For sure, anyone that has build a Ludwig Centurion knows that the arms on the suspension spring inside the boggies disengage every time you lift the tank. This is not a zero gravity suspension... These arms need to be annoyingly realigned inside the central spring before depositing the model again on its roadwheel. My hope was that the tracks will keep the suspension sticking together when I manipulate the model. It helped a bit but did not solve the issue completely.
These are the real Centurion tracks, for comparison.
Although the width is good and they work well, they differ substantially from the above picture.
I know, the rubber rim are not installed, these will be after painting only. It still allowed for a little joy ride around the pool to test the integration. It works well.
View of the roller installed just behind the idler at the front in a different arrangement than at the rear. It is also a Tamiya Panzer IV ausf J single roller wheel but with also the mount, adapted for the Centurion hull. The look is close to the real one.
View of the sprocket.
View of the idler.
Continuing the build on following post
This post is presenting the tracks.
These are the massive Elefant tracks provided with the Centurion basic kit.
The tracks were installed. For sure, anyone that has build a Ludwig Centurion knows that the arms on the suspension spring inside the boggies disengage every time you lift the tank. This is not a zero gravity suspension... These arms need to be annoyingly realigned inside the central spring before depositing the model again on its roadwheel. My hope was that the tracks will keep the suspension sticking together when I manipulate the model. It helped a bit but did not solve the issue completely.
These are the real Centurion tracks, for comparison.
Although the width is good and they work well, they differ substantially from the above picture.
I know, the rubber rim are not installed, these will be after painting only. It still allowed for a little joy ride around the pool to test the integration. It works well.
View of the roller installed just behind the idler at the front in a different arrangement than at the rear. It is also a Tamiya Panzer IV ausf J single roller wheel but with also the mount, adapted for the Centurion hull. The look is close to the real one.
View of the sprocket.
View of the idler.
Continuing the build on following post
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
This is the planning phase for the turret construction.
With the hull well advanced, I am moving to the turret.
This is the empty turret deposited on the hull for analysis, in preparation for building and conversion into a Shot Kal Gimel turret. The previous owner did a good job with the basic components and did not seem to have the issues that I have seen other builders have with warping of parts.
It is starting to look like a Centurion.
The Mark 3 turret components are represented with a good level of completeness.
It will be a Mark 3 based Shot Kal.
Some of the electronics being tested, such as the DKLM all metal recoil unit on the right. Main board is a Clark M26 Pershing TK-22.
Beautiful
It will fit the gun mantlet quite well.
The integration with the Tank Modellbau L7 105mm gun barrel will require some engineering. No problem.
The sleeve for the 20pdr gun was removed the hard way because it was too small. The whole thing will be replaced by a different arrangement for the L7 on Shot tanks.
continuing on following post
With the hull well advanced, I am moving to the turret.
This is the empty turret deposited on the hull for analysis, in preparation for building and conversion into a Shot Kal Gimel turret. The previous owner did a good job with the basic components and did not seem to have the issues that I have seen other builders have with warping of parts.
It is starting to look like a Centurion.
The Mark 3 turret components are represented with a good level of completeness.
It will be a Mark 3 based Shot Kal.
Some of the electronics being tested, such as the DKLM all metal recoil unit on the right. Main board is a Clark M26 Pershing TK-22.
Beautiful
It will fit the gun mantlet quite well.
The integration with the Tank Modellbau L7 105mm gun barrel will require some engineering. No problem.
The sleeve for the 20pdr gun was removed the hard way because it was too small. The whole thing will be replaced by a different arrangement for the L7 on Shot tanks.
continuing on following post
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
The old Centurion Mk 3 sight was kept up to the Shot Kal Gimel, replaced later for the Dalet version.
However, the kit part seems to have accuracy issues. I will need to redo most of it.
Mantlet is good but the mount for the coax MG should be wider, but I do not think it will show behind the Blazer plate.
Rear view of the turret, the rear basket that I have is the only part that Ludwigs sells for the Shot.
Turret rear with opened hatch. All good.
Overall dimensions are good.
View of the 60mm mortar that need to be added next to the commander's cupola.
The provided smoke grenade dischargers of the Mk 3 need to be discarded and replaced by these metal boxes on each side. It does not look too complex to repro with plasticard and brass.
Core construction of the hull is done and looking great but it is far from over. All the finer details still needs to be added but I am in the mood to move ahead with turret construction for a while.
Regards, Louis
However, the kit part seems to have accuracy issues. I will need to redo most of it.
Mantlet is good but the mount for the coax MG should be wider, but I do not think it will show behind the Blazer plate.
Rear view of the turret, the rear basket that I have is the only part that Ludwigs sells for the Shot.
Turret rear with opened hatch. All good.
Overall dimensions are good.
View of the 60mm mortar that need to be added next to the commander's cupola.
The provided smoke grenade dischargers of the Mk 3 need to be discarded and replaced by these metal boxes on each side. It does not look too complex to repro with plasticard and brass.
Core construction of the hull is done and looking great but it is far from over. All the finer details still needs to be added but I am in the mood to move ahead with turret construction for a while.
Regards, Louis
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Great work Louis, the turret was interesting to build
Glad the work we did to it was up to standards!
Keep up the good work!
Glad the work we did to it was up to standards!
Keep up the good work!
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Yes, I have seen some modellers struggling to get the two turret halves aligned due to dramatic warping on the resin parts, including myself with the Marder 1A1 gun pod.Ad Lav wrote:Great work Louis, the turret was interesting to buildAd Lav wrote:Glad the work we did to it was up to standards!
This turret core here is a perfect base, strait and well casted. Just some air bubbles to fill with putty.
Louis
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
So......this is your next winner of TOM!
By the way, congrats on the BMP-1 win, well deserved. IMO you are the "Official Master" of the Ludwig kit!
Barry
By the way, congrats on the BMP-1 win, well deserved. IMO you are the "Official Master" of the Ludwig kit!
Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Thanks Barry ! A Centurion is a build of a lifetime so i really want to make this one special.
In this post, i am presenting the gun barrel installation on the DKLM recoil unit, with mantlet and turret bins.
The Tank Modellbau L7 105mm gun barrel is designed for a Tiran tank converted using a Hooben T-55A. It is of excellent quality and is build and sold on request. A custom made mount is required to fit into my DKLM recoil unit. It is also too short somehow so a mixture of 6, 7 and 8mm tubing is required.
From the tip of the barrel to the mantlet, I calculated that the barrel needs to be 251mm long.
View of the gun barrel extension ready for installation on the recoil unit.
To keep the barrel consistent so that nothing interfere with the fabric cover that will be at the base of the barrel, a plasticard tube was put on a good portion of the extension going out of the mantlet.
The mantlet was also modified so that 2 large bolts on each side can be used to install and uninstall the mantlet from the turret. As it came with the base kit, the mantlet is locked between the 2 halves of the turret once these are glued together. it then becomes difficult to work this area and adjust the recoil unit. The bolts will be hidden by the mantlet fabric cover.
The Centurion turret allows for excellent and unprecedented access to the electronics inside.
The superbly detailed Tank Modellbau L7 metal fume extractor.
Seen here is the AFV Club 1/35 recoil cover. Yeah, repro of this will take some engineering.
And the mantlet cover too.
The bins have been assembled and detailed and ready to install. Notice that they have been closed on the side that touches the turret instead of remaining wide open. The plasticard part needs to be inserted into the bin, and not applied over the bin side. This is required for proper installation on the turret.
Notices the installation points on the turret, similar to and positioned according to the 1/35 kit.
Continuing on following post
In this post, i am presenting the gun barrel installation on the DKLM recoil unit, with mantlet and turret bins.
The Tank Modellbau L7 105mm gun barrel is designed for a Tiran tank converted using a Hooben T-55A. It is of excellent quality and is build and sold on request. A custom made mount is required to fit into my DKLM recoil unit. It is also too short somehow so a mixture of 6, 7 and 8mm tubing is required.
From the tip of the barrel to the mantlet, I calculated that the barrel needs to be 251mm long.
View of the gun barrel extension ready for installation on the recoil unit.
To keep the barrel consistent so that nothing interfere with the fabric cover that will be at the base of the barrel, a plasticard tube was put on a good portion of the extension going out of the mantlet.
The mantlet was also modified so that 2 large bolts on each side can be used to install and uninstall the mantlet from the turret. As it came with the base kit, the mantlet is locked between the 2 halves of the turret once these are glued together. it then becomes difficult to work this area and adjust the recoil unit. The bolts will be hidden by the mantlet fabric cover.
The Centurion turret allows for excellent and unprecedented access to the electronics inside.
The superbly detailed Tank Modellbau L7 metal fume extractor.
Seen here is the AFV Club 1/35 recoil cover. Yeah, repro of this will take some engineering.
And the mantlet cover too.
The bins have been assembled and detailed and ready to install. Notice that they have been closed on the side that touches the turret instead of remaining wide open. The plasticard part needs to be inserted into the bin, and not applied over the bin side. This is required for proper installation on the turret.
Notices the installation points on the turret, similar to and positioned according to the 1/35 kit.
Continuing on following post
Last edited by lmcq11 on Sat May 18, 2019 12:07 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Bottom support brackets for the bins are installed as seen in reference. And it is not just for the look, they really help keeping the front bins solidly in place.
Walk around the Centurion turret bins. The fragile bin locking latches will only be added just prior to painting so that they are not damaged during the build.
Be aware that the AFV Club 1/35 Shot Kal Gimel used as reference is based on a Mark 5 Centurion. My Shot Cal is based on the Ludwig Mark 3 so there are differences on the top of the turret that needs to be accounted for to avoid mistakes. Centurions of various marks and provenance were used for conversion into Shot Cal tanks. There are differences depending on the specific IDF tank you might look at.
It is really starting to look like a Centurion.
Next step is to work on the turret top.
Regards, Louis
Re: Israeli Centurion - Shot Kal Gimel - IDF 1980s - Build
Amazing work, it’s come alive now!!