its arrived! challenger 2!

[DNAR]

Just had a quick look see at mine. Very nice over all pretty solid (not opened it up yet). Nice detail, although I wonder why they have taken the decision to mould the CIPs into the turret sides. The preproduction ones had flat sided turrets which would have been more versatile for modellers.

Anyway will start work on this later this week. Just used the receiver I had set aside for this in my Bradley so I am waiting for a new one before I start to gut it and refit the innards.

Fully agree with you Paul, CIP plate needs to go! I guess the only way is to file it down.

[Bogeyman]

Let us know how you get on Paul.

John

[spongehoobtank82]

I never even noticed that! Looks like that's another mod to the list! Atleast I have worked out what am doing with the rear light clusters

[spongehoobtank82]

Had an idea for the barrel gaiter too, motorcycle rubber grommet off the clutch/ brake cable or the one off bicycle V brakes if I can find one that looks right

[mcevoyi]

Yes collected my chally 2 today from Andrew

[atcttge]

Be still, my beating heart. Be still....

So jelly here hahahahaha!

I'll have to do a recce at a nearby mall known for stocking up Chinese-made toys including HL tanks that are pretty cheap. Mebbe they'll have the CR2 in stock hehehehe

Molded on CIP? ACK.... Oh well, I guess just cutting it off and covering the square hole with a piece of thick plastic will do.

[DNAR]

Be still, my beating heart. Be still....

So jelly here hahahahaha!

I'll have to do a recce at a nearby mall known for stocking up Chinese-made toys including HL tanks that are pretty cheap. Mebbe they'll have the CR2 in stock hehehehe

Molded on CIP? ACK.... Oh well, I guess just cutting it off and covering the square hole with a piece of thick plastic will do.

How much does it cost back home ATC?

Yeah the moulded on CIP plate is a pain in the neck. It needs to go! Rubber bumper for the engine grills where the gun travel lock is situated is solid...this needs to be hollow on the side. Tail lights needs to be change as its all moulded, the guards can be scartchbuilt. The GPMG ring is moulded on... list goes on but all can be corrected and that's where the fun begins.

[deathrawt]

Its going to be interesting to see what everybody here does with their challengers. I am not going to do a lot to mine, put in an IBU2 pro and get a few of the metal upgrades as they become available. I am going to leave it the yellow color, just use some filters and some washes for some weathering and that's about it I think. I too was hoping this tank would come with the 360 degree rotation and the better bb gun but I guess we cant have everything!
To those who have it maybe you can answer a question for me, The one I got had the accessories installed on it already and was hoping someone could post a picture of the accessories parts. I just want to make sure that I have all the stuff for it that its supposed to come with.
Thanks!!

[atcttge]

If the M1A2 SEP is any indication, around 8k for the plastic version, 11k for the metal version. At Divisoria, the M41 metal version costs only 6.8k.

The only detailing mods I'd do to the HL Challenger are:

1) the loader's MG mount

2) The tail lights

3) Removal of the CIPs and replace it with scratchbuilt ones

4) Opening the driver's hatch for an anime figure (Chi from Chi's Sweet Home - assuming I can find figures).

Since my main interest in it is as a RC tank that I can play with and not a 1/16 moving model, 100% accuracy isn't my agenda. And as usual, it'll be crewed with anime characters.

I see from spongebob's pix that the smoker unit is mounted on the upper hull. Seems to be a lot of space to move it closer to the front, replacing the traverse mechanism with a 360 servo also relocated to the front, and placing instead a speaker in between the motors for the engine sound. If the turret has enough space in the bustle, I'd put a second speaker there for the other sounds if I can't put it in the hull front (because of the figure).

[spongehoobtank82]

Atcttge I was thinking about speaker placement, think am going to leave the smoker where it is and mount one speaker in the hull and the other in the turret as the loads of room in there, and if anyone is interested the taigen leopard 2A6 4-1 gearboxes fit straight in, you will have to mod the sprocket though as the driveshaft and bolt holes are bigger.