Canadian Leopard C2 Mexas MBT - Afghanistan 2006- Build

[lmcq11]

Thanks Barry,

I am so far very happy with the Perfect Scale Modellbau turret. Although its not designed for RC, it has all the pre-requisites i would expect for RC such as hollow turret halves with hidden joints, hollow turret base for hull access to electronics, complete and well casted detail parts for the whole turret, separately molded mantlet, superb hollow metal gun barrel with optional resin thermal sleeves and for those building a regular 1A5, it has all the Blohm und Voss extra armor on detailed attachment points molded separately. Its resin and as i am experienced with Verlinden kits, i did not see any major trouble to overcome. For the price of 197 EU (VAT free for us overseas), i think it is good competitive price considering all that is included, and what competition offers. The metal gun alone is worth 50 EU. It would not take much for Perfect Scale Modellbau to make a few minor adjustments and sell it as RC capable. Compared to a SOL model static resin kit, converting this 1A5 turret to RC was real easy.

[BarryC]

Louis,

You missing barrel part made me go check my kit and all 3 pieces of the barrel are present.

Barry

[lmcq11]

You missing barrel part made me go check my kit and all 3 pieces of the barrel are present.

Hi Barry,
I have 4 parts for the gun. If we look at the picture below and the numbers in red, part 1 is there but is missing the larger muzzle at the tip (A). It seems that it should have been made when they turned the barrel on the lathe. I re-created the larger muzzle by overlaying a 10mm aluminum tube at the tip. As for part 2, a huge 40mm long cylinder, i never found a use for it, or a way it could be used to facilitate the recoil through the mantlet.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Here is another close up of the canvas cover. These holes should not be made on the canvas as it would weaken it. Let's use small washers instead to represent them.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

These are the Knupfer M1.5 washers that i had leftover from the TPZ-1 build. I could probably order thinner ones if available but it would take weeks. These are good enough.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

They are superglued to the canvas.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

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Then a small electrical wire is run across the canvas, and a knot is done at the bottom, as seen in the earlier picture.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

I am still wondering if it is worth making the little eye inside each washers, they would need to be so small.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

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The Leopard 1A5 turret features the STN ATLAS Elektronik EMES-18 fire-control system which incorporates a Carl Zeiss thermal imager. The housing is also featuring a sun shade on Canadian tanks. The introduction of the EMES 18 meant that the turret no longer required the "bumps" on the sides to protect the earlier optical systems. The bumps were removed and plated over.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

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The 1/16 Perfect Scale Modellbau turret correctly features the plates over the bumps for the 1A5. However, the parts for the bumps are included in the kit for the modellers who want to reproduce the Leopard 1 A1A1 version. Its too bad, they are looking great. The sun shade for the EMES 18 housing was created with plasticard.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

My next steps is to build the hatches, then i will start the turret MEXAS, which should bring back some balance for the tank turret on its chassis.

Regards, Louis

[PainlessWolf]

Louis!
The work on correcting the malformed resin turret was done very smoothly. A mess like that would have made me seriously reconsider using the turret at all. You fixed it perfectly.
regards and following along,
Painless

[BarryC]

You missing barrel part made me go check my kit and all 3 pieces of the barrel are present.

Hi Barry,
I have 4 parts for the gun. If we look at the picture below and the numbers in red, part 1 is there but is missing the larger muzzle at the tip (A). It seems that it should have been made when they turned the barrel on the lathe. I re-created the larger muzzle by overlaying a 10mm aluminum tube at the tip. As for part 2, a huge 40mm long cylinder, i never found a use for it, or a way it could be used to facilitate the recoil through the mantlet.

Regards, Louis

I understand now and mine is the same, missing the thickened barrel crown. Looks like I'll be making another note, add 10mm tube to list of needed materials.

Barry

[lmcq11]

Louis!
The work on correcting the malformed resin turret was done very smoothly. A mess like that would have made me seriously reconsider using the turret at all. You fixed it perfectly.
regards and following along,
Painless

Hi Painless,
I'm used to resin and i learned how to take control of distorted parts. Its easy to blame the producer, complain about quality control and ship back items. But where does it leaves the builder. It is much more pleasant and easier to simply throw the part in the microwave for 30 seconds or more, fix it and install. The trick is to warm it enough to be flexible, not cook it. My fun out of a complex build is to get over issues whatever they are and move on.

Below is a Leopard turret cupola ring getting the flattening treatment in the microwave.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

[HERMAN BIX]

It’s efforts like this that give me the focus to keep going on things that seem “too hard”
Compared to these complex projects that Mr Mcq11 produces, and the solutions he comes up with, mine are minor and as such just need to be “stop sooking and get it done!”

[lmcq11]

Thanks Herman, i wanted a Leopard Mexas for a long time. Its only now that i found the courage to do it...

The dressing up of the Leopard C2 Mexas turret can be organized in 3 main components.

First, the MEXAS modules on the sides

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

The armored mantlet at the front

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

And the custom made Canadian storage bins at the rear.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Let's start with the Mexas. Each side has 4 main modules. Construction of the Meng 1/35 kit is providing me with shapes and measurements.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

The Mexas is complicated. It is simpler to built the Mexas side as a whole instead of trying to recreate the individual modules with the hope that they will eventually come together. Each sides has a total of 25 visible asymmetrical faces, with construction and angles in 3 dimensions, and you have to make 2 exactly he same. Unless you want to spend months building this, redoing everything 3 times or simply give up, it is better to do exactly what Meng provides in 1/35 and extrapolate to 1/16, including following all angles during the assembly. The slightest deviation will cause trouble sooner or later in the construction.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

The construction is attacked in a telescopic fashion, from the front modules to the rear. Everything is done with 1.5mm thick plasticard which is a good compromise between rigidity, easy of cutting (snapping), sanding and gluing.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

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Once a part is designed and cut, an exact copy is made for the other side.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

This is a messy operation with plasticard residue and sanded dust everywhere on the floor. It is done outside in the summer shade and the deck is water hosed after. Its not difficult to do, just need to sunk in the hours.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

After 8 hours of construction, the Mexas side modules are ready. Lines between modules are scribed.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Meng did reproduce the way the Mexas is mounted on the turret, useful when showing the tank under maintenance. As it is all hidden, there is really no purpose in reproducing these mount points for an RC tank.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Continuing on following post

[lmcq11]

3mm plasticard squares are made and ready to be used as hidden mount points between the Mexas and the hull.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

The Meng modules are mounted to provide positioning specifications.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

The 1/35 model is studied and basic mounting directions are extrapolated for the 1/16 model.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Here is the Leopard C2 with its turret side Mexas modules mounted. I made sure there was 105mm between the side tips for the mantlet.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

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The rear panels that connect to the rear bins will be done at the same time as the bins.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Overview of the model as it stands today.

RC 1/16 Canadian tank Leopard C2 Mexas - Afghanistan - build

Regards, Louis

[mcevoyi]

Hello Louis

Its great to see another conventional traditional plastic bashing model maker here

There seems so few of us now
that actually take styrene sheet and measure cut and glue
To create a master piece
with out the aid of a 3d printer

Fantastic work louis ..

Best wishes

Iain