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Showcasing the result of a 5-year journey, converting a donor Tamiya Leopard 2A6 back to a 2A4, using Christian Ludwig's styrene conversion kit. It is intended to model a Bundeswehr Leopard 2A4 that was sold to the Republic of Singapore Armed Forces, before it got further converted to the Leopard 2SG standard. Thus it wears the local colour, known as Temasek Green. To add local flavour, I used a Tamiya Type 10 crewman for his Asian features, and also an FN MAG loader's machine gun because that is what equips SAF Leopards.

WOW, looks great!

Nice work on the conversion.

Barry

Kitted out impressively, and well photographed (nice crisp images, and good choice of location)

What a refreshingly unique swing on the Leo.
Very nice job

Superb! "Showcasing the result of a 5-year journey." I take it the 5-years was for various starts and stops on the work on this Leopard. I was surprised because you were apparently gone from 2014 until now, and you have popped back up with this nifty Singapore Armed Forces 2A4 version! Nice work and unique!

Herr Dr. Professor wrote:Superb! "Showcasing the result of a 5-year journey." I take it the 5-years was for various starts and stops on the work on this Leopard. I was surprised because you were apparently gone from 2014 until now, and you have popped back up with this nifty Singapore Armed Forces 2A4 version! Nice work and unique!

I had been continuously involved in tanks although other hobbies took me away from posting as frequently during that time. And yes, given that the Ludwig kit was intended for the Heng Long Leopard, it wasn't that straightforward to apply it to a Tamiya Leopard. But at least, after 5 years, its functional, even though there's still some minor things to work out.

In researching the differences between the 2A4 and the 2A6, I am my own worst critic and there are heaps that I could have done to be "accurate" that I had to reconcile with myself that "it doesn't matter so much", as my purpose is a functional IR battle tank and not something that is accurate down to the last attachment or accessory.

I'll leave you guys to pick out the differences and honestly 'fess up what you guys can spot!

The inspiration

For those keen enough, I'm sure that some very minor differences can be found, aerials for example, but despite the superficial details that may be absent, your model is an outstanding example of replication of real AFV';s that we otherwise would never have known of.

Great job

Aerials are only the start of it. I largely retained the 2A6 front armoured skirts even though I tried to reprofile them to look more like the 2A4's. The gun muzzle was also different between the 2A4 and the 2A6, and I have been waiting/looking to find a definitive comparison so I can modify the muzzle properly.

Nice work r32.

Stand-off scale is the best - less worry - more fun !

It looks good to me!

Bob.

Thanks for reminding me - coming back to the build now -the 2A4 turret Ludwig sells is meant for converting a Heng Long, and parts are sold individually. I requested a prebuild as I had not worked with styrene kits before, I wrote to Ludwig, detailing what I wanted. It also came with the 2A4 style of side skirts, also cut in styrene.

Immediately, we can see the problem: Tamiya had completely utilised almost every space within the 2A6 for electronics, batteries and servos, where in real life those were external add-on modules that did not alter the internal volume of the turret. Even the relocated gunner's sight ate into the internal volume for the 2A4; requiring the DMD T-07 to be moved, among other things.