Military Model Scene

One of the latest batch of releases by Tiger Models is this variation on the German built Leopard 2.  This actually an upgrade packe designed to be fitted with one of the most widely used variants of the tank, the Leopard 2A4.  It has won orders in the Far East, with both Singapore and Indonesia.  While the original shape of the turret and hull can still be clearly seen when looking onto the top surfaces, but the large blocks of the new armour package around the hull and turret.  These are modular by design, so individual elements can be replaced in the event of damage.

I felt it gave a good impression simply from opening the box, with neatly packed sprues of well moulded parts.  The build starts with the lower hull and running gear, suspension arms, shock absorbers etc.  I would say the tracks are individual link style, which would be accurate, except that each link of made up from three parts, the outer pads, the track pins with end connectors and then the inner face for the track pads with the guide horns.  Helpfully they have included a 'jig' to help assemble 5 links at a time, so you build them up in sets of 5 links to create two complete tracks, with 82 links per side.  With the lower hull done, you add the upper hull plate and the back hull plate.  There are a variety of fittings to add, including some etch brass parts which include the large round engine deck mesh grills over the fans and the supports around the rear half of the hull which support the stand-off armour panels.

With the hull done, from stage 16 in the instructions you move on to the turret, starting with the big 120mm Rheinmetal main gun.  The turret looks so wide with the extra armour panels, though the centre section is still so distinctive of the Leopard 2.  The rest of the build is adding the detailing parts for the turret, such as hatches, sights and the 12.7mm remote weapon station.

Colour schemes provided for them by Ammo of Mig Jiminez, and naturally keyed to their paint colours include the Rheinmetal display demonstrator at a Defence Show in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2012.  Another 3 hypothetical colour schemes are suggested.  One is for a common 3-colour NATO scheme for a German Army machine, another for a winter white disruptive pattern over a plain green base colour and the third on in a sort of Leopard Spot desert camouflage pattern.  A very interesting and unusual look to a Leopard 2 and one that will be quite eye-catching in any collection of model MBTs.

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Thanks to Tiger Models for my example.  They will soon be available in the UK thanks to the new UK importer, Tiger Hobbies UK.

Robin