Has anyone built trumpeteers AS-90 Braveheart?

Yes, this is the kit that I am working on right now. Usually takes me about 2-3 months for each kit I do, as I also include research time. (this is excepted for the Abrams M1A1HA {Trumpeters kit) as this kit has taken me 13 months so far to build) Check out Perth modeling web site on the web, for reviews. You will have to re-build the front set of wheels, as they are 3 mm out. Find a picture on the net, of the front suspension, to see what I mean. You need 1.5mm plasic sheet, to cover the old location for the first suspenion arm( part A22). Then sand down A22 to just the bolt detail remains, to fit as per the rest of the suspenion. The distance you need to end up is 7mm in between each road wheel.

Then you need to move the driver's sight(parts C46, and C47), back to were it just touches the hatch. Third, you need to cut down the travel lock. If you are doing the 39 Caliber version, you need pictures to see what I mean here. If you are doing the 52 Caliber version, then leave the travel lock as is NOTE: NO 52 Caliber versions were used in Iraq, as they are only in pre-planning stage (According to the information I have right now) and have not been sent to the Gulf.
Fourth, the handles on parts E51, C15 must be in the 5 O'Clock position, if they are to be locked on the real vehicle. To pose open, they are strait down.
On parts C56, and C57, cut the part off half way, (you need references here to see what I mean) as they are usuall cut in the field.
Thin Part C41, and C42, (again reference pict's are needed to see ...) to proper shape (these are the light guards for the turn lights)
Check your reference pictures for weld seams, as there are a number that are quite visable, to the casual viewer.
Parts C14 are incorrect, as they must be cut down to the proper shape. Also part D17, as this the hand guard to the fire control radar. The bottom mounting lug, as moulded, needs to be removed and it's location filled.
The biggest mistake Trumpeter made is the length of the barrel. It needs to be cut down, just after the muzzel brake. It is 3 inches long, but should be cut down to 2 3/16 of an inch from muzzel brake to the point where the barrel is stepped.
The barrel has a rubberised cover, (on the real thing) that needs a sag introduced if you want to be 100% accurate, other wise leave it as it is.
Also a row of holes (the width of the grove) needs to be drilled, half way down (seen on the horizontal if looking at the vehicle on the ground)
Some AS90's have a flap that covers the direct gun sight and some do not (I have pict's of both types) so you have a choice here. This is Part D16, that mounts on Part D27, the front half of the gun cradle. Trumpeter would have you paint this sight blue, but to be accurate, drill out this sight, then square the hole off, then after you have painted the vehicle, then paint this hole dark/purple, and cover with a small clear celophane cut from a sheet, etc
Tool boxes in Parts E55,E53,E2 and E1,E54,E56 need to be off-set from the turrent 1mm, as this off-set is very proment on the real vehicle. Just use plastic strip, 1mm in thickness, for this
I assume that you putty over the mounting points (I do ...) then when gluing the part on, sand the surface flat (of the part to be mounted) and place it on, ACCORDING to the references you have.
It is a great kit, with I suspect, a nod to Accurate Armour's AS90 resin kit of some years past. On some other web sites, this has been bandied about, but I am not sure yet, as I have not seen the AA kit. Tracks are spot on, but in the kit I had they were slight too long. No big deal, to fix this
If you do a search on the web, for AS90, you should end up with about 30 pic's of the beast. These are the one's that I am using, plus these references below;

www.jbwholesalers.com.au/reviews/trumpeter/tr00324.htm
Scale Models International December 2003 issue
Photographs from the UK Ministry of Defence web site
www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=47209&messageid=1087091155
Horstman Suspension Systems brochure on the AS90 (www.horstman.co.uk)

That should result in enough pict's etc, for you to start your AS90.

Good luck

Rob Savage

Wow! thank you for the tips, it seems there are a few bugs with the kit. As far as references go i am just using the internet. One thing i noticed is that in the instructions the hooks on the front of the hull were depicted upside down... i almost fell for it, luckily i had a pic that showed the hooks the right way up. Anyway thanks for the information.

No Problem! I have some more tweaks but today I don't have my AS90 binder with me. Note that the "tool boxes" on the sides of the turrent must also sit about 1mm above the level of the turrent top. You will find that there is some talk about the light on the top of the turrent (Part E15)(I forget the name of this system at the moment, sorry!) and that unmentioned in the kit instructions, there is the part to cover this hole at the back of the turrent, next to the bussel rack. Some say that the mount for the light is correct, and some say to leave it off, as it is up to you.
I have not been able to find a clear shot of this area, so I chose to use the un-mentioned cover, and go with that.
Also Trumpeter have made the Commanders's sight all in one. (Parts E45 and E44) This is incorrect, but again, I don't have a clear frontal shot of this, but it is divided up into two (2) parts, one rectangular, and one square, next to each other. Trumpeter made this part all in one(again Part E44). Check your references and you will see what I mean. The part that is square, LOOKS LIKE to be a reflective sight of some kind (Vision Block maybe???) and the rectangular part covered and unknown to me at this point what it does.
You will need a new GPMG as the one in the kit is incorrect. (Part E35) I think that DRAGON makes or made a weapons set that had this in it. Otherwise you need to make the front sight in scale and the carry handle also.

Check Eduard for PE for this kit, as it is needed to make it really stand out.

Rob Savage

PS. Also you need to re-build parts E34 and E38. Trumpeter has simplified this part, and has forgot to make the mount for the Anit-Personnel mines that the two combined parts mount on. You need to check your references to see what I mean here. Parts E34 and E38 are correct (simplified though ...) so follow the instructions and then make the mount, being CAREFULL to get the correct angle offset from the turrent.

Also I have more links below;

http://army.ca/Forums/index.php/topic,1592,30
http://military.china.com/zh_cn/blade/yg/ij/as90.html
www.stratmag.com/issueDec-1/page02.htm
www.killerssearch.co.uk/search.aspx?keywords=self+defence+equipment
then click on #5 item (will send you to ...)
www.bdec-online.com/bd-cat29/c290203.htm

In some of the discussions in the posts in the links above, you will find pict's and talk of AS90's turrents that have been sold/added to other armoured vehicles. Canada is going to replace it's 105's (M109's) with the AS90 turrents mounted on the M109 Chassis. This would make a great kit-bash, and the Indian's are considering adding the AS90 turrent to the stocks of T-72's they have Another interesting kit idea. Check out the AS90 variation (I believe Polish) in the different camo.

Rob Savage

That sounds like way too much work for me I have built this kit and it turned out nice to me. I do this for fun. My car is where i am a stickler for detail.

Yes, but that is half the fun. I have limited modeling funds, and I have to some times make the kit last a month or two. Some times I stop at a secific spot in the kit, set it asside and start another, then come back later. Like most modelers, I have a project closet, with un-build kits in it. I have about 200 kits on hand right now, mostly the standard German Panzers, etc, that were purchased over the last 15 years or so. I thought I would limit myself this year to modern armour, which is not my focus, just to try something different. I strive for the greatest detail, that I can make, and I have been noted to spend hours researching before I start a kit. Example, the research on the AS90 was done, for the most part, in Sept-Dec 2003, with planning going from there. I, through indexing my pictures, have found that there has been at least three different production "runs" so to speak, just like most German Tigers went through between 1942-45. Small differences here and there, but the essential vehicle has been the same. It is interesting reading, from the British Press, that the vehicle is considered a failure, mainly do to the lack of work-up done on the power pack. They right now, at this time of writing, have more that 65 AS90's sitting in some vehicle park in Iraq, with blown engines. They also lost one due to fire, as the engine over-heated. Vickers Marine is not known for building armoured vehicles, but ships etc.

Sure, it sounds anal, but I like to work that way, with the kit, in my mind, being a small substitute for the real thing () Why not, as it gets me each day in to the Main Library here in London, and I get a chance to surf interesting sites!

Once you start to work this way, it is easy to follow though ... Example two, right now I am doing the research on the next two vehicles, the C2 and the Warrior,and I have set up for each a work binder, with pict's off of the net. I probably won't see the Warrior kit until next Dec-Jan period, as I still have to finish the PE on my M1A1HA (Trumpeter kit) and the AS90. Planning helps!

Rob savage

I commend you on your dedication to the art of modelling and also for the detailed replies, they are very helpful. I cant believe that nearly half of the AS-90s are out of commission! the British would be screwed if there were a war that was relativly evenly matched! Perhaps i am biased but british engineering is not the best especially the engines. I used to have a triumph 2500... always something wrong with it. You would thing something as critical as a SPG would have a decent engine.!

The above provided links are a good reference. I love the PMMS site, it really is a great resource.

I have this kit, haven't built it yet, but I don't think I'll go through the trouble of any improvements. 100% accuracy is definitely not an issue for me, as I find that most kits straight OOB are at least a fair representation of their real-life counterparts.

Accurate also does kit-update sets for the Trumpeter AS90, which have tons and tons of stuff in them, and cost a small fortune -- around 40 pounds! (Around $70, far more than the kit itself. Sound familiar? )

http://www.accurate-armour.com/showaaproducts.cfm?CFID=1921087&CFTOKEN=66314938&category=35

They also do a complete resin model of the gun, for an astronomical 85 pounds. Thats around $155.

I'm waiting for Tamiya to do one.

RE: Neudog's comment about 1/2 of the AS90's being out of serivce is from the British papers websites, and comments I have read on some of the websites from the different companies that use the AS90. It is not the fault of the engine itself, but the fact that the weapon system was designed for European use, and it has required extensive alterations to the air induction system to get around the over-heating. There has been some talk in the House of Common's about this, and so on.

Thanks for the rewiew of my tech writing on the AS90. I was thinking of re-doing it slightly for submission either to Finescale or Track-links Tweaks list.

Rob Savage

PS I too have seen others cursing and swearing at British vehicles! I have distintive memories of one person, in the apartment building next to mine in the 1980's, outside every morning as I was going to work, with the hood (bonnet in English !) up, streams of curses and epthithets coming from underneath it ....... The new one's that are based on Ford's North American cars are much better.

RJS