No worries!

More small bits done: grab handles on top of the side armor modules, later exhaust outlets, reinforcements added to the turet around the TOGS cutout and some corrections done on the rear corner turret bins:

IMG_2895 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2894 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I've still got to do the rest of the tow cable brackets and some other little things, but it's getting close.

Russel, this is looking better and better with all of your upgrades. As far as decals go, Starr Decals makes some decal sets for Challenger 1 & 2's in the Balkans, so I'll bet that you can find what you need there. Good ole' Kosovo... 

Thanks! And it's time to get some decals in the pipeline, I may actually paint this one.

Left side turret basket done (I think). I have some very usable pics of it, so any errors are due mostly to my limitations and abilities. 

IMG_2898 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2896 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I may not be able to half see but I can tell that's beautiful work!

Thanks! 

Great job!  I had to take mine off the shelf to better follow along>

Bill

I'm considering starting another one, building the Mk3 up for an IFOR tank. I think I have enough of it left.....  all I need is more brass and a set of Friuls.

Cool, twice as much fun! 

I'm on a roll, I guess.....

Just to see if I could, I chucked some sprue up in the Dremel and turned three fire extinguisher bottles, working on the detailing.

IMG_3057 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I also added some detail to the turret hatches and engine deck, figured I'd use some more of the Eduard brass. The fuel lid covers are actually kind of nice.

IMG_3059 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

It's hard to see in the pic but I made up the fuel tank vents too. I used .020" plastic rod, easy peasy.

There's a couple of guys on the "other" forum that are posting some excellent shots of both the real thing and in-progress shots of their own builds, and I'm shamelessly copying. Plus, having good clear pics makes it obvious how much detail Tamiya didn't reproduce, but hey, it's an old kit. I figure about the time I get primer on, Meng or RFM will announce one, with about 1900 parts and a full interior.

Man you're doing some stellar work on this Russel. All the little bits really add up.   

Thanks!

Yeah, you're moving right along!

And it's a rule- finish something like that and someone will come out with a new kit. One of the guys in our club finished a very rough resin Wasserschepper (however you spell that- I'm not looking it up) and had Trumpeter come out with the new kit about a week later.

Gamera

And it's a rule- finish something like that and someone will come out with a new kit. One of the guys in our club finished a very rough resin Wasserschepper (however you spell that- I'm not looking it up) and had Trumpeter come out with the new kit about a week later.

 

Tell me about it. Long ago when Tamiya's original Panzer III M/N and Sturmgeschutz III G were the only 1/35 injection plastic games in town, I did scratch work on one of each to backdate them into earlier variants of the types. Of course once I finished those, Dragon started coming out with the whole family line of each type... 

That's how it goes, usually. I'm still waiting for an M60 slick that's better than Dragon's. Hello Takom?

Current state of the model, just more little bits, more to come.

IMG_3062 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3063 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Nuthin' but fun!

Looks great! Just a little bit each day, or at least I tell myself when I barely get anything done modeling-wise over last weekend...

I'm at that stage now, a little bit every session. I should be going back to work soon, so I'm taking advantage of whatever time I have at the bench.

She'a beautiful! Building good models is part of the joys of being retired . . .

Bill

Ed Zachary! So, some more little bits today. First, how the tow cables look in their brackets:

IMG_3066 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Below, added details (in white) on the nose armor bracket.

IMG_3065 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And lastly, the electrical cabling the the commander's MG remote firing and elevation motor and the spotlight (hard to see in my lousy pic, but there's two cables there that weren't there Friday.

IMG_3064 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I used annealed brass wire, not difficult but in a tight spot.

I had to redo some of the front armor. Tamiya put two cutouts in the top piece, correct if the tank has a dozer. I had to remove both pieces, make a new upper, then remount the lower piece. Also done are the covers on the two rear turret bins, front in progress. I've added some other small bits here and there, getting real close now.

IMG_3072 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3073 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3071 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3070 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Looks great to me- you're doing a slam-bang job on her! 

I have to admit, I've always found British armor of WWII to be mediocre at best.  But, with the post-war years and decades, the Centurian, Chieftain, and Challenger have been great! Your Challenger is spectacular!

Bill

Thanks all!

Ready for paint!

IMG_3135 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3134 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3133 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

As soon as the sun comes out I'll prime it.

Green! Second color will be black, and I'll probably use Vallejo over the Rustoleum camo green that's on it now.

IMG_3234 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Guys that know are telling me the black was both factory and field applied, hard and soft edged and different from tank to tank. Perfect!

Looks perfect to me! 

I'm told my green is too green, so I need to do some thinking here. Pics do show it as more gray/green, so maybe a quick swipe with a gray wash is called for.

Oddly enough, I had a can of Tamiya TS-78 field gray in the paint rack. Hmmm....  so I did a very light coat on the upper surfaces, shirts and running gear,much better. And since my green was so dark, I almost have a pre-shade thing happening. I'm going to let this cure and then do the second color (off-black) over it. I also received the decals last week, so I'm in business.

IMG_3468 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Ah, wasn't sure how correct the colour was but it looks nice and smooth.