Tinkering with ..... Battlefront Iranian Chieftains

 

Yet more Chieftains! Iranian reinforcements!

Following up on the ArmiesArmy Chieftains, I now have a load of BF plastic Chieftains and am most impressed, generally....

 

So, 

The pros.... 

• plastic format allows loads of conversion potential, 
• excellent detail, 
• nice crew set, 
• separate track guards.  

The cons...

•  ( just my opinion) the turret front angles need sanding over as they have too prominent an angle, 
• the smoke dischargers are awful. 
• Only one hatch open

 

The plastic format allows me to depict some very tired and abused vehicles as seen in reference photos of the Iran Iraq war. The mods so far...

• Removed all smoke dischargers ( am making new ones)
• Filed the turret fronts to remove the pronounced angle 
• Opened up some additional hatches
• Added crew, so far just from bits box, but more to come
• Added numerous tarpaulins and crew stowage 
• Added an initial layer of sandbag armour, more to come on this front, stalled until the dischargers are complete
• Distressed and removed track guards 

 

So very much a work in progress and a "flavour" of things to come at this stage

 

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Arab Israeli - M577

As with just about everything I'm building for the 1973 war, I've had to do some detailing to make it suitable for the IDF. Information on '73 M577 is scarce so this mod is probably a mixture of fittings from '73 examples to '83 and possibly later. The M577 will be my HQ stand primarily for my M107s but can stand in for the M109 battery as well ( both will use the M548 ammunition vehicles) I think the M50 battery will have a M3 command track to go with its lorry supply train.

So...what I could pick up in the forums is the lack of antenna guards on the roof and removal of the rear stowed tent assemblage. Obviously the vehicle sides have the usual paraphernalia but I really like a reference with tubes holding artillery ranging poles so I took so artistic license.

I started with the Battlefront/ flames of War Vietnam version.

 As it comes before modifying

View of rear tent assembly

Start of adding mods, revised roof hatch and side stowage

The tent coming off was a right pain, should have used the dremel

Most of detail added and installed in base. Have decided all the AIW vehicles will be based, bases bought from warbases, excellent service!

I've added the ubiquitous rolled cover sheet, used to disguise and cover the vehicles when stationary. 

The initial primer coat shows up any surface problems (below) , so this is now ready for its foundation colours.

I think it needs a commander figure either talking to driver, or possibly with binos on the roof ( although I suppose the hatch his shut!) or maybe going in the rear. I have some spare dogs from Peter pig so this may be the opportunity to use one!

Progress is slowly coming on, notable updates

- Urdan copulas moulded by S and S models and work really well on the BF M48

- Khurasan M60s assembled and in the process of up detailing

- M50 left hand side track section complete so that will be off to Shaun soon. Looks like my first complete vehicle  will be on S&S model product list pretty soon!

- IDF artillery loads competed, and moulded, both tubes and shells, should have loads of Cold War applications, again they will be in the S&S catalogue.

Almost There....

Been a slow start to the new year, although I'm now finally clearing some major backlogs. Finishing this weekend are 15mm FOW, 28mm German 12 SS Normandy and 28mm British Normandy. Pics of the following available in the Photo Album ( link above)

• 15mm Battlefront- Panthers, Stugs, Horch, Kubels, Opel Blitz, Sdkfz 11
• 28mm Bolt Action - Sdkfz 251 ( Engineer, Stummel, Platoon Command), Sdkfz 250 ( destroyed, troop carrier, 20mm), AEC Armoured car, 222 Armoured car.
• 28mm Company B- Kubels
• 28mm Westwind - Wirbelwind