Tamiya Challenger 2 Tank

All parts primed in Vallejo 73.604 surface primer. Waiting for paints to arrive so I can move forward 

One of things I don’t particularly enjoy in modelling is painting wheels. Faced with 14 of them, I started doing them by hand and thought that there must be a better way. A couple of YouTube videos later, I 3D printed a circle template and found that the wheels fitted the 15mm and 12mm holes well. I sprayed the tyres with Tamiya XF-85 rubber black first then the hubs with Vallejo earth through the mask. I am pretty happy with the results.  

The FDM 3D printed circle template with all except the 15 and 12 mm holes masked off. The STL file was from Thingiverse. 

The tub and body top painted with Tamiya TS-46 light sand. I could only get this in a spray can which, while being convenient, delivers too much paint too fast. I prefer the control of the airbrush.  

Wheels fitted. They turned out pretty well. It's two-thirds academic as the skirts on the tank cover most of the wheels! 

Interesting exercise in painting the tracks before fitting. The plates are Tamiya XF-85 rubber black and the metal parts are gunmetal. I decided to airbrush them instead of hand brushing. This involved painting the gunmetal first and then masking with 1mm tape before painting the black. I am pleased with the result. It needed touching up after taking off the sprue.  

Tracks fitted and main body assembled. A quick photo before the wheels are covered by the skirts.  

Build complete and basic painting done. Now for weathering and panrl lining and painting the tank commander. This is a really good quality kit. Absolutely no flash and everything fits perfectly.  

Three coats of Tamiya X-20A gloss clearcoat thinned with 40% X-22 thinner. Decals applied.  

Nearly there. All decals applied and some panel lining and general grubbying done with 502 Abteilung modelling oil colour ABT110 heavily thinned with Abteilung odourless thinners. Another coat of clear varnish applied and now for some light desert weathering with paint and pigments. 

Pictured with an Iraq desert photo in the background just as an experiment. The picture is by AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye.
ibtimes.com/simple-l..age-cut-grid-3323479 

My first Tamiya kit of any type and my first
1:48 scale tank is now completed.
This is also only my second ever tank since I was a lad 60 years ago! Right, pre-excuses done - on with the narrative. This is Tamiya’s Challenger 2 MBT in Iraq 2003 paint.
The kit was superb with wonderful fit and nice detail. The tracks come in rigid parts and I prefer them to the rubber band type used on my Airfix 1:35 Tiger 1.
I used almost all Tamiya paints and varnish. I weathered it with Mig Ammo ‘dust’ and pigment and some Vallejo engine grime. Panel lines were done using Abteilung oil and odourless thinner. I need practice but I am not too displeased with the outcome. I will be buying more Tamiya kits to be sure.