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REVIEW
Trumpeter British Challenger 2
c5flies
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Posted: Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 01:42 PM UTC
Darren Baker provides an In-Box review of the Challenger 2 with Enhanced Armour, a new release from Trumpeter in 1/35.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
martyncrowther
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 12:47 AM UTC
Great review Darren! However I think those ration boxes are US!
ninjrk
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 03:49 AM UTC
Lovely review, darnit. I have the Tamiya kit but it looks like this one may be worth picking up. Heck, just to avoid masking the no-slip it might be worth it.

Matt
barkingdigger
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 04:05 AM UTC
Darren,

Thanks for the review of this interesting kit! I really like the bar armour... And they were very clever with the ejector pins on this one - the marks all around the very decent MG show how Trumpeter avoided marring the parts.

Are the tracks as rubbery as they look? (On a par with Revell's gooey rubber?) I'll be interested to see when you've tried painting them.

It might just tempt me to move away from my love for Leopards!

Tom
CMOT
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 04:43 AM UTC
Martyn I believe you are correct about the ration packs, however if there is one thing the British squaddie will do it is swap items. It would not be uncommon to see another countries rations being eaten by or in possession of British troops. I believe most countries troops make a habit of swapping rations, along the lines of “What have you got in your sandwiches? Want to swap?”.

Matt I do believe you will be happy with this kit, I cannot however tell you yet how well it goes together as it will be a while before I start it. The Anti slip coating is very light as stated in the review and I hope that some of the close ups show you just how light.

Tom the tracks are typical Trumpeter as regards material used. They are just so thin and with the gap between each track link being present too flimsy. Trumpeter here I believe have tried to be accurate at the cost of survivability, as I said in the review though it is just my belief not a fact. I will do some work on these tracks when I get time however I am looking at using the Bronco workable tracks on this model.

Thank you for your comments.
PantherF
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 05:58 AM UTC
Thanks for the review Darren, very nicely done. I'm a gettin' this one for sure soon!


- Jeff
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 08:17 AM UTC
Very nice review. Thanks.

For anyone knowledgeable about Chally 2's. Besides the slat armor, are there any other large differences between a vehicle from this era, and the desertized versions? Basically, could one use the anti-slip hull and turret pieces from this kit the earlier Trumpeter Chally 2?
CMOT
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 09:02 AM UTC
Jeff I am glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful.

Jesse as far as I am aware there are no external difference between the 2 types of extra armoured Challenger 2s, so by leaving off the bar armour it should also make an accurate desertised armour variant.
hugohuertas
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 10:19 AM UTC
I believe that the armored side skirts are also different, since the so called desertized version has few armor blocks than this later version.
There are lots of pics on the web showing Chally's 2 during the earlier stages of Operation Telic
But referring only to the turret, it should be fine for either version.
CMOT
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 01:46 PM UTC
Jesse Hugo is correct that the very rear armour panel is missing along with the skirt below the side armour panels.
pseudorealityx
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 02:02 PM UTC
Very cool. Lucky Model has the older Desertized version for ~$12. For that kind of money, I can buy both and not have to deal with attempting anti-skid.

Just use the additional skirts and side armor with this hull/turret.
CMOT
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 03:05 PM UTC
Jesse the 2 middle Challenger 2s that Trumpeter have done I believe also contain a reasonable partial interior.
pseudorealityx
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 05:00 PM UTC
Thanks Darren. Are you planning on doing a build log on this kit?
CMOT
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 05:26 PM UTC
I will do but I have a few unfinished items to get done before I get to it, I am trying to get my AS90 blog finished for starters.
ptruhe
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Posted: Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 05:41 PM UTC
Here is a file for Modern British GP rations:
http://flashpages.prodigy.net/ptruhe/armormod/britratsgp.pdf

There is a 4 man pack which might be more likely for a tank.



Paul
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Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 - 02:31 AM UTC
Well, then I shall be buying this bad boy down the line. One thing that I haven't figured out is why both Tamiya and Trumpeter don't have pieces to blank the cutouts in the turret roof for the handles. It's not that tough a fix but man does it stand out as obvious if you don't fix them.

Matt
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Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 - 04:27 AM UTC
Paul Thank you for the MRE cases.
pseudorealityx
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Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 - 09:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Well, then I shall be buying this bad boy down the line. One thing that I haven't figured out is why both Tamiya and Trumpeter don't have pieces to blank the cutouts in the turret roof for the handles. It's not that tough a fix but man does it stand out as obvious if you don't fix them.

Matt



Matt,

I'm not too familiar with the Chally turrets. Could you explain what you mean a bit more? Are there cutouts for handles that don't exist on this tank or what?
ninjrk
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Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 - 10:41 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Well, then I shall be buying this bad boy down the line. One thing that I haven't figured out is why both Tamiya and Trumpeter don't have pieces to blank the cutouts in the turret roof for the handles. It's not that tough a fix but man does it stand out as obvious if you don't fix them.

Matt



Matt,

I'm not too familiar with the Chally turrets. Could you explain what you mean a bit more? Are there cutouts for handles that don't exist on this tank or what?



The square opening on the turret roof have a plethora of handles and toggles underneath. Here's a reference to one of the walkarounds from the invaluable primeportal.

http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/ulrich_wrede/challengerii/images/challengerii_32_of_36.jpg
CMOT
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Posted: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 12:56 PM UTC
Matt I have been giving this some consideration and I would have thought that due to the design of the turret it would be easy to have made a panel that attaches below it and provides all that recessed detail.
bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 03:47 AM UTC
Excellent review, Darren, I will think about adding this one to my slowly-growing stash of modern AFVs.
Petition2God
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Posted: Friday, July 09, 2010 - 08:08 AM UTC
Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.. So if I have to choose between the Tamiya Challenger 2 (desertised) vs. this Trumpeter kit, which one would you guys recommend?
ninjrk
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Posted: Friday, July 09, 2010 - 09:30 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Matt I have been giving this some consideration and I would have thought that due to the design of the turret it would be easy to have made a panel that attaches below it and provides all that recessed detail.



You could fairly easily I'd think. There are some tabs underneath that would need to be cut off. I played with using U-stock on mine and didn't care for how it looked. My biggest issue is it's not clear exactly what the configuration is of all the stuff below, so I suppose imagineering will be my approach!

Matt
CMOT
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Posted: Friday, July 09, 2010 - 05:39 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.. So if I have to choose between the Tamiya Challenger 2 (desertised) vs. this Trumpeter kit, which one would you guys recommend?



James it really depends on if you want the meanest looking which to my mind is the desertised Challenger 2 which would require you to buy 2 kits (I would suggest this kit and the Trumpeter desertised version for ease), the other option would require you to apply the anti slip coating. Or you could build this from the box and have a reasonably accurate Challenger 2.
CMOT
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Posted: Friday, July 09, 2010 - 05:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Matt I have been giving this some consideration and I would have thought that due to the design of the turret it would be easy to have made a panel that attaches below it and provides all that recessed detail.



You could fairly easily I'd think. There are some tabs underneath that would need to be cut off. I played with using U-stock on mine and didn't care for how it looked. My biggest issue is it's not clear exactly what the configuration is of all the stuff below, so I suppose imagineering will be my approach!

Matt



Matt unless there is some secret under there I think I could probably get the answer.
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