TIGER-1 

From the past and even the  present days, I’m a modeller not too stirred in featuring  the German “Tiger 1 battle Tank” of World War II (WW2) nor a “1:32 scale Military War Tank Toy" for this webpage. As a keynote, I believed the TIGER Tank has more than enough homage it could get from prevailing disseminated History. The last four feature in my scale model websites has  all been  circumstantially at one point of history or another "vehicles" from an “Axis country", so I have long been contemplating to feature an “Allied country” subject as my latest posting for a subtle political tone refreshment, I do have some primarily “American and British” even Russian machines in mind, I was just waiting for the right circumstances to start a build, which is the trickiest part of my blog-posting vice, you never know what the compelling  inspiration will be and when will it strike., ironically all this being said, I still cannot avoid the Tiger’s presence in  war history  themed  media outlets , online history enthusiast communities and pop-culture consumerism innately suggesting that any medium that covers the whelms of Battle Tank history will not be complete without  it.

It was two holiday seasons ago , I went  out to do the traditional  last three days to Christmas (Xmas) shopping rush, when you have no one to be with during Xmas, this sort of things just becomes a part of your holiday celebration; I was scouring the Bazzaar stalls and shopping malls, most of the time for toys for my nostalgic enjoyment  and giveaways for some godsons and the occasional Xmas-day door knockers. Walking the very narrow and crowded bazaar pathway admiring how seemingly well-made some of the bootleg products are, I glance upon a display rack with a line-up of battery operated  toy tanks … one is pink and blue , one is  red and yellow,  one that transform into a robot, all most likely with the obligatory annoying lights and sounds, still quite a distance from the stall when one specific item caught my attention, … the shape is familiar and visually understandable even the color is somewhat appropriate, as I finally got to get a close-up look  of the item in focus, it becomes noticeable that it was a tamed-down toy version of the German Tiger tank in scale.

Closely scrutinizing the  “Tiangge Tiger”  it became apparent that there are quite a number of technical inaccuracies with regards to how a real Tiger  tank mechanically function’s,  but  for basic visual introduction this mechanical inaccuracies in relation with aesthetic presentation  is  hardly relevant to my intentions on this posting, and as a complete twist of faith on the glitches I’ve pointed out, it  can be noted that some  fine realistic details can be found  on the toy  together with again some defamative decorations added to enhance its appeal on the children’s market. One of the main feature of the toy that  the vendor pointed out was it is “Radio controlled (RC)”, and it is!  But it’s only “RC” in a sense that its your friendly basic “four wheeled”  toy car covered with a body of a Tank  it has fix-molded caterpillar tracks, this are not an overly undermining buying factor for me in this case since my foreseeing intention was re-modify for "static" display  and it’s taller “1:32” scale is by now for me a more favored scale at my age, although scratch-building is always tedious work at any extent, the bigger size  of this aesthetic rebuilding will be less strainful  activity to my senses.

The crowd , the blaring yuletide musics , the haggling , the hawking  and the anticipated build  suitability of the item for a forty-seven years old child  pumped-up my decision to buy the toy, but due to the excitement and spontaneous situation it was only when I opened my wallet that I realized that the money left-in was not enough to buy it, instantly recalling that my cards are also out fund. Its getting quite late in the evening and Im tired, so I just shrug my shoulder went home with  the vendors intimidating reminder that  it’s " the only one left" in her stock, which most of the time probably  true in a bazaar situation. 

While on the ride home, it occured to me  that I may have sufficient utility cash leftovers at the house, but I'm not about to rush “Back and fort” to different distanceful locations for an  “inanimate plastic toy tank” like a lovesick single late-aged man pursuing the girl of his dreams, so I  decided to let  the Xmas season to slightly calm down,  after a few days I went back to the same mall bazaar to finally buy the toy Tiger  … well; it was not on the display rack anymore…. I assumed it was sold, never inquired the grouchy salesgirl about it to avoid that “you should have bought it when you had the chance” stare. I must admit the model builder’s part of my consciousness was quite "heartbroken"; but I'm not about to kneel down, raise my hand up and cry for an "inanimate plastic toy tank" like a lovesick single late-age man that lost the girl of his dreams, instead I just carried on on my original  thoughts to build  and feature an Allied  military vehicle  or aircraft in my webpages sooner or later.

The idea of featuring a German Tiger Tank  seemed to be  finished  in my future “must publish list” , but the holidays at this point  is not yet over for me, I still have the rituals of again scouring the bazaars and malls in pursuit of that mythical “ninety percent off” New Year's bargains, this time I went  to a  different bazaar  annexed  in a mall in the relatively near vicinity  of  my town, prowling its still crowded pathways, my mind is set  on finding some replacement  “kitchen  fixtures and  utensils” that those "rats"  keep stealing,  I had enough of toys during the  pre-Xmas scramble that I hardly glance at the toys stalls during this quest. Later on, I have completed buying my most sought-after utensils  and weaving my way out of  this merrily chaotic  compacted market  when  I glance upon a familiar silhouette at a toy stall near the many exits of the bazaar , ….. It’s that Goat Damned Tiangge Tiger !!! …

I really wish that I can make  this  post as short as this paragraph … I hovered the display, visually confirming that it’s exactly the same as the Xmas toy I  originally eyed for,  I ask the vendor for the cost, it was fairly priced for what it is like  the one in the Xmas bazaar and just to complete the "Flea-market" experience I casually beg  for some discount , the vendor look at a female behind him, spoke in gibberish tongue and agreed to give me a “super-micro flea” discount and boasted that he will include Class-A Batteries for the toy’,  by this time I also had enough of the holiday mode so I bought the toy without further ado  and went home. My latest project acquisition was put it in storage with the motive that one day I will dig it up from deep storage and build or re-imagine it just like the other  model kits and toys I had pre-bought in the past, if my socio-personnal situation will still allow it.

Two seasons have past  and the  idea of  scale model building  has been toning-down steadily  in me since that time, never got into starting  the “Allied Tanks” , left an aircraft model  kit build unfinished, and totally forgot about the  “ Tiangge Tiger” with the though of a man my age must  have more sensible things to do (fall in love, have a wife and raise a child perhaps?). Then one day, from out of a Blue, about  more or less two months  before penning this feature that  an unknown "spark" of beautiful alien inspiration rejuvenated me to look back at a wholesome activity that may be eccentric for some societies, but loved doing since I was biologically a "real" child. So after finishing some  hefty household  repairs and  utility enhancement,  I  took out  the Tiannge Tiger from storage  and started  its time allotted but consistent  “re-working” with infected impulse to sensibly finish "asap"  for web posting.

Even before I was just eyeing the subject on the display stall , I can already visualize the portions that will need some  custom alteration, addition and  omission to at least achieve a convincing silhouettal resemblance to a  “Real World”  Tiger I  of WW2.  One peculiar feature of the Tiger I is it’s staggered “road wheels” arrangement,  My Tiangge Tiger has a very  generic representation of tank tracks so I decided to grind down all existing stock details and re-mount  some scratch-built road wheels made out of stop-washers and  sculpted CD case panels, I figure that  “mil to mil” replication of this  mechanical characteristics  will take me a Thousand years  so I just aimed on the aspect of presenting the basic visual idea  of a Tiger’s road-wheel layout. There are Details on the turret and main chassis that are quite mechanically and historically convincing but there also are over-the-top "caricatured"  additions to be noticed,  this  abominations was all sanded , cut , and grounded off , then totally reversing this process by hand making and installing mock Machinegun barrels, armor panels  and  riveting details, constructive damages on the surfaces was filled-in with epoxy fillers. canned spray paints was used for the white base color  and  double-action airbrush  for  the  “camo” patterns, small built part and accessories where hand painted, unit markings was made with decal paper. I decided  to paint my tiger  for  winter or snowy conditions, the color combinations was inspired by  some early Tiger units destined to the Southern Russian battlefronts, markings location  are also based on reputable online images and articles of the tiger with the  number values  altered  to the modeller’s  preference.  Although I’ve done all what I planned on the time spent for this build there is no one point  to say that it is absolutely  finish since more details is possible on the subject as I am writing this feature.

The Tiger’s basic technical designation is “Panzerkampwagen VI Ausfuhrungh H” ( Panzer 6, version H ), the versions changes throughout the Tiger’s operational history, only after the more advance versions of the weapon like the “King Tiger” were fielded  that the terms  “Tiger  I - II was commonly coined. At the time of its first combat fielding the Tiger’s 8.8mm high velocity main gun also designed as an anti-aircraft cannon  is boasted  as the deadliest gun mounted on a main battle tank in all theaters of conflict , it can destroy its target at long distances even before its opponent can acquire the suitable range to effectively shoot or counter-shoot, it’s frontal armor can withstand  "hits"  by early front-line Allied tanks, and the Tiger did wreak havoc to  it’s enemy’s Mechanized forces whether in the deserts of  North Africa, winter environment of Russia or  France’s back-country. 

Most allied  combatant  had developed intuitive fear on the Tiger, war lores and academic statistics alleged that  by ratio and proportion it took the “Allies” an average of Five to Eight tanks to destroy one Tiger Tank during the early stages of its offensive to liberate German occupied territories. But like most fascinating  exploits of German WW2 Wonder-Weapons their seemingly groundbreaking “tech” innovations will cause its own undoing,  the Tiger is over-engineered  in exchange for exceptional battle performance and probably “psy-war”.  Many practical  mechanical  consideration of its design were compromised, the thick frontal armor made it too heavy for many rural bridges given that its rear armor was relatively weak, arguably for better weight distribution a complicated roadwheel-track layout was used making it hard to maintain and repair, more so, the Tiger’s  manufacturing process is notoriously  expensive and arduous resulting it to be in constant short supply and prone to breakdowns in the battlefields throughout the war. 

All in all it's formidable destructive reputation, the "Tiger" failed to stop the tide if defeat for Nazi Germany but it remained a legendary reminder of its obsessive quest to convince the world of her ideological superiority at all cost. In alternate contrast , it evoke's the story of the Allied forces apprehensive but tenacious resolve to find whatever means to defeat the seemingly supreme mechanical reincarnation of the " Grim reaper" for those unfortunately have to face it in real life combat.

:-)

                  1:32 scale  Tiger-1 with generic army men figures, probably some are out of scale,
                                            the tank commande's figure is scratch -made
                                          

                               Test Photoshoot  of  War- tank toy before its re-imagination build.

                                                             scratch modifying Parts

Painting the white base paint

                                                        Applying the "camo" patterns

                                                Sizes comparison: 1:32 scale German  Tiger-1 and 1:30 scale U.S. M4 Sherman and a                                                                                                                               1:77  scale German Stug III Tank destroyer.

                                         

demo vid snd

                                               1:32 scale War-tank toy unboxing and demo video
                                                ( see youtube description for more info on this video, music , contents  etc. )

PS Disclaimer : The scenes and objects depicted in this blog are mainly for the blog authors personnal opinion and artistic expression only and not meant to claim absolute authoritative presentation of actual events and people that are often the inspiration for the subjects or topics featured in this site.

JGSDF TYPE-10 MBT

 

During World War Two Imperial Japan has an infamous reputation of having a formidable and efficient military force. Reluctantly opening its doors to western intervention during the mid 1800’s after more than 200 years of  isolationist policy, it quickly immerse itself to the prevailing international political – economics ideas of the time, in less than a hundred years after Commodore Perry’s  arrival at Tokyo bay in 1853, Japan have the economy and industrial know-how marginally comparable to western standards that enable it to include itself in the line-up of the most powerful nations of the world by the onset of the 20th century.  

When  Japan started its conquering  push to Southeast Asia expanding World War II (WW2) to the Pacific, Japanese air and seaborne weapons platforms are already established fear factor’s to it would be enemies – except …its Tanks. Unlike its warplanes and battleships which proved to be formidable  against its allied counterparts,  Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Tanks was considered  as gravely shoddy machines even before the onset of war in the Pacific in the last quarter of 1941.  Most Japanese warlords view tank as merely a supporting fiddler to “infantry action” thus most of the tank available during its imperial campaigns are inadequately armed and lightly armored that although it was adequate during its war with the Chinese and Russians prior WW2 by no means it was a match to the standard American tanks it will encounter later in the War. Japan did have foresight on the necessity of tanks on  modern warfare, in fact they  bought tanks from the France  and  the United Kingdom to be used as templates for their own self-manufactured war machines, but aircrafts and battleships were given developmental priorty mainly maybe because of  the geographical characteristic of the theater it will be involve in. By the time Japan officially started its hostilities with  the "Allies"; by the factor of “Tank Force” strenght  Japan’s  legendary mechanized ground forces was actually a myth, what truly made Japan conquest of  Southeast Asia  so sweeping in the beginning is its highly disciplined   and   battle hardened army ....

My  father (rip) always brag's to me that he experienced World War II as a boy and would always tell story about his encounters with American  Military and how impressive G.I. weaponry are, unlike my mother he rarely talk about the Japanese, so it was quite a surprise for me when dad enthusiastically suggested that I choose a Japanese World War II tank model kit during one weekend shopping trip for school supplies at a popular commercial district, I instinctively reputed his suggestion and bought a German tank model kit instead and only because there is no American tank or aircraft kit available on the shelves.

Since I’ve first started my series of web-blogs a Japanese tank was one of the necessary  model  in my sentimental subject list, but as always the main reason why I cannot post a subject that I want - when I want it is ... Availability and cost.  Early Japanese Tank model kits are specially hard to find in local hobby shops. I was considering building a  paper model  out of plans found on the web and while I was contemplating on such a project's  preparation, manual work, time involved, how old I am, and those pretty young cashiers at the minor-mall, I came across a Radio Controlled (RC)  tank toy while browsing the many  local shopping sites online, it's not  a WW2 era  IJA Tank that I was searching for; but  nevertheless still I though it illustrate’s Japanese savyness in combining adaptive technology with indigenous design plus I totally avoided building a complicatedly messy cardboard model.

The featured "toy" 1/32 scale replica Tank  is a “Japan Ground Self Defense  Force” (JGSDF) TYPE -10 MBT (main battle tank), its has fairly good details for a child’s toy and its full function radio controlled with many twinkling lights, but maybe because it was originally intended to entertain an “eight years old” the vehicle is tuned to respond quite exaggeratedly to the controls. It has a infra-red battle system wherein theoretically (if you have two units) you can do battle with another tank by infra-red beams, it has real caterpillar tracks with functioning suspension. Even before I got the toy I had envisioned to repaint it, but doing a modeler style painting process will require dis-assembling the toy thus risk damaging the delicate interior mechanism and  electronic circuitry, so I shelved  the idea indefinitely and instead opted to do some minor cosmetic coloring and  parts  modification instead. Except for a commander’s figure and radio transmitter, the toy has no other accessories included so I have to fabricate a mock copula machinegun  using  eraser blocks, plastic cards, and earbud tubing.

 The actual  JGSDF TYPE-10 is listed as officially put into service by the Japanese military in 2012, only basic functionality was usually revealed  on the many online sources for this MBT,  road speeds of up 70 kph , 120 mm smooth bore main guns (NATO standard) with special mentions for its home-developed enhancement  in the areas  of  anti – tank defense and modular armouring system. Tanks, Practically speaking is an obsolete weapon by “First World” Nuclear  and smart weapons availability; conventional weapons are however still important and continually developed by advance countries partly as psycho-political weapons for projecting thier nations technological, economic and some may say intellectual strength for the purpose of  either intimidation or deterrent from hostile action of a rival entity…this principle is best argued with the famous Latin phrase – “Si vis pacem, para bellum “  or what it says in my knowledge - “ If you covet peace,  Prepare for war". 

size comparison

 "Except for a commander’s figure and radio transmitter, the toy tank set has no other accessories included so I have to fabricate a mock copula       machinegun  using  rubber blocks, clips, plastic cards, and earbud tubings."

1:32 scale TYPE-10 MBT demo Video

                                                            

: PS Disclaimer : The scenes and objects depicted in this blog are mainly for the blog author’s personal opinion and artistic expression only and not meant to claim absolute authoritative presentation of actual events and people that often the inspiration for the subjects featured in this site.

                               

STUG III

As a pre-teen scale model enthusiast I’m foremost an “aircraft kit” fan, all of the Land vehicle kits I’ve had within the time frame are either gotten by unintentional means or bought out curiosity, however when I was sorting out the box of my discarded models to start my now several series of “blog” pages of “scales and things” there is "one" particular land vehicle scale model that made me sigh in  regret when I saw it’s seemingly unrecoverable jalopized condition; it was a scale World War II era German “Sturmgeschutz III” or simply “STUG III”. My initial goal for  creating a “blog page” was to give a final reminisce and probably a parting commemoration to all my childhood scale models which are primarily “aircrafts”, however, I did felt some despair when I  deduce the unviable condition of my old “STUG III” model, it could have been an interesting post for me mainly because for its personal novelty. Originally the “Stug III” was never really specially set-aside for blog posting but rather sorted out for scrap parts for other builds and an imminent trip to the trash bin.

It’s not my birthday nor it was Christmas, my family is in a “chain” books store shopping for supplies for the upcoming school opening when I came across some model kits displayed on the store's minor toy section glass shelf, after realizing that there are no “aircraft kit” on the display and its not the instant for indulge buying; I just contented myself  on appreciating the box arts.  I was about to give my attention on some really cool “car” shaped pencil “sharpeners” and erasers when I saw my Father nearby and pointed out the kits display, he promptly look at them  and told me that  I can buy one,  I’m not keen on buying a “land vehicle” model kit so I just casually  choose  the “STUG III” which I though was a “Main Battle Tank” in the kit line-up of armoured cars, heavy artillery and Japanese tankettes; this was more or less than Forty years ago, I tried “research” the kit’s “brand” for this blog feature with no success.

Fast-forward to present times … while on one of my leisurely adventures on the mega-city’s countless shopping malls, in one small, inconspicuously located but very crowded knicknackery shop I found some small boxes labeled “4-D model tank in 1:77 scale” as most other details are written in alien characters (Chinese, Korean or  Japanese?). There are several tank models  to choose from; one box picture show a  familiar appearance of a “STUG III”,  despite having doubt that its scale is probably too small I still bought the so-called “4D” model  out of curiosity on the real contents of the small sealed box; besides also being fairly affordable. After eating dinner the same day I got the 4D Stug kit, I opened the box to see the contents expecting a few seconds snap-on type of assembly with wacky and disproportional final outcome.

To my surprise, the 4D-Stug III turned out to be a very humblingly different model making experience, it’s a  multi-dimensional jigsaw "puzzle" much like making a “LEGO” model only with  more life-like surface details. One could say that it’s another  level down to childish endeavors but because each part of the 4D-puzzle is unmarked, dark shaded and tiny, It is quite a struggle for a man my age to connect together as you only have to rely on an also very small “visual only” instruction manual, there could be written instructions but most are in uncomprehendable foreign characters, in short it did not took a few seconds to solve, and took me several operation of assembly and dis-assembly  to be able to build the what technically is a “puzzle” in smooth systematic sequence.

The completed 4D-Stug III model is not as angularly well proportioned, part accessorized and panel details are not finely sculpted as most regular kit but this deviations are hardly noticeable and quite tweekable, when I realized that its identical in size to my forty years old STUG III,  I decided to give it a paint job, make accessories and kit-bash from my  old Stug III then feature it as one of my vintage series scale models on this Blogpage, somehow fulfillling a part of one's  infantile  goal.

First put into action in 1940, the Stug III in the true sense of the word is not a real “Tank”, but more appropriately classified as a “self propelled assault gun”,  meant to support advancing infantry against minor obstacle like pillboxes, fixed machinegun nest, and artillery concentrations. It is developed from the concept of “support vehicle” mounted high Velocity guns, however as “Nazi Germany’s” battle tank production  started to wane due to constant Allied bombing,  more and more STUG III type weapons was produced essentially as they are easier and cheaper to build than a standard configured  battle tank..

Because of the absence of  a rotating turret the STUG III will be in a grave dis-advantage if its to do a “seek and destroy” combat with the latest  fast moving mid-size tank of the American equipped “Allies”, the STUG III is more effective as a long range ambush weapon; and because of it’s effectiveness on this kind tactics especially if use in large formations against swarming groups of Allied tanks, thus it earned the mis-termed but popularly used pseudo-name … “tank destroyer”. Plenty of  STUG IIIs ended up  in the armed forces of Eastern european nations after War War II, the Soviet Union (Russia)  donated it’s “war booty” machines to Syria were it was used up to the Golan-Heights battles as fixed defensive stations during the 1967 Pan-Arab war against the Israelis. 

 

                                                                                                                                                     

 

Completed and painted 1:77 scale 4D “Sturmgeschutz III” (“STUG III”). No decal or figure were found with the 4D model so standard insignias had to be custom made using an ordinary printer and decal paper.  The figure on this post is from an old stock of scrapped parts. At the background is the author's old Stug III (circa late 70's).

 "it’s a  multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle much like making a “LEGO” model only with  “life-like” surface details"

 

   

"It took  several processes of trial and error assembly to make this video look fairly smooth phased"

 Raw 1:77 scale 4D STUG III  molded in "Gray" PVC like resin  in comparison with my forty years old "bookstore"  Stug III model kit with the "Tan" tint (cannot remember the brand).

Glueing, painting the base (primer) colors and kit-bashing parts from my older model of the Stug III.

 

 

PS Disclaimer : The scenes and objects depicted in this blog are mainly for the blog author’s personal opinion and artistic expression only and not meant to claim absolute authoritative presentation of actual events and people that often the inspiration for the subjects featured in this site.

LEOPARD 2A5 MBT

My possession of a Radio Controlled (RC) 1:25-scale Leopard-2A5 Main Battle Tank (MBT) is not the result of a male toddler's instinctive fancy to play on anything that emits loud grinding motor sound, blinking lights, and rolling wheels but rather of a grown man who never got his childish genome totally deactivated. I saw the featured replica battle tank in a local hobby store more than a decade ago, and although I don’t know what kind of Tank it is since then was the days before reliable Internet; its multi-function remote control features is curiosity-candy to the innermost seven years old me. The scale model has a full function directional control, 360 degrees rotating turret and 30 degrees angle traversing main gun barrel, two forward speed, detailed rubber caterpillar tracks, and for me the most "impaktoful" feature is the 6mm-BB balls firing system; you can shoot “BB balls” while simultaneously running the model at full speed, rotating the turret and traversing the barrel … “if”, your fingers is flexible enough to handle its awkwardly shaped remote “transmitter”. Although the owner's manual advice users to be cautious when using the “shooting “ function because it may cause injury to the eyes and other facial entry points, in actuality the force of the BB projectile is not substantial enough even to scare away that sleeping mongrel cat on our outdoor-kitchen’s floor.

Ancient systematized armies like of the Roman legion, the Greeks, and the Carthaginians  etc… have use some form of enclosed monstrous apparatus  to attack enemies with relative protection from hostile missiles being counter slung at them.  Fourteenth century Italian Renaissance man Leonardo da’ Vinci’s draft of a human powered “armored vehicle” with protruding array of cannons is acknowledged by many as the “Great Grandfather Concept” of a modern battle tank proposed four hundred years before the British use the first  purpose built modern “tracked” tanks in an organized offensive at the 1916 “Battle of Somme” in France during World War I (WWI), in the same era the French also introduced the tank’s familiar present-day design configuration. Originally to be called “Land battleship” by the Brits the codename “Tank” was adopted to hide the true nature of the new secret weapon from the Germans.

After WWI the victorious U.S, Britain and France continue to rely on large infantry forces as the effective measure of their nation’s armed forces, armed armored vehicles are only viewed as support weapons in offensive actions, the defeated Germany on the otherwise secretly rebuilt its military with emphasis on developing tactics for a highly mechanized force consisting of tanks and warplanes that will operate in conjunction to each other this resulted in the chaotic derouting of combined “Allied” armies during Germany’s “Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)” invasion of mainland Europe at the onset of World War II (WWII).

In keeping with Germany’s reputation as innovative tank designers in basis of their legendary “Tiger I” of WWII, the real twenty-first  century Leopard 2-A5 is a variant in the line of Leopard tanks which begun its development in the shadow of the Cold War in the former "West Germany”, it's basic mission as part of the NATO forces is for a mass face to face confrontation with “Warsaw Pact” nation’s MBTs in the wide open plains of Eastern Europe and Russia. As the “cold war” eventually ended, the Leopard’s development was re-aligned as the service demand of the time changes. The Leopard 2  is reputedly the “best tank in the world “for some independent weapons reviewer, the basic unclassified characteristics of the tank is its “on the move” self stabilizing 120mm main guns, computerized target acquisition and firing system, composite reactive armor, up to 70kph road speed, poison gas and radioactive fallout protection for its four crew, other Leopard II’s with specialized capabilities are designated as 2-A6 and 2-A7s. Leopard IIs was used by the Germans as part of the controversial NATO intervening force in “Kosovo”, by the Danish and Canadians as part of “International Security assistance Force (ISAF)” in “Afghanistan”. Other notable present operators of the Leopard II are Singapore, Indonesia, Norway and Portugal. 

The 1:25th scale Leopard 2A5 “plastic” model that is the main visual subject of this blogpost  is  by “Academy scale models” and its radio control functionality is quite an appealing premium at the time I got it considering the limited variety of such novelty item in my location, I though I had to own it to better appreciate its beautiful panel details, intricate mechanical assembly, sophisticated electronic composition and the impressive technical and artistic know-how that was harnessed to create such a scale model; or in none mumbo-jambo terms … I bought it out of shameful impulse. 

No crew figures was included with the Tank model, the figures in the photo(above) are scratch-modified  generic toy action figures, the height are in scale but body mass proportions are quite inaccurate.

                              
                                   

      

A short demo Video of the 1:25 scale model  German Leopard 2

                                      

                                                       Canadian Leopard 2 in Afghanistan

PS Disclaimer : The scenes and objects depicted in this blog are mainly for the blog author’s personal opinion and artistic expression only and not meant to claim absolute authoritative presentation of actual events and people that often the inspiration for the subjects featured in this site.