"Helghan 15mm APC" Topic

Just bought some of these Challener MBT'S IN 1/72 scale

with the intention of transforming them into this

This image gives a really good view and break down of the shapes involved for scratch-building the upper turret.

If anybody has suggestions for sources of parts in 1/72 for the front hydraulic rams etc, really appreciate input. I'm going to use these as Engineer/ Assault units for my AI Droid SWAT units for my Neo Sov Internal Ministry Forces. I will be using these figs for the droids, with some conversion work to the heads.

Anyway if anybody's interested , i'll post images as it progresses.

Cheers

Jon

Ask and ye shall receive:

auction

Many thanks Warlock, i'll check that out as well as ebay for more bits and pieces

Hydraulic cylinders are really easy: You go to the local model railroad shop and ask them where their metal tubing is. Then you find two pieces of tubing that fit inside each other (or one piece of tubing and one piece of rod).

You could also use plastic tubing, which is easier to cut to length.

Cheers Lion, ii's the arm like levers on the front upper hull i'm trying to sourd=ce at the moment, however I think I can crack it with some plasticard over the weekend.

I also bought a Challenger with mine plough that I will convert into a standard Heavy Assault Tank, extra armour, additional AA chain gun and turret, using this image off the internet as inspiration

it's spuriously labelled as T-100, so not sure if this is an actual proposal or not, but it's a cool look and I hope I can capture something of it.

Cheers

I'll surprise some people here stating that, ACCORDING TO ME, 1/72 ultramodern tanks (anything later than the Leopard 1) look a bit TOO LARGE for 15mm miniature.

I once bought a 1/72 metal centurion with ideas of turning it into a 15mm MBT but after seeing it side by side with the minis I chose instead of turning the tracked hull it into a SSM TEL.

I'd love to see both the 'Helgan' and the 'T-100' close to 15mm miniatures, to see how they match.

No bite, Moqawama.

Modern MBTs in 1/72 might make decent starts for OGRE MkI or MkII in 15mm, or even gut them to make something like the newer version of the GW IG Gorgon, but are a bit large for "just tanks".

Too late now, 6 Challengers on their way from China :-), to be honest though i'm after that super size look anyway, they are for the Neo Sov forces so I want them to look a bit menacing. I was looking at a T-55 from Skytrex at Salute, absolutely superb model, but a bit small for what I had in mind, so think this should be a reasonable compromise.

These are the sort of look and scale i'm thinking about..
.

And if that's big, the Gaurds Mech Brigade are going to be fielding one of these bad boys…

backed up with Khurasan's latest offering….

TMP link

Hopefully should be a tough nut to crack…

Cheers

Jon

In reality Hard tech sci fi future tanks will probably look something like the Swedish S tank from the 70's, low profile, relatively small with an aut loading auto turret.

and it's nwer replacement with the additional auto turret..

However got to confess a guilty pleasure in really liking GW's WH 40K tanks, if your going to have a tank, make sure it's a biggie…

Ah. Box sections. I'd definitely hit the styrene shapes section of the store, buy some square and/or rectangular tubing.

Use that as the foundation, then use sheet styrene and tubing sections for the wheels.

Like the idea for the box section plastic rod, will check that out at the weekend, i'm hoping to pick up a cheap 1/48 tank kit from somewhere and scrounge the wheels and drive sprocket from it for the front assemblies.

Couple of Warhammer 40k detail bits here and there should add to it. i'll test it out with foam board to check out the overall massing and get an idea of the shapes and post up some pics.