SpPz Luchs A2

[digger303]

SpPz Luchs A2

Originaly started manufacturing 1976 to 1978 they served right through the eighties and were given a upgrade in 1986 which is the one I plan to build. I maybe streching the rules, but in the absence of a ruling I 'm charging ahead.
This is the Kit in 1/35 from Takom




Now the wheels looked a bit off when I bought this with bad detail, but as luch would have it up popped a resin set second hand from my supplier ( )


cheers guys

[KalebB]

Love what you picked Digger

Can't wait to follow this thread, the mighty Luchs

[Tat2bhoy]

Nice choice, There’s some nice modern German armour out there,
following with interest

[Hawkmoon]

Nice one Digger looks a nice kit

[digger303]

Nice one Digger looks a nice kit

So far it is, some small fiddly bits and the suspension is a work of art. Only had one issue atm which is in fitting a guard rail over what I think is the forward vision blocks or some kind of targeting system. I managed to make it irregular

[Stokesy44]

Me like. Oh yes, me like a lot!

[digger303]

Thanks guys, glad you liked the choice.

I'v added a bit to the hull and deck, but mainly the turrent. As you can see the bar work on the guard isn't my best work.


The underside is where all the hard work is and these axles have a few seams. Not sure what to do about them they are very awkward. Probably won't be noticed unless one turns it over.

Adding the steering is where I could go horribly wrong . Lets hope I pay attention to the instructions. Would be so easy to assemble these steering rods around the wrong way. They are all steerable and to do that they made the connecting pins long. All I have to do is place a PE washer over the pin, set my soldering iron to the lowest setting and melt the pin. It works very well.

[Gary30]

Another cool vehicle! This variation in builds was exactly what I was hoping for when I pitched the 80's theme, your vehicle is from 1986 mate, it's smack bang in the middle, you'll have to try harder to bend the rules next time

[KalebB]

Looking like you're getting along with her!

That steering does look a bit finicky, but im sure you'll take care of em just fine

[digger303]

Factoid

The West German designed and developed Spahpanzer Luchs ("Lynx") was an 8x8 wheeled, multi-role armored vehicle appearing during the Cold War years. Design work was led by Daimler-Benz beginning in 1968 to which the Luchs then entered service with the West German Army in 1975 in the light armored and armed reconnaissance role.
NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection for the crew was standard.
AND it is interesting that this reconnaissance vehicle maintained the ww2 ability to be driven from either end.

[digger303]

It's about time I posted something as it has been almost 2 weeks. I have most of the steering and suspension completed except I lost a steering tie rod. I have been trying to manufacture another , but My scratch building is lacking so any suggestions are welcome.
I had a little trouble with the drive shafts being too long and have had to trim about 1mm, however it mates well to the diff and doesn't look out of place despite losing a small detail


this is the offender


So I'm stuck at this point trying to replicate one of those little rods.
I have tried replicating out of plastic, but trying to glue on the end knuckles has been a let down due to the small surface area.
Never mind I shall try solder and brass rod and see how that goes.
cheers guys

[digger303]

Nothing for 2 weeks and then 2 posts in 2 days...I'm on fire

I replicated that damn tie rod after 3 failed attempts as can be seen. Now the finished product looks rough, but there is copious amounts of Ca glue in all those gaps and when painted you won't see it.....I hope


What I did was created 2 balls of solder, flattened them in my vise. Then in each drilled in each a hole vertically and horizontally. The horizontal hole was cut through to create a slot into which I slide a brass rod cut to size. This was placed on waxy paper and Ca glue into place with several applications to make it fill the slot. I was using super thin Ca for Pe. I then filed the solder blobs down to the right size.....frigging lot of work. Then to make matters worse I found the original part under my desk, although I must have run the chair over it as the end fixture was broken off. So I had to make a new part in any case.
I can see the next issue will be the these after market wheels.
cheers...sorry for the ramble.

[Stokesy44]

Nice work. Really like all that suspension detail. You'll have to mount the kit upside down to show it off!

[RangerNeil]

Nice work. Really like all that suspension detail. You'll have to mount the kit upside down to show it off!

Or mount it on a mirror tile - that amount of detail & hard work deserves to be seen!!

[digger303]

Thanks guys and your right so much detail hidden away. Good idea with the mirror tile.

Ps... I'm going to add some bolt heads to the tie rod...looks funny without them.

[CygnusX1]

Innovative way of replicating that tie rod end. Nice work.
Might be a shame to cover it all in paint, but yeah, a mirror tile might be worth looking in to.

[digger303]

Innovative way of replicating that tie rod end. Nice work.
Might be a shame to cover it all in paint, but yeah, a mirror tile might be worth looking in to.

I couldn't figure out another way. Is there another way it could have been done ?
I did think if I had any I could have used some telescoping Albion tube and saved a little work.

[CygnusX1]

I couldn't figure out another way. Is there another way it could have been done ?
I did think if I had any I could have used some telescoping Albion tube and saved a little work.

Hmmm, not sure off the top of my head - have to give it some thought.
Looking good though, I think that's a really good solution.

[digger303]

My little bit of scratch building a replacement tie rod seems to match in Ok


The resin replacement wheels and hubs, while the wheels look great the hubs are so so. So I decided to keep the plastic ones( on the right ) and add a small strip of 0.4mm strip to the inside of the wheel to make it a tight fit and to keep the brake drum central.


All the underside steering and support rods are completed. I did have to shorten some of the support rods. These are the rods that connect from the top of the differential and splay out to stabilize it. The funny thing about this kit is they made all the steering posable/movable then left the lateral steering shock absorbers fixed in the straight ahead position. I posed the wheels glued them solid then trimmed those shockies to suit. Course I may not have got the angles right I suspect.


Then I flipped it over and checked the wheel hubs were all touching the ground.....NOPE and I know I checked the axle ends by eye before I fitted the hubs and thought they looked pretty straight. I think the problem goes right back to these spring swing arms that don't swing and were not intended to in this kit. I did suspect I had a problem when I fitted the vertical suspension shockies and they were a bit short. The instructions say to fit them early, but I was worried I wouldn't get the angle right so I delayed fitting them. I believe the solution involves raising those swing arms. A tricky business with all the moving parts and the 2 axles. The springs cannot be depressed as way too strong. The amount involved is approx 1mm per swing arm.


I may have go back to the hubs and remove that packing I installed to try to centralize the hub because it really slopped around in there even the resin ones and flood it with Ca.
Thanks for looking.

[Hawkmoon]

Looking good and nice work. The albion tube would like you say have been the easyier option but I bet if your like me the tube size you wanted got used up on your last model You could play around more trying to fix the suspension but I suspect more damage then needed to fix it may be done and by damage I mean the process needed to get there. Another way may be to compress the springs and use wire to hold/adjust there length and placement.

One other solution that would mean little or no major surgery would be to put the model on a sand dio base those 1mm discrepancys can soon be lost in the sand.

[Kevthemodeller]

Looking good mate, the kit has a nicely detailed drive train and suspension

[digger303]

Looking good and nice work. The albion tube would like you say have been the easyier option but I bet if your like me the tube size you wanted got used up on your last model You could play around more trying to fix the suspension but I suspect more damage then needed to fix it may be done and by damage I mean the process needed to get there. Another way may be to compress the springs and use wire to hold/adjust there length and placement.

One other solution that would mean little or no major surgery would be to put the model on a sand dio base those 1mm discrepancys can soon be lost in the sand.

All good tips Hawky.
Your kinda right about the tube. I had one of assorted sizes, but I had a set didn't I and it of course is too small. Set 2 would have been perfect.
It is a bit hard to try to correct the suspension now because like you said it is going to cause more damage. Hiding it is going to be the plan I think. If I'd cottoned on to the problem earlier perhaps I could have shortened the springs by nipping a bit off and used a jig to make sure the arms were at the correct height.

Looking good mate, the kit has a nicely detailed drive train and suspension

Very complicated is what it is and I would have built it in a different order if doing again.

[digger303]

Another 2 weeks have passed since my last report, but I haven't been too slack. That bit of white filler is because I got slack and careless and the exacto ripped right through there.

The rubber sheet that covers the gun elevation parts was missing from my kit ( I bought secondhand ) so I improvised with some left over PE sheet. Even added some bolt detail.

So much fiddly Pe from such a small sheet. I wish I had of shaved off the molded on bracket for the other shovel as well. It looks so much better.

That damn front axle is a long way from the ground.

The Pe screen didn't fit properly cause I didn't get the housing constructed properly and ended up with a gap. So with a little license I added some styrene strip and enhanced it a little. I don't think it will look too out of place.


Cheers all

[digger303]

Another night and I have the wheels on. Not a huge step forward, but the build is now done and now time to paint...arggg !


The wheels still not quite right, but better than the the axles. This is my first substantial lump of resin as a upgrade and they do enhance the look quite a lot. A second hand acquisition otherwise I don't think I would spend the bucks regardless.

[Hawkmoon]

All looking good and nice work, If you had not have said anything about the wheels then no one would be the wiser the sit looks great to me.
It will be nice to see the slap going on the old girl and as she stand looks tidy piece of work

[Kevthemodeller]

Looking good Digger, some very nice subtle PE work

[RangerNeil]

Really nice job Digger, no matter what you say.

[ForbesHutton]

Another cool vehicle! This variation in builds was exactly what I was hoping for when I pitched the 80's theme, your vehicle is from 1986 mate, it's smack bang in the middle, you'll have to try harder to bend the rules next time

It can be allowed only if 99 scale red balloons are attached.

[RangerNeil]

Another cool vehicle! This variation in builds was exactly what I was hoping for when I pitched the 80's theme, your vehicle is from 1986 mate, it's smack bang in the middle, you'll have to try harder to bend the rules next time

It can be allowed only if 99 scale red balloons are attached.

Don't give him ideas!!! I now have a mental image of a Luchs floating away attached to 99 miniature helium filled balloons..... And we all know only the Russians are crazy enough to make flying armour!!

[digger303]

Thanks guys for all the lippy comments....makes me smile
and of course the encouragement

I did manage to get the axles almost perfect with a little extra finagling and The Stynylrez green primer went on like a dream and as I was adding the base coat last night. I couldn't help but think to myself "lad the paint is going on lovely, then 10sec later I tipped the AB to far forward and tipped paint all over the deck where the turret sits. I jinxed myself ...damn it. However I got a tissue and blotted most of it up then dipped another tissue into some thinner and did the same and I got it all off plus what I had already sprayed. Never the less finished coating it and it is hard to see where the mishap occurred now.



I changed the color from what is recommended in the instructions as it looks way too dark and when I look at some museum pieces they were a lot lighter. Any that's what I'm doing and the sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed. The 20mm auto cannon is missing. That's another mishap I dropped it and it landed on the barrel breaking it off. I reglued it then did it again. I never liked it much so after much net searching I couldn't find one. So I placed a wanted FB add and Mr Aaron Hutson had 4 for his own kits , but offered to sell me one and he'll just replace his later....awesome man

[BigWall]

The paint looks great. I'm glad I'm not the only one who drops things and breaks them multiple times.

[Hawkmoon]

The paint is going on and the gremlins still try there tricks its happened to me too so your not alone and you can always say if its noticable that it was a worse for wear squady doing the painting after a night on the town. All looking good and nice work sir.

[Kevthemodeller]

That drive train is bloody complicated looking even batter now the paint is going on

[Stokesy44]

Looks superb.

Apologies for not looking in sooner. I've only just seen the progress. Good call on the colour. I see so many armour kits that end up too dark because the original base applied is a shade too dark

[CygnusX1]

I'd been wondering how this was going... looks really good so far, keep up the good work mate, it's going to look stunning.

[krusty69]

The paint looks great. I'm glad I'm not the only one who drops things and breaks them multiple times.

tell me about it on my jeeps, if I look at them hard enough the exhausts going pinging off

[Kratilim]

Looking great! Looking forward to seeing it finished. How do the custom wheels compare to the ones out of the box?

[digger303]

Thanks for the kind comments guys

Looking great! Looking forward to seeing it finished. How do the custom wheels compare to the ones out of the box?

You get 2 sets of kit wheels with a a thin seam line plus flash. I found them unsandable and had to be carefully removed with a sharp blade. Also the tread pattern was a little raggedly/blurred. In truth I would have used them if I didn't have the resin set. Which I was very lucky to come across in a sale situation.
I would supply a pic except I sold off a kit and gave them both sets of tyres, so I guess that says something.
Did they make a difference to the overall look ? Definitely.. they are a standout feature and have convinced me resin wheels are worth it or can be worth it if the supplied ones aren't quiet there. Def wheels are crisp, detailed and have no air bubbles. The let down was their brake drum assembly which was basically a flat disc and did not fit the kit without a lot of work. So I used the kit ones and padded the inside of the wheel to make fit and actually used that as a advantage to make minor adjustment to the sit of the wheels on the ground. It came out quite well in the end although one axle required more finagling to make it work.
I do feel manufacturers could make plastic wheels as good if they truly wanted to.

[Stokesy44]

Thanks for the kind comments guys

Looking great! Looking forward to seeing it finished. How do the custom wheels compare to the ones out of the box?

You get 2 sets of kit wheels with a a thin seam line plus flash. I found them unsandable and had to be carefully removed with a sharp blade. Also the tread pattern was a little raggedly/blurred. In truth I would have used them if I didn't have the resin set. Which I was very lucky to come across in a sale situation.
I would supply a pic except I sold off a kit and gave them both sets of tyres, so I guess that says something.
Did they make a difference to the overall look ? Definitely.. they are a standout feature and have convinced me resin wheels are worth it or can be worth it if the supplied ones aren't quiet there. Def wheels are crisp, detailed and have no air bubbles. The let down was their brake drum assembly which was basically a flat disc and did not fit the kit without a lot of work. So I used the kit ones and padded the inside of the wheel to make fit and actually used that as a advantage to make minor adjustment to the sit of the wheels on the ground. It came out quite well in the end although one axle required more finagling to make it work.
I do feel manufacturers could make plastic wheels as good if they truly wanted to.

Completely agree. Perfect kit for an upgrade with the tyres so visible. I don't know why kit manufacturers cant seem to make a decent tyre. Rubber ones are gimmicks and always have seams, see it a lot on larger scale aircraft too, give us a decent plastic tyre, how hard can it be!

[digger303]

Sorry it has been almost 2 months, time flies.
The camo coat applied and a gloss coat and I have started applying the pin wash.

As you can see it is very bright and stark so I decided to try applying a filter via a airbrush to tone it down.

The pin wash worked well and the filter has toned it down a tad. Doesn't look quite right, but I'm hoping a flat coat might lift it a bit.


I'm listening if any one has a suggestion for any improvements.
thanks guys

[BigWall]

The filter defiantly toned it down nicely and I think you're right, a flat coat should help.

[Tomcat64]

Nice work on the camo mate - and yep I'd give the matte coat a go as well... or maybe even just a satin coat if you don't want to kill it all the way back?

[digger303]

The filter defiantly toned it down nicely and I think you're right, a flat coat should help.

Nice work on the camo mate - and yep I'd give the matte coat a go as well... or maybe even just a satin coat if you don't want to kill it all the way back?

Thanks guys

[Bdiddy]

Looks good dig! Loving the camo

[Stokesy44]

If you want to knock back the tone as well as the sheen, you could add a little light brown to the matt coat as that will create a faded effect.

I’m not saying it needs it, I’m just responding to your thoughts on wanting to knock it back a bit.

Looks pretty good already

[Kevthemodeller]

Great looking cammo there mate

[digger303]

If you want to knock back the tone as well as the sheen, you could add a little light brown to the matt coat as that will create a faded effect.

I’m not saying it needs it, I’m just responding to your thoughts on wanting to knock it back a bit.

Looks pretty good already

Looks good dig! Loving the camo

Great looking cammo there mate

Thank you for your kind words much appreciated.
I have now completed the build and included some pic's in the completed section.