Kev's SPAAG Gepard / Tamiya 1/35

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 01, 2015 11:11 am

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 01, 2015 12:35 pm

The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard ("anti-aircraft cannon tank Cheetah", better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard) is an autonomous, all-weather-capable German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG). It was developed in the 1960s and fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded several times with the latest electronics. It constituted a cornerstone of the air defence of the German Army (Bundeswehr) and a number of other NATO countries. In Germany, the Gepard was phased out in late 2010 to be replaced by "SysFla", a mobile and stationary air defence system using the LFK NG missile and the new MANTIS gun system. The mobile platform of SysFla will likely be based on the GTK Boxer.

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 01, 2015 12:39 pm

[youtube]jhPVfTD37XU[/youtube]

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 02, 2015 12:34 pm

There are two instructions in the box. One in German and English and one in Japanese.

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The vinyl tracks look good. Even the guide teeth in the middle are correct.

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The kit includes a small wire mesh. It has already the right size for Installation.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 02, 2015 12:42 pm

The decals are from 1977 and not yellowed...

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PolyCaps for the rollers. Makes assembly much easier...

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The lower part of the hull has again the stupid cutouts. The hull also wobbles slightly

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 02, 2015 12:49 pm

The upper part of the hull is also warped on the back

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The turret look good

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On sprue A are the rollers and a figure. I can't use the figure because it has the wrong uniform.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 02, 2015 12:56 pm

On sprue B are some the parts of the upper hull . I won't use the side skirts too. The were mostly used on main battle tanks...

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The sprues C and D are parts of the turret...

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Aliktren · Post by **Aliktren** » Sat May 02, 2015 2:43 pm

thats a wicked looking machine, good luck with your build

Post by **Lee** » Sat May 02, 2015 4:00 pm

Built this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have fun

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 03, 2015 5:13 pm

Aliktren wrote:thats a wicked looking machine, good luck with your build

Thank you! The Gepard/cheetah is one of my favorite tanks.

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 03, 2015 5:15 pm

Lee wrote:Built this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have fun

Have followed your build with interest

Thanks a lot!

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 03, 2015 5:17 pm

The vehicle is based on the hull of the Leopard 1 tank with a large fully rotating turret carrying the armament—a pair of 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannons and the two radar dishes—a general search radar at the rear of the turret and the tracking radar, and a laser rangefinder, at the front between the guns. Each gun has a firing rate of 550 rounds/min.

The guns are 90 calibres (3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)) long, with a muzzle velocity of 1,440 m/s (4,700 ft/s) (FAPDS—Frangible Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot rounds), giving an effective range of 5,500 m. The KDA autocannon can take two different ammunition types, and the usual loading is a mix of 320 AA and 20 AP rounds per gun. Combined rate of fire is 1,100 rounds/min.

The electrically driven turret is powered by a 40 kW generator driven by a 4-cylinder, 3.8 litre Mercedes-Benz OM 314 multi-fuel engine.

Since the eighties Stinger teams have been accompanying the Gepard units, to take advantage of their long-range scanning capacity. To combine this capacity in a single unit, a missile system upgrade which mounts the NATO ManPad Stinger surface-to-air missile (in twin packs) to the autocannons was developed. The system was tested by the German Bundeswehr but not bought due to budget restrictions and the fielding of the Ozelot Light Flak (leFla) System.

The Gepard was developed from 1963 onwards. In 1969 construction began of four A prototypes testing both 30 and 35 mm guns. On 25 June 1970 it was decided to use the 35 mm type. In 1971 twelve second phase B prototypes were ordered; the same year the Dutch army ordered a CA preseries of five vehicles based on a parallel development that had used a German 0-series Leopard 1 vehicle made available by the German government in March 1970 as the C-prototype. The Germans made a small preseries of both the B1and B2R. On 5 February 1973 the political decision was made to produce the type; in September 1973 the contract was signed with Krauss-Maffei for 432 B2 turrets and 420 hulls with a total value of DM1,200,000,000. Each vehicle would thus be about three times more expensive than a normal Leopard 1. The first was delivered in December 1976. Belgium ordered 55 vehicles, identical to the German version. The Dutch ordered three batches, the CA1, CA2 and CA3, with a total of 95 vehicles, equipped with Philips radar systems.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 03, 2015 5:36 pm

I'll start unconventional with the guns...
They were relatively easy to assemble. Only grind a bit and that's it. Don't sand the seams completely! They are along the maintenance flaps.

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I inserted the fan grill too. For those who interested in:
1: Fuel filling openings
2: Maintenance hatch for engine and transmission oil
3: Maintenance hatch for brake fluid
4:I think it was cooling fluid

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 03, 2015 5:44 pm

[youtube]9kvdhth6mSo[/youtube]

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Tue May 05, 2015 8:23 pm

Unfortunately, I left my Fingerprint on this part. Carefully ground off with a little sandpaper.

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With a bit of putty is this small gap is gone.

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The hatch is movable.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 07, 2015 8:21 pm

Here you can see the closed seam.

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At the front Radar you can let the seam as it is. This area is covered later.

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One of my million dryfittings...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 07, 2015 8:24 pm

Technology and systems

Chassis and propulsion

The Gepard is based on a slightly modified chassis of the main battle tank Leopard 1, including the complete drive unit with a 37.4-liter 10-cylinder multi-fuel engine (type: MB 838 CaM 500) with two mechanical superchargers built by MTU. The V-engine with a cylinder angle of 90 degrees has 610 kW at 2200 RPM (830 PS) and consumes depending on the surface and on driving style around 150 liters per 100 kilometers. To ensure a steady supply of oil even in difficult terrain and under extreme skew, the engine is provided with a dry sump forced lubrication. Even the gearbox (type: 4 HP-250) from ZF Friedrichshafen and the exhaust system with fresh air admixture to reduce the infrared signature were taken by the Leopard 1 MBT.

At location of the second ammunition magazine of the main battle tank the Gepard is equipped with the auxiliary engine for the energy supply system on the front left. The 4-cylinder diesel engine by Daimler-Benz (type: OM 314) is also designed as a multi-fuel engine and produces—with a capacity of 3.8 liter—66 kW (90 PS). It consumes depending on the operational status of the tank between 10 and 20 liters per hour (l/h). The auxiliary engine is coupled with five generators to operate at different speeds: Two Metadyn machines in tandem with a flywheel (which is used to store energy during acceleration and deceleration of the turret) for the power of the elevation and traverse drives, two 380-Hz three-phase generators with a capacity of 20 kVA for the ventilation, fire control and radar systems, and a 300-A 28-volt direct current generator for the electrical system. The fuel capacity is 985 liters to ensure a combined operating time of approximately 48 hours.

The chassis and the track were taken directly from the Leopard 1. It has torsion bar spring mounted roadwheels with seven roadwheel pairs per side. They are connected to the torsion bars on swing arms, whose deflection is limited by volute springs. Drive is through the drive sprockets located at the rear. The Rubber-mounted shocks were modified to achieve better stability during firing. The track is manufactured by the company Diehl, rubber track pads fitted, and is "live" track with rubber bushings between the track links and pins (type: D 640 A). Grouser/icecleats can replace the rubber pads on some track links to increase traction on slippery surfaces.

The modification of the hull is only slight, i.e. a modified roadwheel distance (8 cm increased distance between the third and fourth roadwheel) and the transfer of additional batteries in battery boxes at the rear. The batteries and the electrical system operate at 24 volts DC

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patrickroos · Post by **patrickroos** » Thu May 07, 2015 11:03 pm

Great thead mate! Very informative in every way, not hard to tell You really like this mean machine...

Loved the vid and also watched some more of it, this baby has some awesome firepower.

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 08, 2015 7:30 pm

patrickroos wrote:Great thead mate! Very informative in every way, not hard to tell You really like this mean machine...
Loved the vid and also watched some more of it, this baby has some awesome firepower.

I am happy that you like my thread.

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 08, 2015 7:58 pm

on the front bottom of the turret I puttied the gap.Was not quite sure if you can see the gap later.

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Then I installed the smoke discharger.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:05 pm

The rear part of the turrets can be open. There you'll see parts the radar-system

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The turret is now ready for painting

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Baardmans · Post by **Baardmans** » Sun May 10, 2015 10:28 am

Ah ! the Pruttel, unfortunately the where withdrawn from Dutch service.
Love the sound of a Pruttel in the morning, started my conscription in 1991 as a scout for a Pruttel battery.
I'm going to follow this one!

Post by **Lee** » Sun May 10, 2015 10:35 am

Just a little tip here mate. Take the seem line down on the smoke dischargers, it'll show up really bad otherwise

Great build so far

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 10, 2015 10:42 am

Lee wrote:Just a little tip here mate. Take the seem line down on the smoke dischargers, it'll show up really bad otherwise

Great build so far

You're right

But is also done already

I'm happy that you like my SPAAG!

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 10, 2015 10:45 am

Baardmans wrote:Ah ! the Pruttel, unfortunately the where withdrawn from Dutch service.
Love the sound of a Pruttel in the morning, started my conscription in 1991 as a scout for a Pruttel battery.
I'm going to follow this one!

In Germany, they are no longer in Service too. The were sold to Romania for example.

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Wed May 13, 2015 7:01 pm

I have now begun to the running gear.
First I sanded the running surfaces and carefully cut some small pieces out to get a used look. Thereafter, they were painted in dark green and the running surfaces were painted in black.

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I've painted the tracks in burned umber, so the look rusty. The rubber pads have to be black. But later

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In the hull are stupid cutouts. Typical for Tamiya's older Kits...
I have stuck a piece of plastic behind and then filled it with putty. Here not to see...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 14, 2015 9:54 am

First I started to paint the radar system white. The details will follow...

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Because the kit has no template for a nato pattern I looked on the Internet and found one...

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Aliktren · Post by **Aliktren** » Thu May 14, 2015 2:04 pm

great looking kit, I have a feeling you could make this look like it came from star wars with a bit of scratch building, good job

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:40 pm

Aliktren wrote:great looking kit, I have a feeling you could make this look like it came from star wars with a bit of scratch building, good job

Thanks mate!
Is not really a scatch-build. It's more a upgrade-paintjob

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:51 pm

Let's start with the paintjob of theturret...
First everything primed black. Everything should be black, is covered with Play-Doh and then everything is spayed brown.
Cover now everything what should remain Brown and give everything a green color. If all is well dried, take the Play-Doh of...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:55 pm

There are two variants of Gepard in service; the Dutch has a different radar installation.

Germany
Search radar: S band, 15 km range
Tracking radar: Ku band, 15 km range
Laser rangefinder

Netherlands
Search radar: X band, 15 km range
Tracking radar: X/Ka band, 13 km range

The Dutch version was officially called the PRTL (PantserRupsTegenLuchtdoelen or "Armoured Tracked Anti-Aircraft"), pronounced as "pruttel" (meaning 'to sputter') by the soldiers. The Dutch series version was made public through a photograph of a vehicle from a C-Company, the first to be equipped with the new weapon. Traditionally all Dutch vehicles in a company have names beginning with the company designation letter and this vehicle happened to have the individual name Cheetah painted in bold type on its turret. Inevitably the international press assumed "Cheetah" was the Dutch name for their Gepard version and this mistake found its way into most armour publications on the subject. In 2000 the Dutch military authorities, tired of constantly having to explain all this and considering "pruttle" was hardly a martial name anyway, conformed themselves to common error and made "Cheetah" the official designation, when the system was upgraded.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu May 14, 2015 5:09 pm

[youtube]UF_CylPsz_I[/youtube]

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Mon May 18, 2015 6:35 pm

The undercarriage is assembled, painted and washed with european earth...Thanks to the poly-caps you can disassemble everything again if needed.

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I pimped the muzzle-break with a small drill a bit...

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Baardmans · Post by **Baardmans** » Mon May 18, 2015 8:21 pm

Looking very good Kevin!
Still afraid to tackle a camo pattern like that but you make it look easy.
Maybe I should try that Play-Doh method.

schweinhund227 · Post by **schweinhund227** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:10 pm

Nice work !

Keep it coming !

Tiger131 · Post by **Tiger131** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:31 pm

Nice pimping and great work so far

Nige201980 · Post by **Nige201980** » Fri May 22, 2015 8:12 am

Nice work so far Kev

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri May 22, 2015 6:29 pm

First, many thanks to Baardmans, schweinhund227, Tiger131 and Nige201980 for the praise

I have now completed the left and right side of the hull. At the front, I did not do anything.
Why not???
I fear that a few little things, which are fitted at the front can be broke when I stick together both halves of the hull.
Because the upper part of the hull is slightly twisted, I glued the front (1) and allowed to cure well then I glued the rear (2).

(ARROW) Then noticed the small cutout on the side

They are for the sideskirts...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sat May 23, 2015 4:50 pm

First I covered the undercarriage to protect it from damage.
Then I glued small plastic pieces int the gap. Allow to dry and sand in right size. Fill small gaps. And done!!!!

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MarkVerploeg · Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Sun May 24, 2015 11:36 am

That is looking very nice so far
And cool to see the info about the Dutch Gepards too
Good luck with the rest of the build

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun May 24, 2015 2:52 pm

MarkVerploeg wrote:That is looking very nice so far
And cool to see the info about the Dutch Gepards too
Good luck with the rest of the build

Thank you!!!!
Glad you like my thread...

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Mon May 25, 2015 11:10 am

First, I have painted the complete hull black. Now cover the areas that should remain black and paint everything brown. Cover the areas that have to remain brown and paint everything green. Et complété 3-tone-camo...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Mon May 25, 2015 11:29 am

Lee pointed me on the seam at the smoke-discharger. thanks for that

Now the seam is gone...

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The decals are already applied. I let off the number on the back of the turret. Only on very old photos you can see these numbers...

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In the middle of the rollers I made a red dot.The Bundeswehr marked all the screws where you fill oil in red. White was used for water.

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Mon May 25, 2015 11:37 am

The lights and turn signals are painted and the Leitkreuz is white (but not to see on this photo

)

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Now I can start slowly with the used look on the tank...

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Mon May 25, 2015 12:56 pm

[youtube]GhQFjxExZG4[/youtube]

schweinhund227 · Post by **schweinhund227** » Mon May 25, 2015 3:10 pm

once again ! Great work on that old gal !

Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Sun Jun 21, 2015 2:57 pm

I have reworked the hull a little...
By a chalk-wash I have simulated some dirt.
Well ... the tank is finished and I have no good idea for a nice base

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Dunhill2005 · Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 8:06 pm

A small simple Base.
I glued two wooden boards in a picture frame. In one corner I have stuck the German Gunner Badge in bronze. Thats it...

All is done...

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