SPA Modeler

So asides from the Ferret, I've pulled out another couple of stalled builds from last year in an effort to get them finished.

The last thing I did with this Chieftain was use milliputt to sort out the gun mantle cover.





And today it finally saw some primer - Tamiya grey.



The scheme is pretty simple - just all over bronze green as used in the BAOR. Actually I need to get the side skirts and wheels primed as well.

Cheers!

Oh yes! You’re not going to do the black camo bands over the Bronze Green base color?

Well I did think about that, as it's my favourite scheme, but I can't find a reference of a mark.V in it. Certainly the later mark Chieftains wore that camo - I've seem pictures of mark 10's and 11's in it.

That’s great work on the turrent mantle.

Stuart wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2026 5:13 pm

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2026 11:15 am Oh yes! You’re not going to do the black camo bands over the Bronze Green base color?

Well I did think about that, as it's my favourite scheme, but I can't find a reference of a mark.V in it. Certainly the later mark Chieftains wore that camo - I've seem pictures of mark 10's and 11's in it.

I am minimally aware of the Chieftain variants, so I had a look on Wiki. Apparently the Mk.5 was the last factory production variant, with production starting in 1975. At the same time, Mk.6 thru Mk.8 were earlier variants rebuilt and upgraded to Mk.5 standards. The Mk.9 to Mk.12, were upgrades in the 1980’s to the Mk.5 to Mk.8’s.
So whenever the black camo was applied could likely have been put onto a Mk.5 before they got the rebuild into a Ml.12. Damn the family history is complex…

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2026 11:59 pm I am minimally aware of the Chieftain variants, so I had a look on Wiki. Apparently the Mk.5 was the last factory production variant, with production starting in 1975. At the same time, Mk.6 thru Mk.8 were earlier variants rebuilt and upgraded to Mk.5 standards. The Mk.9 to Mk.12, were upgrades in the 1980’s to the Mk.5 to Mk.8’s.
So whenever the black camo was applied could likely have been put onto a Mk.5 before they got the rebuild into a Ml.12. Damn the family history is complex…

LOL! Welcome to my world Complex doesn't do it justice it would seem, and then of you add in the factor that scheme (and fit) could differ from unit to unit at the CO's prerogative

To be honest, I probably could do the green/black scheme, and no one could prove otherwise.

The three options in the kit are interesting. There's the BAOR all over green one, the green/brown one used by machines in BATUS in Canada, and a two-tone green example as used in the UK... I'm actually wondering if this last one is correct, as I don't think I've ever seen a two-tone green post war British Tank and I wonder if THIS is actually supposed to be green/black. If you see the colour calls outs it's basically the same pattern.

Yeah, I can certainly sympathize with your dilemma here. I did a bit more reading up on Chieftains, variants, and the different 1/35 kits to try to spot the differences.Apparently the Tamiya kit is actually a Mk.3 and not a Mk.5, due to it lacking the box on the turret rear for the NBC system introduced on the Mk.5….

Way to stick with it Stuart. Your Milliput mantlet looks great BTW.

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2026 10:49 am Yeah, I can certainly sympathize with your dilemma here. I did a bit more reading up on Chieftains, variants, and the different 1/35 kits to try to spot the differences.Apparently the Tamiya kit is actually a Mk.3 and not a Mk.5, due to it lacking the box on the turret rear for the NBC system introduced on the Mk.5….

LOL! REALLY?!?!? I think I'm just going to paint the bloody thing pink at this point and have done with it!

edit: my wife's actually suggesting purple, as pink is a naff colour.

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!