Heller # 81137 AMX 30
Meng # SPS016 D640A tracks for Leopard family
Text and photos Didier Lecru
From 1970 Spain purchased 19 AMX 30 from France to replace its ageing fleet of US tanks such as the M41 and M47. For political reasons the US and the UK stopped arms sales to Spain and because the main gun of the Leopard 1 is British the Germans couldn't sell the tank to Spain. Thus the latter was forced to acquire the AMX 30 as the Leopard 1 became unavailable. From 1974 Spain manufactured under license the AMX 30 (AMX 30E) which was still fitted with the 105 mm F1 main gun and the 680 HP diesel HS 110 engine
Apparently the reliability was not great so Spain was compelled to improve its old fleet of M47 and M48 as well as the AMX 30. In 1979 after the production of the AMX 30E was complete, the Spanish army signed a contract with Santa Barbara to solve their mechanical failures. Several versions were designed such as the "Niño" (AMX 30 with an extended hull by 30 cm) or the "Leox" (modified Leopard 1 hull with a AMX 30E turret).
The kit
This is a project I've had in mind for some years until I came across the trigger picture. In fact it is a Spanish prototype combining a Leopard 1 chassis and a AMX 30 turret. Only one picture seen on the Internet can prove the reality of this hybrid tank. After close examination we can conclude that the rear of the hull is a Leopard one while the front comes from a Gepard. All makes suppose this is a hull built under license. The hull is quite smooth as it is a prototype.
As we are using two Heller kits you need patience and CA glue. At first the front part of the hull is modified so it looks like a Gepard hull. The whole running gear is rebuilt because Heller omitted the bolts and the screws on the roadwheels and the sprockets. For the first time I tried to depict the weld seams of the hull. Concerning the turret, the ammo loading hatch is open. On the turret a mix of putty and acetone is applied to create foundry marks. All the side equipment brackets are deleted. On the back they are all redone. On the commander cupola the MG3 cradle is created. My biggest problem was with the Meng tracks which constantly broke even when the kit was complete. I do not recommend this reference.
The decoration
Quant à la peinture, j’ai tenté de m’approcher du camouflage espagnol de l’époque à savoir un vert olive auquel j’ai ajouté du jaune. Pour ce qui est de la patine, j’ai fait usage de jus et pastels.
Conclusion : Despite some difficulties I appreciated building this quite unordinary model which deserves to be more known.
Be brave! Make use of your modeling knives.
References:
http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/09/17/spanish-amx-30leopard-hybrid
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture
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