I’m going to be putting together a kit of the Leclerc. The recommended colors were flat black, olive green, gun metal and light brown. I have two problems tho’ in regards to the paints.
First, I was looking through the Tamiya paints for a light brown, but couldn’t find light brown on the Tamiya Acrylic Color Chart. It doesn’t even look like there would be something close to it. Am I just not good with matching colors or do they just not have anything that would be close to it?
Second, is that really a light brown or some other weird brownish color that they use for their camo patterns? Here were some really good pictures I found on the Leclerc.
Well, the brown looks more like a Earth colour to me. Your right tho, there is no Light Brown on the chart. You could possibly either lighten brown with white or somethin similar or use Flat Earth.
I was thinking about lightening a regular brown, but my wife told me that brown is one of the hardest colors to mix and get it right. Now maybe she’s wrong, but I’m not going to argue with her. [;)]
Anyways, if I listen to her, it gives me an excuse to go to the store and buy more paint. [:)]
Towards the end of the article, the author stated that the French don’t use the standard NATO colors (so much for using Tamiya’s NATO brown). The colors used were: Model Master French Earth Brown, Model Master Medium Green, and Model Master Flat Black.
ILuv3ggs, looks like you were right - an Earth color. Thanks!! [:)]
When I built my 1/48 kit, I used the #29 in the Humbrol range. It looked quite right comparing with the pics I had at the time. Which kit are you building now? I’ve just started the new Revell kit (1/72).
If you want a late version Leclerc (RT-6/RT-8), Transkit Terre Modèles has a resin update kit that fits the Heller kit (TM018). The Heller kit gives you a pre-production Leclerc MBT. And Eduard has a PE set for the Leclerc too.
There are pictures of the completed Heller model and construction shots, showing some of the areas that need re-working at:
The Trumpeter kit is apparently a poor copy of the Heller offering… It requires special glues as it’s not molded in conventional plastic. It is also a pre-production Leclerc MBT. Having said that, it can’t be any worse than the 1/48 Zenghdefu kit…!
Oh, and if you want to add yet more details in the crew compartment (in case the pictures shown in the link I provided in my earlier message tantalize you), check this:
I’m too embarrased to say what kit it is. When I picked it up, the comment was made that most modelers would call it a “toy” and not a real kit. [:I][:I]
It still requires painting and assembly, so it’ll still require effort on my part. [:)]
Mmmm… sounds like the Zenghdefu kit I reffered to earlier, or the Academy re-boxing…! Mine was not the easiest of the projects I ever did, but it was good fun altogether!
