Although
it didn’t see active war duty with the German armed forces the Leopard 1 MBT still had a great deal
to do protecting the frontier in the height of the cold war and beyond. MENG
has added this variant to their list of Leopards to fill the void for those big
cat completists out there…
MENG’s new Leopard 1 MBT - The Loyal Defender
Leopard
1 MBT, for its remarkable combat effectiveness and excellent mobility, has
created its legend for nearly fifty years.
In
1980s, in order to rival the latest Soviet T-72 and T-80 MBTs, West Germany
began to further upgrade Leopard 1MBT. The upgrade was based on Leopard 1 A1A1
MBT instead of Leopard 1 A3/A4 MBT. The result is the Leopard 1 A5 MBT. The
combat weight of Leopard 1 A5 is 42.4 tons. It can carry 4 crews. Its main
armament is an L7A3 105mm L/52 rifled gun. The add-on armor on the turret
improves the Leopard 1 A5’s protection; a modern fire-control system is
installed; the upgrade also includes the introduction of APFSDS rounds and
modification of the hydraulic system of running gear and NBC protection system.
In 1987, Leopard 1A5 entered service in German Army. With a large number of
Leopard 2 MBTs entering service, Leopard 1 A5 MBTs have gradually left the
front line troops, but it’s still considered the most outstanding Leopard 1
MBT.
In the
53th All Japan Model & Hobby Show in October last year, MENG released a new
kit TS-007 - German Main Battle Tank Leopard 1 A3/A4. Leopard 1A5 is the last
batch modification variant in the Leopard 1 family and now MENG brings its
precise model. This is the 1/35 scale TS-015 German Main Battle Tank Leopard 1
A5 plastic model kit.
Leopard
1 A5 MBT has been retired, and it didn’t see any impressive battles, but it was
an iron fist that loyally defended Germany.
Let’s take a look at the
following pictures of TS-015:
The new turret is well
detailed; the mantlet cover is realistically replicated & the
PE covers of the Driver’s
periscopes are included.
TPE turret add-on armor
realistically replicates the real thing.
All fixing points of add-on
armor are accurately reproduced.
The gun shooting simulator is
perfectly reproduced.
Two connection ways of
mantlet cover and mantlet are provided for gun position.
A PE engine mesh cover is
included.
Realistic mirror film is
provided for rear-view mirror.
New tooled road wheels with
movable suspension are interesting.
Cement-free workable
double-pin tracks are easy to assemble.