B1 Centauro (Late Version) – Trumpeter 1/35
This is the Trumpeter B1 Centauro Late Version 3rd Series. Although I don’t have a lot of interest in modern armored cars with limited service, the Centauro just has such sports car like lines that I couldn’t resist building it. I think they served in Bosnia with the Italians and/or in the Gulf in some way. There are some in the hands of the Foreign Legion too, according to Internet sources. Anyway, I hope it generates enough interest to be worth posting.
Most vehicles I looked at on the net didn’t look too dirtied up. I went for a heavy dark oil wash to bring out detail through the dark green and added some slight dust effects with CMK powders and pastels on the enormous tires. BTW, the Trumpeter recommended colours look far too light, compared to Italian Army Centauros I looked at on the Net (some excellent photos available). I mixed my own dark OD color from Gunze acrylics and tinted it until it matched different photos. I also did some tonal variation by airbrushing slightly lighter shades here and there, blending things together with the oil wash.
The Trumpeter kit is excellent, including photo-etch and very well molded tools. I replaced the kit barrel with an RB Productions metal barrel. It looked heavier and more like the real thing than the kit version. I also added side view mirrors from Echelon. These were expensive but they look cool. They give you so many that I have been using the leftovers to add mirrors to all kinds of other models. Well worth they money. The most fun detailing work was hand painting the tiny orange-colored lights around the main headlights and along the edge of the vehicle. I keep breaking off the pesky aerials and I will have to find a better way of mounting them – I hope my fixes don’t detract from the build too much.
That’s it. The Centauro kind of speaks for itself as an impressive looking vehicle.
Nice build, an impressive machine, it would come in handy when your stuck in traffic.
Thanks, Robert. Yeah, it also looks like you could get a good turn of speed out of it once you cleared off the highway. Got to love Italian design.
Very nice!
Thanks, Richard. Glad you like it.
Excellent build, Colin. Looks mean and handsome together. I like your subtle "weathering", totally agreed with your approach.
All the best!
Thanks, Spiros. I really agree with your choice of words. Also, I think this is one of Trumpeter's best ever engineering efforts in capturing both the shape and the subtle details of an AFV. I was impressed how well everything lined up, particular the suspension and tires.
nice build. I toyed up with this kit for my current build but went Japanese instead. May have to add this to the "to build" list
Thanks, Robert. Glad to provide the inspiration. I like to do vehicles that have been combat tested. It seems that the B1 Centauro has seen service in Bosnia, Somalia and the Iraq War with the Italians and the UN and is currently in Lebanon. It is certainly formidable looking, which would go a long way to asserting the authority of the UN blue helmets in peacekeeping! Happy modelling.