[rockpaperscissor]

Great image of the Benach tractor, Charlie. I've recolored and built a couple of the Tiznaos based on that tractor (downloads available at landships II). I couldn't find a good photo at the time I built them or I would have made a few changes. You may well be right, Tappi. It's such a weirdly shaped suspension, I don't know how it would have affected the hull shape. Both resin kits appear to have quite a bit of frontal ground clearance, but there's also a multimedia scratch-built model with a rounded hull in the front that has similar ground clearance to my rendition.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the way the suspension looks. I think I've captured the sharp angle of the front idler pretty closely. There are a couple of very nice illustrations of the Barbastro tank online but to my eye the angle is too shallow. I think the most distinctive feature of this tank should be accurately represented.

I wound up designing an original track strip for the model. First, I drew an initial track link and connector. Then I made a copy of the link/connector and moved it into position to make a two-link strip. I flattened that image and then made a copy of both links/connectors, and moved the copy into position, making a four-link strip. Flattened the image again, and copied again to yield an eight-link strip, etc. etc.

I already know that I can't make a strip long enough on letter sized paper to completely wrap the suspension, so I copied the completed strip a couple of more times. Filler pieces are intended to be cut from the third track strip. I found a nice free downloadable rusty sheet metal image online and copied it. Then I selected the track strips and used the "paste into" feature to fill the tracks with texture. For added detail I made up a strip of cleats that are to be cut up and glued to the track after it's been wrapped around the suspension. For my model, I glued the track strip to 0.5mm cardboard. The cleats were doubled.

After scoring and bending all the glue tabs, I reinforced the inside of the suspension with thin corrugated cardboard. I placed a few heavy books on top so it would remain perfectly flat while drying. When dry, I glued all the layering pieces (previously affixed to Raisin Bran cereal box cardboard) onto the front side of the suspension. Final assembly was easy peasy - just wrap the base strip around the sides, gluing as you go.

The track strip has score marks indicated which will facilitate mounting it to the suspension assembly. After making all the bends and pre-shaping the track I ran a bead of glue all along the inside of it, and then glued it into place. The filler piece is then cut to size and glued onto the bottom side of the track where it will be less noticeable.

Tonight I'll start gluing on all the cleats and will post more photos tomorrow. We're almost at the finish line.