1/16 Panther G, MAN Production, Last Steel Wheel, Feb 45

[Barry]

On 10/2/2020 at 12:16 AM, Uncarina said:

I’ve been very tempted to get the Mato metal tracks, sprockets’s, and idlers. What is keeping me from doing so is the risk/expense factor, which comes down to: would they fit? 

 

Cheers,  Tom

Tom,

 

With your skills, they will if you make them, it's just modeling.

 

Barry

[Juggernut]

Ok Tom, I give up.... How did you find which sprues from the Panther late kit you needed to order?  I've looked everywhere I can think of and I'm coming up with zilch.  Do tell?

 

Nevermind.... I went to Scale Hobbyist and purchased a copy of the late kit (VERY reasonable pricing on this kit).  I'll order replacements for the parts I'll need to steal from the late kit....   Now I'll have two Panthers  to build.  Double the fun!

Edited October 4, 2020 by Juggernut

[Uncarina]

1 hour ago, Barry said:

Tom,

 

With your skills, they will if you make them, it's just modeling.

 

Barry

Thanks Barry! My concern is that they would look out of scale. Without the track dimensions, who knows? But that does give me the idea of trying to find them online to see if they’re posted somewhere.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

53 minutes ago, Juggernut said:

Ok Tom, I give up.... How did you find which sprues from the Panther late kit you needed to order?  I've looked everywhere I can think of and I'm coming up with zilch.  Do tell?

 I feel your pain! It took me a long time, but I found the instructions and sprue map here: https://www.super-hobby.com/products/Sd.Kfz.171-Panther-G-Late-Version.html

 

I ordered by emailing joanna@trumpeter-china.com the following sprues: W3 (late idler, be sure to order TWO sprues), ZB (crew heater), and two YB (late mufflers and exhausts). Shipping was about 2.5 weeks.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

Adding the extra armor to the front of the hull has gone a lot smoother than I anticipated. To get a good fit around all of the tricky cutouts, I used a good trick that's worked for me before: I took a piece of aluminum foil and burnished it over the section to get the shapes I needed. I then trimmed this and used it as a template for thin plastic. Once this was cut I spent time adjusting and beveling the edges. I still have a little more trimming and adding the section in front of the periscope, but it's almost done.

 

 

 

Cheers, Tom

[LSP_K2]

Why would they have added additional armor there?

[Uncarina]

Not sure. Maybe in response to the old mantlet deflecting rounds down into this area.

 

Cheers,  Tom

 

 

[Juggernut]

Hey Tom,

 

I decided to cancel the 1/16 Late Panther kit (even though it was hard to do), and go with the information you provided to order from Trumpeter.  I may reorder it later on but for now, I just couldn't justify the cost.  I just ordered:

00929 (1/16 Panther G Late version):

 

W3 (Qty. 2)  USD2

YC (Qty. 2)    USD2

ZB (Qty. 1)  USD2

Photo-etch fret E (Qty 1). OUT OF STOCK.

                                   Shippng fee,  USD10，(FROM CHINA TO USA

                                          Tol fee, USD16.

 

It seems shipping has gone up but i hope they get the quantities correct.  I replied with the note to say I paid them and to make sure they see I need two of the sprues W3 and YC as they only charged me $2 for W3 and YC.  I'll be happy to send them an additional $4 if they require it.  I wanted the PE fret E for the pie slices to cover the heater (or stack them in their holder next to it) but I think I can whittle a few out of sheet plastic and make some holders.

 

I'm kind of getting up on this Panther now....  I  blew off the Spitfire Mk I have on the bench (although it still sits there, partially completed). 

 

I'm also looking at the increased armor plating on the roof in front of the  driver/radio operator and wondering if that could've been a locally fabricated deal.  I didn't see any reference to such a modification in the  books I have (I'm most likely overlooking it as you said earlier  that it's a late war addition)...    I do like your method of locating the various cutouts, lumps and bumps in order to get the extra armor to fit.  I'm going to have to try that when the time comes.

 

There's a section in the Panther G Panzer Tracts booklet that indicates that during the time when the interior elfenbien paint was discontinued (August-October 1944?), the exterior surfaces were also to be left unpainted (except for the red oxide primer) and that the three colors (dark yellow, dark green and red brown) were to be sprayed in patches on the vehicle.  Now to me, this says that there are four colors on these vehicles (possibly the red brown color disappeared into the red-oxide primer...but somehow I doubt that).  This order applied  to all panzers I'm noticing as the same  thing is mentioned in the King Tiger timeline.  Although I see no photographic evidence of it, it would be an interesting discussion to have when bringing a four-color Panther to a show and let the panzer-files go absolutely stark raving mad .

Edited October 7, 2020 by Juggernut

[Uncarina]

Great Juggernut, hope that works out! I didn't get the photoetch either, but have the Aber set instead, which just about fits for the crew heater screen. Regarding the extra armor, I will PM you a thread that I've used.

 

Cheers, Tom

[Uncarina]

On a different note, the Heng Long idlers arrived today. When compared with the Trumpeter version it is significantly smaller, which doesn’t bode well for getting the metal tracks made for the Heng Long tank. I’ll be sticking with the Trumpeter kit.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Juggernut]

Well that’s not very good for your build.  I guess 665 mm in Heng Long 1/16 isn’t the same as the other people’s.

[Juggernut]

Hey Tom,

 

Anything new to report on the Panther?  I'm awaiting my parts from China and although I cancelled the Later version Panther kit, I find myself being drawn more and more to the steel wheel version made by M.A.N. in Sept. 1944.  In particular, one that was assigned to 2nd Kompanie, 1st SS Pz. Div during the Ardennes Offensive, Panther 221.  I may reorder the kit and build this version first...LOL, two panthers again.... Sigh, I'll never make it to the Tiger II kit...AND THAT'S THE KIT THAT GOT ME INTO THIS GIGANTIC 1/16 SCALE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

 

If I do, I can use the earlier idler wheels for the steel-wheel vehicle and I won't need the warm air heater for this tank but since I'll actually have two of these, I guess I'm not limited to tank 221 any longer (this vehicle did not have the warm air heater installed).  Ugh...decisions, decisions.

 

Oh well, eagerly awaiting any progress on yours until I get mine going.

 

Tim

 

[Uncarina]

Tim,

 

Thanks for checking in! I should be able to post photos of my progress this weekend, namely finishing up the extra armor and some of the forward interior. I understand your dilemma: so many charismatic subjects to choose from. It sure beats having to start from scratch!

 

Cheers, Tom

[GMK]

Nice tip on using the burnished foil to get the shapes, Tom. Will copy!

[Uncarina]

An update: I've finished adding the extra armor to the hull top and moved on to the forward interior. I roughed up the seats with a Dremel tool and toned down the dials with a blend of clear yellow and Future. Overall I've been adding Flory dark washes to bring out some of the details, and I am currently planning on having the crew hatch panel removable so we can see some of the details after the build's complete. So far the only scratchbuilding I added to the interior is the suspension shield for the radio operator's position. I will also be adding some of the more visible cables a little later in the build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,  Tom