Happy to report that T-Man (me) is back in the game. I've begun working on the lower hull. Not enough progress to show, but I'm starting to get excited. My apologies for being absent for so long. I really wanted to work on it, but I got mentally distracted and have had to deal with so many issues in this young year.

To further my excitement, I'm going to pour over my many Pz III books for inspiration. Cheers.

Welcome back to your GB Tigerman 

Well, Giuseppe & Giovanni

have been joined by their remaining paesanos... Luigi, Mario, and Luciano 

and now, la familia

Dear All,

Thank you for taking interest!

@ Stikpusher & Gamera,

This is indeed the 1974 rendition of Field Marshal Montgomery second Humber Snipe 4 x 2 M239485.

My intention is to build the first one, M239459 refered to as Old Faithful.

The kit is cruel by todays standards. But the car has something Majestic about it that Airfix have managed to capture.

Here is the Viscount of Alamein himself...

Excellent family picture Stikpusher!

Looking forward to the rally between those Mk.IV's Schattensparten & Armor86

With Kind Regards

Utoshita

tigerman

Happy to report that T-Man (me) is back in the game. I've begun working on the lower hull. Not enough progress to show, but I'm starting to get excited. My apologies for being absent for so long. I really wanted to work on it, but I got mentally distracted and have had to deal with so many issues in this young year.

To further my excitement, I'm going to pour over my many Pz III books for inspiration. Cheers.

Hey Eric!  I was worried about you buddy!  I've never been a consistent poster, but to see you gone from the forums is strange indeed!  You've always been a rock here ever since I joined several years ago.  I'm sorry to hear that this year has been tough for you, but we all have important life issues that takes us away from our beloved hobby at times!   I'm very glad to see you back and eager to see your work again!

As for me, I will have an update by the end of the week as I'll be gone all next week on a long delayed vacation from work!

Welcome back Tigerman - Getting a late start too! - finishing up the RAD 8 - Dragon Smart Kit - Pz IV DAK 'D' - found a couple of issues within the instructions - which leaves out the bottom hull rear plate, took a few to figure out the correct part (highlighted in blue) for not in use in current kit. Not! Review a couple other Dragon kit instructions in the slash to identified the part and its placement. The rear hull plate was a little bit difficult to getting a good fit, think it looks right. Rear Hull Details look great.   Photos - Armor86

Clemens: just an FYI, but I believe those brass rounds are incorrect for the 7,5cm L/24 tank gun - too long.

Thanks all, it's nice to get working again. I will try and finish up the lower hull tomorrow.

Eric: It's good to see you back!

SP, Utoshita, Dan: Wow, nice stuff guys!!!

Hi guys, there was some interest in seeing my two North Africa fighters together, and I just took some shots. Here they are, honourable adversaries on the Field of Honour, 72 years after the fact. I don't know if Ian Gleed and Werner Schroer ever tangled, but they were certainly contemporaries in the theatre of operations.

Hope you enjoy the pics. I must blog this theme... Dying to get back to the Panzer too!

M/TB379

I made a start on the Pz III on Thurs so thought a little update was in order. I am adding a Voyager PE set and Fruil tracks. So far I have managed to finish the turret and lower hull 

This is the kit.

And the turret. I have not added the inside parts of the gun as I am planning on having figures in the open hatch's so the inside won't be seen.

And the lower hull. I am leaving the axel arms off until later so it fits to the base properly.

I have since fitted to two hull pars together and started on the upper hull, that's where most of the PE will be added. 

Mike, those two look great together, stunning work on both of them.

Nice start Dan, got to love Dragon instructions.

Thanks, Bish!

M/TB379

tigerman

Happy to report that T-Man (me) is back in the game. I've begun working on the lower hull. Not enough progress to show, but I'm starting to get excited. My apologies for being absent for so long. I really wanted to work on it, but I got mentally distracted and have had to deal with so many issues in this young year.

To further my excitement, I'm going to pour over my many Pz III books for inspiration. Cheers.

Bish

Nice start Dan, got to love Dragon instructions.

Nice work Mike on the two aircraft - Bish off to a fast start with the Pz III 'N' -

Question on Pz IV Road Wheels - comparing Tristar's IV Wheel Set to the Dragon's wheels used with the kit. Reviewing photos and tech data - the Dragon version is larger, rubber tires are wider than the Tristar set. Any thoughts on which one I should use, several photos to compare them. Armor86

The Tristar set is assembled with multiple parts, individual rubber tires, hub caps (different versions) and rims - the Dragon's have two sides and hub caps (different versions) the kit has multiple road wheels which are not used.

The Tristar Hub caps extend out more than the Dragon hub caps.

Had thought about using both and mixing them around as repaired / replacements, but the diffenet tire sizes likely not a good choice and will used one or the other and use two different hub caps (Ausf A-D) and (Ausf E-F) versions. Have not assemble / review the Dragons spare road wheels in the kit which include a set with separte parts as well, rubber tires, rims, hub caps. Armor86

Sorry missed one photo of the back side to road wheels - other concerns on how the track will fit with either road wheel set. Sanded and enlarged mounting hole so the Tristar wheels fit the supension post. Armor86

I just checked the review on PMMS.

www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/.../tri35014.htm

It doesn't give any comparison on the size of the wheels compared to other brands, which is odd. At first I thought the Tristar hubs look a bit large. But checking some pics of early IV, they look about right, and while it hard to tell comparing a photo on the real thing with the ones you posted, those Dragon wheels look a little thick. From what I can tell, the Dragon ones are out, the Tristar ones look right.

Yea I'm leaning towards the tristar wheels and may use some of the Dragon hubs. Armor86

Dan, I'd say go with the Tristar set when compared to this period photo, the hubs do stick out:

From what I understand, the rubber width increased in the latter marks, perhaps when the wider track was introduced? 

Perth does have a  Panzer IV Ausf.D Kit Comparison but states both are correct?
In their photo comparison, the respective hubs look almost equal in the amount they protrude, but the Tristar rubber portion does look narrower - again no mention as to which is more accurate:

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/misc/pz4d/pz4d02.htm

regards,

Jack

T-Bolt: Now those look good!!! Guess I'm more partial to the Spit but beautiful work on both.

Bish and Dan: Sharp looking pair of panzers guys! Wonder if they wider tires are the 'pimped' out street version!?! 

Thanks Gamera.

I got the construction finished today. No issues at all with this kit. As for the PE, this is the second Voyager set I have used, and I am seeing a pattern. Lots of left overs, with no indication of what should be left out, so I spend ages checking the instructions to see if I have missed anything. But aside from that, pretty nice. I scratch built a jerry can rack basing it on pics of several vehicles in Africa as I could find one of the vehicle I am doing.

And thatrs it for now. Just after I took this, it went off to the spray booth for a coat of primer. I will be leaving that to dry for a couple of days, in the meantime I can start on the Fruils. 

Oh that looks good Bish! And of course seeing those strips of white styrene for that scratch built Jerry Can rack makes my heart go pitter pat ;-)

Thanks Stik. I seem to have got a bit addicted to scatchbuilding recently. But after the 88, I would have thought I would have had my fill for the year, but I just had to add this.

Things like that rack are really easy once you figure them out. Just a simple rectangular frame work. A few mm this way... some many mm that way... cut your strips to length and go to work.

It didn't take long, and as i figured as they were made in the field, it didn't need to be to neat.

Bish

It didn't take long, and as i figured as they were made in the field, it didn't need to be to neat.

Exactly- I think we modelers take so much time trying to be precise that we forget that the real thing was often made under hurried conditions where precision & neatness of work were not considerations.

I don't say this to many men Bish but I can't help but admire your magnificent rack...

Bish - looks good & ready for paint - I have had several extras with aftermarket Voyager PE sets - just store them in the spare parts boxes. I've now organized them in a storage system with other kit parts by vehicle types, comes in handily when rug monster eats a fallen kit part.    I scratch built a jerry can rack with an earlier Pz III Ausf J late Vorpanzer but use extra PE to construct it ... Armor86 

O, Gamera, you'll make me blush Thank you.

Dan, ye, all my spares are stored in box's by vehicle type. This is is largely taken from a Stug 3 set, which might explain why so many spares. What got me was their Panther w Pz IV turret set. They was all designed just for that specific kit, but there was still loads of spare.

Have you ever had what looks like a Horse shoe in any of the Voyager sets you used.