ARMOR - Pz IV Group Build

Edog... the weld seams look great. Glad your kit fit well.. Mine was crap... so much so that I am scrapping that kit and pulling the other kit of the same out and starting over... The parts were so miss molded and warped I couldn't get anything to fit.... I realize thats part of the challenge but that was kin to putting ones own in a clamp! It just ain't worth it...

So I start again.... learned lessons in hand....

Good luck ya'll...

Edog, Its people like you who intimidate us new modelers!
Looks Really Great, weld seams are awsome and add alot more detail.

Well guys, here tis.

Rich sent me the pics of his foray to Aberdeen and got some nice detail shots of the damper. These along with the what Peter sent me should give a clear indicator of what they look like. If the graphic isn't clear you can check it out at Ron's site.
If this doesn't work, let me know and I'll e-mail you guys a higher resolution graphic of this.

Rich, I think you should probobly post some fo the pics to give everyone a feel of what they look like in real life for some perspective.

Kenneth, sorry to hear that you couldn’t save the model. I hope we get to see a Pz IV out of your workshop soon though.

John, trust me, I am not that far ahead of you by any stretch of the imagination. I would suggest just modifying at least one thing on your next model. That’s all I did for this Pz IV. I just did it more than once and it really is that simple.

Mike and Rich, great diagrams!! These will help a LOT! Thanks to both of you guys. This really clears up what the top of the damper should look like.

In the main Armor Forum, I just posted some photos of a DAK Panzer IV that I took at the US Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen, Maryland. Later, I will post pics of a Panzer IV ausf F2/g, also from the Ordnance Museum. I tried to capture as much detail as I could.

Alex

Thanks I'll look at the pics in a minute.

I was wrong about painting today, I missed a couple of detail parts and will have to paint later.
I have a Question for those who have or are building the Tamiya D. Is there supposed to be a huge gap under the fenders? I probably have a 1cm gap on both side righunder the fender.

Hey feldgrau23,
Does You reenacting group have a website? I'd like to take a look if you do.

Mike... Thanks for the drawings... Thanks to the guys who shot the ref pics....

Hey Guys!

I'm still alive and kicking, although this has been a so-so week for me. Last Thursday, the President and founder of the Pensacola Modeleers past away peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack. He was 64 years old and a very passionate modeler. Needless to say, my modeling over the holiday was sporatic at best.

Over the past couple of days, I've managed to buckle-down and get some more building accomplished. Yesterday, I finished getting one side on my indi tracks installed and figured I'd post a couple pictures for your perusal and comment before I tackle the other side today.





As usual, all questions, comments, or suggestions are welcome.

Until next time...

Sorry to hear about your friend...

GREAT work Robert... You drilled your links Yes? Excellent sag... Movin right along..eh!

I have just posted the second and third sets of Panzer IV pictures from the US Army Ordnance Mueum in Aberdeen, Maryland, in a new post in the main Armor Forum.

Alex

Robert,
Well done on the tracks. The extra work paid off big.
I leave the decision to you but looking at some reference photos, there might be too much sag.
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/germany/pzkpfw_iv_photos.html

Kennethc - Yep, drilled out every one of those puppies! Thanks for the comments.

renarts - Thanks! Yes, the sag is little more "pronounced" than I would like and I may end up cutting the idler off and regluing it in a slightly tighter position. I'm not removing links though because there's supposed to be 99 and 99 there is.

Take care...

Foster, Love the tracks. Historically speaking there may be a little too much sag, but they look very dramatic, and help give it that individual track link look. I love it just the way it is!! GOOD WORK!

Hey Robert,,, That PZ IV is looking good. Sorry to here about your friend.

All: I have Included 3 close up pics of the Dampers to go with the Drawing.







If any one wants the pics Emailed to them just email me and I will get them out to you.

edog - Thanks for the compliment. I finished up the other side today and went ahead and pulled a little of the sag out of the top by increasing the sag below the idler and drive wheels. It looks quite a bit better...still on the extreme side of the photos I've seen, but good enough for me.

feldgrau23 Thanks for the sentiment. I appreciate it.

Now I can finish up the turret and get the base coat on this guy.

Enjoy your modeling...

Hey Rebel,,, I forgot to post it in my last post but yes my reenacting group does have a webpage it is

www.11thpanzer.com

Also that gap you are talking about if it is what I think It is, is a common Tamiya traight. Gaps in the sponsons above the treads. Not sure why tamiya does this but they do, and its not just in one model its in alot of them. I normally take styrene and fill them in.

Thanks for the link. I figured out the gap after buying a tamiya M3 stuart and dry fit the hull. I didn't want to buy the kit, just couldn't Resists the price.

Ok, can anyone tell me if it was possible to have the side vision ports on the turret with no signal ports on the drivers and radio operators hatches, the 40L/43 gun (with the single baffle) and the round cover for the cooling water exchanging port all on an F2? This Dragon kit has me scratching my head! Perhaps someone could tell me when the last Pz IV F2 was completed, that might help.

Achtung Panzer No.3 suggests that the side vision ports on the turret were deleted before the signal ports on the hatches. The dates are in Japanese though, so I might be misreading them. I also know that Achtung Panzer has been wrong in the past, so it might be the case in this instance too.

Edog,

According to my source, there were approximately 175 F2's produced between March 1942 and July 1942. It doesn't provide the exact days, only the months.

Hope this helps,

Eric looking good. Nice to see the putty work on the rear hull plate!

Robert. Drilled out the guidehorns...aaah, a man after my own heart. How many bits did you go through? I broke one of mine when I drilled out my DML tracks for the Panther group build. Not as hard as it sounds is it? Just time consuming, but time well spent, they really look better - and it is cheaper than Fruil. Sorry to hear about your friend. One of the guys in my club died a few months back. He was 52 and died of brain cancer. Our annual trophy is dedicated to his memory.

Mike thanks for the pics. Awsome job.

Rich, thanks for the pics.

Eric, the signal ports were deleted for the Ausf G model; All my references say all the F2's had them. I have not seen any pics of an F2 without the turret side vision ports. The only references I have say that the vision ports were deleted on the G turret, as this was a new simplified construction compared to the earlier turrets. Of course this does not mean that there may have been compromises at the end of the F run and the start of the G run at the Krupp works (Krupp built 2/3 of the F2's). However, there were less than 180 F2's made (470 F1's), so I doubt that production quota for parts was that underestimated that G parts would have to be used to complete late F2's. What is the prob? Don't DML supply the port hatches?

Peter, The instructions for the Dragon kit show vision ports on the side of the turret, but these can easily be left off. There are no drivers and radio operator hatches supplied with the signal ports. I can find several wartime pictures of F2s that show the signal ports and no turret vision ports. I guess I will end up making vision ports, or ignoring the problem.

Thanks Foster, your dates just add more to the puzzle though. Oh well, perhaps this build really was meant to be OOTB.

Petbat, Thanks for the comments. Actually, I didn't break a single bit. I used my new Production Industries Micro Drill and it worked like a charm...haven't even used up the first set of batteries yet! Like you said, it was just very time consuming.

I've got the turret about 1/2 assembled. Should be shooting paint this weekend. I have to try out the new 1/4 HP, 3 gallon compressor that arrived by UPS Tuesday. You've got to love those delivery companies, don't you?

Enjoy your modeling...

Eric be interested to see some of your pics of the F2 without vision ports. Only pics I have are with them or with added track links over them (maybe these are visor less turrets and I did not realise it!). As I said my references only talk about the hatch ports all being on the F2 hulls but are not specific on the turret visors. Seems a bad mistake by DML to miss those, but you can scratch the hatches can't you? Other option is have a crew sitting on the hatches, or cover them with a rag, side cap, helmet, etc to hide the top

Jeez you guys know your Panzers,i feel a little out of my league considering i don't even know where my subject served or even which unit it served with.
I'm building Acadamy's 1/35 Panzer 1V flakpanzer (Wirblewind)i only paid $20 AUS for it and it's only my second AFV but the instructions don't mention anything about it's history and i've only been given the National markings for decals no unit markings.
If any of you learned fellows know anything about this AFV i'd much appreciate some info.
Regards J.S

Peter,

sorry, but my scanner has some driver error. I was trying to get rid of some popup that my PC downloaded while I was surfing the net and I apparently erased a few drivers or something (oops). It keeps asking me to insert the XP home CD but my Compaq didnt come with a CD. Anyway, until I get it fixed I can’t use my scanner, but as soon as the scanner is up and running; I will get you those pictures.

JS. The Academy Wirblewind is a reissue of the Tamiya 70's produced kit. Sources vary but generally only 85 - 105 of these vehicles were made, as the 20mm guns were not as effective against aircraft as the 37mm fitted to the ostwind and also the production version of the mobelwagon. It was issued for air defence in armoured units and self propelled artillery units from mid 1944. They were encountered at Normandy and were in use right up to the end of the war.

If you can, scan or photograph the decals/instructions and we might be able to give you some of the history behind the markings you have.

Eric, Ah the wonders of Dell and Compaq. You have to get the XP CD specific to their computers. Took me ages to find out why I couldn't upgrade my sons Compaq from Win 95 to Win 98. Then I had problems trying to reinstall Win 95.

I now have a computer with XP (not a Compaq or Dell), but the kids complain that half their games won't run on it, and their computer died a couple of months ago. This dope sold his old computer with the Win 98 disk when I got a new one, so I can't get the kids a replacement without XP until I can provide the computer guys an original Win 98 cd. Talk about your Catch 22.

It might be best to reinstall the scanner driver without using XP's built in driver base. This may allow you to fix the prob outside windows XP. If you do not have a disk for the scanner either, do a Google search on Drivers for your scanner. There are heaps of places you can get free driver's from.

Alternatly, get onto Compaq and tell them you didn't get the cd. If you tell them the model and serial number they may send a disk to you. In Australia it is illegal to sell a new computer without the original CD, but I don't know about over there.

Thanks for that Petbat I'll scan a couple of pics next time i'm online(no time right now the missus needs her ebay fix.)As far as the decals go all i've been given are 3 Black crosses,The boxart shows the AFV in the common 3tone scheme.
BTW i have finished the quad AA gun so i'll post a pic up next time.
J.S

Hello Again,

Construction has concluded on my humble build - a little later than anticipated - and she's ready for the paint shop. I figured I'd post one prepaint shot before I completely destroy an otherwise excellent model kit.

[Photo removed to free up space]

Enjoy your modeling...

hey Foster,,, that IV is looking good

Looking nice. Whats the side skirts made out of?