PzKpfw IV ausF.D

That looks pretty sweet to me Mike, a very nice build. That tow cable could probably do with a bit of repositioning though it sort of looks like it's defying gravity in the last picture, and maybe a bit more dust/ sand on the top surfaces? I like the finish on the tracks and that bucket looks really cool.

Go for it,real nice work you got there.

This is the old Tamiya kit isn't it? Very impressive.

My only negative is the see-through viewports in the cupola.

Go for it?  Embarassment?  Totally up to you.  What's the quality of your competition?

No need to worry about embarrassment with this piece, it looks well put together and finished. The only suggestion I would have is in relation to the front headlights. They appear in the photos to be solid lenses that are painted over and not picked out...depending on the judging and the quality of the competition, that might cost you. You never know how well you'll do in a comp until you enter!

I say go for it. Even if you don't win 1/2 the fun is showing it and talking to other builders. Sometimes I bring 5 models to a show but only one is actually entered.

Blitzwing...Yeah I see what you mean. I try to fix that cable. And you're right  , it could use some dust.

Tojo...Thanks dude.

Phil_H...Yeah it's the Tamiya kit. And now that you mention it I never noticed how off that cupola is.

EasyMike...Don't know about the competition. I never even knew there was a scene in my area. I guess I'll find out when I get there!

wbill76..Thanks man. I was thinking about putting some lenses in those lights.

corvettemike...my sentiments exactly!

By all means enter it. It's a sweet looking build. While there may be those who might look down their noses at you, there will be more who will like what they see. Given the nice job you've done on this, I suspect there will not be many of the former types mentioned.

Regards,

Mark

I like the finish. Looks nice to me.

Are the tracks on the front hull suppposed to be wrapped around some wheels? Otherwise, I'm not sure why they're bulging out.

The model looks VERY good. I like the subtle weathering, easy to the eye and not an overkill. Tracks look great too having a very convincing metal/rust look. The only areas of concern have been mentioned and are easy fixes. As tigerman pointed out, I would put there a couple of extra road wheels to take up the slack.

The spare tracks on the front are connected to the tow points and would naturally "bulge" as a result even without road wheels in them. That's not to say that adding the wheels wouldn't up the detail level but it's not incorrect to have it as depicted. Gravity alone and the angle of the tow points would produce that kind of bowed-out effect if there were enough links in the run to allow it.

Thanks for the advice and compliments everyone.  I did try to put some spare wheels on the spare tracks but I couldn't get them to sit in a natural looking manner.

definitely put it in the contest. i have 3 coming up in the next 3 months. it's fun and you can learn some things too. consider being a judge. a great way to learn. if you don't take it too seriously it can be a bit of a model ego boost and give you incentive to try new things. to paraphrase woody allen "it doesn't have to be the best; it just has to be the best that shows up that day."

mike-mike: if I were judging the comp this would get a first.  Go for it.

Regards

Gerry

O.K. guys...you've convinced me. I'll fix what I can and enter the comp.

Thanks Wayne.Thanks Gerry. Thanks again everyone else..

Peace.

Mike.

I think your model would do well.  Spare track is always shown with ' the bulge ' on this tank ... looks totally normal to me . My only bug a boo is the head lights which you said you are going to fix any way so I would say have fun at your first contest !  Which contest ?

Nice clean build

tread

Thanks Tread.

The convention is called SYRCON in Syracuse New York. Although this year it's being held in Cicero , a suburb just north of Syracuse. I believe it's an IPMA sanctioned event.

Syracuse isn't a very big city which is why I'm thinking there won't be much competition. But then again I could be completely wrong!  Either way I'm sure it'll be fun.  

gerrysmodels

mike-mike: if I were judging the comp this would get a first.  Go for it.

Regards

Gerry

mike-mike

Syracuse isn't a very big city which is why I'm thinking there won't be much competition.

Isn't Syracuse The Doog's stomping ground?

Seriously though, good luck Mike.

Thanks you guys.

Hope I'm not offending anyone with my post. I was just saying that being a small city there might not be much of a turn out.

Although I HAVE read that it draws from Canada and Pennsylvania and that it's the "largest show in Central New York."

But I also read that last years turn out wasn't so good. So I guess I'll have to wait and see.

But like I said , big turn out or not...stiff competition or not....I'm sure It'll be fun.

I have never been there, but I have heard Syrcon is a pretty nice venue. I hope you enjoy yourself. I have been to AMPS East, and  also a couple smaller shows and all I can say is that it is all good. You may at first feel like a fish out of water, but there are usually a lot of helpful people to walk you through signing in and the small amount of paper work to figure out what class your model belongs in ( such as a tank or towed artillery etc). Plus, I like upper New York State, 

Again, have fun

tread

Thanks for the tips Tread.

 From what I gather my Panzer falls into the category  : "Tanks and fully enclosed AFV’s up to VJ-Day larger than 1/48 Axis"

 I've also got a dio for the dio category. Maybe I'll post some pics.

Hey guys.

So I entered this in the contest and it placed first in it's category BUT....there were only two other entries in that category. I'm still surprised though because the other tanks were really really nice.

What surprised me even more was that it also won "Best  Armor"! I certainly didn't expect that even though there were only about ten armor builds TOTAL that entered. So not a lot of armor but alot of awesome autos and some very impressive trucks and construction vehicles (I should have taken photos).

So anyway thank you guys for your help. I really appreciate it.

Congratulations Mike, great result

It goes to show that in the right hands, even a "golden oldie" Tamiya kit can be a contest winner. Well done.

Congrats mike- mike ! sounds like you had a real fine time ! For me it is always cool to see what other guys are building 

I knew your build looked good the first time I saw it!

Congrats again,

tread

Congrats on the win Mike!

Looks sweet! Nice work.

I'll have to finish mine one of these days I guess... haha

Thanks guys. For next year I'm thinking about building a plane or a car. Much more difficult than armor   ( in my opinion).

I agree with Bill, the headlamps and the taillamps would add that little bit of colour to make it snap.