ARMOR - Panther (PzKpfw V) Group Build (any scale)

Well, I've got a major dilemma!

I planned on doing the old Tamiya Panter A, adding to it several AM parts. Including a resin turret, metal barrel, pe clamps, etc. But my wife got me the new Aber "super set" for the Dragon D or A. Now I know what the poor guys on the 1/16 Tiger build have been going through. But these things are half the size! This set is unbelievable. It has 4 large frets, 1 medium fret, 2 small frets (one has the engine screens, the other is "microscopic" chains, 3 sizes of wire, a square of wood (looks like balsa) for the jack block, a length of "cable", a beautiful aluminum barrel, and some turned brass parts! And a 35 page instruction book! Oh man! Aber is a Polish company, and all I can figure is that this is their "payback" for all those jokes that used to go around!! Revenge is sweet!
Seriously this is one awesome set. Various combinations of the parts can be used to detail a D, an early or late A! It looks like there are lots of parts that are exclusive to each version, so could be spread over several kits.
But this looks very much like a 1+ year project to me (the way I work). I know there's no way I could even make much of a dent in it in two or even three months. I've never seen anything so daunting!

Bill

Kenneth,
perhaps both?

All,
i see i am going to have to start reading the reference book!
was checking great models for aluminum barrels, and realized:
i have no idea what gun an 'early' G model carried!
tough to order when you don't know what you need.
and the stuff is a whole new language!
looks like the CMK piece comes w/ a zimmed mantlet,
if "7.5cm KwK 42 L/70" is the right gun.
Jordi Rubio makes one w/o mantlet, i think.

any recommendations on the barrel maunfacturer's ?

obviously a you mis-spent on wingy things and race cars is little help here.
much to learn!
i want to have any and all accessories assembled in time for the build start.
think i will limit myself to the Tamiya grille set and a barrel.
i think.

ed.

wildwilliam,

75mm KwK 42 L/70

I found that info here: http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz4.htm#panther

As far as what manufacturer to go with, I HIGHLY recommend Eduard. Their muzzle breaks are already on the barrel and require no cleanup.

WOW!! All I did was have a busy weekend, I come back and the forum looks different, and the group build is on page 4 !!!!!


I have the DML Jagdpanther, late model with bolt on mantlet.
I'm going to tear the box open and check out the kit.
I know it has indy tracks, but not the sherman style (thank goodness)

Well here is the 1:1 of my 1:35 project to build..



Anyone want to meet at aberdeen to take more pictures before it gets TOO cold?

edog,
great link! thanks for that & the barrel tip.
i think i will slip that and the grill PE into my stalled greatmodels order and quit there.

muzzleflash,
i might be able to do that.
i am in southeastern PA, i thin Aberdeen is only an hour or so away.
not this weekend tho!
unless my buddy cancels out, i am headed to Massachusetts.

ed

Wildwilliam, I'm sure Moses is shaking his head and wants us to try doing it ourselves. I plan to on my Elefant. However, they came with the Panther at no additional markup.

As for OOB, I had to get grilles, they just spice up the rear deck. I need tracks too, those vinyls are just wrong! Indy's look so much better, even if they take longer to assemble. I'm still debating on a alum barrel, but I think I will order one. Why not?

I just purchased an Osprey New Vanguard Panther book to go along with my many others. Neat camo schemes, info yada, yada.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

QUOTE: Originally posted by Captain Caveman heres one i made earlyer

Nice buildup, Caveman. I love the way the treads look.

Anyone considering one of those Flak Panthers? Those things are wacked out! Did they actually build any of them?

Just for fun, I had considered building the Ersatz M-10 Panther from Skorzeny's unit on the Bulge. That is majorly cool, and Accurate Armour makes a kit for it!



But I don't currently have a Panther built up in 1/35th, so I'd prefer to do a more hum-drum representational one at first -- probably a Late G from Wiking in the Budapest battles of early 1945 -- with that funky vertical stripe three-color pattern.

Someone who has a dozen Panthers on the shelf should definitely do that Ersatz buggy though! It will set you back a chunk of change, though -- more than $30, the cost of another kit.

QUOTE: Originally posted by claymore68 Captain Caveman: I thought the steel wheel was a late G. Am I mistaken? Anyway one site i ranacros stated that there were only about 24 steel wheel variants built which seems low to me. Off to do more research!

i meant the Tamiya kits
but heres some info on the steel wheels from the panther book
"In September of 1944, Daimler Benz produced a run of 100 panther Ausf Gs that introduced the steel rimmed "silent block" roadwheel also used on Tiger 1s and Tiger 2s. this wheel promised to solve the problem of wheel rim bolt failiures that still occured on many panthers. But with the new steel wheel being used on a tracks designed for rubber rims and the tracks not having any rubber inserts like the tigers tracks had, the panther track links broke at the hinge lines, disabling the tank.
so untill they came up with a new track all remaining Panthers retured to the rubber tired dish roadwheels "
on the late panthers, they had a chin on the lower mantlet eliminating the shot trap and they added a fan housing over the engine compartmant so that heated air could be deliverd into the fighting compartmant
and also on the late panthers the plain exhaust stacks were replased by shorter pipes leading into large cylindrical flame arrestors

there are loads of other things tamiya havnt done to there Late Panther so oits not a Late Late Late Panther its just a Late Panther

im sorry if ive gone on a bit
the piccy of my panther was with the Late kit so im going to do an early one this time round (maybe with zimerate)

Ok what kit do y'all think is the best bang for the buck? I stopped by a HS today to lok around at different kits and don't know which to go with. With my hobby budget right now it would for sure have to out of the box.

chears Larry the tracks are straight out of the box , and you want to wait for the Ersatz M-10 Panther, Dragon are bringing one out soon, Hope its from a new tool Panther G
i like the vertical cammo your on about i saw it on a video (looks diferent from all the ambush cammo) i dont know if the cammo is only on the sides or if theres any one the top?

heres a steel wheel


and heres the infra red Panther from the Ardennes


oh and claymore those 24 steelwheels, it might have just been only 24 were sent to the Ardennes?

Chris, I'd say the best bang for the buck would be Dragon's Panthers. I don't have one YET, but from what Jon showed a ways back, it looked like a nice kit. It has indy tracks too. Don't shy from them, they're just a little more work that's all, maybe an evening. However, Tamiya makes the three G versions, which happens to be my favorite of the Panther. Unfortunately, I'm buying a few aftermarket goodies that definately inflates the price. There's always the Jagdpanther too. Both Tamiya and Dragon makes one.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman Chris, I'd say the best bang for the buck would be Dragon's Panthers. I don't have one YET, but from what Jon showed a ways back, it looked like a nice kit. It has indy tracks too. Don't shy from them, they're just a little more work that's all, maybe an evening. However, Tamiya makes the three G versions, which happens to be my favorite of the Panther. Unfortunately, I'm buying a few aftermarket goodies that definately inflates the price. There's always the Jagdpanther too. Both Tamiya and Dragon makes one. "It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

the Tamiya jagdpanther is a very nice kit, and i think its cheaper than the Panther Gs and the Eduard Alum barrel (kingtiger one) is very nice too, theres lots of options to do on the Tamiya Jagdpanther and you wront have to do zimeret on it

Thanks tigerman. I saw a few of the Dragon kits today. I think one of them came with some pe parts which I have yet to try but would like to. I think I might try to go with that one. As far as zimeret goes I think I might like to try it out to. I am going to be out work and off my feet for a good part of this build so I have plenty of time to try some new things out. Keep the mind busy. When I was laid up for the first time I about went crazy with nothing to do and then I decided to pick up a kit after a few years of being away and it made the days alot better.

guys,
like i said before if anyone is doing a zimm'ed panther g (like tamiya's one supplied with the eduard zim), can they let me know what scheme they are ding, especially where they are getting their decals from
i'm really struggling here and we haven't even started yet!
hope to here from someone, maybe captain caveman???
regards,
nick
ps how good is "churchill week" on the History Channel" (UK)??!!! i'm hooked!

Tigerman,
i ordered the Eduard barrel. or added it to my already tardy order, i should say.
after some hourse of ogling PE on eduard's site,
i decided i would not buy so much aftermarket stuff that it exceeded the (list) price of the kit.
but i did add the Tamiya grille set to my order too.

Nick,
are you trying to locate us so Moses can fire?
i am doing the Tamiya G Panther (Early) w/ included PE Zim.
so far i am planning on the Ambush scheme.
i have PE stencils for 1/35 German National insignia (the crosses)
so i will likely paint those.
not sure if i will make stencils for the numbers, use decals, find dry transfers or what.

All,
i am wavering on the indy link tracks, and have made the following decision
(subject to change at a later date):
i will either use the vinyl tracks in the kit, or get the Tamiya track links.
(because they are less than $20).
i have heard here that the Model Kasten and or Fruilmodel (sp?) are the bestest,
but i am not popping 30+ for tracks.
i did not pay that much for the kit !!

so, if anyone has experience or knowledge of the Tamiya indy link tracks for the Panther specifically,
or Tamiya indy tracks in general, please sound off on appearance, accuracy, ease of assembly,
value for the dollar or what ever.

thanks,
ed.

Where is Aberdeen at? Just wondering... I'm over in Pittsburgh.

I picked up a Tamiya Jagdpanther from my local Hobbytown. They actually had a nice selection of Panthers but no extras for it and prices were a bit on the higher side. I wanted to keep it simple but thought PE grilles would really be a must. And I'm with you feller's... I don't like the rubber treads. But I don't want to spend a lot for indy tracks. Maybe tamiya's is the answer? Do all the tamiya panthers come with rubber tracks?

QUOTE: oh and claymore those 24 steelwheels, it might have just been only 24 were sent to the Ardennes?

That could have been it. I've been to over 300 Panther sites in athe last week and now have more than 400 images on the hard drive so I've kinda lost track.
The good news is I think I have enough to build butthe bad news is a lot of the pics are mislabled in regards to location (mountains in Normandy?) and variant.

Ed: I have done taniya's indy link tracks on a Tiger and was very satisfied. Follow the instructions and there should be no trouble.

Tigerman:

QUOTE: I just purchased an Osprey New Vanguard Panther book to go along with my many others. Neat camo schemes, info yada, yada.

Which book is it? They have two out, I believe, in the New Vanguard series on the Panther. Lots of info for the price.

Have a nice day.

Bill

lizard i think dml is superior to tamiya. The models in my opinion are just much better built, fit , finish, etc.

kumakichi, Aberdeen is north of Baltimore by about 1/2 hour or so. I just recently went with a friend from pittsburgh. Maybe if we get enough people together one day we can meet up there. I live about 40 minutes from there. It is free to visit, its just an army base. Well its an incredibile base with lots of history.

i posted pics in a diff post (http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8891) on the day i went they were using one of the firing ranges and we heard some big guns going off while browsing the "parking lot" of tanks.

I do have TONS and TONS of photos that are unsorted still from over the years I will try to put up a gallery eventually.

Thanks, I am going to try out a Dragon kit, not done any of thiers yet so might as well. Now just got to get near a shop with money in my pocket.

Wildwilliam, I'm with you on the cost of a.m. tracks. I'm going to order Tamiya's. They're Tiger tracks went together nicely. I was going to get the Jordi barrel, but I think Edog? talked me into the Eduard one.

Kumakichi, yes, to my knowledge, all of Tamiya's Panthers come with ugly vinyl tracks. I agree, p/e grilles would be a cool extra.

Bill, I have New Vanguard #67 Panther Medium Tank 1942-45 and Panther Variants 1942-45.

Right now, I'm leaning to an ambush scheme. Still not sure. What's the best way to get those little dots that break up the camo? Spray or brush? Brush would seem to be easier.

in the photo of my old panther above, its got the Tracks from the kit on it with added superglue

What's with this 100 character length? Sheesh.

Chris, check some of the web stores for the Panther. If you order a few goodies, shipping won't seem so bad.

Anybody going to try a splinter camouflage?

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

Nice to meet you sgtreef. We plan to finish Feb. 1. Just a reminder, this is strictly for the fun of it, no prizes awarded. hopefully we will walk away with a completed kit and some gained knowledge.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

I am in with Tamiya G late or Dragon G night fighting or Dragon either a early late or D.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman Nice to meet you sgtreef. We plan to finish Feb. 1. Just a reminder, this is strictly for the fun of it, no prizes awarded. hopefully we will walk away with a completed kit and some gained knowledge. "It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

Thanks Tigerman

yeah the more the merrier,
ive just got to pick the kit to do

well the mail lady stoped by today and instead of dropping off the usual bills i got this



those tracks are gonna take a while , i think i'm going to start on them before the dec1 start date otherwise at the speed i work at we'll be in january and i'll still be working on the tracks. are those hold and fold things worth it for pe? , looks like its going to be a lot of work to fold all that stuff without one.... i might just have to get one.

anyway i'm prety much good to go here.

its a great kit pantherlehr
have you got yourself a eduard barrel

Pantherlehr, nice of you to tease us with that fine assortment of goodies to go with your late model Panther. It looks like a neat kit.

Sgtreef, what no steel wheel version to choose from? You may have to draw numbers.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee