It looks like Panzer I Ausf A virus has been spreading around... I signed up for Battle of Norway GB and I opted for this tiny little panzer that brought Norwegians to their knees. I have decided to do cross WIP here in Armor so I can get more feedback that way. I started building the kit two weeks ago and it didn't take me that long... it is my third armor build since returning to the hobby after 20+ years break.
I bought the kit for only $20 at AMPS show in Auburn last April. MG barrels PE was bought via eBay for $7.
You can see it doesn't come with many parts unlike typical DML kits... probably cause it is so tiny? It comes with PE for the mufflers guard. Here's the best part it comes with MK tracks like one I built for my Stug III B recently. Thank you wBill and you are still a bad influence!
The hull... only minor fit issue in the back but everything else was great. Putty has been applied to close the gap.
The turret... that was the hardest part... why? I realized I ordered the wrong MG set! Boy, I was so glad you guys don't know all of the signs for the foul language I used. But after doing research with this great reference book I brought at my LHS before I started working on this kit, I learned that Panzer 1 didn't only use MG 13. It was German Leichte Panzer at War from Concord Publications...
Found a picture that showed Panzer I using different MG than its traditional choice of MG 13 I think. So I have decided to go for it instead of ordering another set and wait for another week or longer. I signed up for four GBs and I am on tight schedule... don't ask me why!?!? I am afraid that my rivet counting friends may not support my decision... but I still love you guys! Here's the proof of Panzer I sporting different MG...
Wait a minute... is that one of Manny's girlfriends? Maybe she was feeling kinda lonely... anyway it showed that Panzer I carried different MGs other than MG 13s. I had to cut the AM barrels shorter to make it work.
You can see why I had to use this AM barrels... kit set wasn't that great. I will live with it if its the wrong set... sh*t happens.
I still need to drill holes into the mufflers... They are so tiny. I am planning to include the set figures... they were better than I expected unlike typical Tamiya figures that goes with the kits.
The kit offers two options of head set... one with panzer beret and one with side cap. Of course I am going for the beret... it just looked too sexy! That explain why French ladies fell for them. Panzer crew wore those during invasion of Denmark & Norway in 1940 according to my reference books. And berets were phased out in 1941...
Almost everything is ready for the paint job... only two more to do before I can hit the garage where I do airbrushings... the mufflers guard PEs and MK tracks!
Feel free to comment... thank you for looking.
Disclaimer: Just for our friend Huxy... I was only kidding about the little panzer bringing Norwegians to their knees part... I am sure it was those Ju 87 Stuka that did the job.