Airfix 1:76 Panzer IV Ausf G F2

This was my my first attempt at a scale model in about 20 years after being gifted a more advanced kit that I was determined to do justice. The aim was to knock out a few cheap kits in order to hone skills.

Despite being an older tooling, the hull fit was generally good however some filling was required on the turret, particularly the facing. The kit ships with rubber tracks which can be painful to work with, but some well-placed staples in discrete locations will help.

Unfortunately at the time of construction I hadn't yet understood the magic of decal application, and hadn't used any setting/softening solution or clear coats. I was determined to correct this on the next kit.

I'd also not properly understood the behaviour of Tamiya paints and that their alcohol-basing required proprietary thinner. This meant washes did not behave as intended and left a dirty and uneven finish, requiring an almost cartoonish level of layering and dry-brushing to correct.

There were a couple of misassemblies of the undercarriage, the most egregious being the reverse placement of the rear idler and drive sprocket - a mistake not realised until the next day, requiring some cutting, drilling and pinning to repair.

Still, quite pleased with this as a first attempt in two decades and very happy with the Airfix kit. Lessons were learned but a few more kits would need to be "ruined" to prove competency...

Pros:
- Good hull fit
- Two build options and four unit marking options
- Adequate detail for scale

Cons:
- Poor turret face fit requiring sanding and filling to correct
- Tracks are made of rubber rather than injection-moulded plastic, requiring installation prior to painting