Panzerkampfwagen V Panther

Tim Heimer I thought you mostly did sci-fi, guess I was wrong. LOL Nice project, they do have challenging camo's.

Hans Robben fixed

Hans Robben fixed

Hans Robben fixed

Hans Robben fixed

Hans Robben fixed

Hans Robben fixed

James C Thanks for posting these Rui, the pictures of the driver position in particular are very useful. Cheers!

Rui S Hello,
I arrived late but better than never.
The 88mm cables

Kerry COX Your simply amazing Rui.
Thanks for your information and for answering ALL our questions.
Is there anything you DON'T know about the German machine of WWII. ?
Cheers mate.
Kez.

Rui S Hi Kezza,
Thank you for your nice words Mate.
I only know that I Know nothing hehehe, but anyway I like to search my biblio for some nice info.
I'm only sorry that I don't have enough time too search in depth like I should.

James C Fantastic Rui!

Rui S Thanks Mate. Glad you like it

Rene Scheiblich Rui to the rescue. Again! thanks for the additional info mate.

Rui S Hi Mate,
Thanks, and be welcome

Nathan Xu I don't think any steel wheel panther ever had zemmirt

Scott Dutton Probably correct, but have set and haven't done a zimmerit one yet. This will have IR nfe equipment as well.
Don't let reality get in the way

Nathan Xu Just get a Tamiya panther early, it's an easy build. I can try to pick a set up for you for around $30. I guess you probably can pick it up for similar amount on a meet and swap. Are you going to that this year?

Scott Dutton will be going. Think that is next one.
Have already built my early panther (Italeri), cant rebuild them all when a better kits come out, will never finish

Nathan Xu I think there are few new kit Tamiya looks nice, at least its easy to build. It comes together really easily. I think you have your eye on the British Tank Destroyer M10 IIC Achilles. I highly recommend the Brummbar Late Production, I think you have only build early version before. Its Nashorn, Pather Ausf D, and Jagdpanzer IV are also very good. I would imagine you will enjoy its new Stuart Late and Japan Type 16, although I don't have these kits. I am thinking to order M10C Achilles on hobby easy, if I do, do you want me to order one for you as well?

Nathan Xu According to Hobby easy, it should be available this month, it also appears Tamiya will release Hummel (late Production), that would be interesting.

Scott Dutton I wait until until shipping is $2

Scott Dutton Hawk cockpit arrived

Nathan Xu 1/32 scale? Is this going to be your build during Easter?

Scott Dutton Nah, Daylesford for few days then try and get figures done for big panzer. F22 on bench at moment and T14 and Whippet.
Army 1 May

Michael Muschalik Interesting. I wonder what's the point of this...

John Heim Need airbrush practice, some areas wide and soft edged, others look like badly brush painted

Kemal Büyüklimanlı Zimmerit and 3 tone camouflage looks cool, good job

Thomas Kirschbaum Looks good !

Chris Thanks, mates

James C Very nice work.

Chris Thank you. Your models are awesome. Very impressive.

Michael Bolten building in progress

ArcticFox Pz Division DRAGON 9041 - PzBeobWg V Ausf. G

The box contains 17 sprues with a total of 368 parts for the construction of this vehicle. The qualities of the molded parts and the details are excellent. The instruction for the construction of the vehicle is typical from Dragon and you can complete the vehicle in 19 steps. But it is lacking some details for exemple there is few or no details in regard of building the tracks. If we talk in overall this kit as been put together by Dragon in a bizarre way that is difficult to follow is the least I can say. From the 368 parts included over 80 of them can not be use because they belong to other kits from Dragon. There are several sprues that as been taking from other kits (Panther II, Panther Ausf. G and JagdPanther) to create this version of a Panther and the result is from the 368 parts included you can remove over 80 of them that doesn't belong to this kit.

Another weakness of this kit is the decals provided. Dragon did not even took the time to make a specific set of decals for this kit but instead they just use a set available from another kit (1/35 Grille kit # 9004). When come the time to paint this vehicle Dragon provide only one option, unknown unit in Germany, 1945. It would have been a minimum of decency by Dragon to give as a bare minimum at least paint scheme color in accordance with the two units emblem available with the decals provided in this kit.

I think that peoples from Dragon here miss a good opportunity to have a really interesting kit with a bit of research on there parts. It will have been easy for them to find that there is only one Armored Observation Vehicle base on a Panther ever built. And they use the chassis of a Panther Ausf. D with a modify turret using component of the Turret from the Panther Ausf. D. and A. But instead they decide to use the Panther Ausf G.

Conclusion

Dragon decide to take sprues from different Panther kit (Panther Ausf G, Panther II and Jagdpanther) plus some more parts specific for the Observation vehicle to create this kit. The instruction are lacking some details. The decals are borrowed from another kit. They provide only one painting option. It would have not been to difficult for Dragon to provide several option and personally I can think at least 3 options that could have been suggested. Two in accordance with the decals in this kit: 1st SS Panzer Division and the Wehrmacht Second Panzer Division and the third option with the color of the only vehicle made for testing.

Regardless all the negative around this Dragon Kit there is some positive as well to consider: The quality of the molded parts is very good. They have no flash or visible sink marks and you should consider the rarity of the Armored Observation Vehicle Panzer V Panther (only one ever made for testing) this is the kind of vehicle any modeler should have in is collection.