Kursk Panther

[sturmbird]

I got the chance to look at the Zvezda kit yesterday, and it got just about everything needed to build an early Kursk Panther.
Tracks kinda sucked and maybe the road wheels as well, but most do in every kit. I could take a Dragon Panther and add the early boxes and odd things, or simply build the Zvezda kit with AM tracks and wheels and still come in for less dollars spent than the Dragon kit. Not sure about the muzzle brake.

Anyway, I order two kits from my LHS
gary

[TRM]

Sounds like you have a good bead on the kitty!! Barrels are short money...not that you want to drop any more on the kit. Looking forward to seeing you have you way with the Big Girl!

[sturmbird]

Feb 17, 2018 22:43:29 GMT -5 TRM said:

Sounds like you have a good bead on the kitty!! Barrels are short money...not that you want to drop any more on the kit. Looking forward to seeing you have you way with the Big Girl!

sometime take a good look at the camo schemes used at Kursk. Some really wild looking ones were used by SS Panzer Divisions. Nothing close to what was used elsewhere. Not positive, but also think the tool layout is slightly different from the later D model. Plus the added storage box(s). Some had as many as three added boxes and some just had the one on the side.
gary

[panzerjager2]

So PLEASE just take this as informational use only...... I believe research shows, the 51st and 52nd Panzer Abteilungs of the 10 Panzer Brigade assigned to the 48th Panzer Korps added two small, (tool ??) boxes mounted over the rear most air intakes. There is really tons of archival photographs showing this modification. As to color, this is my favorite thread to discuss........... At all the major factories and sub-assembly points ALL 1943 produced vehicles were mandated to be German Dark Yellow. Meaning they came from the factory yellow. At the training depots, collection areas and Divisional/Regimental/battalion rear areas is where camouflage was applied. And this varied from a Dark Red Brown on German Yellow, Light Green on Dark Yellow, and even a few SS units actually used a Panzergrey light spray over Dark Yellow and Red Brown....point being do what you please.

[TRM]

There were some oddball configurations. I would venture to say you could grab any camo that strikes your fancy...unless you're looking to model a specific kitty. I have MIg's campo book from a couple years ago...some good sh*t in there. Let me know if you need anything, I can snap some pics.

[Tojo72]

Sounds like a plan,looking forward to your project.

[sturmbird]

Feb 18, 2018 14:53:23 GMT -5 panzerjager2 said:

So PLEASE just take this as informational use only...... I believe research shows, the 51st and 52nd Panzer Abteilungs of the 10 Panzer Brigade assigned to the 48th Panzer Korps added two small, (tool ??) boxes mounted over the rear most air intakes. There is really tons of archival photographs showing this modification. As to color, this is my favorite thread to discuss........... At all the major factories and sub-assembly points ALL 1943 produced vehicles were mandated to be German Dark Yellow. Meaning they came from the factory yellow. At the training depots, collection areas and Divisional/Regimental/battalion rear areas is where camouflage was applied. And this varied from a Dark Red Brown on German Yellow, Light Green on Dark Yellow, and even a few SS units actually used a Panzergrey light spray over Dark Yellow and Red Brown....point being do what you please.

There was also a third box on the opposite side of the tank. Two wood boxes at the rear, but once in awhile just one box. There was one tank painted green with a wild looking yellow zig zag camo pattern.
gary

[sturmbird]

Here's the plan!

I finally got my hands on a Zevezda kit ($30!!!!!), and it's actually a nice kit. It comes with everything to build a first issue Panther D. While this was happening (I ordered three kits and got one), I picked up the new Meng Panther D, and it came with a couple boxes missing with the other kit. I'll probably combine parts from the Zevezda kit with the Meng kit to get an initial Kursk Panther. The Zevezda kit instructions actually show camo patterns for those very early blocks. The Meng blocks are later issue.


I can highly recommend either one of these two kits to any of you.

gary

[sturmbird]

update:
Meng is showing an early Kursk Panther on HLJ and maybe Lucky Model's website. I can't wait!!
gary