Flak Panzer IV Mobile Wagon

[sturmbird]

digging around yesterday, I found three mobile wagon kits, plus an oddball Ostwind from CMK. All are based off a Tamiya Panzer IV kit of a very old nature. Looking at what Tamiya called a Panzer IV, I see a lot to be desired.

Mobile Wagons were mostly remanufactured off Panzer IV hulls, but which one? If they used the Panzer IV C or D hull, then perhaps one could adapt a Tristar hull on the cheap (they go pretty cheap). Dragon makes a couple nice Panzer IV e kits as well as an F. Being as they were built in late 1943 thru 1944, could they have used the Panzer IV G or H? I'm thinking they simply used whatever was on hand at the time.

If they used the Panzer IV H hull, then the Academy kit is by far the best choice.

gary

[joelsmith]

To the best of my recollection, Mobelwagens used late "G" or early "H" hulls. The prototypes used whatever was available.

[sturmbird]

Aug 22, 2018 17:47:40 GMT -5 joelsmith said:

To the best of my recollection, Mobelwagens used late "G" or early "H" hulls. The prototypes used whatever was available.

then it'll be the Academy Panzer IV H, as this is the best Panzer IV out there.

By the way, I took a look at the Ostwind. Believe it or not, the got the hull hatches right! This is the only Ostwind I've seen with the relocated forward hatches. Down side is the turret looks wrong. Somewhere I have the blue prints to compare.


gary

[joelsmith]

Something to consider. the "early" Tamiya Pz. IV kits have a hull that was sized to for their motorizing system. This system used either a single electric motor w/gearbox, or a twin motor setup with a wired remote control. Both setups were powered by "C" batteries. Having said that you may be able modify the Tamiya upper hull to fit the Academy lower hull, HTH, Joel.

[sturmbird]

Aug 23, 2018 13:27:14 GMT -5 joelsmith said:

Something to consider. the "early" Tamiya Pz. IV kits have a hull that was sized to for their motorizing system. This system used either a single electric motor w/gearbox, or a twin motor setup with a wired remote control. Both setups were powered by "C" batteries. Having said that you may be able modify the Tamiya upper hull to fit the Academy lower hull, HTH, Joel.

not much on this planet with the name Tamiya on it that I like. I could take a couple minutes right now an see, as I have an Academy kit in front of me as well as the Tamiya kits.

The Academy lower hull doesn't even begin to look like the Tamiya hull! Lengthwise, they are close, but detail wise they are from different planets! Nice thing about the academy upper hull is the way it breaks down into two halves. I really wish it'd been three sections! I can really see me owning three or four of these kits, as they are really that good.


Most Ostwinds and maybe the Whirblewind were built off of recycled Panzer IV hulls (I think the Ostwind used both the H & J hulls). I've got four different Ostwind kits, and a large envelope full of photos and drawings. Of the kits, three of them have the wrong forward hatch configuration, but one is pretty close to my eyes (there are no actual dimensions). The turrets on all three differ a good bit! The CMK looks closer than some, but I need to do some actual work to see. Wish I had a Whirblewind drawing! Voyager has a photo etch kit with the turret, but boy that's a lot of work building that thing.


Getting back to the MobileWagon a bit. I may combine the Tamiya upper hull with the Academy hull and front half. I have an extra Dragon (or Tristar) 20mm quad kit, and also think I have an extra GWH somewhere. One of the kits uses the flak 43 gun, and it could be far better in detail. There are a couple kits out there to choose from.


These will fall in somewhere behind some Tigers and a hand full of panthers.

gary

[sturmbird]

Aug 23, 2018 13:27:14 GMT -5 joelsmith said:

Something to consider. the "early" Tamiya Pz. IV kits have a hull that was sized to for their motorizing system. This system used either a single electric motor w/gearbox, or a twin motor setup with a wired remote control. Both setups were powered by "C" batteries. Having said that you may be able modify the Tamiya upper hull to fit the Academy lower hull, HTH, Joel.

looks like Tamiya and CMK used the same generic Panzer IV H they still sell right now. Kit looks OK, till you do a side by side comparison with a Dragon or the Academy. Then it looks almost toy like. For me to say this about the Academy is almost nuts, as I'm firmly in the dragon camp on this hull. Still for an H the Academy is better.


By the way I found another Mobile Wagon with the Flak 43 on it! Have no less than three Ostwinds, three Whirblewinds, and probably five halftracks with various flaks mounted on them. Then there is another four Mobile Wagons! I may build one as a what if with the 30mm quad mounted on it.
gary