Dragon Pzkpfw III Ausf H (5.0cm) Late Production

[wbill76]

Made a lot of progress in the latest round of effort aimed at getting the rest of the hull pulled together. This involves Steps 9 to 13 in the instructions and there are several spots along the way that call for careful work and/or modifications from what the diagrams show to pull it all off.

I started in Step 9 with the engine deck module. It adds all the various access hatches and their armored covers along with the side intakes and the kit-supplied PE mesh screens. The diagram here has a couple of surprises, the first of which is that the lifting eyes labelled as A63 in the picture don't match what parts A63 actually look like even though the real A63s is what should be installed. It doesn't help that there's a call-out box showing the option of using them along with some of the kit-supplied PE parts but that diagram should actually point to the step dealing with the turret ring plate and the lifting hooks needed there are parts A10, not A63, so the error is doubly confusing if you aren't paying close attention. The second surprise is a bolt strip that attaches to the rear of the engine deck, it's not given a part number at all so I had to hunt for it and eventually found it as part U67.



Step 9 also calls for the installation of the tow cables coiled around the rear access hatches. The instructions have another error here, they call for part B16 to be used but that's inaccurate for a late H. Instead, part K1 is the correct one to use. I didn't catch that at first and started to open up some of the holes from the underside but quickly realized they were in the wrong spot and, after a quick check of the references, caught it and fixed it by filling the holes with some white styrene rod and liquid glue. Since there aren't any mount holes available to use the correct part, all of those locator pins/nubs have to be removed so that the cables will sit flat. I only dry-fit the cable here and will install it later on in the detail painting stage.



The next module is covered in different parts through Steps 10 and 12 and deals with the fighting compartment. The roof plate with the turret ring is covered first but isn't numbered correctly in the instructions. Instead of A59, part U1 is the correct one for the Late H as it has the necessary attachment points for the applique armor plate for the front of the compartment. I added the splash guard and lifting eyes to it and then added the side panels and the blank front plate using liquid glue and finger pressure to get a solid join all the way around. After that had set, I installed the hull MG and driver's visor arrangement and then the applique plate came last to make sure it would all play nice. If you're careful with the glue while assembling the hull MG, the ball mount remains movable which comes in very handy later on as it has a tendency to get in the way a little when working with the details.



Next up was the hull glacis plate covered in Step 11. It too received its hatches and I used a #76 finger drill to create some mount holes for the wiring in the bases of the main headlights. The kit provides pre-bent copper wire to provide the wiring conduit but I ended up using some small diameter solder wire instead as it provided more flexibility. The instructions call for holes to be opened up in the glacis plate to accept the armored brake vent housings but that's not necessary as the applique armor plate already has them available.



To bring all the hull components together and make sure they had a good alignment, I started with the glacis plate and fenders first. The fenders have a little bit of tension to them at the rear, so it's important to make sure they line up properly all the way along the hull to avoid issues with the engine deck and fighting compartment components.



Next, I added the fighting compartment and engine deck. Everything here went smoothly thankfully!



With all the pieces in place, I turned to Step 13 and completed the remaining details. I added the glacis and nose applique plates after I had installed the front tow points so that I could be sure everything lined up there first. Then I added the solder wiring and the little mudguard PE flaps and supports. Last but not least, the main headlights were installed that had been called for in Step 11 but which I left off until this point to avoid them getting damaged in all the handling that had to be done with the previous assembly steps. All that means that the hull is now fully together at last!

As a minor side note, Step 13 also calls for the tracks to be installed and incorrectly indicates that 98 links should be used per side. Pz 3s typically had 92-93 links per side depending on sag/tension, so be aware of that as well in your own builds!



Next up will be adding back some of the fender details that I had left off earlier and then moving on to the big show with the turret.

[Leon]

Your making great Progress Bill!

[afvfan]

Out of the box, that truly is a work of art compared to the old Imperial kits.

[wbill76]

Jul 12, 2019 17:04:59 GMT -5 Leon said:

Your making great Progress Bill!

Thanks Leon, trucking along!

[wbill76]

Jul 12, 2019 23:33:16 GMT -5 afvfan said:

Out of the box, that truly is a work of art compared to the old Imperial kits.

I have to agree Bob. Light years in the difference between them, I did the Imperial Series Ausf G and heavily modified it with all kinds of stuff to replicate a specific vehicle. When you sit it side-by-side with the "Smart Kit", you can clearly see how far the technology advanced for sure.

[wbill76]

This update includes a lot of progress so buckle up! First thing knocked out was adding in the details to the fenders now that the hull components were integrated. I used CA gel to install the left side resin stowage box and also added the antenna mount and support tray to the right side. I left the antenna mast itself movable but will likely keep it in the stowed position when it's all said and done. Having the antenna mount in place proved that my original idea about putting the track toolbox in this spot wouldn't have worked, so it's good that I held off on installing it there.





Next up was the turret which is spread out over Steps 14 to 20 in the instructions. The Panzer Art resin mantlet that I'm using had a slight warp on one side of the part, easily resolved with a quick dip in near-boiling hot water to get it to straighten back out. Using the resin piece simplified things in one sense but also complicated it in another. The simplification was that I didn't have to assemble all of the 5.0cm gun components as they are molded already into the resin mantlet but the complication is that the mantlet is solid and can't incorporate any of the interior gun components. It also needs to line up well with the interior gun mount parts and front plate for the turret to fit properly and still be movable. To help with all that, I assembled the turret face plate and interior mantlet components as called for in Step 15 but didn't install the mantlet just yet. To help with posing the mantlet and gun now and later on after installation, I used the kit's recoil housing parts to create a kind of handle on the interior side of the mantlet and clipped off the protruding parts that would've interfered with the resin mantlet once installed.

Once that was done, I used a JB turned brass MG34 barrel and CA to populate the empty coaxial MG housing on the resin part and added the kit's plastic armored viewport covers with liquid glue. The turret's bottom section was cleaned up and the turret top received the different parts that need to install from the inside. I also filled in all the small slotted screws on the turret roof that aren't correct for an H using Squadron white putty and careful sanding to not disturb the surrounding details. It's worth noting that the diagram in Step 18 that involves the installation of the fume extractor fan (D15) can't be done if you don't also install the top part of the same fan (G6) that isn't called for until Step 20.



Step 14 assembles the commander's cupola. I opted to have all the ports and hatches closed to keep things simple and, because of the resin replacement, there isn't any interior there to see either way.



That cleared the way for assembling the turret completely. I used liquid glue to add the turret bottom first and ensure a good join at the weld seams. Then the turret face was added and I had to be extra careful here with the glue to ensure that the swivel pins didn't get any glue into their connections. This is where creating that "handle" on the interior side proved very useful as I could manipulate it with that and confirm that everything still moved like it needed to.



Step 19 assembles the turret stowage bin and has a call-out diagram with the option of removing the molded-on wooden rubbing strips. So far as I could see in the reference pics, the bin should be smooth here so I carefully trimmed it away with a #11 blade and then lightly sanded the contours to complete the removal process.



That cleared the way to install it in place on the turret and add all the various details called for in Steps 18 and 20 that I hadn't already taken care of. The instructions call for using a PE part MA10 for the commander's boresight indicator but there's also a styrene part option, F6, on the sprues that isn't mentioned. I opted for that one but thinned it down with a #11 blade and careful sanding as I liked its detail better vs. the PE part. With everything in place, I used CA to add the resin gun and mantlet combo into position.



Quick test fit with the hull shows everything is working the way it should!





Next up will be spending some time assembling the MK track runs so I can see how many spares I might have to work with to create some of the additional track sections mounted to the hull nose and glacis vs having to use the static indy links supplied in the kit. Always fun!

[adt70hk]

Looking good as always Bill. Keep at it.

Andrew

[wbill76]

Jul 14, 2019 5:42:15 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Looking good as always Bill. Keep at it.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew! It's been a quick build so far, won't be long before the paint flies.

[jsteinman]

Lovin' it man, just lovin' it!

[wbill76]

Thanks John, this one has built up pretty quickly...now it's on to the tracks and painting stages.

[mustang1989]

Wow! Lotsa details!!! Thanks for the step by step process on this as well as revealing the vendors used on the parts. Very helpful if I ever dabble in this stuff.

[joelsmith]

Wow Bill, Great Work! The two photos of AK Pz III you posted above are great too. The second photo looks as if the upper hull was shoved back over the engine.

[Leon]

Your making good progress Bill! Looking forward to seeing some paint.

[wbill76]

Joe, my pleasure, always glad to outline the minefield for any other brave souls for the future!

Joel, the 2nd picture is a little distorted because I took it with my phone from a book since I didn't have the opportunity to scan it in properly! That's why it has a little bit of that "egg panzer" look to it.

Leon, me too, this weekend is looking good for some paint velocity to take place!

[jsteinman]

I smell paint fumes!

[wbill76]

Jul 16, 2019 9:23:39 GMT -5 jsteinman said:

I smell paint fumes!

Fingers crossed that I can pull it off! Time is starting to get precious again with the start of the new school year looming.

[mustang1989]

Jul 18, 2019 18:46:35 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Jul 16, 2019 9:23:39 GMT -5 jsteinman said:

I smell paint fumes!

Fingers crossed that I can pull it off! Time is starting to get precious again with the start of the new school year looming.

I hear you on that count Bill. We've got a busy season coming up with our son in the agricultural program at his school. Nothing seems to  take more time from you than taking care of an animal. Pig in this case.

[joelsmith]

Heck with paint fumes, I smell bacon on the hoof!!!

[wbill76]

Jul 19, 2019 6:45:07 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

Jul 18, 2019 18:46:35 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Fingers crossed that I can pull it off! Time is starting to get precious again with the start of the new school year looming.

I hear you on that count Bill. We've got a busy season coming up with our son in the agricultural program at his school. Nothing seems to  take more time from you than taking care of an animal. Pig in this case.

Caring for and raising livestock is like having a 2nd job, no question about it! We had horses, dogs, chickens, rabbits, etc. growing up and it was a constant cycle of caring for them growing up.

I may be forced to work on track assembly only this weekend...scary thought!

[Tobi]

Really coming together nicely Bill.

You got to love those DAK specials.

[wbill76]

Jul 21, 2019 9:18:52 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Really coming together nicely Bill.

You got to love those DAK specials.

Thanks Tobi! The DAK crews were very resourceful, no doubt about it! Seems like every crew had its own idea of what would work best for their particular vehicle. Some of those experiences no doubt were true as the "features" they created got introduced in different versions that followed, so they had to be on to something.

[adt70hk]

Jul 18, 2019 18:46:35 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Jul 16, 2019 9:23:39 GMT -5 jsteinman said:

I smell paint fumes!

Fingers crossed that I can pull it off! Time is starting to get precious again with the start of the new school year looming.

Bill

When do you start back? Our schools only broke up this weekend and go back until early September.

ATB

Andrew

[wbill76]

Jul 21, 2019 16:14:20 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

When do you start back? Our schools only broke up this weekend and go back until early September.

ATB

Andrew

Officially the students don't start back until August 26th this year. But, and this is a big 'but!', teachers have training going on periodically throughout the summer and, since this is my 1st year as the campus instructional coach, I have to attend most of those sessions along with them across the different content areas (particularly those for reading/writing) plus the ones specifically designed for my new role and duties. I also have to support the admin team as they get ready for Registration and the week before students report when the teachers undergo their week of Professional Development. I also have my own prep work/duties to get ready for as well to squeeze in with all that also going on. I also have to bring on my replacement teaching 8th grade Social Studies and ensure he has everything he needs to start the year strong. Long story short, I'm basically booked solid M-Thur from now until the year starts!

[406 Silverado]

Looking good Bill, nice clean building as usual. Looking forward to the painting.

[adt70hk]

Jul 21, 2019 16:59:54 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Jul 21, 2019 16:14:20 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

When do you start back? Our schools only broke up this weekend and go back until early September.

ATB

Andrew

Officially the students don't start back until August 26th this year. But, and this is a big 'but!', teachers have training going on periodically throughout the summer and, since this is my 1st year as the campus instructional coach, I have to attend most of those sessions along with them across the different content areas (particularly those for reading/writing) plus the ones specifically designed for my new role and duties. I also have to support the admin team as they get ready for Registration and the week before students report when the teachers undergo their week of Professional Development. I also have my own prep work/duties to get ready for as well to squeeze in with all that also going on. I also have to bring on my replacement teaching 8th grade Social Studies and ensure he has everything he needs to start the year strong. Long story short, I'm basically booked solid M-Thur from now until the year starts!

Doesn't sound like much of a holiday bill!!!🤔

[mustang1989]

Sorry to hear that you're that booked Bill. Hope you manage to squeeze some modeling in while you're getting the hell beat out of you. lol

[wbill76]

Thanks Rob! Hopefully I can get in some time this weekend, fingers crossed!

Adt, it's a longstanding myth that teachers don't work during the summer break. It's truly a holiday break for the students but not for teachers. The days of getting 2-3 months truly off disappeared a loooong time ago.

Joe, today was one of those 'earn your pay' days...spent most of the day lugging newly adopted textbooks around since they were delivered by our central office, stored in the teacher's planning room (which is mine to manage), and had to be broken up and distributed out to 3 different grade level sets of classrooms. I had to inventory and then personally distribute more than 3000 books today...my smartwatch says I logged more than 14,000 steps and congratulated me several times on my "dynamic" workouts at different points!

[joelsmith]

Does your smart watch "nag" you when you are sitting at your work bench? ;<)

[wbill76]

Jul 26, 2019 7:47:12 GMT -5 joelsmith said:

Does your smart watch "nag" you when you are sitting at your work bench? ;<)

Yes it does! Reminds me to "get moving" every hour if I don't on my own and even suggests different sitting exercises to keep me active.

[wbill76]

Well, I kind of had to step away from this one a little longer than I originally planned! I have managed to make some progress though in the tracks department. The MK track assembly is a somewhat time-intensive process but it pays off in the end every time IMHO. I always work the sections one at a time after prepping the total links for a run by removing them from the sprues and keeping them in a little zip-lock baggie so I can keep track of exactly how many links I'm working with at any given time. The MK sets include a jig to help with the construction of each 8-link run and I have several of them left over from previous projects, so it's not hard to get a little rhythm going. Before you know it (well a couple of hours actually!), you've got a full run of workable 90 links assembled. The "standard" length of a Pz III run is 92-93 links, but I always stop at 90 until the running gear is attached and then adjust from there as the two sides can have some slight variation to them depending and it's better to wait and get it just right. Especially since the Dragon idlers aren't movable to allow for tension adjustment.