Andrew's 1/72 S-Model Jagdpanther G2 x2

[adt70hk]

Hi all

So compared to pretty much any other build on this GB, these will be the most simple by far.

For newer members, I got back into the hobby several years ago when my son decided he wanted a model kit.  He was 6 at the time and we ended buying super simple wargaming kits and for out little battles and it spiralled from there.

Whilst I have started dabbling with 'display' kits since the start of lockdown, I still have a soft spot for these simple wargaming kits and these were the only ones I had in the stash that fitted the bill.

In case you're not aware S-Model are a Chinese Company that produces a lot of kits, some simple like this and some more complicated.
(fox3000.com/sModel.htm).

The box contains two 1/72 Jagdpanther G2s, some super simple instructions, a few decals and some PE.  All-in-all, considering what these are designed for, the detail is pretty good.

I'm not sure I'll use the PE but more about that later.  I also bought some metal barrels but I don't think I can make them work with the kit although we will see.

These will nominally be marked as from 654. Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung.  This is because three Jagdpanthers from this unit caused havoc amongst the 3rd Tank Battalion (Scots Guards), 6th Guards Tank Brigade on Hill 226 in Normandy.  By a complete fluke many years ago I decided Junior's Churchills would be from the 6th Guards Tank Brigade and so I felt duty bound to add some to my stash - he does significantly outnumber me after all!!

Reference material identified so far:

• 6th Guards Tank Brigade in Normandy - www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2591
  
• 654. Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung - www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=1537
  
• hurchill tanks in Normandy - www.gf9.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=404
  
• Jagdpanther tank destroyers of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654 - www.militaryimages.net/media/jagdpanther-tank-destroyers-of-schwere-panzerjager-abteilung-654.85569/
  
• Jagdpanther (Sd.Kfz.173) - tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/jagdpanther.php
  

There is a book available on this unit bit it currently goes for about 8 times the price of the kit!

Anyway enough waffle, below you will find some pics.

ATB

Andrew

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------





























By the way, that is the tip of my little finger!

[dupes]

Painting the wheels/tracks unit there promises to be a bit challenging!

[DennisM]

I think there is some sort of penance that you need to do if you are building a Panther and don't have to cleanup 400 road wheels.

[robbo]

Extra goodies? I like extras

[chromdome35]

I have some reference photos of a Jagdpanther I took at the US Army Armor and Cavalry collection last month if your interested in them.

[deafpanzer]

Looks like you have a huge thumb?!? Oh it's 1/72 kit!!! Please count me in too!

[adt70hk]

Jun 1, 2023 11:41:26 GMT -5 dupes said:

Painting the wheels/tracks unit there promises to be a bit challenging!

They're not too bad Dupes!  At least when you've had the amount of practice I've had with single moulded pieces like this.

The whole piece will get a coat of whatever the armour base coat is an then the tracks are painted by hand - at least that is the theory.

Jun 1, 2023 12:29:09 GMT -5 DennisM said:

I think there is some sort of penance that you need to do if you are building a Panther and don't have to cleanup 400 road wheels.

Dennis, with the greatest of respect I will have to disagree!    I'm merely protecting my sanity and taking the easy way out in the process! 

Jun 1, 2023 12:32:56 GMT -5 robbo said:

Extra goodies? I like extras

Welcome to the party.  I like extras too but unfortunately think they will not end up being used.....

Jun 1, 2023 12:35:04 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

I have some reference photos of a Jagdpanther I took at the US Army Armor and Cavalry collection last month if your interested in them.

Brian

That would be great if you could!  No rush!

Jun 1, 2023 12:48:10 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Looks like you have a huge thumb?!? Oh it's 1/72 kit!!! Please count me in too!

Andy.....indeed it is 1/72 - the one true scale of course - but my thumbs are quite large!!


Welcome to the party chaps!

ATB

Andrew

[chromdome35]

Here is the gallery where they are located

photos.app.goo.gl/FpATcw6NGJCVHjVN6

It was sitting in a very tight bay so I couldn't back up and get anything other than close in shots.

[Tojo72]

Looking forward to your treatment of the JP in the smaller scale

[adt70hk]

Jun 1, 2023 16:42:02 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Here is the gallery where they are located

photos.app.goo.gl/FpATcw6NGJCVHjVN6

It was sitting in a very tight bay so I couldn't back up and get anything other than close in shots.

Thanks Brian!  Much appreciated!!!!

Andrew

[adt70hk]

Jun 1, 2023 18:13:50 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Looking forward to your treatment of the JP in the smaller scale

Thanks Anthony!  Hoping I can do them justice....there are a lot of very good modellers on here and these are pretty simple kits.

Oh and of course thanks for suggesting the GB!

ATB

Andrew

[406 Silverado]

Jun 1, 2023 12:32:56 GMT -5 robbo said:

Extra goodies? I like extras

Right there with you on that bud.

[adt70hk]

Jun 2, 2023 4:01:21 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Jun 1, 2023 12:32:56 GMT -5 robbo said:

Extra goodies? I like extras

Right there with you on that bud.

I think I'm going to be letting you down on that front the more and more I look at it....so it will just be some stowage I'm afraid!

[406 Silverado]

Jun 2, 2023 4:05:44 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Jun 2, 2023 4:01:21 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Right there with you on that bud.

I think I'm going to be letting you down on that front the more and more I look at it....so it will just be some stowage I'm afraid!

With that small of a kit I can certainly see where you'd feel like that. Heck the thing already has PE and a metal barrel in it.

[Joe Rix]

That 1/72 Jagdpanther is just way too cool Andrew. I love your choice. I am really really stoked to watch you assemble and paint this.

[hasenpfeffer]

Awesome! The really cool thing is that you can probably build a whole abteilung in the time allowed. You know, if you feel like it.

[adt70hk]

Jun 3, 2023 6:32:27 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

Awesome! The really cool thing is that you can probably build a whole abteilung in the time allowed. You know, if you feel like it.

Jun 2, 2023 22:51:34 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

That 1/72 Jagdpanther is just way too cool Andrew. I love your choice. I am really really stoked to watch you assemble and paint this.

Thanks gents!

Dave - I probably could do a whole abteilung, although it would get a tad expensive.  Plus the space and I'm also committed to a couple of GBs elsewhere between now and the end of the year...but it is tempting! 


ATB

Andrew

[adt70hk]

Jun 1, 2023 16:42:02 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Here is the gallery where they are located

photos.app.goo.gl/FpATcw6NGJCVHjVN6

It was sitting in a very tight bay so I couldn't back up and get anything other than close in shots.

Brian thanks for the pics and link to the gallery, they will come in very handy indeed in helping with some basic upgrading!  Very helpful indeed!!

ATB

Andrew

[adt70hk]

Evening all!!

So as some of you know I've been on holiday the whole week, although we only got back from Amsterdam late Wednesday night. I've therefore made good progress with these already, in between the final tweaks to an assignment for a professional qualification I have been doing and its eventual submission this afternoon. Progress was also helped by my wife and Junioress heading off yesterday morning for an overnight stay and they're still not back.

The main parts are all together and there's no mistaking what they are, as you can see.

The fit was very good.  The only issue was attaching the track guards and accompanying side pieces that run the length of the hull, as the attachment points are minimal. But by the third one I had a system worked out.

I decided to ditch the AM barrels, as I couldn't make them work due to the way the gun attaches to the kit and the kit ones actually have better detail around the base anyway. Plus given they're 88mm, the barrel is pretty robust and less likely to break (the main reason I use metal barrels).

The grey strips you can see in the hatches in one kit are rudimentary 'seats' made from old bits of sprue for the AM crew. The one piece suspension/track pieces won't go on until after they have been painted, as it will be much easier that way.

The side skirts will be left off, as all the pictures I have found of JPs from 654 show no skirts, plus it makes the tracks much easier to attach!

ACW as usual.

ATB

Andrew

----------------------------------------


Shame I couldn't make the AM barrels work but never mind!








The rudimentary crew 'seats'











Coming on nicely and detail is ok although some of it is moulded on, which is a shame...

[Leon]

They are coming along nicely Andrew! I really need to start doing 1/72 again.

[Joe Rix]

Those are fantastic. They really are nicely detailed. The assembly looks solid Andrew. Looking forward to the paint stage.

[adt70hk]

Jun 3, 2023 18:07:23 GMT -5 Leon said:

They are coming along nicely Andrew! I really need to start doing 1/72 again.

Go on Leon....you know you want to!! 1/72 is of course the one and only true modelling scale!!

And thanks of course for the support!

Jun 3, 2023 23:28:10 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

Those are fantastic. They really are nicely detailed. The assembly looks solid Andrew. Looking forward to the paint stage.

Thanks Joe!  For something so simple they're not bad are they?

Ok, so you're not going to win any prizes at a show with them but for their intended purpose, they're more than adequate.  As you will soon see though, I do like to add a bit of detail to these sorts of kits were I can.

I also seem to recall from your intro post, you're also a self confessed 'braille scaler'....perhaps if we're careful, we can corrupt the whole forum into moving across to the one true scale....perhaps start with a 1/72 scale GB and take it from there....slowly creeping towards the intended aim of forum domination!!

I also seem to recall your into your USN planes?  That might come in handy as I know almost nothing but have two Eduard kits that are in this area.  One is a Weekend Hellcat and the other is a ProfiPack Wildcat.  Whilst both are 1/48 and so break the mould, I won the Hellcat on eBay for only £16 delivered and even better I won the Wildcat for only £20 delivered, as cheap as any decent 1/72 kit.


Thanks again gents!


Andrew

[Tojo72]

Good work on such a small scale

[chromdome35]

Looking good! Kind of crazy that the AM barrel has less derail than the kit barrel.

[406 Silverado]

Jun 4, 2023 7:02:59 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Looking good! Kind of crazy that the AM barrel has less derail than the kit barrel.

I was thinking the same exact thing about that AM barrel. I’m just curious about if it has less detail, why did the manufacturers put it in the box unless they used the metal barrel as a selling point.
Progress is looking great Andrew

[armornutii]

   Don't sell yourself short Andrew, there is alot to be said about a guy building microscopic machines ....with GIANT thumbs.....how do you attatch them? Are they apposable  . Honestly thise look super cool and are a far cry from what 72nd used to be. FYI I'm a purist..35th all the way, except for my unfortunate excursion into 1/16th

[adt70hk]

Jun 4, 2023 6:58:39 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Good work on such a small scale

Thanks Anthony!  Hopefully I can keep it on track! 

Jun 4, 2023 8:21:34 GMT -5 armornutii said:

   Don't sell yourself short Andrew, there is alot to be said about a guy building microscopic machines ....with GIANT thumbs.....how do you attatch them? Are they apposable  . Honestly thise look super cool and are a far cry from what 72nd used to be. FYI I'm a purist..35th all the way, except for my unfortunate excursion into 1/16th

  .....blame the thumb size, on the dreaded digital zoom!!! and yes they are apposable.

It's ok Perry....you will see the light one day and come down in size!!   That said I have three 1/35 tanks in the stash!  But 1/16 that is huge.....I would have nowhere to put it!

But you're right about 1/72 coming a long way, even the simple wargaming kits like this are very good for what they are.

I also have several 'display' quality kits....the best are four A34 Comets from a small Chinese Company called Vespid...the only ones at this scale since Matchbox's 1970s/80s 1/76 version.

They will blow you mind:

www.scalemates.com/kits/vespid-models-vs720002-a-34-comet-mk1a--1274572
archive.armorama.com/review/15260/
www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/Vespid/RHaelterman_Vespid_VS0002.htm

Jun 4, 2023 7:02:59 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Looking good! Kind of crazy that the AM barrel has less derail than the kit barrel.

Jun 4, 2023 7:48:10 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Jun 4, 2023 7:02:59 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Looking good! Kind of crazy that the AM barrel has less derail than the kit barrel.

I was thinking the same exact thing about that AM barrel. I’m just curious about if it has less detail, why did the manufacturers put it in the box unless they used the metal barrel as a selling point.
Progress is looking great Andrew

Gentleman....I owe you an apology, as I have clearly confused you......

The PE mesh does come with the kit......but I bought the barrels as an add on

Whenever I buy a kit I always get an AM barrel now too at the time of purchase as they don't break, like plastic ones.....however, this is the first time I have had this problem.....so this is my fault, not S-Model's.,

Apologies for any confusion!

ATB

Andrew

[deafpanzer]

Looking good! I had to do the same for my Panther as I decided not to use the metal barrel because it was complicated and the kit gun was done very nicely. I look forward to your next update!

[ogrejohn]

Sure is looking good!

[Joe Rix]

Jun 4, 2023 3:22:29 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

I also seem to recall from your intro post, you're also a self confessed 'braille scaler'....perhaps if we're careful, we can corrupt the whole forum into moving across to the one true scale....perhaps start with a 1/72 scale GB and take it from there....slowly creeping towards the intended aim of forum domination!!

I also seem to recall your into your USN planes?  That might come in handy as I know almost nothing but have two Eduard kits that are in this area.  One is a Weekend Hellcat and the other is a ProfiPack Wildcat.  Whilst both are 1/48 and so break the mould, I won the Hellcat on eBay for only £16 delivered and even better I won the Wildcat for only £20 delivered, as cheap as any decent 1/72 kit.

You are correct on all counts. I have been an active participant in attempting to convert non-believers in the ways of the one true scale for years. There were was a contingency of us over at FSM that were ardent members of the dark side and openly attempted to convert those that resisted. One in particular resides here now and that is Joe (Silverado). I have spent endless hours trying to sway him over to the dark side. The resistance is strong in that one.

I come from a family of Navy pilots so, yes, that is my main area of interest. I too have several 1/48 kits and several of those are Eduard kits. Their Hellcat and Wildcat are absolutely top rate. I've built the 1/72 Hellcat and it is a fantastic kit. I know the 1/48 version to be no different. You are quite  the fortunate one when it comes to finding superd deals on choice kits.