Stik’s Panther

[stikpusher]

Thank you James!
So this is the Italeri Panther A that I started last year for this GB and just finished up yesterday. I did add some Aber PE screen and ring sight for the TC's AA MG, plus some Dnepro Models clear resin periscopes to fill the empty voids where they should be on this kit. Decals are the kit markings Stowage is from my spares bin, and the camouflage colors are Tamiya Dark Yellow, with Model Master enamels Red Brown and Olive Green. I based the paint scheme off of a couple of photos and some color profiles of Grossdeutschland Division Panthers during summer 1944 fighting in East Prussia and the Baltic States area.













I left the hatches open, as I have some crew figures that I'm working on to place in those. I will take and post a few more photos over in the GB finished section when they are completed.
Thanks for looking, comments and critiques are welcomed

[Tobi]

You did a great job on the old gal, modeling-wise.
Only thing what makes me wonder at first glance is if the hull MG shouldn't be the AA-MG? This way it looks as if the co-ax MG has been used instead? 

[stikpusher]

Mar 2, 2024 1:33:24 GMT -5 Tobi said:

You did a great job on the old gal, modeling-wise.
Only thing what makes me wonder at first glance is if the hull MG shouldn't be the AA-MG? This way it looks as if the co-ax MG has been used instead? 

Thanks Tobi! It’s not a bad kit by any means, and sure looks like a Panther when complete. In all honesty I can’t say if the hull or co-ax MG would be removed and mounted as the AA MG, or if a third MG was carried for that purpose… 
🤔

[hasenpfeffer]

Mar 2, 2024 11:25:25 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Mar 2, 2024 1:33:24 GMT -5 Tobi said:

You did a great job on the old gal, modeling-wise.
Only thing what makes me wonder at first glance is if the hull MG shouldn't be the AA-MG? This way it looks as if the co-ax MG has been used instead? 

Thanks Tobi! It’s not a bad kit by any means, and sure looks like a Panther when complete. In all honesty I can’t say if the hull or co-ax MG would be removed and mounted as the AA MG, or if a third MG was carried for that purpose… 
🤔

Great job, Carlos! It came out great. I, like the others, really enjoy what you did with the mud. And like Tobi said, a wonderful job given the kit and its shortcomings. (Even if you think it's ok... I struggled with this kit.) Tobi is alluding to the fact that they only were equipped with 2 MG34s. As far as I know, the only one they moved was the ball mounted one to the commander's cupola ring for AA. Maybe it was because it was much easier to move? I also can't remember if the coax was modified a little so it fit in that spot - like the stock removed or something like that. The only other thing that I noticed is that the rubber for the wheel looks a little clean given the mud build up everywhere else. Other than that, very well done indeed.

[chromdome35]

Thats a beautiful looking kitty cat, well done!!!

[TOWGunner]

Incredible finish Carlos. Beautiful model.

[stikpusher]

Dave, Brian, & Matt, thank you for looking in and your feedback.

Dave, I figured that Tobi was referring to something like that in the number of MG-34's issued to the tank. I'll have to keep that in mind for any other future Panther tanks that I build and mound the AA MG. If I was a TC, I wonder which MG I would prefer to lose for mounting on the AA hatch rail.... tough call. As far as the mud on the road wheel tires goes, one thing I remember from when I was in mech infantry is that dried mud would flake off of the road wheel tires on our tracks rather quickly when in motion, but remain on the metal portions of the road wheels, unless your were driving on a fresh wet muddy trail or road... without a base for context, it could go either way

[Tobi]

Hi Carlos, as Dave wrote the tanks indeed carried only 2 MG34. I think that can be said for every German tank, But that doesn't detract the result of your efforts.
Without any certainty, I would deem it's easier to dismount the ball MG, as with the co-ax, which is also for longer ranges, you might have more troubles in the alignment with the gunner's sight after re-installation? Only guesswork.

[stikpusher]

Mar 4, 2024 1:57:40 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Hi Carlos, as Dave wrote the tanks indeed carried only 2 MG34. I think that can be said for every German tank, But that doesn't detract the result of your efforts.
Without any certainty, I would deem it's easier to dismount the ball MG, as with the co-ax, which is also for longer ranges, you might have more troubles in the alignment with the gunner's sight after re-installation? Only guesswork.

sounds like a reasonable guess to me   I will keep that two MG situation with mounting AA MG's on panzers in the future. I had figured that they were like US tanks and had a separate AA MG as part of the basic issue for the tank. Thank you for the education on this point. 

[garybrantley]

This has been an interesting discussion.   To be exact, if the MG34 was evident in the hull ball-mount, then there would not be another Mg34 found on the cupola ring, is that correct?    If so, then I made that error on my old Tamiya Panther too. 

[Tobi]

Basically it goes down to that if you're going to be painlessly accurate, but hey, MG's also might get "sourced"...
BTW, the reason why the MG42 was introduced to infantry and halftracks was that it was easier to manufacture, while the MG34 was technically more advanced and better, why it stayed in tank use.

[stikpusher]

Mar 4, 2024 11:33:46 GMT -5 garybrantley said:

This has been an interesting discussion.   To be exact, if the MG34 was evident in the hull ball-mount, then there would not be another Mg34 found on the cupola ring, is that correct?    If so, then I made that error on my old Tamiya Panther too. 

I think all armor modelers have at one point or another. I never knew that the limit of two MG-34s per tank was the standard issue.

[406 Silverado]

Your paint work on this is truly inspiring Carlos. How much of that MM enamel color do you have left? I'm still using my MM acrylic paint which I still have a lot of.

[hasenpfeffer]

Mar 4, 2024 11:33:46 GMT -5 garybrantley said:

This has been an interesting discussion.   To be exact, if the MG34 was evident in the hull ball-mount, then there would not be another Mg34 found on the cupola ring, is that correct?    If so, then I made that error on my old Tamiya Panther too. 

The answer is "probably". Like Tobi said, maybe they appropriated one from a knocked out comrade. The fact that they use the ball mount MG vs the coax, I think, has more to do with the configuration of the MG itself. The coax doesn't usually have a stock on it to save for room or interference, whatever. Even though it is probably easy enough to install. And like (I think) Carlos) said, there are probably way more advantages to using the coax vs the ball mount mg anyway in typical operations and engagement distances.



And Carlos, I get that mud would be broken loose from the rubber as the tank travels since the rubber flexes under load. They just look awfully pristine to me, my man. That's all.  Dust those bad boys up with some pigments and it'll add so much. The mud is awesome.

[stikpusher]

Joe, I still have a pretty significant amount of Model Master paints left, both enamels and acrylics. Plus Floquil, Aeromaster, Polly S, Polly Scale, Tamiya, Gunze, etc.... and of course my favorite of good old Humbrol.... But I'm also slowly transitioning over to AK Real Color and Vallejo Model Color as my "legacy" paints are used up.

Dave, I'll take it under advisement to dust up those road wheel tires. Maybe it's my photography, but those things are painted in a dark gray, so to the Mk.I eyeball in person they are not quite pristine...