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Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. E

I really like your Pz IV Henk. Nice crisp clean build with just a hint of wear. Looks like it just got done running around the proving grounds. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Henk, First of all it's an extremely clean, nice built. Here are few points I found: the dark grey is very dark (too dark?) and too uniform, you could try to lighten it up a little bit in the middle of each panel using the base color with some white or beige. Did you think about applying a wash? There are a lot of panel lines where it would look nice. The decals are so clean and so white they almost shine. You could add some chips etc. More weathering would make it look more natural. Don't be afraid applying pigmenst on the upper hall. The muffler should be rusted a little bit at least. Well, my 3 cents Pawel

Henk - - Very nice. What I like about her is that while weathered, it is well-balanced. Good job. DJ

Very nice, I like the light weathering. What kit is it?

Thanks guys, glad you like it. This is the Dragon kit, the first Ausf. E one, which needed a bit of extra care to correct potential errors. This was build over a two year period, and some of the errors (like the drive sprocket and return roller not lining up) I know about, but just could be bothered with. To be honest, this kit has just about put me off Dragon's finest, as the 800+ parts, combined with the diabolical instructions took away any enjoyment. And I know the Pz. IV very well, so I did not have to rely on the instructions... . I'll give the Pz. IV smart kit a go, but even those suffer from Dragon's signature instructions. Any way. I wanted this to be (loosely) modeled on the vehicle of the 11. Panzer Division in the Balkans in 1941, a well known picture of which can be found in many publications. The vehicle, and it's crew, look relaxed, and well cared for. The vehicle shows very little wear and tear, and whilst it is difficult to determine the exact shade of the colour, comparison with the crew uniforms got me to this result. I used Tamiya 'German Grey' gradually lightend with buff. The weathering was deliberately kept to a minimum, showing a vehicle that has been on a road march or light exercise. Pawel, I did not use most of the techniques you mentioned, because the vehicle in the picture is so clean. Same goes for the markings, in the picture the markings are very clean and bright, as if they have only recently been applied. And as for rusted mufflers, that is a subject that we could spend a good evening discussing... Like chipping paintwork, I feel that rusty exhaust have fallen victem to the 'more is better' trap... He, but if you like heavy weathering, keep an eye out for the Sd.Kfz. 222 that I'm doing. I'll be going to town on that one. Thanks for your comments all. Cheers Henk

Nice one Henk! I don't know German stuff but I know what I like... I appreciate that you chose to recreate a well-maintained specific vehicle, but I think some pin washes would make the panel lines and screws 'pop' without looking too weatherbeaten... What about a crew? Good stuff Brad

Thanks Brad, No crew with this one. It would obscure the interior detail of the turret. Not that the detail is all that spectacular, but none the less. Perhaps in the future, if I have nothing better to do . By the way Brad, I have a Sherman waiting.... You don't have to go for a three tone camouflage mate, early war Panzergrau is fine... take care Henk

Henk, You should give the Smart Kit IV's a whirl...build time is easily half that of a Super Kit...having built both, I too had the same "slogging" feeling when it came to the Super Kit approach to complex assemblies. The feeling of spending several hours to produce just one step's worth of construction made the build feel a lot longer and more tedious I suppose and there were points where I had to force myself to keep working on it.