It's been a while since I've been here, but I wanted to show you all the new Revell Jagdpanzer Kanone which I've just finished. I used two resin products from Perfect Scale Modelbau which have been released to correct inaccuracies in the Revell kit.
Here's what I started with:
Here's the difference between the Revell kit upper hull (here ina slightly darker gray primer) and the Modelbau "drop-in" hull.
Where the Modelbau hull really matters--the hatches for the Revell kit are horribly inadequate, being only single-layer.
Mating the hulls...
The Modelbau tracks, which come with the correct, unique circular guide horns, must be cut from their moldings. The tracks are quite delicate, and at least one track guide per length of ten were broken in the shipment.
The model painted in a base coat of Tamiya Khaki Drab, lightened a bit with Dark Yellow and highlighted in the middle panels.
The resin tracks in progress; the model has acquired it's decals...
...and an admission of defeat--although the Modelbau tracks are fine products, I have to admit that I simply ran out of ideas and patience in assembling these finicky resin pieces! They do not "snap" like othe resin link tracks, and as a result, post a challenge for modelers without the exprerience of working with these types. I ws having a real problem making them look straight, and fitting them into the sprockets on the curve. I decided to try to salvage the kit tracks.
They say that "Necessity is the mother of invention"; well, I decided to try to "Invent" the correct tracks from the old "rubber band" tracks in the kit. I started by cutting off the Incorrect "teeth" of the old tracks...
And then cutting out 184 individual circles from a 1/8 ", .125 diameter styrene tube with a razor blade...
And then supergluing them one-by-one onto the old tracks..(I know; my girlfriend said I was crazy too! LOL!)
The two tracks side by side--the "salvaged" kit tracks in front...
To weather this beast, I tried something different here. I first coated the lower hull with a mix of Tamiya Dark Yellow/White/Black and a touch of Red Brown until it looked right, and sprayed the lower hull. Then I used Testor's Liquid cement to draw off the paint--I use this stuff to clean off dried paint from my airbrush tips all the time--and I think it turned out pretty cool!?
The tank was weathered with a drybrushing of the dust color, washed with Van Dyke brown, ad then a few select "patches" of "color modulation" technique added by taking some thin Olive Green oil paint mixed slightly with yellow and white to impart some coor variation on the base coat...
I added the old Verlinden NATO Tank Crew, and put it all together. Here's the finished pics. I liked the "Glue Weathering Technique" so much that I decided against adding Weathering Powders to cover it up. A little bit of "old school" weathering, if you please!
In closing, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Modelbau hull, and the tracks for those of you who have the patience and experience to make them work--I admit, alas, that I was defeated by them! However, I hope that I have showed how with a bit of ingenuity and creativity, it IS possible to make some decent-looking replacements for the kit tracks.
All comments and critiques are enthusiastically welcomed and much appreciated!
Karl "the doog"
