Charles Reading takes a quick look at Panzerkampfwagen Panther II, one of Cyber-Hobby’s Orange Box value kits, in 1/35.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

I´m waiting for the Voyager´s PE set for Panther F/II and planning to use it with this beauty. Just would like to know how useable it really is with this tank.

I wonder if the spare hull top that came with the CH Panther F would fit this kits lower hull?

ff you build this kit, remember to blank off the nasty open space beneath mantlet there--you can even see it on the box art!

Use a decent-sized plastic tube, cut in a "pie slice" -shaped piece, and glue under themantlet so that you don't se "air" when looking at he mantlet/barrel join in profile.

Great kit, otherwise! I have one built up from years ago. I think I'll do another with the correct late-G turret on it though, as it exists in Fort Knox.

If it does, it might make an interesting model along the lines of Herbert Ackerman's beliefs concerning the Panther Fs with "staggered pairs" of wheels.

I have the old Panther II kit unbuilt in the garage. I should pull it out and see if the hulls fit...

It wouldn't really help if it did, as there were substantial differences between the Panther I and II upper hulls. Dragon correctly includes the rotating periscopes for the driver and radio operator, but incorrectly gives a Panther G engine deck (or speculates that a "production" Panther II would have adopted those parts, just as they have speculated that the Schmalturm would have been adopted). The prototype used Tiger II grills and radiator fan covers. One could cannibalize those parts from a derelict King Tiger kit (even one of the very old ones), but a lot of surgery would be required to remove the molded on grills from the Dragon upper hull.
The turret is the dismal, old, misproportioned Panther F Schmalturm, which has not been replaced with the better dimensioned part from the all-new Panther F kits. Again, this would be a speculative choice anyway, as the Panther II was scheduled to receive a very different turret (as shown in plan form in the relevant Panzer Tracts book published last year).
It really comes down to the individual modeler to decide how much correction to do to improve this kit (a really accurate Panther II would probably have to be scratchbuilt). A new turret would help (or one could depict the cast iron test weight as found on the chassis at capture), and new engine deck parts. The Doyle plans could be used to tweak the hull dimensions, too. One could try to fix everything, but it's probably a case of diminishing returns trying to shim and saw and sand everything to fit the plans, though I am sure there are dedicated souls out there who will do so.

How does the Accurate Armour resin kit measure up anyway?

Excellent review, thanks!

Guys...

This kit has NOTHING to do with the Panther Ausführung F. It is DML's horrible attempt at a Panther-II. And the Schmalturm has NOTHING to do with the Panther-II either.

It is really sad that still a kit like this, even in a re-issue is still marketed, it continues the erroneous myth of the Panther-II with a Schmalturm, thank you Walther J Spielberger.

Apart from that, the turret is incredibly BAD. It is too short and too wide. The chassis also fails on a lot of points being dimensionally in-accurate and sporting an Ausf. G/F engine deck.

It's not a kit worth the price back than and it isn't worth it right now. That is, unless you don't care one bit about dimensional accuracy and don't give a hoot about historical accuracy.

What turret (if any) was planned for use on the Panther II then?

Turm mit schmale Blende. And apart from that, 2 design drawings are known but nothing of a definitive Panhter-II turret had ever been designed. Angles and armour thickness plus the turret ring diameter. The gun would still be the KwK42 75mm L/71 gun from the Panther-D.