I felt it was time to return to tanks again. Here's my first build and a new one for me, the Jagdpanther.
This is going to be a late model G1 variant, probably from around the Ardennes Offensive period. There will be the outside bolted late mantlet, two piece barrel, triple pipe exhaust and all the tools relocated to the back.
Im not 100% on camo scheme yet, but if this goes like any of my usual builds it'll be a long time before this gets any paint! :haha:

I have already purchased a huge box of upgrades from Welsh Dragon Models, including;
Schumo barrel and mantlet
Schumo rear hatch
Schumo tow hitch (early type)
Schumo C-hooks
Schumo antenna base
Schumo sprocket hubs
Schumo tow cable
Schumo elevation arms
Schumo Jagdpanther detail parts (rangefinder mounts, lifting hooks and starter plate mounts)
Schumo King Tiger muzzle break
Aber Panther basic set
Aber Panther engine grills
Aber Panther cleaning rod tube
Aber Panther tool boxes
Aber Panther fenders
Metal final drive covers
Turnigy servo slow for inertia
Turnigy RC switch for lights
Various sized casting numbers
Proportional smoke unit

I plan on quite a few major mods to this one, RC lights, servo controlled MG ball, smoking exhausts, adding the missing sponsons. I still have a good few upgrades left to buy yet, most importantly the Impact tracks!
For now i'll show you some of the obligatory upgrade bits pictures. I've already done the MG ball, stripped as much of the paint off as I could, and started on the back plate.

Gear downs mounted to the gearboxes

The first major mod I did was some serious gearbox surgery! I managed to fit the schumo style gear downs into the Jagdpanther, without interfering with the gun movement.
Unfortunately I didn't take in progress pictures, but I do have some of the finished product. It's not elegant, but it works, and now my Jagdpanther has scale speed!

Moving MG ball

I have made the Kugleblende (MG ball) move, and this will be controlled by a servo. It was fairly simple, I ground out the orginal MG ball piece, and used the mount and ball from a Tamiya Tiger 1.
Its a simple mount, and works to the realistic 30 degrees the actual thing could move to.
I have bored out an Aber tank MG to take a fibre optic which will be mounted once the tank is painted.

Sponsons

After much fiddly cutting, I got the sponsons in place. I never liked how they were open, it seemed like a cop out by Tamiya.
I still need to add welds and do a bit of filling.



I also addes a styrene sheet over the front of the lower hull. It helps to seal the gap on the front as well.

Final Drive Covers

I also added some final drive for extra detail. They also have some bearings in them to support the drive shafts.

Rolled Steel Texture

As I always do on my tanks, I added a rolled steel texture to the hull plates and roof. I didn't do the engine deck, as images i've seen show a much smoother texture on these plates, possibly because they were machined for the engine components.



It's not easy to see in the pictures, as I tried to get it very faint, but slightly exaggerated over the real thing to be visible.

Weld Beads

I've made a start on the weld beads, a long and eventually unnoticed task, but needed to add that extra level of detail.
I'm trying a new technique using a round ended embossing tool and milliput superfine white. I cut a groove in the part I need a weld, then press the weld in with the embossing tool. Cutting off the remainder gives a nice line of milliput to put the detail into. I've been using a toothpick with the end cut off at an angle dipped in water to press in the weld texture. You get a subtle weld detail, quite in scale with the model.
The final result is this;


I also did the weld around the MG kugleblende. From studying pictures of the ones on Jagdpanthers, i've seen the weld is actually flush with the hull around the MG ball. I've tried to replicate this;


I still have plenty more to do. Does anyone know if there were welds on the top hatches holding the hinges on?

Casting Numbers

Casting numbers are a favourite of mine. I think they add variation, and draw the eye to parts. I've added a load, all these parts did have numbers on Panthers and Jagdpanthers, but not always all together. My numbers may not be accurate or perfectly sized, but i'm happy with them.
There will be more on the sprockets and idlers when I gwet to them.

How I do my welds

This is a quick guide to how I do welds.

First these are the tools I use;

The wood block I use to roll out the Milliput into long thin sausages, it actually comes from a jenga set! :haha:

Start by mixing your Milliput, then roll out a long thin piece. Try to get it as thin as possible, often we all end up with overscale welds, because its hard to get them as thin as we need;


I make a groove where I want the weld, it makes it easier to properly seat the weld, especially on the sides of the interlocking plates on some German tanks. Press your Miliput sausage into this groove;


Using the embossing tool, dab the Milliput into place. Once its seated properly you can run the tool along it to get a good concave shape. One thing to stress here always keep the tool wet! If you don't it just pulls the Milliput back out.


This is the tool I use to make the weld marks, it's just a cocktail stick with the tip cut at an angle. The beauty of using this to do welds is you can change the size of the tool by cutting it off at different lengths. Also, dipping it in water keeps it damp for longer than other tools, and lets you keep working for longer;


Simply press it into the Milliput at an angle, and get the marks quite close together;


This is what you should end up with;


Just trim the excess away, and for more subtle welds take a brush dipped in water and smooth it out.
It is a tedious process, but adds to the detail!

Rear escape hatch

I have added the Schumo escape/loading hatch. This is a fantastic piece, but it takes a bit of reworking to fit.
It's still mounted on a resin block and has to be cut off and tidied up, and the hinge holes needed some drilling out.
Overall, its very well detailed and i'd highly recommend it!




I'm wondering whether to add a handle on a wire similar to the ones on King Tiger hatches. I haven't found pictures of Jagdpanther hatches open during wartime showing them, but I thought it would be a nice touch.
What do you guys think?

The eagle-eyed may notice I have opened up the spent shell and engine hatches. I wanted them to both be usable, and If I can I want to source a Maybach to go under the engine hatch.
If anyone can do a resin copy of the one from the Trumpeter King Tiger kit i'd be very happy! If not, i'll have to try and scratch build one.

You've really thought this through carefully, and planned well. I can't wait to see how it turns out (and what camo scheme you choose)! Like a lot of other people, I'm sure, I'll be watching this with interest. Best wishes!

Hi friends but I cannot see the images!!! Only the damned frog!!!!
Regards Daniel

I'm not sure why you can't see the images, they come up fine for me.

Rik .. as a lover of 1/16th scale i am enjoying this very much indeed .. i've got 5 16th scale tanks so far and will be adding another soon ,, ( i hope ) ,,keep it up mate ,,this is looking excellent

Phill

Thanks Phill. 1/16 is my prefered scale, 1/35 is far too small for my eyesight and fingers. I also love tiny details and this scale lets me add them.
I have a Tiger 1 waiting to enter the workshop after the Jagdpanther.

I have tried many times to get out of building RC tanks, but just keep getting sucked back in!

Quick question for those more in the know than me.
Were the attachments for the hatch hinges circled in the picture below welded to the hath or bolted?


I don't want to add weld seams if they're not on the real thing.

I also would like some detail shots of the periscopes and optics if anyone has some please?

Cheers,
Rik

Gunner's Sight

I have been considering the gunners sight, and I didn't like that it was molded in, so i've decided to have a go at making it move! Currently i've got it seperated and rebuilt, and while its not the cleanest piece of scratchbuilding i've ever done, it does move. I still need to build the mechanism to make it move with the traverse of the gun, but i'll do that once I get the gun mechanism installed.






It shouldn't be too hard to link it to the traverse, and will add a little bit more detail.

Spent shell hatch

I wanted all the hatches to open, so I got the spent shell hatch detailed and functional. Not a huge change, but adds to the detail.



I still need to tidy the opening, and make it a bit deeper to simulate the armour thickness.

Engine hatch

I also wanted the engine hatch open so I can eventually display a Maybach under there. Unfortunately I damaged one of the hinges trying to get it to work and im not entirely happy with my scratch built replacement.
I'm going to pick up a Panther top hull and try again.



The underside of the hatch needs a bit more detailling, but its mostly done. At some point i'll start scratchbuilding the engine.
If anyone has a Tamiya Jagdpanther or Panther and can make some resin copies of the hinges, that would be greatly appreciated!

Hull machine gun

One last bit to show today, I finished the hull machine gun. I wasn't happy with the lack of detail on the Tamiya MG so I got an Aber one. These aren't meant for the full option kits, but I managed to bore a hole in it and thread a piece of fibre optic through it. Its a small diameter fibre optic than the kit one, but still looks good!
The MG will also be servo controlled for that extra bit of detail.

Magnificent! And your statement about 1/35 scale models being too small for your eyesight and manual dexterity really hit home with me.

Please forgive me if I ask an extremely rude question, and bear in mind that I only do so as a complete newcomer to 1/16 scale. What would a project like this cost --- not merely the kit itself, but all the aesthetic upgrades you list in your first post here?

I trust many other Armorama patrons will understand when I say that my spouse, truly the light of my life, may take some gentle convincing that this is a reasonable expenditure on my part!

You can expect the kit to cost anywhere from $650.00 to $725.00. The radio gear about $100.00, depending on what you want to run.

Then the accessories like charger, battery (or more) detail parts to replace the kits offerings, paint, cement, solder, heat shrink, etc., can vary in price.

I have 5 built Tamiya RC 1/16th tanks and a few "other" 1/16th RC tanks as well with many more still to go.








~ Jeff

Wow!

A very impressive project,looks great