Just finished my first model of the year and first model completed after moving to a new house...

Built OOB with the addition of Friul tracks (and sprockets), hand-made canvas cover and added stowage.

I finished mine a couple of weeks ago - must say the hand-made roof is much better than the kit one. Like the finish you have achieved....

Amazingly beautiful model. Well Done! I especially love what you did with the cloth top. This has always been a weak area of an otherwise fine kit!

Best Regards

the Chassis Man

I also recently made this model. I did mine straight out of the box, and in fact your roof looks much better, now I regret that I did not change the. I really like your work.
Greetings.


Paweł

OK this comment is in no way meant to be critical of this wonderful model but does anyone have any prototype reference info on just how the gun was mounted to the vehicle chassis? The big block of cheese that comes with this kit that allows the gun to attach to the body sheet metal looks like something made up. It does not it any way look like something that could absorb the kick of this gun. Anyone????

I have the same kit. The only thing left to do is attache the gun. For the same reason you pointed out, I have not done this. I would say, use an I beam. But, I doubt this would be correct.

Thanks for the comments everybody!

Michael, man, now you're gonna make me improvise some canvas cover for the gun breech and controls (yep, properly documented), to cover up that hunk of plastic that now stands out - to my eyes too - like a sore thump...... a big one too!!!

I'll try to find some more reference and solve this. Anybody have anything...? Anybody.....? Frenchy you receiving this?????

Just found this over in Axis history forum:



Matt, I think it should be some help to you, see that angled beam at the lower right hand side og the gun? Looks like a support to take the recoil... Makes more sense than Italeri's "Big Block of Cheese"...

Also this one:

FROM LEXIKON DER WEHRMACHT



Also in these pics the gun looks much lower to the hull than Italeri have mounted it......

I can see some emergency surgery coming up....

And these two:

BOTH FROM AXIS HISTORY FORUM
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=175429





They even have the carriage legs attached!!!!!!! Just took the wheels off a PaK38 and unceremoniously schlepped it on a sdkfz10 and away we go.....

I took a long look at the photo up above and I think I'm on to something:



I have outlined in red the "Big Block of Cheese" support that Italeri have crudely replicated. Seems to me that its a multi part setup.

And in blue I have outlined the angled support to the rear that is missing altogether from the kit.

Opinions?

To be honest, I chose this kit for its ease of assembly. I'm not ready to dive into surgery, just yet. Think I will try to find a few more photos and clear off some shelf space. The ones you have shared are very nice. I'll check a couple of other military history forums, to see if I can dig up some further information. Also, I think it would be safe to go by how other vehicles have the set up for the pak. I just don't see engineers redesigning a "block of cheese". If nothing else, a "what if" model based on educated guesses may be what the doctor ordered.