The Box Art

You have to ream out the center holes for mounting the Sprocket and idler wheels as the fit is to tight.

The lower hull is detailed verry nicely, rivits on the inside if you wanted to add an interior. Alot of the parts are mis numbered.

They give you 2 rear hull armor plates this one has 2 strips on the left edge for mounting the smoke generator
With this kit parts are provided to build an Ausf.E a Late Ausf. F or a Early Ausf. G model.

Just finished some more hull work.

There are a lot of options with this kit. I'm going to build it as a straight Ausf. E
They give you the parts to also do either a late Ausf. F or a early Ausf. G
The fit sofar is fairly good and molding is verry good.
The only problem sofar, is a lot of the parts on the instruction sheet are mixed up.
The person who does Dragons instruction sheets must have done this one too.
Happy Modeling
Donald

Good start Donald. Got this kiot also, so will be following your thread with interest.

Be careful wich rear hatch you use, the one marked C18 is for use if you are using the smoke candle box. otherwise use C19

I soldered the parts for the front fender supports they will have a lot of stress on them.
There are small nothhes behind where the fender suports go, they are for some white reflectors .according to my refrences they wern't used on a lot of these vehicles.

The opening in the right side will have to be enlarged to fit the side vishion block.
Well thats all for today
Donald

Both the opening for the gun barrel and the circular part on the back will have to be enlarged to fit ehe metal gun barrel and recoil cylinder. the plastic gun fits fine.

To ease assembly of the commanders cupola install D23, E29,and the two parts F13 to the flanges sticking up from the turret top. Then add part D13 and the three parts G1 after masking and installing the vishion blocks in them.
Top this all off with the hatch ring C14.
This is the easy way or you can try the instruction way (Good Luck There)

I was wondering how this kit went. I've been curious ever since I saw it listed as a new release in a FSM. I wonder if they'll be coming out with some different vehicles from the 38(t) base. Hetzer and the like.

Coming along nicely, Donald. Other than the few problems you pointed out so far, it looks like a good kit.

Thanks Bob.
It is verry nice. No mater what kit you get there is bound to be mistakes in the manufacturer of the kit, Fixing them is all the challenge of mogeling.
For example, in the picture above the instructins would have you assemble the parts for the commanders cupola seperatly and then install it on the turret roof.
It works a lot better installing the parts piece by piece to the turret roof.

It's ben a few days since I updated, I have been busy with the major painting.

Just one picture for now. I'm starting on the track next, that will be a job, individual links with two pins for each. Well atleast they are an easier size to handle than 1/35th. track.I'll have mor pics later.
Donald

I just finished the assembly of the track, here are a few pics.

The track is assembled by glueing in two short pins from the outside edge of the track. The pin with the head on it, according to my refrences goes toward the hull the otherone is on the outside. It is almost impossible to not get adhesive on the inside areas. If you want to make them workable you will have to drill out completely and make connector pins.

This pic is with the track dry fitted, I still have a little clean up tp do then paint them.It's easier to fit the track before you install the fenders.

Here the tracks are painted and detailed.

Well this one is finally finished.
I have eight mor pictures and a hint / short cut sheet that follows

The following four photos are to show the size of the built up kit. The smaller one is 1/35th. scale.





If the color seems a little light, it's the lighting. I used Model Master Panzer Gray and it is a lot darker in person.

This is ment to be a Sudjestion / Shortcut sheet, it should help you if you are going to build this kit.
#1 The gear drive covers for the sprockets are numbered C1 & C12 on the instructions they are actually C1 & C4, they are interchangeable and will fit on either side of the hull.
#2 Leave the tires and wheels off untill after the painting is done.
#3 The numbers for the wheel swing arms are reversed, if you enlarge the openings in the arms they can be made operable.
#4 Mount the wheels after painting them and before the fenders.
#5 Use the rear armor plate C13 real number C7 if using the smoke candle box.Otherwise use C4 real number C6
#6 You will have to enlarge the shaft openings on the sprocket and idler wheels or they will not fit.
#7 The front glacies plate and its door parts C6 & D19 are actually c12 & D17
#8 An early Ausf.G can be assembled by using all of the optional parts and moving the Notex light from the fender to the left front on the glacies plate.
#9 Use the engine covers with the rivets parts B5 & B6 for the Ausf.E and early Ausf.F use parts B9 & B10 for the early Ausf. G model. A regular Ausf. G can be made if you make a slide cover for the radiator on the top of the engine deck.
#10 Use C18 round rear engine cover if using the smoke candle box, otherwise use C19
#11 On the rear hull plate use E25 & 2 F22 for the Ausf.E or use E40 & 2ea. F24 for the Early Ausf.G
#12 For the gun assembly you will have to enlarge the openings in the mantlet part D12 if you are using the metal gun barrel (it's nice) The un numbered part on the right side of the breech block is part E45 the gunsight part E22 is not numbered on the instructions.The truniln mounting blocks parts F29 are actually numbered F30.
#13 THIS STEP IS CRITICAL
The instructions would have you assemble the commanders cupola separtly and then install it to the turret top.
The easy way is to fasten the 2 parts F13 to the rear on the protrusions arround the hatch area, then add D23 to the left front , and E29 to theright front. Next install D13 with its clear parts to the front between D23 & E29. Next install the 3 parts G1 with their clear parts over the remaining openings. Top this all off with the hatch cover ring part C14 (I would sudjest masking the clear parts before installing them.

Well this covers about all for this model.
Happy Modeling, and good luck
Donald

Link is Gone

I thought this kit included an interior?

This one didn't, there is rivet detail on the inside of the hull. Maby there is another kit out there.
Donald

I've never seen anyone mentioning this kit has an interior.

hi
i just about finished the kit and must admit looks good but not impressed for the size and money, compared to a Tamiya Centurion 1/25 that maybe old but the fit and detail is far better than the 38.
its put me off 1/16 scale
ossie

I don't really care for Pandas kits I just built this one for something different to work on.
I currently have a build going on here on Trumpeters 1/16th. Panzer IV now that is really a monster.
Donald

I think you could find 10 German tanks in gray painted with the same paint on the same day...and in a couple of weeks out in the field all 10 of them would be different shades.