I have one of these kits:
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dragon-6917-panther-ausff-w-night-sight-and-air-defense-armor--1140912
As far as I can tell in production the real thing would have had rubber rimmed wheels because the steel ones damaged the track.
Am I right please?

According to Dragon's website :

"Steel-rimmed “silent bloc” wheels of 800mm diameter, which saved on dwindling supplies of rubber, were introduced in a very limited number of Panther Ausf.G produced by MAN in September 1944, and again in a batch dating from March-April of 1945 (introduced from chassis no. 121052). Such steel wheels had been successfully used on late-model Tiger I tanks and also on the Tiger II. These steel road wheels were also to be standardized on the updated Panther Ausf.F, a tank that never reached fruition."

H.P.

Walter Spielberger cited damage to the hollow track guide teeth as the reason that the experimental use of steel wheels on Panthers was halted in 1944. Panthers were supposed to resume use of steel wheels in May, 1945, but a new track design was also supposed to be used, with a single solid center guide on alternate links. This track was never developed, so it's anybody's guess what the Panther F would have used, had it entered production. The Daimler Benz factory outside Berlin was not known to have any steel wheels on hand when it was captured by the Russians in April, 1945. There were three incomplete Panther F hulls photographed on the assembly line. It's not known if any F turrets were present, and the factory was empty when American inspectors eventually arrived.
Thomas Jentz does not address any of this, so perhaps he doubted Spielberger's sources (he insisted on written documentation or physical examples to examine, and Spielberger may have relied on interviews).