Trumpeter 1/16 Panther G Early Version

[BlackMax12]

It finally arrived. Now to see what kind of mess I can make. Only 2300+ pieces after all.

 

[Soeren]

Start it, start it now!

[BlackMax12]

Soeren

 

I have been working on jigsaw puzzles to while away the time waiting for this Panther to arrive and I have puzzle #7 about half finished. Since the boss lady wants to

keep that one and it's hogging my table I guess I have to finish that before cutting any plastic.

 

BTW they had two of these at the LHS and something is telling me I need one in 3 color camo and one in whitewash....hhmmmmm....wonder if I can

sneak the second one past SWMBO??  Or maybe I should wait to see if Trumpeter brings out a Late Panther or Heaven forbid, a Jagdpanther in 1/16.

I'll buy that for sure.

 

They also had 2 more 1/16 Jagdtigers and a Heng Long 1/16 RC King Tiger with the Henschel turret and optional metal tracks,  Then there was a 1/200 Yorktown carrier

and a 1/350 Nimitz. Sure glad I paid off my VISA card last month. Also the 1/35 RFM Jagdpanther with interior, another possible buy.  Sort of a feast or famine, nothing

much for months then everything at the same time.

 

Too many toys, too little time. (or money)

 

Lloyd

 

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by BlackMax12

[Soeren]

And you bought all of them?!

[BlackMax12]

No, just the one Panther today but the second Panther probably next week before someone else grabs it.

 

Consider it started and that's a 1/35 Meng Panther A sitting beside. That's all for today as I'm back to the puzzle.

 

I did take all of the sprues out and checked them against the instructions. 2300+ parts is sure an awful lot of pieces.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by BlackMax12

[BlackMax12]

Got a question for all of the Panther experts out there.

 

I know the Panther tracks were "handed" and there was a rubbing plate behind the tracks that pushed the pins back into place as the tracks rotated.

Trumpeter gives you plastic pins with a head or knob on one end to join the links. My question is does the head or knob go on the outside or inside depending on

which side the track is on?  That's the only difference I can see between the track links, other than maybe the ribs on the cleats face different directions

depending on which side they are on.

 

Thanks,

 

Lloyd

[BlackMax12]

Now I feel kind of dumb, not unusual.

 

I didn't realize that Trumpeter supplied different links depending on which side they are installed on. So I've assembled all 86 links for the right side and so far only 6 links for the left.

In the pictures the right side track is on the left and the pins go in from the inside. There's a little nubbin on the outside of the link that the pin protrudes through. The right side is

complete with 86 links and ice cleats installed on every 4th link and is just waiting for 172 teeth to be installed, two per link. That's a tomorrow job as I didn't intend to start this today

but what the heck, the jigsaw puzzle isn't going anywhere.

 

[Soeren]

According yor pin description I would say you laid them out correctly. When looking at Panther pictures or kit artwork, I would say the links need to be flipped by 180. So the trapezoid impressions are facing narrow side down when looking at them from the front. Your right track would go left and the left to the right then

Trumpeter artwork shows it like your setup. Maybe both options were used?

Edited March 9, 2019 by Soeren

[BlackMax12]

Thanks Soeren

 

Here it is as of this morning. I guess I can say it is started. There are roughly 96 pieces in that suspension

without the wheels, pretty complicated and why they used two torsion bars per axle is strange. Bit of a PITA

to get it all stuffed into the lower hull and lined up so the axles fit.  The transmission and final drive and rear bulkheads are just dry fitted

so they can be removed for paint but everything else is mounted permanently (I hope)

Too bad most will go unseen.

 

There are no teeth on that track yet, it's just to see if 86 links are the right length and it seems ok.

 

[BlackMax12]

After that marathon last night all I've got done today is assemble the second track run and the 12 spare links.

That's a total of 794 pieces with the 368 teeth I have yet to install. Not in a big hurry to glue 2 teeth per link.

 Still lots better than the Rye Field 1/35 Abrams tracks with their 960+ pieces, that's crazy with 6 pieces per link.

 

Before going too much further I have to mix up some off white and red primer and dust off the airbrush.

 

Lloyd

[Ozzy]

Watching with internet Lloyd, I’ve got the Takom 1/35 kit.

[BlackMax12]

Thanks Ozzy

 

Here it is today. More interior work but still lots to go. Started the engine but it still needs lots of detail, just needed to fit it in place to

line up everything back there. Most parts just dry fitted for now.

 

[BlackMax12]

Here it is as of this evening. Interior mostly finished but working on painting and decaling shells to fill all of those racks.

 Then I guess I have to eventually start adding all of those teeth to the track links, not looking forward to that. Then some wheels, some

paint on the outside and call this done.

 

Went to the LHS yesterday to pick up the second 1/16 Panther and it's gone, someone grabbed it. Probably just as well as there

are some extra pieces in this kit that look like they belong to a "late" Panther G so maybe I'll wait or maybe, just maybe, there is a

1/16 Jagdpanther coming. That would be excellent. There are 2 Jagdtigers in 1/16 scale at the LHS and I'm awful tempted to build

Jagdtiger #3 but in a different camo and maybe some whitewash thrown in.

 

Anyway here is the Panther.

 

[Jack Klugman]

Well this is coming together fast. 

 

Nice job

[mick]

great work

[sinnerboy]

very nice sir!

[Rogue705]

Looking good, making me itch to start my 1/16 T34/76 🙂

 

[BlackMax12]

Thanks Jack

 

Now working on all of those track teeth, 132 of 172 teeth done on the first track and getting cross-eyed. I'm

thinking I'll switch back to shell painting for the rest of today.

 

Thanks Mick

 

Thanks Sinnerboy

 

Thanks Rogue

 

Here is the WIP for my 1/16 T-34/85 and the RFI if these help with your project.

 

Lloyd

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by BlackMax12

[BlackMax12]

Here it is this afternoon. Ran out of dark yellow paint of course.

The upper hull is just sitting loosely so ignore the big gap at the rear and the tow clevis jammed up

under the fender on the right front.

Interior needs some weathering then finish the yellow and on to the 3 color camo.

Oh, take the tracks back off too for some paint and dirt. Tools, cables and spare tracks then

she's pretty much done.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by BlackMax12

[RT Nevada]

This is coming together great! The full interior kits look like so much fun.

[BlackMax12]

Thanks RT

 

Yes it's fun, a little tedious but fun. At least the parts are big enough in 1/16 scale for these old eyes and

fingers, there's just so many of them.

 

Lloyd

 

 

[Rogue705]

Looks great, shame to cover it up 👍

 

P.S. Fully understand old eyes and fingers, same here 🙂

[Rumblestripe]

Looks great, as someone else has said, it seems a shame to seal that away never to be seen again. Might it be possible to make the top "shell" removable using neodymium magnets? (Mind those little divvils are so strong it still might be impossible to remove!)

 

Just thinking, is all, not a criticism.

[BlackMax12]

Thanks Rumblestripe

 

The upper hull and the turret shell are both removable and they just pop into place. One has to be careful picking it up though, need to

grab it below the side sponsons or the top comes off and it's a big "oops". I will install some of the side armor plates, they just hang off

of the mounts and then it becomes even trickier to pick up. Once it's on it's own shelf though it won't require much moving.

 

Still waffling over a normal 3 color camo or a beat up white wash. Decisions, decisions............

 

Lloyd

[Soeren]

Nice progress.