Panzer V Panther A, Takom 1/35

[Lazy Modeller]

Looking gorgeous!

Cheers

LM

 

[Marco1965]

Enjoying the final assembly stages of this kit.  Tackling the radiooperator and commander figures was not avoidable anymore... I wanted to get close to the positions of these in the reference picture.

I had to modify the legs positions, length, arms etc.  Had some resin hands which came in handy, as Dragon figures are not specially known for having realistic hands... I accentuated the clothes folds and edges with a dremel to make it more realistic, and used green putty to cover all the "surgery" that the figures underwent.  Key was that the arms-hands rest properly on the tank surface, that was the most difficult part to achieve.

 

 

I painted the uniforms according to the "Erbsenmuster" pattern, using Light Earth (I used Light Earth instead of Dark Earth, and I think it looks better), Dark Green, Green and a mix of Light Earth+White 1:1.  I added shade-light using artist oils.

 

I think the results are pretty convincing for the scale, compared to a real Erbsenmuster pattern. 

 

I added the headset/microphone cables, as well as the binocular straps.

 

Once finished, both figures fit great into their hatches.

 

Lots of accessories to be added.  Water jerrycan attached to the back of the tank (no reason for it to be water, could have been gasoline, but well, this time it will be water)

 

Still pending complete weathering.

 

Some stuff added to the right of the turret, helmets, water cans and bags are Tamiya, wood box is, well, wood, and the pan was made from thin metal sheet.

 

On the left side, there was only a wooden box, similar to the one on the other side, and what seems to be a blowtorch, which I scratchbuilt, you can see it attached to the rearmost spare track, still not painted.  As reference, I took one of the several types of blowtorches used by the Germans in WWII, that fit the size.

 

 

And next, the three wooden stools that 96 carried on the engine cover, the milk can and finally the base which I hope will simulate part of the road and bushes behind the tank.   

 

Marco

[mbthejester]

That is some awesome work done there, very well done indeed 👍

[Longbow]

Very nice work !!

[echen]

Great detail on the Panther. The crew equipment round the turret makes it look like a real "home from home". Those cam suits are spectacular. I had aspirations to try a couple of 1/72 tankers in a similar pattern but seeing the intricacy of the pattern I think my crews will be in black overalls.

[Marco1965]

57 minutes ago, echen said:

Great detail on the Panther. The crew equipment round the turret makes it look like a real "home from home". Those cam suits are spectacular. I had aspirations to try a couple of 1/72 tankers in a similar pattern but seeing the intricacy of the pattern I think my crews will be in black overalls.

In 1/72!!!!  Oh man that would be microscopic work!!!  Would be interesting to see what kind of effect can be obtained in that scale without needing to paint all those dots.

 

Marco

[Marco1965]

Basically working on the accessories of the Panther, and on the base. Very characteristic of Befehlspanter 96 were the three wooden stools and the Milk can carried on the engine cover.  Absolutely a must.  I got the Milk can from Miniart, nice, and I had to sratchbuild the stools, using Evergreen strips and plastic sheet.

 

Looking at the pictures of Befehlspanther 96, my best guess was that these stools might have been like 50cm high, and I worked based on that premise.

 

 

I painted them tan, with a touch of yellow and red, not too convinding....  And primed the milk can in Gloss Black.

 

I applied tome artist oil, burnt umber and soft yellow, to simulate the wood.

 

Originally I had thought of painting one of them in whatever color, but I am pretty much satisfied with the wooden appearance, so the three of them will remain wood.

 

And the milk can, I applied Alclad aluminum, needs some weathering still.

Marco 

[Stef N.]

Great detailing Marco. Niiiice.👍

[edjbartos]

Everything is looking amazing Marco, lots of nice details, looks really great...

 

 Ed 

[Marco1965]

I like to show my models in their natural environment, and this would not be the exception.  The only available references of Befehlspanther 96, show it on what seems to be a rural road with hedgerows at both sides, the "bocages" of which everybody reading about D-Day and on has read.  With some reference pictures and "how-to" videos for dummies, I tacked the task of simulating a "bocage" for my Panther.  

 

I used a wood base and white foam to simulate the dirt under which the hedges grow on the hedgerows.  Some Faller putty came in handy to cover everything.

 

I then applied natural dirt, different sizes, until I got the desired effect.  In the original pictures there is a mark from the tank tracks on the side of the road, seems like it was parked there and turned a bit to the left to drive out, scratching the dirt.  I tried to simulate it as much as I could.

 

Using Woodland Scenics and other brands that I can´t remember now, I issued the vegetation of the hedgerow.

 

Little by little, until I reached the appearance of the real thing, at least I think I did... 😬 I simulated track marks on the road by pressing track segments into it, better than a boring gray road.  

 

And this is how it looks currently, I was afraid that it would not look natural, but it does!   Notice the leaves on the side of the tank hull, a tiny branch carried as "camo" on the tank, as seen in the original pictures.

 

Still working on this, just wanted to share it with you as I was in doubt whether I could make it look nice or not.  Well Hauptmann Pfannkuche has got now a "bocage" where to hide and Vait for Ze Amerikans!

 

Marco

Edited January 31, 2022 by Marco1965

[Marco1965]

I think that Befehlspanther 96 is complete!

 

   I added the wood stools and mild can to the engine deck, tied them down with ship rope.

 

 

The general layout looks like this.  The twos antennas, made of wire, are kept in place without glue, simply inserting them into hopes purposedly opened in their respective bases.  This to make transportation of the model safer.

 

Interior is vissible through the turret ring, the engine covers (not glued) and the driver-radiooperator deck (not glued either), son a decent amount of interior detail is visible.

 

The right side of the tank benefits of some additional equipment hanging from the turret.  Notice that there are no spare tracks on the right side of the hull, in fact I realized too late that in the real 96, the whole rack mas missing from the tank.  But well, let´s say this was before missing the rack... 😀

 

Woodland scenics, NOCH and other stuff from other brands (including couple branches from my own garden...) give a nice appearance to the "bocage".  The only discernible branch-leaves on the Panther in the reference pictures, is the small "bush" attached to the tank on the right side of the picture.  Something I would have like to have from Takom, is a clear part for the driver´s armored visor, and for the periscopes.

 

Hauptmann Pfannkucke and his Radiooperator, whose name escapes history records, must be looking at something interesting in Normandy.

 

A perspective from the other side of the base.  It provides a realistic perspective of how much you could hide behind a bocage.

 

One of the things I almost forgot, the blowtorch that goes attached to the spare tracks around the turret, scratchbuilt.

 

The base frame was tinted and painted with acrilic gloss varnish

 

And I realized at the very end that the rear cargo bin was still empty.  So I added whatever bits anmd pieces fit in, some weathering and dust still needed.  Notice how the knots for the thread keeping the wood stools attached to the engine vend grills, were simulated by simply issuing a knot, and pressing it inside of the PE grill, gluing them in place.

 

And now the only thing to do is take a couple of decent pictures and upload the final result to "ready for inspection"!

Marco

[Josebagasteiz]

I'm not into dioramas but I love your Panther!!!! 

[echen]

13 hours ago, Marco1965 said:

only thing to do is take a couple of decent pictures and upload the final result to "ready for inspection"!

and sit back with huge satisfaction at a build well done!

[Maddoxx77]

This is truly amazing work so far! The attention to detail and all the effects is so well done. I will follow this build closely.

👍👍👍👍

[Marco1965]

I was forgetting this detail, the cover for the bow MG position, when the MG was removed.  The cover hung from a thin chain.  Kit did not include cover nor chain, so I scratch built both.  And that is it.

Marco