Panzer IV Ausf. J Made in Austria from RFM kit

[dov]

 

Hallo

 

 

 

This is one Panzer IV Ausführung J, the last variant, made in Austria.

The production site is in Upper Austria close to the city Linz.

The interior kit from RFM is quite different organized from MiniArt.

I built the Ausführung H from MiniArt.

In both kits, the major issue is the installation sequence.

If you work approximately, as the instruction tells you, you may succeed of fail.

If you work as the instruction tells you, you also fail.

The main difference, the RFM call out for getting the hull done first, installation from engine onward afterward.

MiniArt installs all the engine, interior and gear unit, break units at first, and I struggled getting the hull side walls glued correct together.

One tiny mistake tortured me until the finish of the model!

The position of the rear bulkhead was 0,5mm too far to the left.

No location pins to prevent inaccuracy in sideward direction!

 

 

Back to my present RFM build: Good idea, the hull fits great.

The installation afterward, is not so simple, since the rigid side walls width does not forgive anything.

It is not flexible! The installation of the front gear box, is such an issue.

The support beams gets the holding pins off for the gear box, otherwise installation is impossible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The break unit for the right and left hand side, oooh!

Here the instruction shows you just one unit, not the mirror way!

If you build your first time such a tank, this issue may drive you crazy.

 

 

The next thing I did, was drilling the support beam and gear box, to fix the gear box with a piece of plastic rod, moved inward at this very front position when it is in place.

All the way round, multiple thinking is necessary, to do things correct.

Well, tomorrow I want to spray.

 

Happy modelling

[dov]

Hallo

It is finished. Some pics to see the progress. In the instruction are some stumbling rocks.

Pats not indicated by number to install.

You just find it, if you know the tank, or you see differences on the instruction in comparison to your build.

Anyway, some parts are from design Monday parts. The front searchlight. The socket is such an example.

Anyway, in some aspects be careful at reference, if you have to install many parts in a queue or column.

The kit is quite fine overall.

Happy modelling