Imitation-sincerest form of flattery?
When the invading Wehrmacht encountered the Soviet union's T-34 tank for the first time, panic ensued. Here was a monster that deflected anti-tank rounds with ease, with mud-beating wide tracks, high mileage diesel power, and a nice long 7.62 mm gun. Quickly the word went out-copy that! 2 prototypes were ordered, the one from Diamler-Benz looking like the one you see here. Sloping armor, wide tracks rear drive, big a-- gun and a diesel. I happen to think this baby is MUCH better looking than the MAN version which became everybody's beloved Panther, but that's just me.
Amusing Hobby's (love that name) fairly new 1/35 scale kit is a nice one, going together real easy. Only glitch is the durn tracks, individual links that use Hobby-Boss type tiny pins to hold the links together. An assembly jig is provided but it's still tedious. But it's doable all the same.
I wanted the just out of the assembly shop look, using German reddish primer on the hull, and the unpainted turret just added. I hear the turret never was put on this thing, but it looks good on it anyway. Model Master "Rot" mixed with some burnt Umber gave me my pink, the Turret is mostly MM Gunmetal metallizer, with some shading. Panther ausf D's look soooo boring now...
8 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Craig Abrahamson said on October 18, 2015
Well...at least the color is appropriate for October (Breast Cancer Awareness month).
p.s. it also looks like a pretty good match for those pesky Corsair wheel wells. 🙂
Bill Koppos said on October 18, 2015
Salmon! Of course I knew I had seen that somewhere. Actually I think it needs a touch of rust color but...too late.
Da dum, da dum, da dum de dum dedum
George Williams said on October 18, 2015
I like it, Bill, really nice finish on that turret.
Tom Cleaver said on October 18, 2015
Very interesting. Good looking model.
Simon Whitney said on October 19, 2015
Nice Bill, like the "pink" primer...
It could of gone into the "Panzy" Brigade.
Rob Pollock said on October 19, 2015
The tracks look great. I don't usually like AFVs looking so clean, but this one has a lot going for it.
Bill Koppos said on October 20, 2015
Thank you kindly, Gentlemen.
Seamus Boughe said on October 20, 2015
Aesthetically, I prefer the MAN version of the Panther . However, this baby has its own set of charms in a "Steam Punk" sort of way (especially that exhaust system). That turret looks like an iron fist and would have been just as pulverizing had this "Paper Panzer" gone into production. Nice work all around!