A good read and a cold one….plus more RFM Panther..
So buying books has become more expensive as of late, I suppose specialty books always have been more spendy than a mainstream top seller, but still, ebay what the first Dual in the Mist goes for these days! The last time I spent upwards of $30 on a reference (fairly cheap I know) I was disappointed, it was a B-17 book and really had nothing new I couldn't find on the net. Nevertheless after reading glowing reviews about this gem I ordered it. Best reference money I have spent in years, the pictures are clear, the captions in Czech and English are concise and informative and the artwork wonderful, PLUS Thomas Jentz gives it praise in the forward. If you have any interest in the Panther, especially late war Gs in Czechoslovakia buy it! On to the Panther build. So far so good, the detail is amazing, one nit pick i that the commanders cupola sits too tall. These late war Panthers had bolted cupolas and as such had a small space between the cupola and the turret top. I simply sanded the bottom down, and then added some Mr Surfacer to smooth the whole thing together. The other pictures are of turret detail and the turret traverse, almost a kit in itself!
Good progress my friend! A good book is always an investment in knowledge so don't hesitate!
I agree with Michel...[plus] the latest generation doesn't read that much anymore.
And I hope this won't be one of those builds where time and effort (and money) are spent toiling away at details that won't be seen once completed. Come to think of it, isn't this the kit that has the clear parts that you're planning on painting anyway?
Yep, going to paint it, but the turret comes out so you can see most of that part, then down through the hull top. Also the plate above the drivers and radio operators position comes off as do most of the panels on the engine deck. The glacis plate comes as a separate piece, and if I can figure out how to keep it in place without gluing it, the hull part there can remain clear. Frankly though while building it seemed you would have had to be super careful to not mar any of the clear parts. Wicking got some on the underside of where I attached things to the roof. Not noticeable on painted plastic, but would have fogged and mucked up clear parts!
This looks like a great book. I also like the details on the inside of the turret roof. I'll be looking forward to seeing your next installment my friend. The Panther tank is one of my all time favorites.
I looked at the parts in my RMF Tiger last night. They are a very detailed kit manufacturer.
I'll bet you do a bang up job with this one. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks I bet the Tiger is great. If the instructions are like the Panthers definitely read through each step and be sure you get a clear picture of sequence. The sequence they want you to go in can be a little vague with some balloons and arrow calling for things to be done separate from what you are doing, but need to be done before you finish the step, if that makes sense! Also sometimes the sprue attachment points and locating pins are so tiny they blend together, I have cut off 2 so far thinking they were sprue stubs!
I'm in, Rob. Where's my card...
Looking good Rob. Great detail in there.
Great start, Rob! I really appreciate the great detail of the RFM models. If the Panther & the Tiger are on par with their M1s it will be a really top-of-the line work. Just from the pictures you've shared it seems so.