Here are some more pictures from the progress on the Panzer Mk IV
The kit comes with individual track links. Here I have assembled a short run of spare track blocks that will be mounted on the front slope.
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1. Holes for towing hooks
2. Holes for towing hooks
3. PE track mounting brackets
The kit also supplied PE brackets to use for mounting these tracks. Here you can see what it looks like once they were glued in place. The late model J version did now have a welded on towing connector / pintle on the front slope. However the holes were there. These were used on the earlier versions, but since this is a late war tank, many things were done to simplify and speed construction. The side armor was modified much like a King Tiger and the towing hooks were actually a part of the armor on this version.
I have since used a thin sheet of plastic card stock to cover the entire front slope. This not only looked better, but it was also easier and I didn't have to worry about filling any holes here.
The upper hull was glued in place permanently, and clamped in place. It was left overnight to dry before the clamps were removed.
The Toma screen style side skirt brackets were assembled... This was a complicated assembly, made up of approximately 20 parts per side.
Here these skirt brackets were glued in place.
I had to place the turret on the hull for this photo op session... It really looks like a Mk IV now !
These are the remaining PE parts left that are necessary to make the screen style Toma side skirts.
The kit also provides a section of screen material to make the skirts out of. You can see the kit supplied decals as well.
These are the remaining parts left to be added. It is mainly OVM tools and the like. The parts will be painted and installed once the paint and decal work is completed.
The entire model was sprayed using some of my dwindling Model Master enamel paint. 1943 Dunkelgelb... I wish they still made this stuff as it was fantastic.
Here you can see the freshly painted hull...
Followed by the turret. I'm really getting stoked now !
Once again, I couldn't help myself, so I placed the turret on the hull again... Don't worry though, as it will be back off a minute later.
The road wheels were also sprayed.
Here you can see just how big the Panzer Mk IV was when compared to the M4 Sherman's/ The Mk IV is actually a larger tank...
The rubber portion of the road wheels were painted using a dark gray color. Once dry, they were permanently installed. I'm happy to report that all of the wheels sit flat on the ground. The tank sits perfectly level and all of the wheels make contact with the ground.
The individual track links were then assembled and installed. I use cotton bud Q-tips to make the tracks appear like they are sagging. Once the track has dried the cotton buds are removed. The end result looks really nice when done properly.
This last photo shows how the tracks look when done.
I couldn't be more pleased ! I know this is the older Dragon kit, and some people have had a hard time with it. Maybe I just got lucky, but it is turning out to be a very nice build so far.
I have been doing some research on these late model J tanks. Most of them were painted at the factory in the "Late War" ambush scheme.
I have found an excellent source that shows a 5 view illustration that is based on actual pictures of the real tank. This is exactly what was needed.
I'll post the information about this soon.
Now you can see how the Mk IV looks on the work bench. This installment has brought the project up to date now.
I'll be spraying the three color ambush scheme next, so please stay tuned for a future update.
As always comments are encouraged. Thanks for stopping by !