Well, not COMPLETELY different, I guess, seeing as I alluded to it a couple of posts back.
I put together the Revell PzKfw IV last week and painted it up too. It certainly was a bit more involved than the old Airfix kits of my youth - the tracks on each side were made up of about 24 separate plastic parts - but they did fit together with admirable German precision, so I am quite happy with the result.
I have not applied the transfers that are supplied for the simple reason that I have always hated working with transfers - around 50% of the time, I mess them up and they end up rumpled, in the wrong place or at the wrong angle....I haven't decided yet if I will risk trying to apply them to this kit!
The kit in all its devilish detail
Part of the very detailed instruction sheet
The model after a couple of hours work
Instructions showing the wheel and track assembly, which was definitely the worst part
A couple of views of the completed kit
With a couple of 20mm AB Miniatures German tank riders
A different angle
Three shots of the painted model
With four Valiant Miniatures hard plastic 20mm German infantry
Size/scale comparison - Plastic Soldier Co 20mm Sdkfz 251 on left and an Airfix 1/72 Panther on the right
Following are a couple of images from our Sunday walk at Harkers Reserve, Tuakau. I think I blogged this place previously but not sure how long ago... so I didn't take many pictures.
Above and below - the destination reached after approx 45 mins of walking - a nice little waterfall
View of the surrounding countryside on the return trip.
Blimey, those models are much more complex than when I was a kid with Airfix and Matchbox kits! Zvezda have hit the right note with their kits IMHO.
ReplyDeleteGreat scenery which is nice to see as we are confined to barracks, so my normal bike and walking routes off limits until the end of February at the least!
Thanks Steve...I dud a couple if Armourfast kits a few years ago ...they are great, about six or eight parts! People here are starting to get a bit nervous about the new strains of Covid...there was even a rumour the Govt was about to a ounce a new lock down, even though we have no known cases in the community.....
DeleteLots and lots and lots of wheels :-)
ReplyDeleteNice job and the tank riders are very nicely posed, I will look at those.
Yes indeed Norm. The AB Miniatures are rather nice, I have some Russians too...
DeleteNice job on the kit, Keith! Your camo work is impressive. I am not familiar with the Revell kits but when I was very young, I built a lot of Hasegawa armor kits in 1/72. I recall many pieces in those kits too. Who knows if that memory is true. Lovely waterfall.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan. I also built a few Hasegawa and also Esci kits as a teenager...their tracks were rubberised, like Airfix, from memory? I as quite dubious about the tracks being modelled from plastic...eight individual pieces around each ens wheel, but it actually all worked very well...
DeleteThat was so very long ago but I, too, think the tracks were rubberized.
DeleteLovely looking pzkfw IV its come out really well, rather you than me on the complex build!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain, it made a bit of a change but I wouldn't want to be doing this type of modelling on a regular basis!
DeleteVery cool kit and fine camo work, Keith! Nice scale (20mm-1/72nd) too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dean, the camo isn't quite as vibrant as your FT 17', but seemed to match the artwork on the box. We chose 20mm rather than 28mm for our WWII project precisely because there is a huge number of 1/72 kits available to use as support options!
DeleteThe tracks look fun :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it was matchbox that used to supply rubber tracks which were easy to fit on their kits... There does seem to be a real rise in the uptake of kits in the past 12 months. I see Airfix made there first profile in 10 years... A pandemic winner?
Cheers
Stu
Thanks Stu - I am pretty sure ALL the model tanks of my youth had the rubberised track arrangement in one for or another - this is the first kit have ever built where the tracks are modelled in hard plastic - I was dubious but actually, it worked very well. No pandemic related kit building from me - I built it because I was given it for free - no other reason! It turned out ok though.....
DeleteNice work Keith, but those kits look like they would test my patience, especially the multi-part tracks. The end result is worth it though.
ReplyDeleteCheers Lawrence the kit wasn't too bad really, I just like to be dramatic!
DeleteI practically did a spit take when I saw the complexity of the instructions and that sprue. Nice job putting it together and painting it up. 😀
ReplyDeleteHahaha...thanks Stew! It didn't tempt me to get into model kit construction, that's for sure, but it turned out well.
DeleteThat’s turned out nicely Keith...
ReplyDeleteI am afraid,I really don’t like building kits... I think it’s probably the only time I get impatient in a hobby scenario... especially when a tiny piece falls/pings on to the floor and vanishes into another dimension .
All the best. Aly
Oh yes I totally agree Aly - and it happened, more than once - and I have had to leave the turret permanently at the angle you see in the photos because the turret extra armour doesn't clear all the obstructions along the edge of the vehicle when rotating - spare wheels etc - so obviously, I didn't position everything exactly as I should have!
DeleteNice looking tank, I hope the rubicon pz3 I have is a lot easier to put together ....the difference between wargame models and model makers models !
ReplyDeleteYes agreed Matt - I have done a few "Armourfast" and they have about ten to fifteen parts - and are perfectly adequate for gaming!
DeleteThat's a crackin kit Keith!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray, it turned out well in the end, so maybe was worth the effort!
DeleteOh, so many details! Stunning work on assembling and painting, Keith. Camo looks great 👍
ReplyDeleteThank you Dmitry. Putting it all together was a bit of a mission but it turned out nicely
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