C
CharleyGnarlyP290
Guest
The Panzer IV is complete.
This kit was an exercise in nostalgia for me. In the mid-'70s a friend introduced me to the Monogram Armor Series. My first tank kit was the Sherman Calliope "Screamin' Mimi." After that, I built (in no particular order) the Wirbelwind, a few StuGs, US Halftrack with twin .50 MGs in an anti-aircraft mount, German 8 wheeled armored car (Sdkfz 232, I think) the US Jeep towing a 37mm anti-tank gun, the US Halftrack personnel carrier with troops... I could go on. I instantly became enthralled with armor, and that is what I have built primarily since.
This particular kit built up exactly as the ones I built back then. This was a re-release of the original which was first molded in 1970. For such an old kit, it actually wasn't that bad to build. Everything fit like it was supposed to, and cleanup wasn't too bad. Detail was pretty good for an old kit and there are not many parts. I would definitely recommend this kit for a beginner. Easy to follow instructions, and no surprises. One improvement on this re-release in comparison to the original is track fit. On the original Panzer IV based Monogram kits, the tracks were slightly short, creating some serious tension on the running gear. On all of my kits the idlers ended up angled out due to excess tension. The newer release has corrected this. The tracks fit snug, but nowhere near tight, so the idlers don't get tweaked.
A few of the really nice things about this kit are the addition of optional battle damaged schurzen, pre-weathered/damaged decal option and the figures. The battle damage was covered in an earlier post, but I like the way it looks. The decals are nice as well because it gives a person the option to apply some scratched up decals or factory fresh.
But, the most surprising thing about this kit is the quality of the figures. First off, they look closer to 1/35 scale (considering the vehicle is 1/32) so they could be used for other kits. Next, is the detail of the figures. I have some tamiya figures from the same time frame and newer, and these figures are much better in detail and molding. There was a mold seam to deal with, but it was easy to deal with.
So, in short, for a kit of this age, I have absolutely no complaints. It was a fun build and could easily be knocked out in a few days... paint, weathering and all.
And, without further adieu, here is the Monogram Panzer IV.
This kit was an exercise in nostalgia for me. In the mid-'70s a friend introduced me to the Monogram Armor Series. My first tank kit was the Sherman Calliope "Screamin' Mimi." After that, I built (in no particular order) the Wirbelwind, a few StuGs, US Halftrack with twin .50 MGs in an anti-aircraft mount, German 8 wheeled armored car (Sdkfz 232, I think) the US Jeep towing a 37mm anti-tank gun, the US Halftrack personnel carrier with troops... I could go on. I instantly became enthralled with armor, and that is what I have built primarily since.
This particular kit built up exactly as the ones I built back then. This was a re-release of the original which was first molded in 1970. For such an old kit, it actually wasn't that bad to build. Everything fit like it was supposed to, and cleanup wasn't too bad. Detail was pretty good for an old kit and there are not many parts. I would definitely recommend this kit for a beginner. Easy to follow instructions, and no surprises. One improvement on this re-release in comparison to the original is track fit. On the original Panzer IV based Monogram kits, the tracks were slightly short, creating some serious tension on the running gear. On all of my kits the idlers ended up angled out due to excess tension. The newer release has corrected this. The tracks fit snug, but nowhere near tight, so the idlers don't get tweaked.
A few of the really nice things about this kit are the addition of optional battle damaged schurzen, pre-weathered/damaged decal option and the figures. The battle damage was covered in an earlier post, but I like the way it looks. The decals are nice as well because it gives a person the option to apply some scratched up decals or factory fresh.
But, the most surprising thing about this kit is the quality of the figures. First off, they look closer to 1/35 scale (considering the vehicle is 1/32) so they could be used for other kits. Next, is the detail of the figures. I have some tamiya figures from the same time frame and newer, and these figures are much better in detail and molding. There was a mold seam to deal with, but it was easy to deal with.
So, in short, for a kit of this age, I have absolutely no complaints. It was a fun build and could easily be knocked out in a few days... paint, weathering and all.
And, without further adieu, here is the Monogram Panzer IV.
