Sd.Kfz. 179 Bergepanther. Italeri 1/35

[Mini Me]

Three color would be my choice!
Cheers, Rick H.

 

[minitnkr]

Mine too. PaulE

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Great modelling Ian.

 

[scottie3158]

Ian,
The jib looks very good with the changes you have made. 3 colour for me as well.

 

[MikeC]

Thanks for the encouraging words.
@Mini Me there are so many that had unit level custom changes, you can almost do what you want. The bulkhead between the winch and driver compartment a good example. From hatched and sliding doors to just a hole.
@MikeC Cheers, still trying to find some clear plastic to whittle some out of.
@Si Benson Trust me, If I had the choice, I would have gone for the Takom or Meng job. I got this in a job lot yonks ago.

Any how. About this crane/boom. After a lot of trial and epic fails, I decided to do an 'easy' fix. All the booms where measured off and then cut out leaving just the brackets. Those were drilled out and brass rod or tube CA'ed in. Bent up a hook for the top of the mast and made a rod with two soldered eye loops. A length of chain was the hard part. ended up buying a chain from a hobby shop. (For making necklaces with)
View attachment 330352


View attachment 330353
It might look OK with a bit of paint on. The Winch siding is only loose at the moment to make sure all fits and nothing is in the way.
Hope to get the PE fret soon so I can get the grills on and a few other bits. I must say that generally the plastic parts are pretty good and after a bit of clean-up and accentuating work as well as the PE will. I have had to buy it though as the Kits PE was missing and I needed the grills for the motor room vents.
Then I can start painting the thing.
Pop quiz:- Plain Yellow or three colour?

Cheers.

Old CD cover....

 

[Ian M]

Old CD cover....

it would have to be old Havn't bought a CD in nearly 30years. lol
I found a bit of thick clear plastic sprue and filed it to shape and polished it with the old canopy polishing stick. Good enough.
So that sorted I could start putting the sub assemblies together, and start sorting out all the little bit.

Had a bit of bother getting the top of the Hull to match up at both ends with the bottom. I thunk that the seam at the front is going to be easier to fill than the one at the rear... We will see.

Need a lick of paint on the back of those sight block! ops.
Spent the next couple of hours making cable end eyes, cleaning up the tools and such. All of which are now primed and waiting for some paint...

If any one can help here I would be much obliged. The Fire extinguisher (I think it is any way) that goes on the out side of the hull. Would this have been painted in the dark yellow, or where they brass....
On a more general note were the Germans in the habit of removing all tools and cables when they painted "in the field" or did everything get painted....?

 

[prichrd1]

Ian,

From what I know the Germans removed the tools when painting a vehicle in the field.
as for the fire extinguisher - they were left red colour inside the vehicles, but painted as
per the vehicle colour externally.

There is an article on "missing lynx" somewhere.

HTH,

Paul.

 

[prichrd1]

Ian,

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-...-external-fire-extinguishers.html#post7046466

 

[prichrd1]

Ian,

Here you go:-

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missinglynx/external-fire-extingushers-t33586.html#p705109

About half way down there are a further 5 separate links to other pictures and discussions.

Paul.

 

[Ian M]

Good on ya Paul Cheers.
Right then, the madness begins!
Postie came with a little pack, part of which was the PE fret for this. So CA and gorilla grip glue found and a polish the glasses.

The biggest reason I needed the PE was due to the kits Fret was missing and I needed the grills.

Then I sort of started to look what else there is that I could use....


I have folded the tool boxes and they need a bit of paint inside befor I fit them.
As per the norm for PE parts there are a good few that are PE for PE's sake if you ask me. So nope they are not all getting used.
There are a good few I will use though as they are prominent.
Paint! Vallejo Model air! It dont take long to get through a bottle of that stuff. When I think of how many models I have painted with A single Model Color of for that case a tin of Humbrol, I am amazed that one bottle of model Air vanishes after two models.
We live and learn. More Paint is on the way.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ian
Really thoughtful work. Very neat and sorted, The floor, the sides, the winch, the interior - all looking great.
Jim

 

[grumpa]

I agree with Jim, all very proper and technical, not a jumbled chaotic mess like my work.
Am watching as I hope to build one someday, though I'm starting to see yours will be a hard act to follow

Cheers, Jim.

 

[Mini Me]

Jim has pretty much covered it all. Si, this is moving along quicker than I expected. I shall be dropping by more frequently in the future.
Cheers, Rick H.

 

[Ian M]

Hi Ian
Really thoughtful work. Very neat and sorted, The floor, the sides, the winch, the interior - all looking great.
Jim

Thanks! You should see the work bench though! Not much neat and sorted about that! lol

I agree with Jim, all very proper and technical, not a jumbled chaotic mess like my work.
Am watching as I hope to build one someday, though I'm starting to see yours will be a hard act to follow

Cheers, Jim.

Cheers Jim. I am sure that you will do it just fine. I suggest that you go for one of the newer kits though. Both Takom and Meng have made one. Both look rather good.

Jim has pretty much covered it all. Si, this is moving along quicker than I expected. I shall be dropping by more frequently in the future.
Cheers, Rick H.

Thanks Rich. The weather has been on my side for a few days, so lots of bench time, though the PE is slowing me down. I think I need new glasses, as after about an hour I'm done!

 

[PaulTRose]

On a more general note were the Germans in the habit of removing all tools and cables when they painted "in the field" or did everything get painted....?

yes and no

all depended if they had the time

dont forget vehicles were supplied in the dark yellow and crews were given the green and brown as pastes to apply the best they could

i guess if they had the time in a back area they would strip tools/ancillaries but id guess if you had a bunch of Russians up the road and so were in a bit of a hurry you would just splash it on

theres also the school of thought that why would you go to the trouble of camoflaguing a tank and then putting different coloured tools on top?

 

[PaulTRose]

knew i had a pic showing them spraying camo.....

 

[scottie3158]

Ian.
Nice work so far will keep an eye on this.

 

[Ian M]

Grrrrrrrrrrrr
So like the fool I am I had a go at the three colour camo. The first attempt was an abysmal fail. I was going for the thin wispy stripes kind of pattern. Maybe not the best idea when I had spent the whole day hammering. So today I started to go for the more block effect...



Tomorrow I find out how well the dark Yellow covers the green and brown.....(dont panic I have a test piece).

It appears to me that the most wheels where pretty randomly painted, so that is what I have gone for. just need to add the obligatory track horn 'polish' to the inner wheels. a quick swipe of steel and maybe red oxide should take care of that..

Question time. What colour(s) would you recommend as suitable for the Bergepanter...Where they used on the Russian front in the winter.... thinking white wash maybe?
Comments and suggestions are very welcome. This is very unknown ground for me.
Cheers.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ian
Well the first attempt at camo may have not worked out but looking at this you are now doing a great job.
Jim

 

[Graeme C.]

The camo is looking good, Bergepanthers were used wherever Panther tanks were, so I suppose they may have been whitewashed for winter camo. That said my vote is for sticking with the three colour camo.