Trumpeter 1/35 Waffenträger 88mm PAK 43

[Fenlander]

After a bad weekend for modelling I decided to do a quick armour build before finishing the Modern Jets GB entry. As I bought this kit at the weekend I thought it would be a nice easy quick build, apart from the tracks but more on that later.


Just as a pointer, when sprocket wheels have the sprue locating point between the teeth, cut them off leaving a decent chunk of sprue






It is then easy and safer to go in with the point of the knife to clean up with the sprocket flat and secure on the cutting mat.






Then on with the running gear














Then it's on with the simple but nicely detailed superstructure. There is a fairly nice drivers station but nothing else inside so I decided to leave it out and button it up.










Loads of ammo boxes to do next, a bit of photo etch bending then on with the gun.

 

[Fenlander]

Anybody know why I am getting the pictures plus thumbnails?

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Nice start.


Will be following this Graham.

 

[Fenlander]

Nice start.
Will be following this Graham.

Thanks Ralph sometimes I need a quickie to keep me going

 

[Robert1968]

Nice one Graham ( I saw this kit ages ago when I was in the mood for a hetzer ( drive train looks simular to the 38t chassis ?


Will be watching this one Graham ( I love the comment "quickie" ) to me a 1/72 spit is a quickie bit with your skill set eh??


Kind regards


Robert


:D :D:D:D:D

 

[Fenlander]

Nice one Graham ( I saw this kit ages ago when I was in the mood for a hetzer ( drive train looks simular to the 38t chassis ?
Will be watching this one Graham ( I love the comment "quickie" ) to me a 1/72 spit is a quickie bit with your skill set eh??


Kind regards


Robert


:D :D:D:D:D

It is indeed a 38T chassis Robert, or T38 as I mistakenly called it somewhere

 

[0ne48thtel]

Nice start Graham Got me chair count me in.

 

[grumpa]

Great kit! I love the open topped SPGs, nice start so far....................Jim

 

[Fenlander]

Thanks guys. Was thinking about the scheme for it at work today. I was going to do the 'Paper Panzer' red primer but everyone does that. So I may go with the box art, looks nice. Wish it had crew figures though.

 

[Fenlander]

Just done a bit of research as something was bothering me about this kit. I thought it was a rebox of one I bought and my dog ate many moons ago. However, I kept his thinking that this was fun to build, something the original wasn't. Ok, that had double skin PE gun shield but I remember struggling with it.


Having found the box art for the one my dog ate, it is a totally different kit






So any comments I have made about Trumpeter cutting down this kit, please ignore. However, I now have no idea if this one actually existed. I know the old one did but this is a different kettle of fish that I cannot find a real picture of with the 88mm although I have found one with a different gun on this exact chassis.

 

[Polux]

Interesting one Graham.


Clean work so far, as always

 

[Fenlander]

Cheers Polux


OK, bit of photo etch. There really isn't a lot on this kit. a few detail bits but the only big folding/construction piece is an ammo box.


It is quite nicely designed and detailed but the instructions would have you load it up with 88mm shells, complete with brass end caps and then add the door closed :eek: Well, it s my intention to do a quick build so I decided not to add ammunition and leave it open so I assembled it empty and soldered up.














Then two more plastic ammo boxes were added to the fighting compartment. again, these were left empty and closed. There is nice detail inside for holding the shells but they are riddled with ejector pin marks so I didn't bother. The spares box will be well stuffed with 88 ammo at the end of this :rolleyes:






Then I carried on building the gun mount and shield. The shield sides are only tacked on to get a feel for it's look which, to me, is a bit sporty


















If you look at the back, just under the fighting compartment floor, you can see a row of circles. These are shell back ends that will have brass PE caps on after painting and a few will be 'rolling about' on the floor to add health and safety hazards.


Lot to do on the gun next loads of tiny parts but that is for another day.

 

[0ne48thtel]

Looking good Graham.

 

[Robert1968]

This is going to be very nice ( lovely clean build so far )


Regards


Robert

 

[Fenlander]

On with the big bang stick. This is a model in its own right. Plenty of tiny bits, one of which in the last two pictures has come adrift already. I have a feeling I will be glueing some of these on quite a few times before it is completed :oops:














The aluminium barrel and brass sleeve need a bit of support while the superglue sets. Not sure if this will hold as there is not a lot going into the plastic so I may have to re do this at some stage with some reinforcement :rolleyes:

 

[tommy1drop]

Nice work Graham, coming along a treat mate, looking forward to seeing more, any idea on what you are going to do with the paint work, ambush scheme?

 

[Fenlander]

Nice work Graham, coming along a treat mate, looking forward to seeing more, any idea on what you are going to do with the paint work, ambush scheme?

Much the same as the box art at the top of the thread, as I have said, I cannot confirm this actual version ever became reality. The version in post #10 certainly did, or two of them did, and there are pictures of it in action. However, this chassis with another gun certainly existed but this particular version may have just been a concept.


To this end, any late as in the last three months of the war, schemes would be appropriate in the last ditch attempt to stop the Soviets taking Berlin. I am not artistic enough to do the primer and part painted look, I would just make a hash of it. I may do the gun, gun shield in one scheme and the chassis in another. Maybe an unpainted gun barrel? Anyone know what is a good colour for that dark grey metalic looking coating on the barrels pre top coat?

 

[papa 695]

Just seen this one Graham and some very nice work so far, I've just pulled up my seat for the rest of the build.

 

[Deleted member 4539]

This is coming along well Graham.


A fair bit of work going into this and I do like the etched work you have done.

 

[Steve Brodie]

lookin good, soldered the brass , that looks more like a blow torch !