Queegs Tank Treadz ..... Project '46 stuff

[Queeg]

Project ’46 1/35th Jagdpanther Ausf F mit Infrarot-Nachtsichtgerat

Ahhh don't you just love a big pretentious name!!!!

I've wanted to build this (well something like it in 72nd) for many many years.
Soooo I was given some old Tamiya kits and decided to have a practise with them before trying to build the Hummel FSV.
I hadn't built anything 1/35th since I was a kid and didn't want to stuff uo my new Dragon Hummel !!! 

The plan is to use the wider tracks and steel wheels from the Sturmtiger, add some IR gear and late exhausts.
Also to have a crack with some PE (never used a big set before).

Donor Kits,

Tamiya Jagdpanther (Late)
Tamiya Sturmtiger
Great Wall Hobbies IR set
Griffon and Voyager PE (my brother got me some after the main build so have yet to add it)





Steel wheels

I used the Tiger torsion bars to ensure the road wheels sat square and shortened them to seat them properly into the JP hull.
The JP front final drive housing armoured deflector, had to be cut back top and bottom to fit the Tiger final drive housing properly.
This was chosen to ensure correct alignment of drive sprocket and road wheels.
The rear idler arm required a bit of filling again just to align the idler correctly with the track centre line.





Indy tracks

Never used them in 1/35th and to be honest it looked like a lot of work ......

Turns out I needn’t have worried, There’s only about 200 links req in all.
Surprisingly they went together fine and look pretty good too I think.
I managed to get good aligment and a representative sag ……. and I do so love a good track sag.

[Logan Hartke]

Queeg, you need some of those remotely operated MGs seen on StuGs at the end of the war to put on some of your '46 German builds.





Cheers,

Logan

[Queeg]

Queeg, you need some of those remotely operated MGs seen on StuGs at the end of the war to put on some of your '46 German builds.
Cheers,
Logan

Yeah neat idea Logan, it'd look good on the JP thats for sure. 
They'd also make a great update for normal SPs, late Stugs, Jagdpanthers and Jagdtigers, even backdating an Elefant ....

Brent

[father ennis]

Great work on your latest creation ...  !!     

[Logan Hartke]

Yeah neat idea Logan, it'd look good on the JP thats for sure. 
They'd also make a great update for normal SPs, late Stugs, Jagdpanthers and Jagdtigers, even backdating an Elefant ....

Yeah, that was my thinking, too.  I think late Hetzers had them, too.  You can probably find an aftermarket kit for them.  I thought it would be a nice little touch on this one if you're looking for some nice little detail updates.  Another little add-on that you could do for some '46 members of the Panther family?  Some PzKpfw IV Ausf J style "Thoma shields" (mesh Schürzen).  The Panther family always had fairly thin side armor.





Cheers,

Logan

[Buzzbomb]

The Great Wall IR set is fantastic.. I used few couple on my Night fighting Gas Turbine Panther F.

Looking forward to what you do with this

[Queeg]

Outfitting

Hull fitting and the exhaust system. I decided to fit most of the kits bit and add PE as required.
To be honest some PE is just too thin when comparing parts to walkthrough pics of real JPs.
I've always like the flamvernichter exhausts with the deflector scoops and I roughed everything up a bit.
Probably a bit overdone but I like that sort of look so ........ ref pic of the exhaust from the running Bovington Tiger attached.

[Queeg]

Yeah, that was my thinking, too.  I think late Hetzers had them, too.  You can probably find an aftermarket kit for them.  I thought it would be a nice little touch on this one if you're looking for some nice little detail updates.  Another little add-on that you could do for some '46 members of the Panther family?  Some PzKpfw IV Ausf J style "Thoma shields" (mesh Schürzen).  The Panther family always had fairly thin side armor.

Heheheee, yeah already looked at the Thoma skirts, nice set from ET Models though, I hadn't seen that one before.
I've test fitted some Thoma skirting to my SdKfz334 8wac ........ I've always thought it would beneift halftracks and armoured cars too.

The Great Wall IR set is fantastic.. I used few couple on my Night fighting Gas Turbine Panther F.
Looking forward to what you do with this

Yeah they're great value and detail is tops. The ones I fitted to the JP (pics to follow later) were my first test build.
I did a much better job of the ones the Hummel FSV coming up soon ........

[GTX_Admin]

Project ’46 1/35th Jagdpanther Ausf F mit Infrarot-Nachtsichtgerat

Ahhh don't you just love a big pretentious name!!!!

And not many do it better than the Germans!  Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

[Queeg]

Fiddly bits .......

Fitted the kits fiddly bit, hatches etc and popped in the kit supplied figure. He will have to go I'm afraid .........
The tools will go on last and some of the fittings will be removed and replaced with PE at a later date.

[father ennis]

Better and better ..

[Queeg]

Working on a couple of commission jobs at the moment, a couple of 1/56th wargaming vehicles, nothin' flash ......

[Queeg]

Final progress shot on the Jagdpanther for now, I'll post up the Hummel/FSV next.
Here's some of the PE I was thinking of fitting to the JP, not all of it. just the larger stuff.






And this is where the JP is sitting now. 

Test fitted better (Alpine) crew although as this is going to my brother when it's finished he's going to source some others.
Removed and filled the tamiya tools fiitting blobs and sink holes as I'll be adding some tool to the rear superperstructure as per late production JP's.
The IR gear hasn't been finished as it is removeable for final painting, we still need to source a rear battery box too ......

[Logan Hartke]

Very cool.  This is going to be lovely.

Thanks,

Logan

[GTX_Admin]

Paint it in a suitable black scheme for night hunting would be cool and allow us to see a "black panther"

[Volkodav]

Sweet, looking very good, I envy a good armour build.

[Queeg]

SdKfz350/3 3cm M.K. 103 Zwilling FSV

Ahhhh another fine long title .......


This is the 1/35th Hummel/FSV conversion of my 1/72nd wargaming version. At this point it was only the second 1/35th model I'd tackled in about 30yrs although since then I've managed to assemble 2 more  :)

Bits used include;

Dragon (Orange Box) Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz
Dragon (Smart Kit) Hummel late production
Spade Ace Ostketten metal flexible tracks
Various PE bits from Voyager Jagdpanther sets
Great Wall Models IR set
Eureka XXL tow cables
Academy M113 rear door

First step I decided to build the Kugelblitz turret as I needed it first as all the hull extension dimensions would follow from this.
A straight forward build, although theres a few ejector pin marks in dumb places and the guns are a bit poor.
It was the first time I'd attacked a Dragon kit and found the plastic pretty tough so you have to be careful removing small parts.










I built the hull next, again a pretty quick build and no issues.
I did fit an internal bulkhead as I'm not fitting a driver and I didn't want light shining in.
As you can see there wasn't much science used in deciding how to model the superstructure.
Luckily I had the smaller test model and there's no difficult angles to model.

[GTX_Admin]

Off topic alert!  The above two pics make me want to use the Kugelblitz as the basis for a flying fighter (probably unmanned).  Perhaps add spinning rotors akin to the creation below (also named the Kugelblitz incidentally) by Daniele Sabatini.



Back to normal programming now.

[Queeg]

Off topic alert!  The above two pics make me want to use the Kugelblitz as the basis for a flying fighter (probably unmanned).  Perhaps add spinning rotors akin to the creation below (also named the Kugelblitz incidentally) by Daniele Sabatini.

Back to normal programming now.

I've had simialr thoughts, it's such a sci-fi looking turret, way ahead of its time in concept, but then I've always like the ball turrets on us bombers too .....

[Queeg]

Main Superstructure

I cut down and used the kit sides and part of the front superstructure.
The plan was to use those to get the angles right and just add my extension plates over the top.
I couldn't see any way to easily extend out the engine ventilation grilles so I just made cut outs for them.
I gave the edges of the plates a "flame" cut look but filing a rough edge into them.
The turret ring took a bit of faffing about but I was in full on construction mode when I did it and didn't get any progress shots.
If anyones interested I could take some close up pics to show the bodging invloved .......

[Gingie]

oh, I like where that Kugelblitz is going!

[raafif]

yeah, nice Kugelblitz

I've started the same kit -- so far I've put a partial interior in the turret & converted the hull to rear-wheel drive.  Haven't built one of the newer Dragon kits before - this one has softer plastic than usual

[Queeg]

yeah, nice Kugelblitz
I've started the same kit -- so far I've put a partial interior in the turret & converted the hull to rear-wheel drive.  Haven't built one of the newer Dragon kits before - this one has softer plastic than usual

Don't tease us ......... 

[Queeg]

Spade Ace Models Panzer III/IV Ostketten

I've always loved the look of the wider Ostketten tracks and I'd fit them to all my '46 stuff if I could.
Picked up these from Spade Ace as a much much cheaper alternative than metal Friuls. 
Another first for me these would be my first ever metal workable tracks ... and I approached the task with some doubts .... 




Well ... they take some work. Flash has to be scraped and filed and fitting the wire need care and some wriggling at times.
At this stage the jury was still out.




Progress was slow and I stabbed myself multiple times with the wire ..... the part run shown below is almost 5 hours work.




Finished. The first track run took about 8 hours, the second 5 or so. Not so bad once you get a system sorted.
And not too bad a job, if a little tedious, as long as you have the TV in the background.
The saving grace is as you make progress you realise how nice they look.

The rear idler was left loose to get the final adjustment and to be able to remove the track. Use this adjustment and add or remove a link to get the sag you want.

Despite the chore they look so good I'd use them again in a heartbeat ......

[Claymore]

Looking good  :)