Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.B (Cyber-Hobby)

[astralscooter]

Hi folks,

just before Christmas I decided that I would treat myself to what I knew would be a fun build, despite the fact that I've got a couple dozen started kits already. Anyway, I was ready for a Pz IV and I picked up the Cyber-Hobby Ausf. B not so long before the holidays.

For this build, I have found great inspiration in James' Ausf. E build over at his vBench, and I suppose it shows. The process of painthing the hull prior to the superstructure is a new for me (I tend to build everything before paint), as is replacing the kit fender springs with copper wire ones.

Other than the springs, I'm doing this very much OOB. Oh yes, I'll be using Modelkasten tracks. But other than THAT, it is OOB

Now, onto the pics:

Bottom parts come together, and the turret dry fitted:



The engine grilles (or whatever they are) come as both plastic and PE. I opted for the PE and soldered them together. They look a little bent here, but they sit very nice on the model.




Like James, I found the turret detainer to be offset to the rear. I've since cut it off with the Dremel my mother-in-law gave me for Xmas, and I will fix the top part back in the proper position.



I've also tried my hand at painting and weathering the interior of the turret. Bear with me on this one, as it is my first effort ever to do this. I know the colours are off. Particularly the base colour, which should have been ivory. Base colour is Xtracrylics, chips and floor colours are Vallejo. Further weathering with a bit of MIG pigments.




Inspired by James, I have done my first fender springs ever. And like so many cool details you may put on a model, it is much easier to do that it may seem. Simple and fast really. The pins of stretched sprue are yet to be cut to length and shaped using the glow of a burned toothpick.



The lower parts painted and tracks (unpainted) dry-fitted. Sorry about the darkish images. The vehicle will be one out of 5. Panzer-Division in Poland, 1939, and sports a panzergray/dunkelbraun camo scheme. The brown is probably a little bit off, but this is a low contrast scheme no matter what. The interior primer colour is probably very much off too, for all I know.





So, thus is the status of this decidedly fun build.

Arild

[Panzergrenadier]

Wow very nice build so far!

You may want to overspray the brown areas with a LITTLE bit lighter shade of brown, it may look good now, but it will be even better.

Keep on the good work.

siim

[Flak]

Looks great...keep it coming

[tamigawa]

Looks great so far! You're being too hard on yourself.

[astralscooter]

Thanks guys. The brown is somewhat brighter in real life than in the images, so I'll leave it as it is

Arild

[Stuke Sowle]

Looking very nice Arild. The springs are a very nice touch. The only thing I noticed in the pics is the roadwheels not sitting evenly on the RHS. I know with the C version of this kit I had to be very careful ensuring that the suspension sit nice and flat.

Unless of course you are putting her in a dio setting then you can just ignore me!

[Evan August]

For your first attempt that interior looks pretty good! I might tone down the chipping a bit, but that's just me.

[astralscooter]

Well, I may tone down the chipping somewhat. Will take a look at it when I'm done with the gun and the insides of the roof part. Maybe just some dusting down will do.

Stuke, I am indeed putting this baby in a dio setting - or on a base at least - which is nowhere near flat

As for the suspension, I found that the shock absorber thingie nearest to the drive sprocket and the idler, is somewhat too large or sits to low to allow the end boogies to sit flat. Kind of annoying, but my base will render avoid the problem.

Also, when comparing this B to my Tristar D, I found the run of roadwheels on the DML kit to be slightly longer than on the D. Same thing with the return rollers. While the rollers are of identical diameter, the DML rollers are spaced apart slightly more than on the Tristar kit. But I can live with that

Arild

[panzerfaust]

Looks good buddy.

[astralscooter]

Thanks, James.

BTW, anyone around here who knows about a German tank crew kit which will fit inside the turret of this thing? Or have any ideas on cross-kitting to make for a gunner and a loader? The commander is easy, but I'd like to have somebody sitting inside the turret. At least one. Perhaps the other one leaning out of the door.

And what about their caps? The setting being 1939, I wonder if all tank crew where using them big, funny hats all the time back then? Early WWII does'nt seem to be the best period covered figure-wise I think.

Arild