DML Panther G Smart Kit

[DCG]

In order to get something new on my vBench before the next My Bloody Valentine album comes out (...) and to prove that I actually paint these things, here's what's been causing me greif lately:





The reason it's been causing me greif is that this is the third attempt at painting it, and I'm still not entirely happy with the pattern... on top of that I had to try out a new dunkelgelb mixture in acrylic as I'm moving away from spraying enamels these days.

The pattern is based on the MNH striped pattern which can be seen on some Ardennes Panther Gs; I had to make some educated guesses as to the pattern on the hull roof, and decided to take a few liberties along the way as well. I'll be marking it as 5 Kp. II./Pz.Regt. 130, after the Pz. Lehr vehicle KO'ed in Neffe in Pallud's Battle Of The Bulge Then & Now, but that actual vehicle... maybe '532' or something.

The build is essentially OOB with a couple of details added, but no real corrections made. At this stage I just have to paint the Bosch headlamp dunkelgelb, clean up around the dunkelgelb air vent, and take care of some of the overspray; then it's marking and clear coat time.

Darren

[Steve van Beveren]

Darren,

I think the paint job looks very good. Will you be putting it in a small scene?

Steve

[tamigawa]

Very nice! Whatever happend to the old Panther you were doing? You trash it now that this one is out?

[Sheeds]

....and not before time too! I was wondering when we'd see this cat. Nice early wavey stripy pattern there to Darren. I take it by "liberties" you mean the red primer barrel???????

Sheeds.

[DCG]

Hi guys,

Well I'm not giving up on the old DML Panther just yet; I just got bored with amount of effort I was sinking into it. I will probably return to it now that I've found that Hauler's 1:48 etch schurzen supports scale out just about right for 1:35 (plus I have to re-do the side fenders anyway.

Sheeds - well, I had intended it as a summer build; so as you guys are in the middle of summer down there I figure it's a timely update. The red primer barrel wasn't supposed to have been a liberty when I started, but I've since re-painted it.... I've also since these were taken applied and then completely removed all markings after cocking the BK placement up.

More pics tomorrow/later tonight/whenever...

[lquah]

Darren

I like this camo pattern and you have done a very job of it Look forward to the next update.

Lawrence

[Larry Bates]

Good to see you back Darren,

Nice Panther, maybe one day I'll get some paint on mine also!

Larry

[tamigawa]

~~~~~~~~~YOU WILL PAINT THE PANTHER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oh wait, that only works with siim.

[Panzergrenadier]

LOL

That Panther is looking sweet!

Larry, I know I will regret saying this, but take your time with the paint, it has to be perfect!

Siim

[DCG]

So at this point I've touched up the paint, placed the markings, found out the original markings were inappropriate, stripped the markings, touched up the paint again (including re-painting the barrel), and re-applied new markings. I also decided to make this a 7Kp. vehicle with a nod to my friend Manus Gallagher's '723' from AFV Modeller #16, partially because 7Kp. used a cooler font for their turret numbers than 5Kp. did.

Based on the photo included with the article which Manus based his build on, I have to tweak the transfers a bit by squaring off some angles on the turret numbers.







The starboard side tool rack which was removed while repairing the finish around the deleted balkankreuz gave me an idea for weathering the model; I'm going to remove all hull side fixtures to make it easier to weather the hull sides.

Darren