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Forums - Modelling / Smallscale |
The construction forum is for the discussion of small scale AFV modelling. Usually this refers to 1-76th and 1-72nd scale AFVs. |
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| Subject: | Another Pz.IB |  |
| Date: | Aug 4, 2007 |
| From: | Bruce Probst | |
Well, it took a bit longer than I thought it would, but here at last: yes, it's another Panzer 1! (Get used to them, there'll be plenty more!)
The model is a Fujimi 1/76th scale kit. Unlike the ex-Nitto kit of my prior build, this was a much nicer model to assemble, went together very well and pretty accurate in outline. It doesn't include an interior, but that's no loss; at least it doesn't have huge holes in the hull hiding under the fenders. The kit also comes with, for no reason I can work out, a PaK 40 anti-tank gun. I consigned it to the spare parts bin because I couldn't fathom why it was there in the first place. (I suppose it's possible that old PzI were used as impromptu artillery tractors but I doubt that it was a frequent occurrence ....) I did leave off some spare road wheels and extra jerry cans supplied with the kit because they didn't actually sit properly on the kit -- oh well, more spares. I did add the aerial from stretched sprue but otherwise the kit is unmodified.
Another oddity of the kit is that they have helpfully included some "detail" photos of the transmission of an actual Pz.I (from a museum somewhere) on the instruction sheet. Unfortunately, these photos are of a Pz.IA, not a IB, so I don't know what help they are supposed to be -- the biggest observable difference between a IA and a IB is the different transmission! All of the accompanying text is in Japanese, and maybe that explains everything, but it was of no use to me.
The suggested painting and decals that come with the kit are highly suspect in terms of accuracy, so for variety, and to test out the pre-war "colourful" paint scheme ("Buntfarbenanstrich" - yellow, green and brown) I decided on a Spanish Civil War vehicle. In this I was aided by the "Negrillo" decal sheet from Bison. Although these decals are 1/72 scale, the differences amount to only a fraction of a mm at this size, so I felt that I could cope. (The Bison decals are very good value -- sufficient markings for nearly two-dozen Nationalist vehicles of several types! I can see a lot of SCW vehicles in my
future, somewhere down the line ....)
According to the information in "Panzer Tracts 1-2", the "yellow, green, brown" are actually more like an "earth-brown, dark green, dark brown", so I chose Tamiya colours to match (XF52 Flat Earth, XF27 Black Green and XF64 Red Brown). This is the point where it stopped being easy. I don't know if it's the paints, the scheme, or just my general lack of experience but man I had trouble getting this thing finished to the point where I felt vaguely satisfied with it. Finally I just decided "enough is enough" and stopped; I then sealed with Future, applied the decals, another coat of Future, an ink wash, applied some pastel dirt and mud, and a final matt coat (I should probably have made that two matt coats ...). Glue it to the base and start thinking about what to do next.
The first two photos used the flash, but in the close-ups the finish is still a bit too shiny and was reflecting too much (which is why the first two look very "wet"), so I turned the flash off. This then left the images very dark so they have been artificially brightened.
Next up: I complete the Fujimi trilogy with a Pz.Jg.1, probably to be in Afrika Korps colours. |
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