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This is Revell's A/D Panther built out of the box as an early vehicle (although the kit does not include all the parts needed for the early turret and I think there should be no slot for the MG in the glacis). Anyway, I built this because I hadn't tried small scale since I was a kid. The kit went together well. I added some mesh screens to the engine deck, replaced the driver/co-driver hatch handles with wire, and sanded off some extraneous detail. I also filled the cupola periscope holes with white glue too simulate glass. I'm not sure that worked out.
I was pretty happy with this kit. Link and length tracks, good detail and good fit made for a nice build. The tracks look infinitely better than the old Matchbox/Hasegawa rubber bands!
The kit was completely assembled before painting (I left the turret separate). The upper parts of the vehicle were painted with ModelMaster Acryl German dark yellow. The chassis was painted dark earth after I'd applied putty and other goop to simulate mud on the running gear, tracks and hull. The decals were applied, and coated with PollyScale flat finish. The decals were nice and thin, and look pretty good on the kit. I used some oil washes of various shades of brown, burnt umber etc., and then a generous amount of chalk dust. I tried to give the vehicle a relatively new look, with some road dust, then mud.
The base is an old frame I got at a garage sale. I used Celluclay for the first time. It's great stuff!!! I used dirt, celluclay, tea leaves, static grass, brown acrylic paint, sand, white glue, and acrylic matt medium. Bob Tavis showed us this at a recent DFW Historical Miniatures meeting. The medium slows drying a bit, and prevents shrinkage!! All of the dirt got painted as it dried, with a few pieces of static grass added too. Everything is painted.
I think the kit turned out alright, but I have to say the small scale doesn't give me the same buzz as 1/35. I have a few other small scale kits, and I'll try again!
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