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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Sd.Kfz. 171


Jeff

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SO........................ not really being an armor guy overall, with a reasonable interest in heavy iron ( being a heavy equipment operator for 38 years) and a mild interest in 'enemy ' iron, 1/2 tracks, trucks, and some tanks.............. with that said I really like the Tiger series of tanks, and I have a fascination with the Sd.Kfz. 171............................ while certainly not as famous as the Tiger, I rarely see any built models of it, or at least I have missed them some how, so the question ......................  is there any love for the Panther? Or am I the only guy who thinks it is cool? I'd like to do a kit of one, BUT my stash is so big, I'm not sure I can sneak it into the house.....;)

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Are you serious? There are Panthers being built all the time; I'm building one myself. Just last year Takom and Meng started releasing a slew of new kits including a range of Bergepanthers. 

 

Absolutely no reason at all to build a Tamiya Panther ever again.

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10 minutes ago, [CAT]CplSlade said:

Are you serious? There are Panthers being built all the time; I'm building one myself. Just last year Takom and Meng started releasing a slew of new kits including a range of Bergepanthers. 

 

Absolutely no reason at all to build a Tamiya Panther ever again.

Well,..............ah................. yeah, I was quite serious............... it just seems the posts not very often show the Panthers being built, as mentioned, I may have missed them............. it is the Meng ones I was actually looking at.....

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2 hours ago, Ryan said:

Save a headache and get the Tamiya release.

Sorry, but I personally can't have Tamiya on the shelf next to my other kits now. They may go together easy but they lack a lot of the detail of the other companies. They look less refined sitting next to other manufacturers.

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Go for a Panther, Takom, Meng and not to forget the good old Dragon ones. The Panther is my favourite tank of the period and I have several in my stash, but only build one Panther from Dragon with some added detail and Friuls and some American tankers. Because it is a Mig Jiminez copycat, I usually don't show it, but I liked the idea and for my defence I have to say that I would have made it part of a dio, where American tankers are kind of testing the behemoth. It was done years ago and was my first tank kit and I really enjoyed building and even more painting and weathering and learnt a lot of it

Cheers Rob

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3 hours ago, DocRob said:

Go for a Panther, Takom, Meng and not to forget the good old Dragon ones. The Panther is my favourite tank of the period and I have several in my stash, but only build one Panther from Dragon with some added detail and Friuls and some American tankers. Because it is a Mig Jiminez copycat, I usually don't show it, but I liked the idea and for my defence I have to say that I would have made it part of a dio, where American tankers are kind of testing the behemoth. It was done years ago and was my first tank kit and I really enjoyed building and even more painting and weathering and learnt a lot of it

Cheers Rob

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That is gorgeous Rob................... I guess I will have to go to the dark side, at least once eh? I love what you did, that is exactly what I would like to try...

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I built the Tamiya Panther last year...  It's the newest Tamiya Panther:

tNzWJF.jpg

This is a nice kit.  Good details, but not as anal as Dragon.  Fit is excellent, and you can buy Tamiya workable plastic tracks that go with it.   BUt it ain't perfect.  There is no inner cupola detail.  And there are no PE grills inside the kit.  I didn't use enough matte clearkote on this one...  but this is what mine looks like.

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The Tamiya kit is the Kursk Panther.  As they had a bad and short time there, I limited my weathering.

 

Gaz

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Of the modern kits I have built an early Dragon Ausf G (the IR-equipped night fighter kit) and have a few of their newer kits. However, I am currently working on a Late Ausf A by Meng. I chose the Meng as I got a idiotically good deal on the workable tracks and suspension add-on set and then had to have the kit they fit; plus the Takom Panthers weren't quite available yet.

You can see pics of the kit here: https://imgur.com/a/Eg0zFGp

(If link doesn't work for you LMK and I will provide an alternate)

Here's the Dragon Ausf G (kit 9045): image.thumb.png.f249f06e906c83be1cdb6df687c8c314.png

As an early Dragon kit it has rubber tracks (plus indy links you have to de-sprue and clean heavily if you're feeling tough). I have a replacement for it that is a newer Dragon, but if I buy another G it will probably be a Takom just to see what that's like.

I have one of Takom's Bergepanthers, and while I think both the Meng and Takom are as good as anything Dragon has been doing lately, the Takom has a slight edge for me just looking at the box contents; I have built a Takom kit in the past that had some issues (12.8cm Flak gun) but the reviews have been very good for these new kits fortunately.

So make of this what you will-

Tamiya: If you want relatively easy to build and decent price-wise, this will be your best option but you will have rubberband tracks and no screens included to contend with, as well as a simplification of some details to make that buildability possible.

Dragon: Their kits from the 2000's will be from the peak of the companies ripeness, in terms of what you get in the box. Earlier kits are less refined, and later kits dropped a lot of the extras and moved to DS tracks, which are a love/hate item Dragon includes free of charge to test their customer base's loyalty. You will have to hit ebay to get most of those kits, and try not to pay more than $40 U.S. before shipping.

Takom/Meng: Seem about equal in my eyes at the moment, and they cover several versions so you will have lots to build if you enjoy the experience.

Other companies like Zvezda/Hobby Boss/Revell/etc: I'm sure they are all quite serviceable kits. No one really talks about them much, though. I like Zvezda's trucks and other softskins. Their armor doesn't excite me like the other kits do. I think they cater to the less particular model builder.

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47 minutes ago, Jeff said:

NOW I see the love, and I have lots to dig into and check out, many thanks for the excellent info to start my quest on...................... NOW, how do I get it past the Mrs??

You could distract her by throwing a diamond tennis bracelet out in the front yard and telling her, "Finders, keepers" and hustle it in while she's busy.

You don't even actually need the bracelet, but it'll only work once if you do that.

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8 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Jagdpanther all the way

Somebody said Jagdpanther, that's a possibility too, I have both in my stash for future projects. The Panther G will be in winter camo with IR and the Jagdpanther will be settled somewhere in a swamp.

One recommendation, if you want to go with additional metal tracks. If they are still available AK has some pre assembled (see picture) in their program. I have no Idea, if these are basically Friuls or made by another producer, but they look good and no fiddely assemblage needed and they are Heavy Metal :unworthy:.

Cheers Rob

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10 hours ago, [CAT]CplSlade said:

You could distract her by throwing a diamond tennis bracelet out in the front yard and telling her, "Finders, keepers" and hustle it in while she's busy.

You don't even actually need the bracelet, but it'll only work once if you do that.

a " Diamond ' bracelet.............. hhhmmmm................  like Ron White said in one of his standup routines................. apparently De beers has a slogan " Diamonds ... render her speechless....'  ................. Ron says it really means............. " Diamonds....................... that'll shut her up"....................:rofl:

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