1/35th VK 16.02 Leopard

[pmarshall]

Nice little 'baby' Panther

Not quite a paper panzer as they did build a couple, but not a success. Too big and heavy to be a good recce vehicle, and the 50mm just didn't have enough penetration late in the war. Designed to re-use a lot of components from the Panther.However I really do like the look of it - it's a Panther Cub.

Rather than the Hobbyboss 1/35th Kit I am building the Amusing Hobby version, which seems to have better details and fully workable tracks with pins.



Work starts by assembling the main gun, sight and co-axial MG-42. The Mantlet needed a small dab of filler for a small sinkmark.





Then the fun starts - a base coat of Ammo Cremeweiss, then Gunmetal for the MG-42 and Breach mechanism. Breach operating lever painted Red, rubber around the sight optics, then some chipping and weathering.





Finally for the day, Cremeweiss for the turret interior, picked out the commanders periscope optics and glued the mantlet into place



Peter

[Polly]

looking good will follow this with intrest

[UKguyInUSA]

Wow....that turret detail looks really good! Just from that bit of detail one can see that this is going to be a good build!

[pmarshall]

Today's work - first added the turret basket with the seats



Then finished off the turret, adding the smoke grenades and hatches. Hatches are held in place with a couple of dabs of Copydex to allow them to be opened easily after painting.



Then built up the lower hull, complete with the working torsion bar suspension.



Added the Glacis plate - this needed a tiny dab of Vallejo plastic putty on a couple of the joints to remove a tiny gap.



Finally put the upper hull in place, and dry fitted the turret





Peter

[UKguyInUSA]

Nice progress so far....good luck with the wheels and track assemblies!

[pmarshall]

Today's work - started with finishing off the rear. Added the storage boxes, exhausts and the jack



Then the tools on the left side, with the PE axe holder



Right hand side tools, with a PE hammer holder



Wheels ! - 2 drive wheels, 2 idler wheels and all the main wheels



Added the PE grilles, drivers hatches with the PE retaining clips, mudguards complete with tiny wingnuts and the lamps.



Then finally on with some Alclad black primer







Peter

[AchtungPanzer]

Wow ! Next German tank-prototype - nice model . Very good work with gun and with all model Keep it up mate .I look forward to more

[pmarshall]

Today's work - first sprayed some Ammo Red Brown primer over everything



Then used some Vallejo liquid mask to dab some chips at the edges, the moved on to building the tracks.
They give you a nice jig to assist with this, you place the cleaned up track pads into the jig



Then push the track pins in the holes, using the sprue to assist nicely.



Repeat 71 times for each track, and 9 more times for the spare tracks. Ideal work while listening to the cricket, and surprisingly relaxing. The result is well worth it, nice workable tracks



Then on with the Ammo Dunkengelb mid on the wheels





Finally sprayed the main body of the tank, and slotted the shultzen in place to spray them too



Peter

[Coen]

That's going to look the nuts Peter.
I love the look of a little leopard.

[pmarshall]

Today's work

First the Cammo with Ammo paints - these are some of the colours that have 'issues', but rather than using laquer thinner I got them to spray nicely by using AK Interactive thinner - in fact 50% thinner to paint, at 12PSI. This probably won't work for everyone, as I like working with thinner paint and lower pressures than a lot of people. The other trick is to build up the paint slowly.





Then sprayed the tracks with Ammo Rust tracks - once again a colour with Issues but sprayed flawlessly with 50% AK Interactive thinners.



First oil wash of brown to start tying things together, and removed the mask fluid to reveal some red primer.



Ammo track wash over the tracks



Then finally used pigments on the spare track links - Track rust and Dark Steel



Peter

[Donkeywalloper]

Hi Peter

What a really lovely build. The Camo is amazing. How you have got that with such low pressures and thin paint defies me.
I have one of these little boxers in my World of Tank Garage and despite being under-gunned they are fun to fling around on the virtual battlefield and scare the bejesus out of heavies.
Keep on with this super build.

John

[pmarshall]

On Holiday this week so got some more done today.
First finished off the tracks, adding AK Dark Steel and Track Rust pigments to give the wear on the tracks



Then after some fiddling, got the tracks and wheels on the little Leopard





Added some chipping



Added the decals



Painted the exhausts Rust brown, then added Dark Rust, Standard Rust, Light Rust and Smoke pigments



Pin wash of Wash Brown, then stumped back



Opened up the turret hatches, and painted the periscopes



Peter

[Donkeywalloper]

Holy moly, its incredible the work your achieving here.
I love it.
John

[pmarshall]

Today's work finishing off the Leopard

First added some streaking grime



Added some Dust Effects in some of the corners



Added some Rain Marks





Then gave a base coat of paint to the tools





Then after some more weathering and some mud it's done - Teaser pics







Full RFI post following

Peter

[Donkeywalloper]

John

[pmarshall]

And now in the gallery here

[Hokum]

Lovely I have the Hobby Boss kit which I got on Tiger Day at Bovi and plan on building at some stage.