Dragon 1/35 Panther Ausf. G with zimmerit

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Just wanted to show one of my current builds
It is for a group build on a facebook page but i see no harm in showing it here aswell as it has been a very enjoyable build so far

It is this kit

20180804_093734 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Dragon's Panther G with the molded on zimmerit

My plan is to make a small diorama or vignette with it using the tank and some figures
It should be depicting a scene of a vehicle from the 15th SS Hohenstauffen division in Normandy
To add to the tank i will be these figures

20180805_023932 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
This should set a pretty obvious scene where the crew spots a JaBo or fighter bomber
But i just realised i need a 5th figure as Panthers did have a 5 man crew not a 4 man crew but i think i have something left in the stash or in my big box of used figures

Anyway let's start with a look at the kit

20180804_093907 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
All this was jammed in that box


20180804_094204 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Hull and stowage boxes



20180804_094222 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Other zimmerit parts


20180804_094241 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094250 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094303 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094308 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094317 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094330 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094338 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_094347 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
It seems to be a first batch kit as it still has the metal hooks for spare tracks ,some cardboard protection for the tracks and more obvious a Dragon card
Stuff that they don't do any more

It seems to be like most of the current Dragon Panther G's as i recognize quite a lot of the sprues from older builds that where either Panther G's or had a Panther G hull

But i will also be adding a metal barrel wich i bought i guess ....can't remeber it though

20180804_094357 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

So let's start building

20180804_105833 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180804_105836 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
First up the suspension arms
It actually starts with the wheels but i skipped those for now


20180804_110931 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Cooling units


20180804_112704 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The rear plate with the damaged stowage boxes that where on the Dragon card


20180804_115903 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Work on the front of the upper hull


20180804_143243 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The instructions didn't call for it yet but i glued the upper and lower hull parts together when i could
I find it easier to handle this way and if i need to clamp it there are no small and fragile parts on the hull yet
Wich i would (ofcourse) break


20180804_150801 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Finishing up the engine deck


20180804_160314 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
All the stuff on the hull sides


20180804_162859 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then moved to the gun
Aber claims this gunbarrel is for both Tamiya and Dragon
Well i had to use the rear portion of the kit barrel to make it fit and i had to sand the inside of the mantlet ring a bit to get it to fit
Looks better then a styrene barrel though


20180804_195846 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The turret shell was glued together
Again i did this before all the fragile stuff is added just in case i need to clamp it


20180804_223031 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the small bits are added


20180805_020724 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Hey it starts to look like a tank


20180805_024032 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then started working on the figures


20180805_024228 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Looks okay but the guy in the foreground looks a bit out of place and i was told he looks a bit off


20180805_123844 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
So i removed the arm that gave him a weird look and replaced it with one from the spares box


20180805_134647 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And i tilted his head a bit so he looks up


20180805_141827 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
This looks better
I also sorted out some small bits and pieces like spend shells ,some personal gear and a jerry can


20180806_150908 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the wheels where done


20180806_151252 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And the tracks


20180806_161537 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Almost ready for painting
I still need to get the wheels on some cocktail sticks but other then that i can start priming this build

So i need to have a look for a 5th figure now as that would make more sense to me
Other then that i can start painting it and i need to look for some tree branches
As this will be a Normandy based vehicle it can have branches hanging on the sides of the tank to give it a bit of camouflage from all those pesky planes

But once i have that last figure i will be starting the painting proces as i have this tank and the T-10M that i am building for the Cold War GB so i can't wait all that long
But i wasn't planning on waiting in the first place
So i will be back with a update fairly soon

Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[Stokesy44]

Wow that's gone together really fast. great looking Panther, very jealous of that barrel and muzzle break.

I've got that figure set for a Panzer IV flak wagon in my stash from Cyberhobby. They look great on your panther so I might have to start on mine!

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you Stokesy ,it went quite fast indeed
With the exception of the wheels it took about a day
A long day at the bench but still just 1 day
The figures are pretty good but i do suggest looking at that 1 figure
He looks a bit like he doesn't belong in the set
But with just a couple of small changes like that left arm and the angle of his head you can improve him a lot

[digger303]

Thank you Stokesy ,it went quite fast indeed
With the exception of the wheels it took about a day
A long day at the bench but still just 1 day
The figures are pretty good but i do suggest looking at that 1 figure
He looks a bit like he doesn't belong in the set
But with just a couple of small changes like that left arm and the angle of his head you can improve him a lot

Did well to get it all together in a day.
To me that guy looks like the was possibly surprized, should be on the ground and is looking up. Could just be the camera angle too.
What I really wanted to do was ask about those DS tracks. Are they up to scratch or just a little detail soft ( just a tad ), would the kit be bettler for it if they were replaced. Only asking cause I have the same kit and the opportunity to grab some magic tracks.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you Stokesy ,it went quite fast indeed
With the exception of the wheels it took about a day
A long day at the bench but still just 1 day
The figures are pretty good but i do suggest looking at that 1 figure
He looks a bit like he doesn't belong in the set
But with just a couple of small changes like that left arm and the angle of his head you can improve him a lot

Did well to get it all together in a day.
To me that guy looks like the was possibly surprized, should be on the ground and is looking up. Could just be the camera angle too.
What I really wanted to do was ask about those DS tracks. Are they up to scratch or just a little detail soft ( just a tad ), would the kit be bettler for it if they were replaced. Only asking cause I have the same kit and the opportunity to grab some magic tracks.

The tracks are okay
Magic tracks are probably a bit better but with a bit of mud and dust these will do just fine

[mick]

great start

[digger303]

Thank you Stokesy ,it went quite fast indeed
With the exception of the wheels it took about a day
A long day at the bench but still just 1 day
The figures are pretty good but i do suggest looking at that 1 figure
He looks a bit like he doesn't belong in the set
But with just a couple of small changes like that left arm and the angle of his head you can improve him a lot

Did well to get it all together in a day.
To me that guy looks like the was possibly surprized, should be on the ground and is looking up. Could just be the camera angle too.
What I really wanted to do was ask about those DS tracks. Are they up to scratch or just a little detail soft ( just a tad ), would the kit be bettler for it if they were replaced. Only asking cause I have the same kit and the opportunity to grab some magic tracks.

The tracks are okay
Magic tracks are probably a bit better but with a bit of mud and dust these will do just fine

[Kevthemodeller]

Hi Mark

I think you've got a production line going, your ability to build is astonishing

Looking forward to this one mate.

[MarkVerploeg]

great start

Thank you Mick

Hi Mark

I think you've got a production line going, your ability to build is astonishing

Looking forward to this one mate.

thank you Kev
This isn't a very hard kit to build so that helps a bit
And the fact no body was bothering me for a day
But i tend to have several builds on the go at once and unlike with planes i can build a tank without having to do any painting

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Just a tiny little update
I found a 5th crew figure in spare figure box to add to the Panther
So now it has a full crew and i can get things ready for some paint

20180814_204010 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
This poorly painted chap will join the others


20180814_204020 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And he will probably end up something like this

So that is all for now ,told you it was a tiny update
And now to get everything ready for paint and get some color on all of this stuff
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[ElCapitan]

That's looking great! Can't wait to see it with paint on

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you very much Rob

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Time for a little update on this build as it has been quite a while since the last post from me
The reason for that is that i messed the paintwork ,i wasn't happy with the camouflage on the tank so i cleaned it but then lost intrest
But i started again today and now it has some new colors and i just started the detail painting wich will take some time but not all that long
And i started the figures that by now are half way done
Their uniforms and flesh tones are finished so now i only need to paint all the emblems and medal

But this is the Panther so far

20180925_131345 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180925_131348 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180925_131351 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180925_131355 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180925_131359 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
This time i like the balance between the colors
The first time there was far too little yellow visible allthough i do like this kind of camo where they used large patches of the camo colors over the dark yellow instead of the earlier schemes where they used thin lines all over the tank

I hope to have the painting done by tomorrow and give it a gloss coat for the few decals that go on it
And to finish the figures and stowage but i also want to work on my WWI trench scene for the WWI GB as that is getting closer to the finishline aswell

Take care
Cheers
Mark

[mick]

great camo work

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you Mick

This is the base i will be using later on

20180926_005319 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
It is by Diodump from the Netherlands
They make all sorts of diorama stuff and i wanted to see if their quality is any good but so far it looks good to me


20180926_005338 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And there is a little square base on it for a post for the electric wire over the train tracks so i put one of those together
This is from Miniart and each kit contains 2 of them wich can be build with or without lights (non working)
I decided to keep those in the kit and only made the post itself

I plan on modifing the base a bit by adding bushes and some other odds and ends to dress it up a bit
Allthough i will be building it as part of this build ,i think it is a bit of a universal base so i may end up using it for reveal pics of other vehicles in the future aswell

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Time for a final update as i finished this build yesterday

I think it is best to keep to the order that i finished the parts of this build
So let's start with the Panther


20181006_020114 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
After painting and the decals (turretnumbers only) i added a brown wash to keep it a bit more subtile then usuall
Then i used AK streaking effects for dark yellow vehicles


20181006_020120 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
It could be a bit hard to see but i added a rust wash to the towcables


20181006_020125 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The wheels also received a wash and some streaking grime


20181006_020129 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
After a flat coat i added some dried up mud and dust below the sponsons


20181006_023504 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Just a in between shot as the tank made some progres and the base was basepainted and drybrushed


20181006_104803 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
With the tank almost ready for the final weathering i painted the tracks
I used tamiya xf paints black for inside ,flat earth for the outside and NATO brown for the inner portion of the outside


20181006_105809 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then drybrushed the black and raised parts.of the putside with Andrea basic steel


20181006_111451 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Once the paint was dry i added a coat of AK summer Kursk dust wich was sprayed on the tracks and covered that with Mig prod. dry mud
Then a quick whipe with some tissuepaper to clean the raised parts again and presto ,we have finished tracks


20181006_111954 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
They where then placed on the tank


20181006_111956 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
That looks a bit "off"
Will fix it a bit later on


20181006_112212 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then added some oil stains on the engine deck


20181006_112809 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And fixed the tracks


20181006_113004 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The turret was fixed in place as the metal barrel makes it unbalanced



20181006_113855 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The chain was added to the front tow eyes and given a rust wash to make it look older


20181006_114516 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The spare tracks where placed and given some rust pigments
The quite ugly paintwork on them is now subdued and it makes for a nice shading in the rust


20181006_114519 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The exhausts where also rusted up
And some of the losse stuff was placed
It was only at this point i noticed the jerry can is missing the cap
Will need to hide that


20181006_122826 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Some light dust was added to the flat surfaces


20181006_122830 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And a bit heavier on the lower portion of the vehicle


20181006_122921 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And to the rear ofcourse


20181006_124939 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then added the last small bits like the canteen and map to the turret
And the branches for the extra camoflage where added


20181006_124946 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
So that is the Panther done for the moment

Figure time

20181007_101535 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I started out by painting the skin
Once that was done i painted the uniforms in black and gave them a drybrushing with a fairly dark grey
I mixed up some German grey and dark rubber for that


20181007_101540 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Not a very clear pic but i covered the boots in a coat of Vallejo smoke
This leaves a light leathery sheen on them


20181007_101547 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And then little white details where added


20181007_101843 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The entire worried bunch is done

On to the base

20181007_103103 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I started out with the post for the power cable over the train tracks
I base painted it in a dark green
The baseplate was painted in rust tones


20181007_103108 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
A dark wash (nearly black) was added around the details


20181007_103120 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And a bit of rust wash was added aswell
Not so visible in this shot is the dry brushing with uniform green to give it a bit of highlighting


20181007_103314 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Once that was all done i glued it to the base


20181007_103930 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the railwaytracks where dusted up with some rust pigments
I also added tjat to the base of the post


20181007_115444 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then dusted up the sides of the road with europe dust pigments by Mig prod.
And added the bushes ,some grass tufts and smaller plants


20181007_115448 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
A closer look


20181007_120332 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the little dudes where glued in place on the tank and the tank was placed on the base


20181007_120335 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
A top view


20181007_164648 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And then of course some reveal shots
This is just a teaser though
I will post the full reveal in the land gallery

So i hope you like it
Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark