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Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:47 pm
by chief5437
Right then, as I still can't find a decent kit for this GB, I'm gonna start with this little gem!

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Airfix dont even know what type of Panther this is, so it's whichever was around at D-Day!! :scratch::

I'm not expecting a great deal from this kit, here is the picture Airfix use on their website!! :eeek:

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Even the boxart shows it in an 'African' setting, as far as I know, Panthers never made it to Africa?!

Anyway, here's the sprue shot

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No flash :jd: but what detail there is, is very soft at best. And those tracks!! :wall: I've seen more detail on rubber bands! :violin:

Simple destructions in 7 steps

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Not a lot to it, so should be a quick build, although I'll try and add some details to make it a bit more interesting. A decision I'll probably regret, as I could spend an age detailing this and it'll still look pants once those tracks go on! Lol!

Anyway, it's something to do while I try and find a better kit!

Wish me luck :cheers2:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:02 pm
by Lee
ha ha ha - I love that shot that they use on their website....PMSL

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:41 pm
by Paul
That pics not honestly from the airfix website is it lol

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:44 pm
by chief5437
Paul wrote:That pics not honestly from the airfix website is it lol
Yep, gen up! I couldn't believe it myself :crazy:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:45 pm
by Paul
chief5437 wrote:
Paul wrote:That pics not honestly from the airfix website is it lol
Yep, gen up! I couldn't believe it myself :crazy:
I didn't realise lee had sent pictures of his to them to use, fair play :eeek: :tongue:

Yes I know lee made a tiger but that doesn't fit into the joke lol

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:47 pm
by chief5437
Pahahahaha! It can't be Lee's, it's finished! Lol!

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:48 pm
by Paul
chief5437 wrote:Pahahahaha! It can't be Lee's, it's finished! Lol!

Awww that's a bit of a low blow :lol:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:52 pm
by Lee
Bastards.....lol

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 9:27 pm
by fly1ngdutchm4n
erhmmm..... Good luck?
Couldn't belief my eyes seeing that finished model pic... jeez... :wtf:
Anyway, I'll bet you will make it a lot better though!
And I hope you will succeed on your quest of a better model :thumb2:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 9:57 pm
by chief5437
Cheers Frans! :cheers2:

I was looking for a BARV or a Churchill with the 'bobbin' roller in 1/72 or 1/76. The only ones I could find were resin kits, but the detail looked a bit soft and 'toy like'! Can't find any in 1/48 or 1/35 either. I could probably make one by using a sherman or Churchill as a base, but then it's getting hold of decent references. Even then, I can't justify spending a load of cash on references just for one kit.

Ah well, the search continues! :violin:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:07 pm
by fly1ngdutchm4n
I know what you mean...
I was looking for a conversion for the Churchill myself, but way to expensive. :crazy:

But you could do some scratch building.
Why not a Churchill AVRE with fascine on tilt-forward cradle.
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Lots of info to find and seems easy enough to scratch...
:cheers2:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:22 pm
by chief5437
Yeah, I did toy with the idea of the fascine. Might be my only option. Either way, I'll have to get something soon! Lol! Cheers dude!

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 5:16 am
by mannloon
Yeah man, Hobart's Funnies should be well represented in a D-Day group build.

Also, does the fact the Panther is in an environment with palm trees bother anyone else? I mean...Does Sicily have palm trees? Either way it suggests tropical which everyone associates with DAK..I've never built airfix but I'm starting to think it's about as horrid as Revell America.

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 12:39 pm
by Coen
It's also a Panther G which is a bit late for D-Day, but hey... who's countin eh?
I love that promo shot though. That's a hell of a build. :shock:

AFV Club makes some really awesome Churchills, I've built two of them now and I loved every minute of the builds... including the billions of road wheels.
The suspension is completely articulated. The tracks are a bit botchey though.

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 2:05 pm
by chief5437
Cheers Coen, to be honest I don't even think Airfix know what type of Panther this is, hence 'panther tank' on the box art?! From what I've read, it's not really a panther anyway, lol! Apparently it's all wrong, height, length, angles. You name it, they got wrong or just omitted it. Oh well, I'll just call it a field modified panther mark 2.0, lol!

Those AFV churchills do look nice, but can't find the version I was after. I may have to scrap my original idea and go with something else.

Cheers dude!

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 7:05 pm
by chief5437
:hi: hey guys, first update on this 'thing'

Added a few details to try and spruce it up a bit. Towing eyes, lifting rings, grab handles, hatches and rain guards to name a few, lol!

Took longer than building the main parts. Fit is terrible by the way, and I don't even think the tracks will fit between the drive wheels and the sponsons. So this still might be getting the business end of the persuading stick! :pistols:

Anyway, here it is primed, ready for pre shading...

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That's all for now, thanks for looking! :cheers2:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 10:52 pm
by DC87
Ah the Airfix kits where they just didn't care about accuracy and dimensions, looks like a Panther but every angle is wrong. Well done so far Chief, good luck with the wheels and tracks - I take it they are the old melted vinyl variety :pistols: :bash: .

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 10:58 pm
by Lee
That's a mighty fine sherman you've got there :th:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 11:22 pm
by chief5437
Ha Ha! It's certainly a contender for a tub of doom! I'd ask you for one Lee, but I know all yours are being used! Lol

@DC cheers dude, yes they're the horrible strips of scrap rubber Airfix found on the side of the road! :th:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 12:13 am
by Daishi12
Lee wrote:That's a mighty fine sherman you've got there :th:
Thought it was the Male tank Mk1 :) ... gotta love Airfix, you either do that or sit dribbling in the corner.

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 6:45 pm
by Coen
Lee wrote:That's a mighty fine sherman you've got there :th:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 3:27 pm
by MarkVerploeg
Lee wrote:That's a mighty fine sherman you've got there :th:
I knew it the Germans dressed up a Panther to look like a M-10
But the Americans dressed up a Sherman to look like a Panther
and Airfix actually has a kit for it
Ooh modelling is so confusing at times

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 2:37 pm
by chief5437
MarkVerploeg wrote:
Lee wrote:That's a mighty fine sherman you've got there :th:
I knew it the Germans dressed up a Panther to look like a M-10
But the Americans dressed up a Sherman to look like a Panther
and Airfix actually has a kit for it
Ooh modelling is so confusing at times

Lol!!!

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 9:55 pm
by chief5437
Hey guys! Well, for some Reason my last update isn't showing on here? So here we go for the final one.

Painted, cleared and decaled. Tried stretching the tracks after a soak in hot water. Worked but it was getting close to snapping, so I'll have to make do. It was a really tight fit between the drive sprockets and sponsons, I ended up bending the axles to get them on!

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Then it was time for a (heavy) wash of dark dirt...

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Followed by some pigments and highlights. Aaaaaand, we're done!

Not the best, but I think it's an improvement on Airfix's effort, lol!

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That's all, I'll stick some pics in the reveal section. Thanks for looking :cheers2: :cheers2:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:08 am
by Coen
Silk purse, pig's ear!
You certainly out did Airfix's try.
That came out really really well. Too bad about those tracks,they're the only really obvious down fall of the kit.
Well done Chief. :th: :th: :th:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 4:39 pm
by gaz45
very nice work mate

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:35 pm
by fly1ngdutchm4n
Brilliant :thumb2:
Better then the one Airfix made!
Maybe you can sent them a pic of your Panter?
Let them show how it's done? :lol:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:30 pm
by UKguyInUSA
Great job as always....makes Airfix's effort look like a kiddies toy! They should swop their marketing photo with yours and pay you a commission for any that are sold from thereon! :thumb1: :thumb1:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:59 pm
by chief5437
Cheers guys! :th: :th: :th:

Re: Airfix (Lee's favourite!) 1/76 Panther

Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:57 pm
by DBMiller
I'm still amazed you finished so fast!