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6403:
Sd.Kfz. 171 Panther F mit Gummigedampften Stahllaufrollen
1/35 injection plastic kit with photo etch, metal barrel, metal tow
cables and decals
The Panther F with its newly designed ：Schmalturm； or narrow turret
was planned to serve as the backbone of the German Panzer divisions
had the war in Europe continued. The Schmalturm featured a narrower
mantlet and overall front profile that reduced the frontal area and
eliminated a shot trap. While featuring thicker frontal armor the narrow
design weighed slightly less and was easier to produce than the previous
Ausf G turret and provided greater armor protection. The Panther F was
planned to be fitted with steel rimmed road wheels (Gummigedampften
Stahllaufrollen) to conserve rubber, a scare resource in wartime German.
When
the Daimler-Benz factory outside of Berlin was captured Panther F hulls
and turrets were found on the assembly line. There is no definite evidence,
such as photos, to indicate that the Ausf F saw combat. However there
are indications as to how the Panther F would have appeared both when
it first entered production and later as all intended design features
were incorporated on the production lines.
CONTENTS
This new release depicts the Panther F with the steel rimmed road wheels
that the type is popularly associated with. The kit contains parts to
make what either an early or late production Panther F. The late production
option features both the 800mm steel road wheels and the revised upper
hull. The 800mm road wheels are detailed on both sides with crisp bolt
heads etc and two spare wheels without the hubs are included.
As expected this kit is based on the earlier Cyber-Hobby Panther F (2
in 1) (kit 6382) but now has the 800mm road wheels from one of the Panther
Ausf G releases (the earlier Panther F kit 6382 had the dished road
wheels). The lower hull, suspension and Magic Tracks shared with the
Dragon Panther Ausf G late Smart Kit series. Multimedia parts include
clear vision blocks, a turned metal barrel, metal tube for the cylinder
that stored the barrel cleaning rod, 2 photo etch frets including parts
for the 6 mesh screens on the engine decks, and twisted metal tow cables.
All up you get a lot of kit.
The revised Panther F upper hull had a thicker forward hull roof which
extended back to the turret roof, sliding driver・s and radio operator・s
hatches and the fitting of an MP44 assault rifle instead of an MG 34
on the front glacis. The later modification required a new armor casting
for the MP44・s mount. This kit・s revised upper hull has up to date tooling
with crisply detailed with weld marks, screw recesses, detail for the
turret race etc. The sliding hatches for the driver・s and radio operator
can be built either open or closed.
The Schmalturm compares favourably to reputable scale drawings including
having the lower profile commander・s cupola. The 75mm KwK 42 can be
built using either the turned metal tube or the single piece slide-molded
plastic tube. Both barrels have a hollowed out muzzle and look sharp
and are in scale. The rain guard fitted over the gun mantlet is made
from pre-formed etched brass and has a good in scale appearance. Other
detail includes the interlocking armour plate joins, weld marks and
the gun sight port.
As the Panther F were being built after the January 1945 decision to
reduce the number of bolt heads on the engine hatch, when building the
kit in step 8 option part A35 which has the blocking plugs would be
my choice of hatch. Another option would be to use putty to depict a
later hatch without blanked holes.
For the exhaust there are several options. The Flammvernichter (flame
suppressing) exhausts have the option of having the curved hoods which
started to appeared by war・s end. Alternatively there are the earlier
curved pipes (as fitted to most Ausf G). All pipes have a choice of
two types of armored exhaust guards (cast or welded) which is consistent
with these parts being carried over from the Ausf G.
ALTERNATIVE EARLY PRODUCTION OPTIONS
Earlier production versions can be built using alternative parts including
the optional Panther G upper hull to depict Early Production configurations
that could have arisen as the assembly plants converted production to
the Ausf F while using up inventories of Ausf G fittings. If you are
interested the dished rubber rimmed roadwheels and Ausf G hull MG are
spare parts and will allow you to build the Ausf F as those tanks on
Daimler-Benz・s production line may have looked had they been finished.
Alternatively with the inclusion of spare circular engine deck grills
(don・t fit fan tower), the option of earlier exhausts, and the early
smaller rear idler, the prototype with the Ausf F Schmalturm fitted
to an early Ausf G hull for test purposes can be modeled (you may want
to add your own schuzen for this option).
OTHER
FEATURES
Features in common with several other recent Dragon Panthers include:
* Comprehensive engine deck with a pair of engine radiators, which sit
underneath the four rectangular grills and the option of open or closed
slide louvers for the rectangular air intakes and the pie slice covers
for the raised crew compartment heater.
* ．Magic Tracks； which come loose and have open guide horns and chevrons
on the outer face. These links can be assembled quickly without clean
up. While most of the links are one piece, several links, which have
separate guide horns, fit around the drive sprockets where their slightly
larger holes mate smoothly with the sprocket・s teeth.
* Separate torsion suspension arms extend the full width of the hull
interior.
* For the track returns located near the drive sprocket there is the
choice of a roller or fixed guide.
* Two sets of on-vehicle tools are provided one with the clamps molded
on for easy of assembly, and another that has no clamps and is for use
with the PE clamps.
* Slide-molded barrel travel lock is crisply detailed and has the option
of being positioned open or locked.
* slide-molded rear storage boxes
* Two lengths of twisted wire with plastic end eyes are provided for
the tow cable and the thinner cable that was used for changing tracks.
* Two photo etch frets with all six mesh screens for the engine deck,
clamps for the tools, the spare track rack and its pins and chains,
chain on the gun travel lock, support brackets for the exhaust pipes,
and the mesh for the vent for the deep forwarding air intake. The storage
cylinder for the barrel cleaning rods can be enhanced with optional
photo-etch for the handles, brackets, latches and chains.
DECALS
The decal sheet offers some typical late war German markings of two
or four decals of the numbers 0 to 5 in black in two sizes plus four
Balkan Crosses.
The suggested paint schemes are typical of Panther Gs and King Tigers
being dark yellow base with the ambush scheme (box art); a dark yellow
base with solid brown and green camouflage; solid dark yellow; and a
primer red base with dark yellow camouflage on the glacis, upper hull
and turret.
RECOMMENDATION
With well researched tooling and numerous extras this kit is clearly
the best option on the market for the Panther Ausf F. With the optional
parts, you have plenty of choice as to how you build either the Panther
F to depict a Late production tank or an Early vehicle that reflects
the likely wartime realities of introducing a new version into production.
Highly recommended.
-
Neville Lord
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