1:35 G5 Howitzer barrel for G6 “Rhino”

G5 howitzer barrel for the G6 Rhino in 1:35 scale, PANZER ART

This is a turned replacement barrel for a model of the G6 Rhino self-propelled howitzer in 1:35 scale. It is not a kit but a replacement for the most conspicuous part of the model. A howitzer barrel is long and slender, so every inaccuracy on it jumps out: the plastic part from the box has a mold seam along its whole length, and sanding it down easily loses the circular cross section, especially at the muzzle. The turned part is circular along its whole length and the muzzle has a real opening.

The real subject

The G6 Rhino is a South African self-propelled howitzer of 155 mm caliber, built unusually on a high-mobility wheeled chassis instead of the customary tracked one. The gun section is derived from the towed G5 howitzer of the same caliber, so the designation of the barrel refers to that one: it is the same gun design transferred to a self-propelled carrier. The wheeled solution gives the machine a high road speed and range, which was the main idea behind this design.

Building and painting tips

The turned part is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue); cement for plastic will not hold on metal. Try the mating surface in the mantlet dry and widen it with a round file if necessary, so the barrel seats straight and on the axis. Degrease the metal with alcohol before painting and spray it with a primer, otherwise the paint rubs off every time you handle it. On a vehicle in a desert or otherwise dry finish it pays to work with dust pigments: the barrel tends to be dusted unevenly, most at the root and least at the muzzle, where the blast cleans it. Darken the muzzle with a smoke shade and a residue of soot.

Who the part is for

• Builders of modern artillery in 1:35.
• Modelers bothered by the mold seam on a long plastic barrel.
• Collectors of unusual designs outside the mainstream.

The package contains the replacement barrel only. The model, glue and paints are not part of it.