1:72 72 Panther G Late Production w/Air Defense Armor

The real subject

The Panther was a German medium tank from the second half of the war, which combined the steeply sloped armor of the hull with a long 75 mm weapon whose barrel was 70 calibers long. It was precisely that which made it a dangerous opponent at long range. The running gear rested on torsion bars and on interleaved road wheels, and a Maybach spark-ignition V12 drove it. The Ausf. G version is the most numerous form, and you will recognize it by the one-piece hull side without a vision port for the driver.

Late production and the additional armor

The late production designation refers to machines from the end of the production run, which differ from the earlier ones in details of the hull, the turret and the running gear. The additional armor given in the name consisted of covers over the grilles of the engine compartment: from above the tank was at its most vulnerable, and the plates were to protect the cooling area from fire by low-flying aircraft. Which parts make up this modification on the model is shown by the instructions in the kit.

Building and painting

It is a kit for assembly and painting, not a finished model. In 1:72 scale a number of parts are tiny, so it pays to separate them from the sprues with a sharp blade or with side cutters and to sand the marks left by production down before the part is seated. Before painting, wash and degrease the model and start with a base coat, on which the color finish and the weathering that follows will then hold substantially better.

• a plastic kit of the Panther Ausf. G tank of late production
• 1:72 scale
• the version with additional armor over the engine compartment
• supplied unassembled and unpainted
• the assembly sequence and the extent of the parts are given by the enclosed instructions

Terms of supply

A plastic kit is supplied. Paints, glue and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.