PANTHER G ZU-FUSS

[HERMAN BIX]

Back in the world. Fly blown to say the least.
Will update on trip and get on with build soon.

[PainlessWolf]

Good evening,
Welcome back, Doc. ;o)
regards,
Painless

[edpanzer]

Welcome back Mr bix

[HERMAN BIX]

Sorry for the poor attendance lads. Returned home to a failed computer, no internet, urgent work stuff and the usual post-longhaul flight fatigue that I particularly suffer from on the return leg.
The trip to Cassino & then onto Gallipoli left me , well, affected.
As a Kiwi, growing up with the understanding & later the awareness of what the events of that time in 1915 meant as a military defeat, and the awakening of nations, every year on the 25th, took on a new perspective after walking the ground so heavily paid for.
I will post pics and feelings in the correct section soon.

Panther ZF.

Been looking at him sitting there since I got back. How to make the rocket mounts easily removable, yet robust enough to stay on during use.
The Schurzen is a pain to fit if the rocket assemblies are permanantly fixed, not to mention any track issues etc that may occur down the line.
Ive done one rocket to test a theory & see how it looks.
Used a brass picture hanging pin as the 'axle' through a tube which is soldered to the backing plate(that touches the mystery mount)which will allow the basket to fit freely into the mount as required.
I think I will drill a 0.7mm hole through the entire 'axle' system on the diagonal into each mount & secure the lot with a paper clip pin similar to those that will hold the spare track links on the hull sides.
Now I know this is not the method used in real life, but for this exercise it will be simple & effective to allow ease of removal.
Should this prove to be less effective, then I only have a tiny hole to fill & then glue the rocket assemblies in place.
The Schurzen can be fitted & removed with the baskets mounted, its just real bloody hard !
The assemblies would also suffer from handling during battery changes I reckon.

Anyhoo, heres one loosely fitted.

Its good to be back

[Abe Froman]

Wow, looking great Herman

[PainlessWolf]

Herman,
That's the stuff! ;o) It's good to have you back. I figured that Gallipoli would throw a thoughtful cast upon your features. Armor will put a smile back on your lips with an 'invective' close to follow. ;o)
regards,
Painless

[HERMAN BIX]

Cheers Mr Painless.
Anyone that goes to such a theatre and is not affected in some way.................should never have gone in the first place.
I will elaborate in the proper department, but after walkling the Somme, all of the Normandy hot spots(including the Omaha Memorial), the Argonne, Verdun, Sedan, Ardennes, Getysburg, The Valley Forge, Argincourt, Waterloo, Monte Cassino and all related fields of Valour, the one that hit me most was Gallipoli.
I actually felt guilt at being alive in that place where so many died without thought to self preservation.................

The wind is out of my sails just now, but I feel fair winds are blowing & things will be fine............

[edpanzer]

I felt the same when I visited Dunkirk knowing my grandfather had sat on that beach more than half a century before having been defeated and awaiting evacuation it was quite emotional and you could almost smell it in the air.

[HERMAN BIX]

Managed to mock-mount one side of the compliment of rockets.
Still need to replicate the crate support members that actually would have bourne the weight of the laden crates on to the swivels, but as for position, this is close enough.
I feel that the placing of the system as posed in the 1/35th drawings on an 'A' model Panther as was the Littlefield machine with its mounts could have been a bit low for general use even when mobilising over relatively short distances. By default in keeping the schurzen mounting system as per the 'G', the mystery mounts have to be higher on the hull sides..................
Just seems more righterer
This thing could have worked
I'm a ways off yet from finishing, but the concept is taking on more of a realistic context over just a romantic theory
If a little bird had whispered in my ear a bit earlier than he did, these things might even have swiveled under power from the inside !!
I'm not scared of going backwards to go forwards, but to do that now is too far back for me from here.

[HERMAN BIX]

Wow, looking great Herman

Thanks Mr Froman, progress is progress regardless of the rate eh !!