Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Thanks, Richard for the useful tip, as ever...
and to B Man for the well- warranted pessimism :lolno: I agree that while Asiatam products tick many boxes in terms of conception, enterprise, and look; the quality control is frustratingly lacking. Hmm....
I'd better watch what I write here, as Mr Tam might well read this.... and I'm depending on him to supply the kit I've just paid for.... :shifty:
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

lmcq11 wrote:Hi,

Building this conversion kit is challenging for sure. Every part was a puzzle to put on, potential for improvements unlimited. My kind of modelling project. Have fun.

Regards, Louis
rsz_1img_0798.jpg
Thanks for the timely reminder of what can be done with a StuG IV conversion, Louis.. :sick: :D I don't think that I could ever hope to match your standard of finish; but I shall have a go at producing a model that looks a little plausible in the right setting. (...The Bin... :haha: ). The technique you use, and have described in the past, would demand more patience than I could even muster. Then there's the general artistry. I have some Tamiya weathering products I' ll experiment with, and add them to my (limited) repertoire of finishing tricks, and hope that will suffice to make a model worthy of closer inspection. It's the build part that I enjoy most, however, not the painting.
In any event, it's going to be a while before i can begin. I just wanted to invite some thoughts on the kit, and on this particular version of the Panzer IV..as it doesn't seem to be discussed here very often. :)
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by PainlessWolf »

43rdR&R,
Evenin' Doc! My only intent was to get you a little hungry for what could be done with a resin kit and some patience. Louis did it better with his shot of his JagdPz IV. Have fun and I will be sure to be following along! ;o)
regards,
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Estnische
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by Estnische »

Good-o Roy.

If one were to plan ahead to a time when one's other projects were finished, one might build a Stug with opening hatches, including the loaders position, where a radio might be visible. But for $38 USD, I might make a roughie from plastic scraps.
Stugradio2.jpg
Stugradio3.jpg
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Estnische
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by Estnische »

Hey Roy,

In your opening post you did say you had ordered the bits, so this may be a moot point...

Here is a Targa option for PzIV chassis: the Dicker Max (as opposed to Biggus Dickus) and its large 105mm er, cannon. Very do-able with plate armour.
dicker_max_2.jpg
dicker_max_4.jpg
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by Ad Lav »

There's a company sells that conversion - franks modellbau.
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by Ad Lav »

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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Estnische wrote:Hey Roy,

In your opening post you did say you had ordered the bits, so this may be a moot point...

Here is a Targa option for PzIV chassis: the Dicker Max (as opposed to Biggus Dickus) and its large 105mm er, cannon. Very do-able with plate armour.
The attachment dicker_max_2.jpg is no longer available
The attachment dicker_max_4.jpg is no longer available
Er..thanks for the tip, Estniche, and it looks like a big one :D
Also,thanks to you Adam, and Michael for your take on the topic. In the event, the kit arrived just before I set off on my ritual Xmas jaunt to catch up with friends, offspring, and the latest 'flu virus (missed so far :D ). I'm still on my travels, in a haze of contentment and excess.Luckily, I've not encountered any Elephants yet..pink, or perhaps even tartan. That's a testament to my hard won self control.
I looked at the available options for mounting something on my Asiatam all-aggro alloy hull, and plumped for the StuG, as I don't have any StuG's in my burgeoning collection. Generally, I prefer tanks with turrets, as they spin around like the head of the hapless, possessed Linda Blair in 'The Exorcist'. But I like mine to spit 6 mm BBs, and not green slime :haha:
Maybe you haven't seen the pics I posted of the kit when it arrived. That's because I tacked them onto my 'Contemplating a Pz IV build' thread, as a sort of 'stop press'.
The upper hull arrived as a 'swayback', and it's still undergoing chiropractic traction in the Highlands as I write this. I'll probably insert and bond 2mm alloy strips to cure the 'swayback' look.
here's what the kit looks like:
Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit. Swayback version.
Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit. Swayback version.
Asiatam StuG IV.jpg (58.01 KiB) Viewed 4621 times
Asiatam StuG IV detail. Not overly impressive..
Asiatam StuG IV detail. Not overly impressive..
Asiatam StuG IV a bit of detail.jpg (49.21 KiB) Viewed 4621 times
It's going to be a lot of work not to make a 'Biggus Diccus' ( Thanks Monty!) a great Coccus Uppus :haha:
Buuut..it will have to wait until the Tamiya Pz IV spins its tracks for the first time...
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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Re: Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Well, while the arrival of the final bits for the Tamiya Pz IV is not quite as imminent as I would like, I thought I would get back to the Swayback bette noir, that is the Asiatam StuG IV. In this instance it is practically ALL Asiatam. This means
none of it fits together very well- and yes, I really shouldn't be such a glutton for punishment. :-< Still, that's the nature of the typical modeller, I expect. :lolno:
Having tried hot water, and the oven to correct the ben in the upper hull..I decided that it would be more prudent to apply a little orthopaedic traction to the obstinately Swayback StuG. I didn't want to leave it in the oven and forget it, as I managed to to with a Chicken Kiev the other day.. :shh: :{
But first, I fitted the rear armour plate and engine side vents:
Asiatam StuG IV fitting the rear armour plate
Asiatam StuG IV fitting the rear armour plate
Yes, the woolly detail isn't that inspiring...and yes, I have seen the kit at Frank's Modellbau; but somehow I plumped for this... :| Duh.. I'd almost forgotten that..Life is full of regrets. Must try to keep them to a minimum. :thumbup:
On the PLUS side (there is one...), the Asiatam StuG hull is an exact fit on the Asiatam lower hull. BUT that's only because I'd already sawn almost a Centimetre off the back of the alloy hull! If you recall, I did this a couple of years ago on another thread, before my patience finally ran out with Asiatam's lack of any precision.
Asiatam StuG IV- Swayback Ausfuhrung
Asiatam StuG IV- Swayback Ausfuhrung
The length is just right, but without a clamp on the front, the Tank looks like it's had a severe shunt in a road accident....
At least all the baking and boiling had reduced the 'sway' a little. But not enough.
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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