HERMANS 'GERMAN SHERMAN' PZIV F2 'B11'

[HERMAN BIX]

Well at least its progress.
Got the suspension on, and secured the rear hull spare track holder.
I also mocked up some stowage items and spare roadwheels.
As is the case from where you start to where you end up, it appears I need to buy an entire second set of tracks and roadwheels, just to have enough of both to use as spares !
The V66 unit seemed to all carry three spare roadwheels on the left side.

[HERMAN BIX]

More progress today, albeit slow.
Set the spare road wheel positions using angle-brass as stoppers.
The track pin pliers are a bit in the way, but as they are moulded onto the guard, I decided to leave them.
I also added the spare track retaining bars. The track section on the transmission plate on the later versions have flash-as brackets that use the track pins to secure them on. I reckon as mine is almost a working prototype version, that these would have been mounted using a simple fabrication so as to secure the required track links, but not accounting for future maintenance on the trans.
Again, the spare track sections on the turret roof that are clearly visible on the V66 machines, show no definite means of keeping them there.
A section of track that long would have been a pain in the ass to get up there, so lining up a pin would have been a bit of an ask I reckon.
Bent up some brass flat and shaped it so it would keep the track secure, but made it easy to get on & off as required.
All the V66 vehicles had spare track added to the rear in place of the towing cable bars.
I've done the same.
All the crews helmets were hung off this, and i assume stowage was then secured to the area immediately in front of these track sections on the engine covers on the right side. The vent louvers on the left run all the way to the rear plate, where the right side stops short leaving a bit of space to stack gear.
Painted the jack and textured the aerial insulator along the right side.
The spare track that I have gone trough on the last builds has cleaned me out, so new sets of metal track has been ordered, along with an entire set of roadwheels to ensure I have sufficient to add as required.

[HERMAN BIX]

Placed the extras, just to see how they look.
Getting there.

[HERMAN BIX]

Being the impatient sort that I am, and the fact its raining, Annnnd the fact Ive got no red primer left(me own dumb fault but just as annoying ) I decided to try out some new stuff called "Mr Surfacer 500"...........
I read it somewhere, maybe a Cosmopolitan magazine !! that this stuff is well good for treating the smooth plastic tank outer and transforming it into a more real texture.
Its still drying, but so far looks like this is so.
Just a light coat over the entire area I left unmasked.
Once I get some more red primer, the usual paint prep can be done.

[Vanguard]

Looking good already have you chosen which camouflage your going to use yet, when I was doing mine I was still in two minds right up to paint day .

[HERMAN BIX]

Yeah mate, chosen on day one !
Going to be a machine from the aborted Malta invasion sent to Russia.

[HERMAN BIX]

Sure are a lot of opening features on this thing now !
Will be a fair old bit of blending in once the red primer goes on.

[ra272]

Wow really nice. I love the opening hatches.

[Ad Lav]

Nice work Herman, looking very good.

Didn't F2's have a globular muzzle brake?

[HERMAN BIX]

Nice work Herman, looking very good.

Didn't F2's have a globular muzzle brake?

Yes sir, they did, and most(having the same gun) were retrofitted with the next version when possible.
As I cannot stand the softball -style brake, I deemed it not only possible, but necessary !!
Add that to the fact that the really nice barrel assembly in the correct scale, would not accept the HL ball brake, so both got the deep six.
The pictorial trail shows machines of the same unit, in the same series of pictures, with differences that can be picked out if you really look.
Spare roadwheels(some with more), extra jerry cans on the right guard(no aerial insulating beam) spare tracks on the turret roof and hull rear plate, spare track on the trans plate with a flat bar retainer rather than the clever brackets, mixed muzzle brakes, a square unditching beam, some with added armour-some without.................theres many to look at in the V66 unit.
I can only guess that the machines tagged for Malta arrived later than the others into Russia, and by the time they were camouflaged over the Africa Korps yellow, the others had been 'pimped out' by the support units.
I still need to make & fit a utility box on the left side turret stowage bin, some had them on both sides.
This is an obvious diversion from other PzIV vehicles in other units, but seems to be the norm on V66 vehicles.