Hi Lister,
'Porsche' turreted KT....A nice tank.....The Modifications are up to you....Its your tank and YOU do what you like with it.......There are also the 'What If' possibilities ..
..... What if the War had lasted longer and what if a certain tank
was modified but NEVER photographed, as two starters...
Personally I HATE the Zimmerit................( It looks ugly, is time consuming to make from 'scratch' or to apply in kit form, it can crack and flake off if the plastic is 'bent' or the glue can fail and so it can peel )........Technically ALL the Porsche KTs had the Zimmerit anti magnetic paste added....BUT....The reason that it was stopped from being applied to ALL German Panzers was the reports that it could catch fire and actually cause the destruction of the tank.....So if you want to avoid the damn stuff....Put yourself in the position of the
Panzer Commander and his crew....You hear the reports that the paste
CAN catch fire.....so not only is your KT full of Petrol and Ammunition, which will kill you if a fire starts...but it is
Supposedly..also coated in a material that can
ignite when it is hit...What Would
You NOW DO....I would remove it ALL and repaint...so its either out with the hand tools....or you dis-mount one of your MG 34's and you 'practice' with it from a safe distance using the hull and turret as a target....Instant Zimmerit removal.....How many photos and models do we see with the paste chipped by gunfire.....Loads...so if you don't like it....and don't want it....don't bother.....Its YOUR KT....
.....Officially it was stopped in September / October 1944....But allowing a few months delay for the 'Rumours / Reports' to reach the Reich and for the orders to be issued it could well have been 'Removed' by commanders and crew MANY MONTHS before the orders were issued...Just never actually photographed....
Additional Track armour on the KT is again up to you......It can make the tank look 'Tougher' and more 'Battle-worthy' and it undoubtedly helped to protect the tanks....but it can 'Spoil' the lines of the panzer and make it look less smooth and flowing......again its up to you...if you like it add it ....If not, do not bother.
Here are a couple of photos of Panzer IV to show how
MUCH TRACK can be applied
.....AND how much it ..'ALTERS' ..the lines of the tank ( some of it from T34's
)
- pz4hev.jpg (31.75 KiB) Viewed 340 times
I LOVE THE WAY THAT THE TWO 'LENGTHS' ARE CURLED AROUND THE SIDE OF THE HULL...
- unknown-vehicles.jpg (52.47 KiB) Viewed 340 times
Weld lines....yes if you want to take the time....but be careful NOT to make them too deep and too few in number....It is Steel armour plate several feet in length WELDED by a human being using a small metal rod....so there are multiple ripples not just a few deep gouges in the joins !!
Opening hatches are nice and can be cut through and removed, with scratch built hinges or cut off and replaced with metal ones which is easier to do. The hatches then allow you access to 'Hidden' switches for the main power, the volume, the smoke and even recharging ports for the battery...and so saves you from picking the KT up every time and turning it upside-down !.....
I hope that this helps a bit and I will just add some photos for you in a moment...
Alb.
PORSCHE WITH TRACK ARMOUR...FEBRUARY 1945 !!
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HENSCHEL WITH TRACK ARMOUR
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PORSCHE NUMBER 11....NO TRACK ARMOUR...BUT....
I have a few black and white photos of THIS tank if you would like a Specific tank to model ..
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WELD LINES....
- kgt_8.jpg (18.73 KiB) Viewed 341 times
- IMG_0163.jpg (90.38 KiB) Viewed 341 times
WELD LINES......GONE WITH ZIMMERIT....
Never Forget......
The Propaganda of the Victors....... becomes the History of the Vanquished
