Scratch Panther 'A' Build

[grompix]

Richard's (Tailend Charlie's) excellent Panther 'D' build has motivated me into resurrecting my old unfinished scratch
built Panther.

I started this some years ago when the idea of owning a 1/16th scale RC Panther was still a pipe dream. I
bought a 21C 1/18th scale Panther G with the idea of RC-ing it but I quickly became disillusioned with that
idea - mainly because of the rubber tracks and lack of any working suspension.

Instead, I thought I'd scratch build a 1/16th hull and turret and use the 21C wheels, hatches and engine deck
pieces, with the sprockets tracks and suspension arms from a Tamiya Tiger (all this was before Heng Long
arrived on the scene of course).

I put together a plastic card chassis with Tamiya Tiger suspension units and built up the hull to match. I
managed to successfully run the turretless hull round the garden and then lost interest shortly after.

So for years it has sat on a shelf gathering cobwebs. And of course I've since bought and built a Tamiya
Panther and upgraded it with Impact tracks and sprockets. So, what was I going to do with a partially built
Panther?   I decided I could use the original plastic tracks and metal sprockets on my scratch Panther and
sometime later I was able to grab a bargain on e-bay for a spare Tamiya turret and barrel.

But another Panther 'G' when I already have a Tamiya Panther 'G'?

The logical decision would be to just bin it and flog the spares on e-bay. That would save a lot of time,
trouble and expense. But us RC-tank builders are never ones to take logical route.
I started it and I wanted to finish it (Magnus Magnusson!)

So I thought about making it a Panther 'A' with zimmeritt (hides all the bodge work!) just to be a bit
different from my 'G'. And of course along comes Tailend Charlie with his Panther 'D' build and I was well
and truly hooked - again!

At the moment it still has the 21C wheels and they don't look drastically out of scale but I think I might
get a set of Heng-Long or Tamiya spares instead (if I can persuade the treasurer!)

"Listen Pet. I've built this myself so it hasn't cost anything at all."

Nose grows a tad longer!

"I've saved hundreds of pounds, surely a few quid just to make it look right is not going to hurt!"

I'm sure most of us of a certain age have had similar conversations!!!!     
You'll be able to tell if I succeed in my dulcit persuasion if you see the wheels change during this build!

On with the pics...

[grompix]

So far I've replaced the Tamiya gearboxes with HL 3-1.

I had a spare Tamiya KingTiger hull (another purchase - ebay has a lot to answer for!) So I've used that as a basis for the engine grills and engine deck hatches.

I bought the early fan grills from Andy but found them a tad too big compared to the reference photos I'm using so I used the KT grills instead. I wanted one grill with a spiral pattern so I cut out the middle of the metal one and stuck it the plastic KT grill surround.

Filled in the old 'G' type hatches and cut new ones. Added KT cast hull MG port and cut a driver's observation port in the glacis.

I'll add more pics as I (hopefully) make progress.

Cheers
Chris 






   

[septon]

nice panther cant wait to see it finished

[[ICE]monkey]

very nice , shes comming along nicely, funny how we come back to old projects with a new lease of life.
all the best, ice

[Mackem]

Looking really good Chris. Keep the pics coming.

John

[madforce]

i like it , cant wait for more pics, what electrics are you going to use? keep it coming

                      regards  martin

[grompix]

Thanks chaps.

Made the drivers vision port openable. I had to remove the gearboxes and file a bit off the top of the left one to allow clearance for the retracting visor.

Hull hatches now swing open like the originals. I still need to fit the hatch stays on the deck.

Fabricated the armoured fuel tanks at the rear and zimmed the hull sides using 'Crispy's' plastic card and hot iron technique. I zimmed the space behind the wheels first just in case I made a pigs ear of it. I've seen photos of actual Panther's with zimmeritt applied there.

Haven't decided on the electrics yet. Might go for HL RX18 and Darkith DBC/DBU units.

Cheers
Chris 





   

[Plastic scouser]

Looking good Chris will be following this build love Panthers

Cheers Ian

[Tailend charlie]

Man it looks good. The way you are going you will be back on the front line before I get half way done. Maybe that is a good thing, the war will be over. I have to make the centers of the fan covers smaller and the housing concentric. Wish me luck. Keep the pics coming.

[grompix]

Thanks for the encouraging comments chaps - much appreciated. Still got lots to do though. (The more things you complete the more you realise there is still more to do!)

A set of metal tracks from Forgebear arrived today (I couldn't resist!) and I fitted them this afternoon. They go well with my new Tamiya Panther wheels (Yes, I did manage to persuade my better-half of the wisdom of such a purchase!).

I took the hull and chassis out for a run in the garden and it works a treat - just like my 'proper' Tamiya Panther.

The hard part has been fabricating some idler tensioners made from expanding wall plugs. I got them working and then realised that the idlers were too high so I needed to spend some considerable time hacking the back of the tank and fitting metal plates to hold the idlers and tensioners together. It's not pretty (see photo) but it works.

Crispy's hot-iron zimmeritt technique has worked a treat though and I'm dead chuffed with the result (and it hides all my bodges of course).

I've used the tool racks from the 21stC Panther as the difference in scale is not too great. This afternoon I sprayed the whole model with a light coat of Tamiya XF60 just to see what it looks like in one colour.

I made the idlers from an old pair of Tamiya King Tiger idlers cut down to fit. I've since realised that the idlers are wrong for a Panther 'A' of course and I'll need to think about replacing them sometime. Richard (Tailend Charlie) has the same problem with his Panther 'D' but he has found that Tankzone has earlier idlers in stock so I'll have a look at them (thanks Richard). I'm not too keen on that vendor but beggers and choosers and all that...

Anyway - some more pics...