AFV Edition CONSTRUCTION
Let’s take a look at the two major components of
this Paper Panther: The first item used was the Cast
Panther F hull (PPP 35030). PPP provides a nice
description on their website:
“When he saw the first completed Panther tank,
Heinz Guderian wanted a complete stop in Panzer
III and IV production to concentrate solely on the
Panther. The war situation however did not permit
such a radical stop-and-switch. The Wehrmacht
needed plenty of replacement panzers for the
battles on the Eastern Front. Although production in
Germany was in full swing, the required numbers
were never reached. Some of the conquered
countries however also had industries that contributed
to the (German) war effort. Both the French and the
Czechs were capable of casting larger items. PPP’s
cast Panther hull fits into this what-if scenario, where
production was outsourced to these industries”The hull can be used with both the Dragon
and Tamiya kits. Some minor modifications to theoriginal plastic parts may be needed, but in case
of the Dragon chassis and lower hull, which I used,
there were no problems whatsoever. The hull from
PPP features specifications seen on the Panther
F-hull, such as the substitution of the swinging
driver’s and radio-operator’s hatches with sliding
hatches. I decided to modify the hull a bit and
extend the forward outer edges of the glacis with
Magic Sculp, so the side-skirt railing and front
fenders could be installed in the same manner as
the G/F hull.