Heaven Save Me, "cause no one else will...

[Barney]

Ladies and gentle peoples.

I have not attempted a tank since 1973. However, I have decided to build one for a theme build at my local IPMS; "Do something different"

I have an idea, but would like to know what the collective mind has to say about what is a good first build (US, German, Brit, Japanese?), who makes the best and easiest to use tracks, what color is PANZER GREY? Really, what color is Panzer grey?

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

Truly, I am completely confused.

 

[helios]

I'm wandering down this path right now too. Well and truly out of my element...if I even had an element.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

In response to your question about Panzer Grey, I suspect that the answer is very similar to "What color is Olive Drab?"
Here is Bob's photo for reference.

As an explanation it is a medium grey as say a primer, but would lighten with wear and sun bleaching. Weathering would also "change" the color a bit. Use your own judgment on it, as long as it isn't too dark or light, or have an odd color tint to it, it will be ok.

Here are some photos from my old Sturmgeshutz build.

Note I have since painted the interior of the doors panzer grey. The light blue tint on the roof is more from the camera than the model. They are actually a lighter tone of the grey that is on the rest of the tank.

Hope this helps Barney.

 

[Rhino]

Panther, Tamiya 35065 (1988)

Tamiya model kit in scale 1:35, 35065 is a rebox released in 1988 | Contents, Previews, Reviews, History + Marketplace | Panzerkampfwagen V Panther | EAN: 4950344995479

www.scalemates.com

Issued originally in 1966, Tamiya's 1/35 Panther A makes a nice Panzer model without much fuss. "Rubber band" tracks, opening hatches (for play value) and no interior detail make this ideal for beginner. Prices for this stalwart kit remain reasonable, so if you find you hate armor models, you aren't out much. I built a couple of Panters over the years.

U.S. Tank M41 Walker Bulldog, Tamiya MM155 (1975)

Tamiya model kit in scale 1:35, MM155 is a rebox released in 1975 | Contents, Previews, Reviews, History + Marketplace | M41 Walker Bulldog | EAN: 4950344995455

www.scalemates.com

My Tamiya 1/35 M-41 Walker Bulldog was old enough it was motorized! It ran over Kubelwagens and infantry with equal grace and style!
Pick something you like the look of. Have fun!
My 2-bits.

 

[moon puppy]

I did that Panther Chris talks about, really nice kit. Can't go wrong with any of the Tamiya Panzer 3 either.

 

[jknaus]

If you are going to build a tank it is really best to do one from your interest point, WWI, WWII or modern and Allied or Axis as loose groupings. I think a Jagdtiger or Jagdpanther from the late war period would be the easiest to build for the following reasons. They are bigger so less fiddly, they didnt have a lot of extra stuff all over them, they are the basic Dark Yellow (Dunkle Gelb) and may have other cam on them. If you want a "German Grey" machine then a pz.Kpfw. III or IV are fairly easy. German Grey is Close to an Anthracite colour and not bluish as so many oaint it now adays. Tamiya German Grey is pretty good (XF-63)

If you are going for Allied, you cant beat a Sherman, and Tamiya would probably be the easiest and then you get into the issue of Olive drab and what shade it should be.
Common wealth tanks are a whole other ball of yarn and again if going for easy choose Tamiya.
If you do go German maybe this little treatise will help.

German Armor Camouflage

History of the camouflage of German armor from 1927 to 1945.

panzerworld.com

James

 

[moon puppy]

James your post held me up, I kept looking at that grey panel waiting for the image to load "What the hell is wrong with the server now?"

 

[iambrb]

I too fell for the Gray image there Bob

Looking good Sir!

 

[Sharkmouth]

It is your model and it all depends on how accurate you care to make it.

As my first actual response to anyone else's posts in months, I simply want to state that there is a specific color for "Panzer Grau" RAL7021 which is an almost black color. It was susceptible to weathering and some fading. Extremely early war, there would be no fading but plenty of dust to lighten it up. Note that the German tanks sent to Poland had a two-color scheme with the dark brown being hard to see in most images.

As an aircraft modeler, if you have a range of German WWII paints, you already have RAL7021 as the Luftwaffe used it as RLM66. Once you have a kit, find a subject and replicate it if you want accuracy or simply do whatever pleases you. The end should be that the hobby is fun.

As to what to pick... no clue! I will state what I thought were the best I came across (as in easy to build out of the box yet accurate).

WWI kits
Meng's FT-17 (I built it as a WWII Beutepanzer)
Sorry, I haven't built others other than the horrendous Tauro kits and the mediocre RPM FT-17 kits

WWII
French
Meng's FT-17
Tamiya's S35
Tamiya's Char B1 Bis
Japanese
Dragon kits (any but the tracks bring it up one level of complexity from the FAR simpler tracks in the aforementioned French tanks)
Italian
Italeri AS-42 Sahariana. take your time and it does go together well
Russian
Tamiya IS-2
Trumpeter KV-1 series (best value of all so far)
Trumpeter IS series (far more complex than Tamiya's but great kits)
T-34 (pick any from RFM or Dragon. Keep in mind MiniArt has HUNDREDS of parts more and some even have interiors so, while the most accurate, a dreadfully long builds)
GAZ-67B Trumpeter (but at twice the price of the ancient Tamiya kit which is a post war build based on an example capture in Korea)
Ba-64B MiniArt or Vision Models (same kit so whoever you find cheaper)
American
Any of the newer Tamiya kits as easy to build and fairly accurate out of the box.
German
Too many are nice kits and not many easy out of the box other than the newest Tamiya kits (like their PzKpfw IV series)

Post-War
GAZ-469 from Trumpeter

There are plenty of others but I am too sleep deprived to think of them. Good luck!

 

[Sharkmouth]

@Barney, I just reread it. Left out British and one more super-easy Frenchie.

French
Tamiya UE tractor (relatively cheap and quick build)

British
Tamiya Matilda (find a photo of the same Mark as the kit although plenty of easy add-on conversion sets from TMD)
Tamiya Cromwell (although a newer Asian company released what appears to be a clone)
AFV Club Churchill (like MiniArt kits, lots of pieces so maybe avoid for now)
MiniArt Dingo Scout Car (only 262 parts for this one so not as bad as others in their catalog)

I hope this helps. Others can reinforce or add.

 

[Barney]

hmmmmmmmm.... a brit tank...

 

[Steve Ski]

Well, there you have it! No matter how it works out for ya, have fun once you rip that plastic off the box!

Cheers, Ski.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Dang these guys give good info! I now want to build a tank LOL. I have been on a Brit aircraft kick lately so maybe a Brit tank...hmmm. Can't wait to see where you land on this!

 

[fledermaus]

Barney just go for it and enjoy!

 

[Barney]

Dang these guys give good info! I now want to build a tank LOL. I have been on a Brit aircraft kick lately so maybe a Brit tank...hmmm. Can't wait to see where you land on this!

Probably flat on my butt!