Rex Ross

Hey.......I'm not from Kansas, but I'm just as corny........Nyuk, Nyuk........(My apologies to Dorothy and Toto)

I never heard of a Kugelblitz before I got the hots to convert a Panzer IV into two different AA gun platforms and did some research. So here is what I ended up with for now. I will be able to rig the gun tubs up so that they rotate, but elevation/depression doesn't look like it's gonna happen. I haven't been able to find any photos of what the details of the inside of the gun tubs were like. I never realized how many variations were possible for the Panzer IV chassis, but that tank chassis could be converted into just about anything that was needed. Now I'm thinking about a Bergepanzer conversion to add to this "work in progress" thread.......

To match the paint job on the gun tubs to the tank body, I carefully mixed Tamiya acrylic paints together until I got what I thought would be an acceptable color match to the color of the HL plastic ... after it dried. I didn't want to repaint the entire Pz IV. I'm amazed that my paint blending match turned out as well as it did. Miracles do happen sometimes.

Here are a few (?) photos.......

MAUS45

Wow, they look great!!! Did you use the Verlinden 120mm kits of the Flak 37mm and 20mm Quad on the Ostwind and Wirbelwind respectively?

DirtyBird69

SCHWEET!!!!

Rex Ross

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Yes...the 37mm is the Verlinden kit as it came out of the box. I built it a lond time ago..... The 20mm Quad is a scratchbuilt deal except that I made a mold of the 20mm receiver frame that was in my single bbl Verlinden kit and cast the parts needed for the 4 gun AA version. The only thing I had to build was the gun tubs......that was fun. The Kugelblitz is a total scratchbuild.
Rex

Pah co chu puk

Those babys will sure change the plot when the flying monkies show up! 

" Keep yer head down Toto, and keep loading!"

MAUS45

Great scratch builds on all three!!! Junckenburg has kits of the Ostwind and Wirbelwind, but very expensive, 89 euros, but if ya cannot scratch maybe not to expensive? Panzerparts has the Kugelblitz, but again, 115 euros!!!! mz.modellbau.de has just the Quad 20mm, but it is expensive as well, for 89 euros.

Rex Ross

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When my grandkids show up next time they won't change a thing, they know better than to touch ANYTHING!!!!!

The only thing those little devils know how to load up is their pants.........[:'(]

Rex Ross

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I wasn't aware those were out there, but in any case, I enjoy scratchbuilding more than I like writing a check. The bad part is, some of my scratchbuilds end up costing more than manufactured "ready to run" tanks.

kettenkopf

Sehr kool, Herr Ross! Who can hope to catch up to you when you do conversions in bunches! I look forward to seeing them up close next year.

Rich U.

ksoc

Nice 'hat trick' of AA guns......

After your opening pun you might want to re-lable the Ostwind to Oztwind

modelbob71

Outstanding! Beautifully done. Now all you need is 3 color cammo and markings.

sevoblast

Ya know, Rex, I'm thinking, as I sit here chasing brass nuts the size of a flea's left testicle, I mean I'm REALLY thinking of just killing you. Here I am struggling mightily to get a pair of screens on a bloody KV, and you wave your digits over a pile of scrap plastic and come up with masterpieces. On second thought, killing you would generate too much paperwork in this AO, so methinks I'll just go get another glass of Massandrah, sit in a corner and have a good cry.

Very well done, my friend, very well done indeed!

herrmill

Nice work as always Rex. The 1:35 Tamiya Wirbelwind was one of my favorite early tank builds.

I have a copy of Nuts & Bolts Flakpanzer IV that shows as much detail as you'd want for the interior of the tubs as well the rest of the flak versions. Perfect for fellow rivet counters such as yourself!

Pah co chu puk

Those babys (Ostwind!!! and Wirbelwind!!! and Kugelblitz!!!)

Rex Ross

Mr. Herne.....

I only had to wave my hand over a pile of scrap plastic for three weeks to come up with that trio. The guns were already built and the Panzer IV is Heng Long. I thought the three would be a one or two day project for each gun tub, and maybe a couple of days for the Kugelblitz. I still have some interior ammo ready racks to do thanks to the info supplied to me by herrmill.

That glass of Massandra that you are enjoying.............is that the legendary elixir that cost $421 per jug?

Rex Ross

Change grandkids to ... great grandkids, (when I have some). One of my grandkids is in the Army, another is in the Air Force. They get to touch the real stuff now.

pattoncommander

Rex, amazing work, as usual.....got an extra Panther chassis laying around, you can do the FLAK 41....8.8. cm designed by Krupp that never went into production but was a mean looking SP AA gun. The Century 21 88 would do nice. In Germany back in early 60s they had plastic toys in HO scale that included the FLAK 41..

Rex Ross

Pattoncommander.

DONE! ...... Gee, that was easy .....

Finally, a use for that original HL "Panther" that came out many moons ago. Well let's see now, where's my hammer and hacksaw?

After a google search for "Flak Panther", I'm finding out more about AA conversions than I thought were possible. I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I'm going to take this AA conversion thread any further right now. I want to do a couple of R/C armored cars that interest me.

MAUS45

Not to stir the pot, but the chassis this 88 is sitting on is really a hybrid Panzer IV chassis, not to sy one couldn't use a panther lower chassis to modifie to look like this Panzer IV hybrid.

Rex Ross

Not to stir the pot, but the chassis this 88 is sitting on is really a hybrid Panzer IV chassis, not to sy one couldn't use a panther lower chassis to modifie to look like this Panzer IV hybrid.
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[quote]ORIGINAL: MAUS45

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Oh go ahead ..... stir up the pot! That can be funner than heck.........That "Panther" that I had at the bottom of my junk box is that first HL model that had really horrible dimensions. As I remember some guys cut an inch out of the width and glued it back together (or attempted some correction like that). I guess the Panther that HL has now is better than that first one.

MAUS45

With your blessing I shall hither be known as "Swizzle Stick", stirrer of the pot!!!

pattoncommander

Right, the books indicate Grille chassis from Krupp..but one archival photo says Panther, even tho the track width is not Panther.