pcomm1

My 2 cents:

The Tamiya Pz4 kit builds into a little jewel.

Whether you super detail it or make it a backyard, tank club fighter, any T/C will enjoy the no problem build and running/fighting it or displaying it on that contest table.

Any and all critque is welcomed.

Below is a photo review of a 10 month long off and on build for the Tamiya Pz4 J Kit that my wife gave me for both my birthday and Christmas present back in August 2008. The schurzen (hull side skirts) where scratch built by a modeler friend and really make the model The only other modifications in this build are a Daryl Turner gear box mount brace; the DT metal elevation arm; Tamiya solid blue gears replacing the clutch gears in both the elevation & turret rotation units; and the emitter is placed in the main gun barrel; deleting the flash unit. The model is a runner and works great with the kit's stock tracks. The pictures show it wearing the Impact Late Pz4 Metal Tracks and both sets of tracks are easy to fit, pull off, and again both Tamiya's and Impact Tracks run great. And the kit's stock idler adjusters are easy to use and work!

See below for assembly images.

John

pcomm1

And here are detail assembly parts images. The suspension is very cool; assembles flawlessly; and works!

Go here for your blue gears, can not over recommend there use:

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/ite...oduct-id=72005

Enjoy, John

blitzkrieg65

She is a beauty John!

Bring it to the SCAT Battle so we can get a closer look! Hey I sent a PM I never got the final tally with shipping just waiting on that!

Phil

pcomm1

Phil, Thank you. If your attending SCATi will bring the gear along and you can have it, kinda. Just credit my account towards that Mato El Mod VVSSherman we'll build someday. John

blitzkrieg65

That will work,, excellent, you are going to make it,, it should be a good sizegroup, I hear Merle is taking the day off just to show up! Maybe we can get some 10 on 10 action in!

Phil

pcomm1

Phil, Bring your Pershing, mine is rebuilt and ready to go. John

Perry S.

Looks great. Is that a Heng Long?

pcomm1

Hello Perry,

Good to hear from ya. I warned you a couple of years ago about ruining an eye playing with BB gun tanks and it now seems you have done so.

You must drive your parents nuts, but have them PMme for the name of a good opthamologist in your area, who can hopefully retsore your vision.

Now repeat after me, HL tanks are solid gray or mostly yellow and the PZ3 tank below is an HL for clarification sake.

Anyway, to answer your question, no.

John

stcla1r

what were the side skirts ment for?rpg?

swathdiver

Really nice work John! The camo really sets it apart from the crowd!

pcomm1

Swath, thank you.

Answer: http://www.stugiii.com/schurzen.html

Schürzen Side Skirts
Schürzen were conceived and designed to provide protection primarily against Russian anti-tank rifles and low velocity high explosive rounds. Test firings on Schürzen (both wire mesh & steel plates) were performed prior to 20 Feb 1943. The tests were conducted using the Russian 14.5mm anti-tank rifle from 100m at 90 degrees and a 7.5cm high explosive charge fired from a field gun. In all cases (mesh & steel plates) there was no damage or penetration to the test vehicle's side armor. The Schürzen were penetrated or torn off by the impacts, but remainde serviceable.

Also Visit: http://www.panzerworld.net/facts.html#schurzen)<o></o>

Wire Mesh or Steel Plates?
Both the wire mesh schürzen (Drahtgeflecht Schürzen) and the steel plates were equally effective in protecting the test vehicles side armor. The mesh offered some advantages over the steel plates, most notably in weight. The disadvantage lay in the difficulty in procuring the wire mesh and the mounting system. The mounting system designed for the steel plate schürzen would not work with the wire mesh sections. A new mounting system would have to be designed and developed for it. This would take time, so the steel plate schürzen were produced while the mounting system for the wire mesh sections was developed.

stcla1r

ok,pretty much the same as a stryker,yea it looks like a real battle wagon with skirts.nice build.

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

really sweet TAMIYA PZIV there mr pcomm1 !!!!!!

Would look great with another close by for fire support... perhaps to make a wolf pack ...

c'mon down... lets hunt together!!!

-TOMAS
TX ARMOR

pcomm1

Tomas, Thanks! Ok, this is the long story. So, I put together an email photo presentation on all the cool activities around Houston, the Mall at Katy, the GWB park, the great rc airplanes (well that didn't help much) and a trip travel budget including either, flying, training or driving down your way. The Sunset Limited train and Katy, Texas caught my wife's interest, untill she also discovered Hawaii was about the same cost for 2 more days. Long story short, no way this year. And please email me your street delivery address. Ilost it when Icleaned up my mail box. John

streetsquid

pcomm1 (John)
First and foremost the Pz looks awesome! Very nice job, and thanks for sharing the photo brief on the build.

Glad to hear you are planning to attend the SCAT battle. I've looked forward to meeting you and seeing your work in person for some time now. Just always seems that when you attend I don't, and when I have made the trip over you have not been able to make it.

I hope nothing goes awry - I'm glad to finally be able to put a face to the man behind the posts, and seeing your work in person, as I'm sure photos don't do it justice, and they all look beautiful.


Looking forward to it, kindest regards!

Sterrtsquid (Craig)

HG1980

very nice

TXtanker

pcomm1

Hi Craig, Thank you and looking forward to meeting you and those energetic and creative DAKmodelers. Awry is a normal state for our extended family and my mixed company of sisters and sister in laws, 831, 832, 833 and 834 – Anne, enjoy keeping it that way for my wife and me, especially on weekends. Taking online digital photo classes from iPhoto, everything is still a photographic accident though, but making some progress! Idon't think they understand my model panzer subject matter passion and insist I do a portfolio of flowers for my next assignment. See you there, John

Perry S.

Just seeing if I could access the angry pcomm but I guess you are too polished for that.

Does look really good.


Perry

g.horn

First rate job! Keep it up.




Greg

pcomm1

Hi Perry,

Never angry, more like naturally surly. It's all in fun and I enjoy the heated debabtes (and like goading the manufacturers to do the right thing) just as much as seeing all the various types of tank models found here, even the ones mounting BB guns, I mean airosoft units.

Plus. I am easily raucous enough to enjoy the insults, had already been called everything possible in both the military and corporate worlds, before I discovered this site, so it is all good.



Take care, John

pcomm1

Photo Update:The Pz4's new Verlinden 120mm CO doesn't do to well against a Tamiya Pershng.

pcomm1

Forgot to mention this detail: WWII Pz4s often carried the names of girlfriends and wives, such as Paula and Wilma painted on the driver's vision block or the cupola. Not comfortable with naming this Tamiya Pz4 J "tank" after my fitness conscious wife and ending up on little to no food rations or worse, the couch, I named this model Anne afte a younger sister. The end.

John

SteelFist

Nice attention to detail. Looking at that picture of the Pz IV and their crews, the clarity of the photograph is remarkable, it looks as though it could have been taken yesterday.

YHR

Very nice job. Paint and other details look great.