Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Yes, another Panzer III build [:'(], but hey I need the input and advice from all you vets out there.;)

This is what I want to build:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...panzer3j-7.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...panzer3j-4.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...panzer3j-5.jpg
A Panzer III J from the Patton museum.

Here is what I have done so far:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...anks/tank3.jpg
Drilled out the side vents and moved the antenna to the side
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...anks/tank4.jpg
Moved the volume switch to the rear

I also gutted the airsoft cannon, flipped the side turret hatches, removed the smoker unit and moved the speaker to the back.

Still have photo-etched grill covers, a 39L/60 barrel and 25mm cooling fan coming. DBC/U to be ordered soon.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Are you going for an exact copy of that one, even to the different sprocket types on right and left sides?

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Was quite stunned by the very real-life appearance of the camouflaged example (then found out that there was a good reason for that):)

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

That's an H not a J. Note that the H has a different rear end above the mufflers and the last two vent covers are much smaller then the L. The transmission access doors are different and it doesn't have the hull side extensions with the towing eyes. Take note of the square radio operators machine gun compared to the round one used on the J and later tanks. Heng Long is going to release an H.

I don't know the history of this tank, it would be quite a survivor to have lasted from its production as late as July '41 to be around in '43 to have the Schurzen installed. Was this a capture from Normandy? Where is it located?

Are you going to delete the spaced armor mantlet and use those new adjustable idlers?

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Wow. You guys noticed a lot more than I did. (Gulp!) It does seem to be a frankenstein of a tank. I don't think I will try and duplicate it entirely. Perhaps I should rethink it.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Fireman Tim. I like the pic's of your fullsize "donor" tank...Some beady eyed people have spotted iregularities with you "donor" example. That's how good this forum is. It's full of people that have an amazing breadth of knowledge and you have all of this free of charge.
I'm very pleased you posted the pic's of the fullsize PZIII as I have a few questions to ask. One of them is the position of the return rollers... Is the middle one higher than the front and rear one. Or are they inline and angled down towards the front of the vehicle. I hope this forum can help us with this.
I know I seem to be focusing on the return rollers, but I probably think we both need some help here. I think the way the tracks sit on the tank is pivotal in the way it will look when you have got it finished.

Gigantohawk.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Well I am sure not the person to answer those questions. :D LOL.

Here are a few more links I found regarding the tank. Enjoy.

[link]http://www.armorfortheages.com/PanzerIIImainpage.htm[/link]

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKZUMr5vyNc[/link]

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Ahh so that's an F that was picked up in Normandy and brought back!

Gigantohawk: The rear roller looks slightly higher then the middle and the front on is maybe an inch or two lower? Blow up the pics and take a look.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Swathdiver...That's the kind of info I'm looking for .You have a keen eye there my friend. However, the Germans on Panzerketten forum disagree with us. They seem to model the return rollers differently. By that I mean, middle roller higher than the the front or rear. In other words, front roller lifted 2mm, middle lifted 4mm and rear lifted 3mm. But I go along with you, I think the rollers are more or less in a straight line in a slope down towards the front roller.

Gigantohawk

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Oh well, I'm going to politely disagree. Looking at the third picture down in the first post, the middle roller is (to my poor old eyes) definitely above a straight line drawn between the front and rear rollers. I suppose that puts me with the Germans!
Geoff

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Guys,

I am planning a trip to the Patton Museum in the very near future. Rest assured I will take many pictures. If anyone has some specific questions or picture requests I will try to meet them.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

It's hard to tell if the sponsons are bent but there is less clearance above the rear roller compared to the other two. That would suggest that they slope slightly downward. I've seen the Panzerkettan post before, it's an excellent build.

Wait a second! Patton museum says this tank is an F right? While the Schurzen blocks the rear turret plate the forward shock absorbers are where they should be for an H or later model. Ausf G and earlier had this shock mounted further backward. They moved it up because the H introduced the new 400mm wide tracks, they were heavier and needed the support closer to the sprocket. I'm not at home right now, what do you think is the hull an F or H? Are there any pics on the net showing the back of the turret? G and earlier were smaller with the cupola sticking out of it.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

gww...your eyes don't deceive you. the third photo shows the middle roller higher than the other two. So on that note I stand corrected.Having said that I had'nt focused on the third picture. But that was probably due to the fact that I was enjoying my third bottle of Peroni at the time.

Gigantohawk

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

referance the return rollers go to blueprints.com they have scale drawings of panzerIIIs it may be that some ausfs have rollers in line some may slope foward the only way is to blow up the blueprint and measure.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

After studying these photo's with a team of experts,we came to the conclussion that one roller got BENT.We are still trying to determin which one----BIGMIG ;););)

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

971wright I've looked at the-blueprints.com.It appears to me that the rear and middle are at the same height but raised in relation to the H/L rollers.The front one is also raised in relation, but lower than the other two...EEEEK, I need help,I've got new metal rollers,sprocket,idler + tensioners and suspesion arms on order. Gentlemen I don't want to mess up here....HELP!!!.

Gigantohawk

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Just do the most obvious things first and or the best you can. It's not a modeling contest but just an attempt to make it look a little different than out of the box.

Oh yeah, and have some fun at the same time too! :D

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Fireman Tim. This post alone should tell you how much help you can get with this forum and I apologise for partly hjacking it with my obsession on "ROLLERS".
Panther F, you're dead right it's not a contest.
I suppose it goes that way sometimes...We can't see the wood for the trees and then a sensible person comes along and pulls us all back into line.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Oh, you had the best intentions I'm sure, and it wasn't aimed at any one person at all. Even I can get consumed with too much detail and information.

The biggest challenge would be to duplicate the turret schuerzen and to be in scale. Everything else would be just gravy. :D

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Thank you all for the encouragment. It is a very unique tank for sure, not one that I would want to duplicate to the "T".

I think what I will do, is try to duplicate the colours on an Ausf L with Turret Schurzen.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Built some schurzen yesterday.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/schurzen.jpg

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

This might be a little late and more expensive than you wanted to go, but tankzone has some conversion kits, including the Ausf J.

[link=http://www.tankzone.co.uk/cart/hl_p3.htm]http://www.tankzone.co.uk/cart/hl_p3.htm[/link]

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

With that many possiblities, how can you own just one? :)

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

Thanks for the help. I think I will keep it a ausf L (I got the aluminium barrel on order) with some turret schruzen. Its my first RC Tank build, so I think I need to keep it simple.

RE: Rookie's Panzer III J
 

looks good so far Tim[8D][8D][8D][8D][8D][8D]