Tour de Airfix Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 I’m really getting a taste for Airfix's new 1:35 scale AFVs! While I consider the finishing touches required on my Cromwell, I thought I’d make start on another of my 1:35 scale tanks that I have in my stash. As I'm currently on a D-Day 80th Anniversary mission, the best fit for this seemed to me to be that Stug IV that I recently received as part of the Airfix Weathering Starter Kit bundle. While the kit comes with painting instructions for the 4th SS PanzerGrenadier Division on the Eastern Front, I believe the Stug IV also saw action with a couple of units in Normandy during the summer of 1944. This is a re-boxed Academy kit, which when released in 2018 actually came with two sets of decals, coincidentally a similar set to that Airfix provide for the 4th SS PanzerGrenadier Division and more relevant to me, a set for the 17th SS PanzerGrenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen" in Normandy 1944. This is a great looking kit, with the only slight disappointment being the choice of just the one set of flexible tracks which are interestingly advertised on the front of the box as being the "special feature". After building the Cromwell, I'm now really sold on the solid track pieces which add a much more realistic look to the finished model. That aside, I am so far very impressed with the moulding quality and fit. It's interesting having the first set of instructions giving one a "dot-to-dot' guide to all the holes which need drilling! This being long before knowing what these are going to be for, I pressed on trusting Academy knew what they were asking. It wasn't that long before I had the chassis and wheel axles built. I hope to make a start on the wheels and upper gun section tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumps123 Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Looking good! Following with interest.😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 2 Author Share Posted May 2 (edited) I'm making progress with the Airfix Stug IV. It always surprises me as to how much time the wheels take! 20 wheels made of 3 pieces which I sprayed first with tyre black and then added the dark yellow to the wheel centres. Meanwhile the base got my usual black primer followed by the dark yellow base colour. This freed the way for me to then fit the wheels and the flexible tracks, which I had pre-tinted with a layer of rust, and then the upper sections of the Stug which I had pre-primed with black. The upper parts of the Stug build very neatly in layers with no gapping, although a bit of tape was required here and there to hold the joins safely together. After the fitting the minuscule handles and hatches, leaving the wider gunners hatch open ... the only one large enough to install a figure ... it was time for a bit more black primer followed by a light dusting of dark yellow. This Stug will be having the three tone yellow, green and red camouflage so I wasn't looking for a perfect coverage. One mistake I made when fitting the spare wheel carrier was to cut the brackets between carrier and track guards too short! I, therefore, replaced them with two pieces of similar sized fuse wire, drilled and secured top and bottom. I'd ideally like to add those side plates to this Stug, they come with the kit, but there are no fitting instructions provided either by Airfix nor with the original Academy kit. All suggestions welcomed 😊 I'm really loving this journey into the world of 1:35 AFV kits 👍 Edited May 2 by Tour de Airfix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john redman Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Am I right in thinking the StuG IV was a StuG III superstructure on a Panzer IV, as opposed to Panzer III, hull? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Yes, John, exactly that. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 "I'd ideally like to add those side plates to this Stug, they come with the kit, but there are no fitting instructions provided either by Airfix nor with the original Academy kit. All suggestions welcomed" Download A1351 Panzer IV instructions, steps 18 - 20 depict fixing locations. Both kits have shared sprues G and H. Brackets H23 attached to skirts G50 and G51. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 2 minutes ago, Topcat_Ern said: Download A1351 Panzer IV instructions Awesome, Andy. Thank you 🙏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Back to the Airfix Stug IV, having been distracted working on completing a couple of D-Day dioramas! So, I've added the Normandy 3 tone camouflage. It’s way too bright at the moment but this will be addressed once I apply a light fading wash. I also have tools and side skirts to fit, oh yes and a crew member. More to follow 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 The Airfix 1:35 scale Stug IV is almost there. I just need to decide which decals to affix. I used a range of weathering products in an attempt to tone down that jazzy Normandy 1944 camouflage, finding a set of Abteilung 502 oils to be the most successful. The camouflage colours are all Vallejo which came out much brighter than the set of Hataka paints I used when last attempting this pattern. I have found Valejo's green pigments, with the single exception of their Olive Drab, to be a a little suspect. It's obviously not an uncommon problem as I've found Ammo Mig suffering this issue too. @Topcat_Ern as you recall, I was hoping to be able to use a set of Panzer IV side skirts which as you kindly pointed out this kit includes the spues for, however, the fittings just did not line up. I guess these were designed to work with the higher tank structure. I also tried using the Stug's brackets but, again, they did not align to the skirts. Yes, I guess I could have scratch built some, but having them was to be a 'nice to have' rather than a must have. I'm just going to have to get my hands on a Panzer IV now, as at least I have the skirts all painted up ready and prepared 😊 I’ve therefore, gone with the 'out of the box' build although my finish will be for a Northern Europe and not Easter Front setting. The figure is from David Harris's 3D Gizmo range of Panzer crew. I chose the resting crew member to mirror that I used in my Cromwell, leaving the tank commander figure for another build as he wouldn't have fitted through his dedicated hatch without some major surgery! For the decals, I'm pondering whether to just add the crosses, leaving the numbers and division markings in the box. My dilemma is that Airfix provide for the 4th SS PanzerGrenadier Division which served on the Eastern Front while it was the 17th SS PanzerGrenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen" which was in Normandy. Will anyone other than myself notice this or care? Also, in archive photos I have found I see no numbers nor division markings, just crosses. What do you think? 🤷♂️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 1 hour ago, Tour de Airfix said: Will anyone other than myself notice this or care? There's always someone 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 (edited) That's a shame about the skirts. As I had to dig out the IV to look at the instructions for you, I thought a rainy Bank Holiday was ideal to make it up. Andy Edited May 7 by Topcat_Ern 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 Thanks for that, Andy, I appreciated that and that's an excellent and rapid build you've done there! ... Meanwhile, I thought this morning I'd have another look at those skirts. Offering them up to the Stug brackets shows how different the fittings are .... So out came the knife and I moved the hoops to better align with the teeth ... I think it kind of worked ... All this has done though, is to postpone that decision I need to make on the decals 😂 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 It does like nicer with the skirts attached, nice job TDA. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 9 Author Share Posted May 9 It’s done. Having reworked the Panzer IV side skirt fittings included in the kit, I then found an archive picture of an 17. SS- Pz.Gren.Div "Götz von Berlichingen Stug IV in Normandy wearing the same range of numbers as one of the sets of decals Airfix have provided for a totally different unit serving on the Eastern front. I’m not on this occasion - after my D-Day Tempest rebuff - going to look into nor comment any further on this other than to say “what a great result for my build !” 😁 I’m now thinking of what to build next. I’ve got quite a stash of D-Day related kits but while I have an Airfix DC3 it doesn’t seem long enough since building Italeri’s and the Sherman and P38 Lightning I’m keen to make a start on, are not Airfix. So, I may now have to go dark for a bit 🤷♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jopres57 Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Good looking replica. Just the right amount of weathering to make it look realistic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 12 Share Posted May 12 TDA, as you have given me the "Stug bug", I thought I'd better make mine. Rather than hijack your thread I'll start another. Thanks for the inspiration. Decided to make mine to look different to yours so that there is a contrast on how the kit can be put together. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted May 18 Author Share Posted May 18 On 12/05/2024 at 10:17, Topcat_Ern said: , I thought I'd better make mine. Andy, I look forward to seeing this 😊 Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now