Italeri 1/35th Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther
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Background
The
Jagdpanther combines lethal firepower, excellent well-sloped protection
and good mobility to create one of the most effective armored fighting
vehicles used in World War II. The well-sloped shape and low profile not
only provided the Jagdpanther with excellent protection on the battlefield,
it also made it one of the most visually attractive vehicles of the war.
Three
remain in running condition today.
The Kit
The
Italeri version of the Jagdpanther comes in 2 dark grey sprues containing
115 numbered pieces plus a metallic grey vinyl sprue with the 4 track
pieces. Of note, the pieces are not attached with thick sprues which should
come in handy when detaching smaller, detailed pieces. [The 115 number
does not include the replication of each road wheel 8 times.] The pieces
are well defined with no visible flash thereby minimizing the build preparation
time. Detail is basically limited to the exterior of the tank however,
a basic engine with minimal piping is included such that the engine compartment
could be detailed and left open if desired. No photo-etch is included
but engine screens for the rear deck would be nice. The two large intakes
have nothing below them while the four smaller intakes have molded screens.
The instructions are well laid out in a large 4-fold format. The instructions
include rather basic painting schemes for the Western Front 1945 and the
Eastern Front 1944. A search of the internet should produce more detailed
options. While the painting schemes may be bland, the red-on-white numerical
decals included allow one to model many various options.
Conclusion
While not the most challenging model to build, I like Jagdpanthers because
of the fun one can have painting and weathering them. The big, large sides
and rather clean appearance provide an excellent canvas to display and
experiment with airbrushing and weathering techniques. I look forward
to building this latest version of one of my two favorite tanks, the Jagdpanther.
Thanks to Matt Bittner and Internet Modeler for the opportunity to review
and build this model.
Thanks also to Testors for the
review sample. |
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