Hi all,
I’m making steady progress on this kit which has been in my stash for a while. I have two questions, mainly down to the dreadful instructions, which have already required me to take bits off and relocate them twice (if assembling this kit, put the lower hull rear plate on first before the idlers, not as per the instructions. You can then locate the idlers and idler adjustments correctly). The tracks are in two slightly different colours so I assume they are handed, but no mention of this or the handing in the instructions. The only physical difference between them I can see is that the track pin seems to protrude more on either side. I’ve attached a photo in which hopefully you can see the difference. Which goes which side? Also, slightly less important, was the turret welded up solid on this vehicle or left free to rotate?
Looks like a sweet Pz III in process!
The magic tracks are handed left and right as you suspected. The track pin head faces inward to the hull.
When I’m back at the hobby desk can post picture.
No idea on the turret question.
Looks great!
I believe the turret was not welded in place as you can see in this photo of a Beobachtungswagen III.
Dark grey is usually left side; at least on the Dragons I just peeked at (building ten different Pz III kits right now). Unfortunately, my Beo is an Ausf F so I can’t speak to the set-up on yours.
The track layout on a Pz III is the same as this Pz IV E. Cotter Pin to outside and track pin head to the inside.
Hope my old photos of the Pz IV E that used to be at Aberdeen help.
Thanks guys. As expected all information required by return of post! I do have the Haynes manual for the PIII, but none of the photos of the tracks were clear enough and there is very little info on the Beobachtungs Panzer.
How do you like the Haynes manual?
Recommended?
My Pz III reference is basically just Achtung Panzer #2 for the Pz III
There is a lot of interest in the Haynes Manual and a lot of good pictures both action photos and a walkaround of the Bovingdon example. It just didn’t cover the one issue I had! Since it’s probably available for about £7 from cheap bookshops, I’d say overall it was worth a punt.
Ref the kit, I now realise I’ve got the tracks the wrong way round (on the wrong sides). Fortunately this doesn’t make too much difference, I just had to do a bit of bending so the slack in the tracks was in the right place for the return rollers - but this whole issue was down to poor instructions, not unknown from Dragon! Once again, this is a Dragon kit that is obviously cobbled together from other kits, the hull is from a Stug(!) and the sprues are labelled Stug III in the main. The only parts unique to the tank are the star aerial and a few other bits that fit on the turret. The other irritating thing is having to remove quite substantial bits of detail from the engine covers and instructions to fill holes in the lower hull plates that you then need!