‘No sarge sorry, I can’t seem to find anybody. Buggers must have left…’
I would like to apologize for the plethora of historical inaccuracies and impracticalities. This was my firsts 1:35 scale tank and my objective was having fun. I know it is important to certain members of the community. I hope its bearable for the more passionate out there. I already built three more( Stug, Sherman and Mercava). I am loving armor modeling.
Tamiya 1:35 Panther Sd.kfz.171Ausf.A
Hobbies are meant to be fun and you got there in spades. Looks great.
Looking forward to the other three.
Congratulations on finishing your first armor model! Those old Tamiya kits are pleasant builds, cost effective, great for learning, and perfect for trying new techniques. You did a fine job and many things right. By putting the vehicle in a diorama, adding all those extra bits and bobs within the context of a story, you’re embracing a much faster pace of learning.
I have to ask. Is that a LEGO tire on the right front fender?
Thanks allot, to be honest it might be. I found it on the ground outside. I will ask the kids
tonight… 
Turns out it was LEGO, good eye.
If you remove the oversized LEGO tire and hanging 55 gal drum, it would look pretty realistic. Those two items just look out of place to me. The rest is pretty nice. I like the vulture; very ominous.
Nice cammo. Nice mud effect. Nice finish on the tools. I’m not even going to say “for a beginner.” It’s nice period.
The biggest thing I notice - get yourself a Flexi-file for doing barrels. No need for metal barrels every time a new kit comes out, but you can get rid of seams, keep the barrel profile round, and eliminate file marks with the Flexi-file. Great tool. It doesn’t keep the muzzle brake aligned for you though… 
Believe me, there’s enough ammunition here to keep them wetting their pants for weeks…
Nice job, I also like the background building. Don’t stop the creativity, each project you create you learn more about yourself and your abilities! Happy modeling! 
Oof, thanks for the advice. I definitely will look into it. The only problem is I had a bit too much fun and built ahead… but the next ones for sure. My wife surprised me with a Tiger and King Tiger.
I was very trepidatious about uploading. 
Don’t let anyone steal your joy, here or anywhere else.
She’s a keeper.
It very much has that Kelly’s Hero’s feel.
