There has been some progress on the gun cradle. I have noticed a difference in lengh of the Miniart and Dragon gun barrel, the Dragon one being longer. I will have to look into this aswell.
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Maybe when you attach the muzzle brake it will add length to it.
Details of that third wheel assembly as used on the PAK38. Do not know if the same wheel was used on the PAK40 so use this reference at your own risk. (Just say’n)
The Patton PAK40 did not have this feature.
Moving the PAK38 on level concrete was still a handful for five guys. (When not taking the photo I was the fifth guy.)
Just as an FYI: This small part of the hitch assembly is missing from the Dragon PAK38 kit. If you use the hitch assembly as provided in the kit it will most likely break off your towing pintle on the prime mover. You need this additional towing ring to not put undue stress on the pintle.
My scratch built third wheel “fork” and tow ring as applied to the Dragon model. (Well before Dragon started including this item in the production kit.)
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I had the Tamiya kit years ago, and once inside the box I gave it to a 12 year old kid (along with another dozen kits). Something just didn’t seem right. Later I bought a Dragon kit, and it was a light year better. Then I bought the one pictured here. I just can’t see the new kit being all that much better, but will be watching closely.
gary
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I never noticed this, but you are correct.
gary
I have built the Tamiya PAK40 kit (the old molds) but felt it a bit boring. I found the Dragon PAK38 build to be much more rewarding.
I am sure this new PAK40 offering will be much more interesting using today’s level of detail and mold technology.
Once you get around to building the MiniArt offering I would love to see how the mounting of the third wheel to the trails is accomplished.
Well from what I saw so far the Dragon kit feels much simplyfied. Take the inner side of the shield as an example, you dont see this level of detail there. I have also the feeling that the early wheels on the Dragon kit dont havecthe right shape. Also the have the outter ring made from Dragon Styren, soooo…
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So the construction is done. I left out two small pieces because I coulnt fit then and also two PE brackets, too small for my fingers. As for the third wheel it has a different attachement on PaK40 then PaK38. I will reserve the final judgment of the kit after I have used the decals. Im still not sure about the lengh of the barrel, it might just be the perspective of most of the 1:1 pictures. I left it as is.
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A little update. After looking at more pictures and more measuring, I do believe the barrel is too short. I added a small piece of sprue to the end (miniart sprue has actually the right diameter). After curing The muzzle break will come on.
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The new barrel is done and im happy with the results. What I think happened is that Miniart calculated the barrel lengh L46 with the muzzle break.
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Looks like a beautiful kit, very detailed.
I agree barrel length now looks more correct!
Lowell, Indiana, Buckley Homestead - Mike Koenig Photo
Patton Museum, Ft. Knox 2009 - Mike Koenig Photo
I suggest taking the diameter of the wheel as a measuring unit. (The blue/green line) Then determine how many wheel diameters the barrel is long, in front of the shield, and see how that compares to your model.
By my calculations the barrel length in front of the shield is 272.6 percent longer than the diameter of the wheel. (give or take 3%)
Do make sure your model gun is fully forward “in battery” ready to fire before taking these measurements.
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Thanks for the details. I was too doing some AT reenacting in the past, but on a different type. I measured the distance from the ring infront if the shield to the muzzle brake, it should check out now. I hope Miniart will fix it for the future release. Its funny, but I think I noticed it because as reenactor I was so much around this stuff that you just have a mental picture of these things. Then I pulles out the Marder II that I made last year and I knew somerhing is wrong.
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Ditto!
These photos posted as possible model or diorama reference ONLY:
(Sorry but it took me awhile to find these in my reenactment files.)
The guy was firing heavy powder load blanks and the concussion was significant to all of us!
I told the folks around us “You won’t get THAT on the History Channel!”
All photos © Mike Koenig - Lowell, IN; Buckley Homestead Reenactment
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Nice pictures, but you guys need to have a lower profile. Remember, the hight of AT guns is dictated by the hight of a kneeling person. I remember pushing an AT gun across a fresh plowed field in the spring once. I had an original 1943 greatcoat on, which I never realy managed to get completely clean after that.