PzKpfw Panther 5 by Halinski

[rgmarine]

Started work on the 75mm rounds to store inside tank. Made up some out of paper provided in kit but the casings just did not look correct. As a result I thought about using .22 caliber bullet casings. These would work but I would have to remove bullet and empty out charge. Also thought about .22 magnum WMR which have a shape close to the actual 75mm round.In the end I decided that it would be too much trouble since time constraints do not allow any experimentation so I will make temporary substitutes.

Cut down 4mm brass tubing to proper size and glued on the kit provided primer caps. For the actual round I wanted to use paper if possible but making the tiny conical shapes on the ends of the round was problematic. My solution was to use paper lollipop sticks which were shaped with a pencil sharpener. This made an acceptable compromise but the paper was quite fuzzy so I soaked each tip with extra thin super glue to make them hard. Then I sanded them down to shape with an emery board stolen from my wife. These worked so well that I confiscated her remaining stash for my modeling purposes. Now I will paint the rounds with acrylics over the next few days. I need to make 90 total.

Upon further research I found that the .17 caliber magnum has almost the same shape as a 75mm tank round but slightly under scale (about 1-35). This could be used. I will get some to see how they compare.

[rgmarine]

Well the 17 caliber rounds were a bust. I made the mistake when I looked at the caliber which was just about right for the 1/25 scale of the tank. The problem is that the 1t caliber is the round - not the shell casing. These brass casings were too thick to give proper scale and were too wide for the tank. So I just used my cobbled together ammunition.

Tank is now completed. Photos below,

[KCStephens]

Your Panther model looks fantastic.
I like the way you built it with removable surfaces to show off the interior details. Can't wait to see it in person at IPMC

[Don Boose]

Roger -

Your cobbled together rounds look just great, and it is nice to see the completed tank that I saw under construction at the 1 April Paper Modelers' event at USAHEC and at the Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days in May.

Incidentally, I was in Baltimore last month to sail on the Liberty Ship John Brown. Lil and I spent the next day motoring around Baltimore Harbor aboard the water taxies. We rode in the old bluff-bowed craft, but saw the new streamlined black-hulled ones that look like Norwegian torpedo boats speeding around the Basin.

Don

[rgmarine]

Don,

Kelah and I were on the John Brown trip as well. Sorry we didn't run into you but there were soo many people on board. It was a great trip. I especially enjoyed being in the operating engine room watching those old connecting rods do their thing. See you in November.

[Mike1158]

Brilliant, thanks for the info on ammunition.