I am thinking about my first armor model being the 1/35 Tamiya Pzkfw V Panther Ausf A. Does aynone have any opinions on this kit? I’ts been hard trying to figure out what my first model has been!I’m Knowcking my self out over this Here[banghead][censored][:(!]
NO NO NO NO NO NO. THe kit is terrible. Just say no. Go for a more modern tamiya kit. NO Go on the Tamiya panther A…
Uh, it’s a bit dated. For about $10 more on an online store you could get Dragon’s much better and up-to-date version. The old Tamiya kit even has motorization holes on the bottom of the hull. Biggest weakness, being the inaccuracy of the turret and (to me) the vinyl tracks. If your looking for a German cat to practice on, then why not. If you want something jazzy, go Dragon or perhaps another selection.
Okay,thanks guys,any opinions on what I should get?
-Nick
Do you prefer German? WW II? Modern? What is your price range? In my earlier post to your other thread, I recommended Tamiya’s Wespe, Panzer III L , Marder III and even their Sherman Early. All are under $40. If you shop online, knock about $10 off. You can do even better on ebay sometimes. They are all fantastic fits and pleasurable builds. I should have mentioned that Dragon has a Panther G Late and runs under $20. It does have the love them or hate them indy tracks as does all Dragon kits. I’ve heard wonderful things about Academy’s M-10 and their Russian Sherman. I’m pretty sure you have an option of indies or vinyl one piece tracks. Good luck.
[#ditto] tigerman’s right on this. The Marder III is a great kit as are the others that he mentioned.Like I said in your other thread, pick a topic you’ll enjoy and can afford and go for it. That Panther may be horrible to a seasoned tank guy but you may really have fun doing it, if that’s where your budget takes you.Worry about all the details after you get a few kits under your belt and decide if you like armor… Then, like I said …GET THEM ALL!!!
The Tamiya Panther Ausf A , is an oldy , it needs some work , the tracks are terrible , and it was designed to be motorized . I am surprised that it is still available .Try the Tamiya Panther Ausf G , ( with one piece vinyl tracks ) or if you are set on a Panther Ausf A , go with the Dragon kit ( but this kit has " Indy Tracks " , which can be a bit of a pain ). The later 2 , look good built straight out of the box . But having said all this , the Tamiya Panther Ausf A , is a good " starter " kit in which to refine your armor modelling skills . It is inexpensive , and easy to build . Happy modelling !
Frank
" PERSEVERANCE "
Try the Tamiya Panther G its way way better than there old old Panther A
The Tamiya Panther A is ok but it really looks odd when you have it next to a Tamiya Panther G the A is to tall, the turret is really off, I think it is even missing a road wheel on the bottom to. But if you want somthing cheap to work on get it. I just built one I used it to do airbrushing so I could get good at it. It looks fine as long as it does not sit next to other up to date Panthers. I love the kit kinda, but hate it also.
Tamiyas PantherA is a good first armor kit. Its cheap and goes together well.and dosen’t thae forever to build. It is not contest material and thats OK. It is a good practice on kit. Work out your paint scheme, practice weathering and have a good time. If you buy an expensive kit to start with and it gets messed up trying out something new, you will get fustrated. Remember fun should be the reason you are doing this.
Run a way, run a way… Like the guys say, get the Tamiya Panther G. It went together very well and looks great. I did the Dragon and the Tamiya at the same time and the Tamiya was easier so if this is your first kick at the can, get the Tamiya.
I have pictures of mine i will post a picture
Thanks guys your comments are appreciated
Tigerman-I wanted my first kit to be a sherman or any american armor to be my first armor model.Im also interested in getting a tiger,panther, or maybe even a StuG,any ideas on anything else would be great.
-Nick
Lot of great Shermans available. Tamiya also has the M4A3 which looks like a sweet build. I stick by my early Sherman, but alot of that has to do with my building it. Academy makes some nice ones and Dragon is coming out with a Battle of the Bulge Sherman. Italeri makes an easy to build M4A1 and also has a Pacific theatre one as does Academy. Whew! lots to chose from. As for the others, Tamiya makes the best Panthers and their Tigers are solid, but Academy comes with interiors and the new Dragon’s have raised the bar for quality and bang for the buck. Give AFV Club a look at for their Late Tiger I, comes with vinyl tracks. Stugs? Dragon has a wide variety, early and late models. Tamiya makes a solid Stug G. So many ideas, so little time. Hehe.
Get any of these Tamiya Shermans; M4A3, M4, M4A3/105 - all are great and the quality of engineering and the moldings are superb. Italeri and Academy Shermans are excellent too.
Dragon kits can be a tad fiddly to build, linky-linky tracks and the way parts are molded to the sprue gates can be a pain to remove easily. Not a good first kit, but OK for seasoned vets.
Either Tamiya Panther G will be an easier build than the Dragon Panthers.
If your after a WW2 American tank, the Tamiya Shermans are good
but the Tamiya M26 Pershing is a great kit,
I have to say that Im doing my first tank in 15 years and I went for the Dragon Firefly. The indy tracks arent dificult to do , just tedious. The main problem is the instrucions which are incomplete and somewhat dificult to follow at times , but the help Ive had here has sorted that out too. Id say pick the tank you REALLY want to do and go for it. Im sure the people here will be more than happy to offer advice and help if its needed.
P-51ace65,
What are you looking to accomplish with your first attempt? If you just want to get a build under your belt to feel comfortable with what you’re doing, go for the Tamiya Panther A. If you’re looking for ease of build and accuracy go for one of the later Tamiya kits that have been suggested.
If you want somewhat of a challenge go for for the one of the Dragon kits mentioned (fit and instuctions not quite as good as Tamiya, my opinion).
You’ve been given very good advice by those that have posted. Choose the direction you want to go and if you have problems the people here will gladly provide you with the help you need. There are great folks here that have helped me out over and over.
Best of luck in your choice and build. Hope you are able to share photos of your completed kit.
Joe
[#ditto]
Depending on what you are after, another alternative that was not mentioned is Tamiya’s T-34. The main reason that throw this out as suggestion is that it is cheap (under 20 bucks) and goes together fairly easily. I recently finished a T-34/43, having been inspired by FSM’s “Build a Tank This Weekend” article. I found it to be a pretty easy build, with the only difficulty getting the track to sag properly. Although there are couple of acuracy issues, the effect of the finished kit is fine. So if you’re mainly looking for an easy entry into armor, as opposed to a specific tank, I think the Tamiya T-34 is worthy of consideration.
Andy