I am currently working on one and was wondering if the inside hatch covers were painted the interior ivory color the Germans used for their interiors or is it the same color as the ouside of the tank. I am building it as an Afrika Korps version.
Thanks for the help!
Anthony
Regardless of tank type the interior of the hatch would have been painted the exterior color. There was no need to tell the enemy that your hatches were open by displaying a few, big white targets. Whose D are you building?
Erik
Thanks! That’s a good point I never thought of. I am working on an old Tamiya PZ IV Ausf. D
Cool. I’ve been slowly working on the same kit for awhile now. I’ve upgraded the inncorect 40cm tracks with some MK 38cm tracks. Other than that and a Dragon crew I’m keeping mine OOB.
Erik
Did the ModelKasten tracks come with the correct 38cm sprocket?
They didn’t come with the sprocket. I bought a very nice set of the correct sprockets from Fruil.
Erik
For the price of the Tamiya kit, MK tracks and Friul sprockets, wouldn’t you have been better off going straight for the Dragon or Tristar IV-D kits?
Having said that, though I have one of each of the latter kits, I also have a Tamiya IV-D kit which I’m planning to upgrade a little too. [:-^]
BTW: The little raised rectangle on the inside of each of the Commander’s hatch halves is supposed to represent a padded “head cushion”, and is, I believem a brownish (leather?) colour.
I got the kit for less than $10 at the end of a show. I figured it would be worth the learning experience upgrading it with AM goodies you know? I’ve always invisioned the pad would be a leathery brown.
Sorry to hijack your thread amarino. You plan on posting any pictures of your IV on the forum?
Erik
Ahh, that’s cool then. [:D] Looking forward to seeing the finished item.
Good to know…Thanks!
lol…You didn’t hijack anything! Thats what this forum is all about! People connecting for a great hobby! I will post some pics. I was planning on building this one straight from the box. I have two other Tamiya IV D’s that I will upgrade them. I have had them for years collecting dust! I just got back into the hobby after a 15 yr break. Still getting my skills up to par.
Anthony
I too have the Tamiya Ausf D but I got the 36cm Friul tracks and 36cm sprockets. But I didn’t use the kit suspension I installed the TriStar Panzer IV road wheel set now I got to figure out how to install the Friul sprockets looks like I have to drill. And I also picked up the CMK Panzer IV interior set for it. Oh here is a interesting tidbit the Panzer IV interior from the Panzer IV Ausf D through the Ausf J remained the same so the interior set for the Ausf J will work as well for the Ausf D. and if you want to make a upgunned Ausf D out of the Tamiya kit take the turret from the Ausf F.2 and find a turret shurzen and your pretty much set.
Mikey, that’s not an entirely accurate statement to make. While many of the interior components remained the same, there were changes introduced beginning with the F2 around ammunition storage (longer ammunition for the L43 and L48 vs. the KwK34 L/20 even though they were all 7.5cm) for example as well as changes made to the turret traverse when the auxiliary motor was dropped and a manual turret traverse introduced with the Hs and Js. While a J interior would be largely the same, it’s not 100% transferable depending on the contents of that type of interior. If you’re talking things like the transmission, engine, etc. those components remained essentially unchanged and in that case I would be in agreement with you. [;)]
Actually Bill the Ausf.D (not the Upgunned D) the Ausf.E and Ausf.F.1 all used the same gun which means the same ammo while the Ausf.D UG Ausf.F.2 thru Ausf.J practically used practically the same gun. Though the engine on the Ausf.F.2 should have been upgraded based on the added weight of added armor and the heavier gun as well as reinforcing the running gear to cope with the added weight as was done with the Ausf.D UG.