I can't remember when I finished a model for the last time ... probably a year ago !
This time I decided to build a pz III E from Pz Rgt 31 as seen in Greece in 41.
These tanks were customized a bit as they added a crate on the left fender and moved the jack and extinguisher to other places. They also added a NOTEK light on the glacis.
My first intention was to build this kit directly from the box but beeing only a poor sinner I just had to bring it to a regular Ausf E standard.
Yet as I was out of town on holidays I had to stick to plasticard and sprue or even remnants of old PE sheet but no real PE parts were involved in this kit (with maybe two exceptions but still it was PE left overs from previous projects).
In fact I see this kit as a rather good kit (even if a bit old) with one major flaw. Some parts such as the fenders and the engine deck definitely belong to the Ausf G-H and StuGs kits.
It means that some scratch build was involved.
The first return roller had to be moved back a bit and four bolts on the hull side had to disappear as they're only visible on StuGs.
Four conical bolts have to be added on the turret back and the gunner's vision block armor has to be reworked as it doesn't have any vision slit in real life.
There we go :
And here's a pic showing some of the modifications required with the hull and turret :
1 - the four conical bolts.
2- get rid of the parts that belong to tropicalized tanks.
3- the Ausf E I used as reference didn't have a vision block for the radio.
4- these bolts must go as they belong to Befehlspanzers (or so I believe).
Also the front part of the fenders had to be rewored completely :
As to include some kind of "gutters" (I don't know how to call that ...)
It's at that moment I saw it'd be tricky as the fenders are wrong. The hinge is 2 mm away from where it should be (again, typical of a later version ?) so these "gutters" are not exactly as they should be but I can live with it.
The engine deck had to be completely reworked as the kit offers brackets for two towing cables, just like later versions when the E and Fs only had one with different brackets.
The rear flaps are wrong too. The Es and Fs had two round tail light so there were two round cutaways in the rear flaps instead of one rectangular and one round.
It should look like this :
The crate is scratch built.
One first try at the rear deck layout :
Not as good as I'd like it to be so I'll make a new one with another cable.
Also the commander's cupola is ugly. I am now waiting for a new one (made by Tank I believe).
The new engine deck :
The electric cables are on the way :
I finally end up with a model I think is 99% complete so I air brush a first base coat of grey just to see if everything look right. Somme tiny parts will be added later on (wing nuts for example) and of course, the NOTEK (very soon) and the new cupola as soon as it arrives in my mail box.
Of course, as usual any constructive comment is most welcome. I am so absent minded there sre certainly some mistakes ... please let me know before it's too late.
).
