1:35 Kugelblende Panter family

The real subject

The Kugelblende is a ball mount in which the machine gun is housed in the front armor of the hull. The spherical housing lets the gunner traverse and elevate the barrel while keeping the opening in the armor covered at all times. The early version of the Panther had only a narrow vertical gun slit in the front of the hull instead, and the ball mount appeared only on later machines; this detail tells the versions apart at first glance.

What the set contains

A replacement part for building a model of a tank of the Panther family in 1:35 scale. It replaces the corresponding place on the front armor, where the ball mount is most on show: it lies in the line of sight of the model, right next to the driver's visor. The extent of the set and the kit the part fits are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting tips

Cut away surplus material and traces of manufacture with a sharp blade a short distance from the part and sand the remainder level. Try the part dry in the place it is to go first and level the seating surface on the model as needed, so that the mount does not sit crooked. Glue it with cyanoacrylate glue, which holds regardless of the material of the part, and before painting wash the surface, degrease it and go over it with a primer. When painting, leave the recess around the mount darker; a thin wash will deepen that shadow further and the part will optically sink into the armor.

Who it is for

For modelers who build a Panther or a related machine in 1:35 scale and want the front of the hull drawn better than it comes from the kit. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.