1:35 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2(G)

The Panzer IV that a long barrel put back on top

The encounter with the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 in 1941 showed that the short gun of the Panzer IVs built so far was not enough against the new opponents. The answer was the long 7.5 cm gun, which at first went into converted vehicles of the F version. These machines were the ones called the F2, and around a hundred and seventy-five of them were built between March and July 1942. The same configuration later came to be designated as the G version, which is where the double designation on the box comes from.

The set is based on newly made molds and shares only its tracks with earlier releases. The result is a vehicle with a one-piece lower hull, a turret molded with slide molds, a hollow muzzle end to the barrel and the bore indicated inside the barrel. The access hatches for the transmission can be built open or closed, the machine gun has a working ball mount and the vision blocks are in clear material. On top of that come tracks assembled link by link, a metal tow cable and well-printed decals.

How to approach the model

The fenders are made thin, so there is a risk of cracking when cutting them off the sprue; a sharp blade and cutting in stages help. The front and rear sections of the fenders can be fitted folded up, which turns the vehicle into a machine that has been in action. The clear vision blocks are better masked before spraying than cleaned up afterwards. The link tracks call for patience, but in return they hold an accurate sag over the road wheels. A vehicle from the Eastern Front of 1942 belongs with a dusty rather than a muddy surface, so for the final finish light pigments on the lower hull and fine wear on the edges of the step surfaces are enough.