Building one of these kits is fairly straightforward and requires only a few basic tools. We suggest using a rivet gun (1/8 inch), a Dremel tool, screw drivers and pliers as well as a set of welder's pliers with a 5 inch bite. We have found these to be really helpful when it comes to bending the mounting tabs on the sheet metal. We also strongly recommend a two part epoxy such as JB Weld for strengthening joints etc. Great stuff.
The upper and lower hull unfold with ease although you must be careful to minimize the number of times you bend each panel. Rivet holes are pre drilled and the entire structure comes together quite quickly.
Prior to assembly, we strongly recommend wiping each piece down with acetone to remove any oils etc.
The rear hull plate is not integrated into the lower hull. Here you can see that the mounting tabs have been bent at a 90 degree angle using our welding pliers. Holes match up nicely.
There are several ways in which these kits can be secured and reinforced prior to painting. Rivets work just fine but can leave unsightly rivet heads where they are not wanted. Another choice recommended by John Grima is to solder the joints for added strength. This can work well but you must have a perfectly clean surface and lots of patience. We dont have the patience I am afraid.
Another option is to use a MIG welder which we will do on our FOA Panther build. This particular kit is made from 18 gauge steel and is less likely to warp from the intense heat.
We use JB Weld on many of our interior seams as pictured. You can buy this miracle adhesive in stick form which makes it easier to apply in difficult locations.
The lower hull has been assembled and treated to several coats of red oxide primer. We have installed the two front transmission hubs and took the opportunity to upgrade each assembly with M3 hex screws for added realism.
We have reinforced the lower hull by adding two strips of 3/4 inch aluminum angle stock which were riveted to the hull floor as well as the sides. The addition of the R/C Conversion Kit and 12v battery will add weight to the lower hull and we wanted to add greater strength and stiffness for this mod. After the aluminum strips were added, the positive effect on the hull was immediately obvious.
We also added three solid aluminum rods from the r/c conversion kit which are secured to the hull using 10/24 hex screws. This undoubtedly adds even more strength and stiffness to the lower hull.
The next step is to bolt the r/c conversion mounting plate to the hull floor and reinstall the custom axles.
Before we can add the road wheels and tracks, we made some rather significant upgrades to the running gear beginning with the sprockets.
The stock sprockets were not designed for r/c and are bolted together using four rectangular pieces of metal secured to the 1/4 inch axle using a socket screw.
We approached our machinist to help us build a better sprocket that would look more accurate and withstand the stress of radio control operation. Wes machined a set of solid aluminum hubs pictured left which are drilled to the exact diameter of the upgraded steel axles, also pictured left. The axles work beautifully with the motors we use with our RC Conversion Kit and were extended with a milled shoulder and two contact points for the grub screws.
Using several reference pictures for assistance, we designed an aluminum faceplate that bolts to the strengthened sprocket. We made some changes to the center hub cap and countersunk the 32 bolts holes that were found on the original jagdpanther sprockets. Six M3 hex screws secure the faceplate to the sprocket and 32 dummy bolt heads were added for a really nice look. All of these options are found on are website in the Panther/Jagdpanther sections.
John Grima came up with a great idea to add spacers to the road wheel set for greater stability, less wobble and a better appearance quite frankly. We were inspired by this idea and machined a set of solid aluminum spacers that will fit smoothly over the stock axles and slide into the Jagd's road wheels. Each road wheel had to be re drilled using an 11/32 bit to accept the slightly larger spacer. Its a very snug fit but works well.
We have also added nylon bearings to the outside hull after enlarging the hole with an 11/32 drill. We must also take into consideration the added thickness of the bearing when cutting the wheel spacers and fitting the road wheels.
We decided to work on the upper hull while the weather was ideal for painting. The plastic mantlet is nicely detailed to reflect a late production jagdpanther but the walls of this piece are extremely thin. We reinforced the back of the mantlet using fiberglass cloth and resin which added a great deal of strength. Some additional sanding was needed in order to fit the finished mantlet to the hull and you will need to trim off excess plastic for a more accurate appearance.
During this step, we test fit the barrel and step down barrel and discovered that the step down was the wrong diameter. We decided to make our own changes for an easier, more accurate appearance by cutting down the larger step down tube and then boring out the interior diameter to allow the smaller diameter barrel to slide into. A step transition adapter made by John Grima and sold on our website really helped to accomplish this modification. The barrel was trimmed down to 15 1/8 inches and 5,5 inches of the larger step down barrel protrudes from the mantlet shield. This is not clear in the instructions so be sure to measure twice, cut once.
We secured the trimmed step down tube into the mantlet shield by using Aves Apoxy Sculpt which is easy to work with and hardens like rock.
Pictured left is the assembled upper hull with a fresh red oxide finish. We have not secured the mantlet to the hull until the barrel has been successfully cut to size and assembled into the elevation mechanism inside. We will not permanently secure the upper hull until the r/c system is complete and bench tested.
We took this opportunity to enlarge the glacis mounted MG hole and will swap it out for the much more detailed and fully functional unit by Armorpax. We also added the Driver's visor to the front glacis.
The front mudguards were next and must be bent according to the countour of the side guard edge which was bolted onto the mudguard. We filled in the seam with Aves once again and sanded it flush. This makes for a much cleaner, integral look. We then bolted both of the front guards to the upper hull using 4/40 screws.
Here is another shot with the front mud guards installed. The upper hull is beginning to take shape. We decided to start cleaning up a number of the resin detail parts for the Jagdpanther such as the commander's periscope housing, engine deck vent, various hatches and more.
Among the surface details receiving our attention is the engine compartment heater situated on the rear hull. The stock unit is too long and will interfere with the opening of the engine compartment hatch. We cut the main fan housing down to size and rounded out the edges with a Dremel.
The picture on the left shows the recut fan box after we took about 1/4 inch off the length.
We carved out the manifold in the box for added realism along with weld detail and casting texture. We added raised serial numbers and mounting tabs too.
We took a close look at the rear hull and mounted two rear storage bins from our own parts bin. We have also decided to upgrade the existing exhaust system with a set of exhaust boxes from Panzerwerks, Once again, we are providing some additional detail by adding exhaust stacks and flame arrestors from our product line. We carefully drilled out each piece in order to accomodate a smoker unit some time down the road. Better to make the modification now, than later.
Here we have added access covers and the starter access plate. We drilled out the cast bolt heads and added real ones.
While we were working on the lower hull (and the weather was excellent) we installed the two Electronize ESC's that will be managing the two main motors. We mounted one on each wall of the lower hull so as not to interfere with the battery and any other accessories.
We constructed a battery tray out of aluminum which is mounted just aft of the center of the hull. You want the weight to be as evenly distributed as possible.
