I’m a sucker for a simple assembly job, but this kit seems to push that to the nth degree, with much of the model almost finished with little more than a few hours on the clock.
19th April 2025
As a younger modeller during the 80s some of my most engaging projects were those that involved Tamiya armour kits. Often simple in design, I was forever taken by their ease of assembly, but more than that I really liked the sand coloured plastic that they were moulded in. I just loved the way the assembled models looked in that plastic and though the kits were the same quality, those moulded in grey or green never pleased me in the same way!
Today, when I build a new kit moulded in that plastic I’m immediately taken back to those heady days when skills were limited but a desire to improve, was the only thing I cared about.
This afternoon I was reminded once more of those simple, quick-build kits as work continued on the lovely Das Werk Panther.
Having showed off the super-simple running gear and tracks last week I managed to complete that running gear this afternoon, along with the rear hull plate and turret and all this, whilst standing, rather than sitting at my desk! How about that for a relaxing approach?!
The more I work on the Das Werk kit, the more I like it. I’m a sucker for a simple assembly job, but this kit seems to push that to the nth degree, with much of the model almost finished with little more than a few hours on the clock. It just seems to click together and thanks to clever design and a desire on the part of the designers to keep the part count as low as possible, you can count assembly time in hours, rather than days, weeks or even months!
But it’s not just the simplicity that I’m enjoying, it’s the quality of the kit, detail, fit and features. I’m just stunned that for the miserly sum of £22 I will have a Panther that will be perfectly suited to an idea I have for a diorama, with little need for additional expense. Sure, it’s not the most detailed kit out there, my RFM kit being a better proposition for a standalone replica, but for a diorama, I’m more than happy with it! I mean, where else can you get a 1/35 armour kit that includes a metal gun barrel, a photo-etched feet and a metal tow cable for less than 25 quid?
As you can see, I now have a partially complete Panther that I can finish off over the next few days. All that remains are the hull details before deciding on what I’m going to do with the side skirts. As moulded in the kit they are full length, so I’m almost certainly going to break them up to create a more haphazard appearance, or even leave them off all together. I may also reposition the tow cable and add some stowage, but not too much – Panthers were hardly stowed to the eyeballs! As the diorama doesn’t need crew I can leave that alone, which will cut down on my need to paint more figures than I need to!
A fun day then and a pleasing reminder of days when models were built for me and not for publication. This one is not a work project so I can just settle into as a hobby project – when was the last time I could say that?
See you tomorrow.
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
Hi Spencer as it happens I’ve just finished the construction of the very same kit, simplicity is the best way I could sum it up and to make it even better I only paid £7.88 on temu including shipping.
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Based on two videos I’ve seen, if you like the Das Werk Panther ausf G for its ease of assembly, you will LOVE the upcoming Kotare 1/32 Bf 109K-4. No doubt there will be some competition to see who gets to build it for Doolittle, but whoever gets the nod is in for a treat.
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