Vk. 100.01(P) K3382

Takom

3D CAD Drawings

With the growing interest in Paper Panzers in recent years, it's not surprising that Takom has released another model. So what is a Paper Panzer?  For those unfamiliar, Paper Panzers refer to German WWII tank (Panzer) projects that were conceptualized or blueprinted (hence "Paper") and, in some cases, manufactured as prototypes, but never entered mass production. Porsche proposed that a smaller 3.7cm anti-aircraft turret be mounted on top of the main gun turret in addition to the large main turret.  However, these suggestions from Porsche were never realized. This model by Takom illustrates Porsche's suggestion.

The "First Look" review can be found here: First Look

The Build:

Steps 1-3 involve assembling the lower hull by attaching the mounting points for the suspension arms and installing the drive housings.  Following that, you'll construct the drive sprockets, each fitted with a polycap. Next, the focus was on assembling the 24 road wheels and 12 three-part suspension arms, which correspond to sub-assemblies C, D, E, and F.  Make sure to store these parts in four separate containers. The side skirts in Step 3 were painted along with the wheels and suspension arms before installation because their location made it challenging to do so afterward. I used Ammo Mig Red Primer 920 for both the base coat and the final color, aiming to model the tank after the version named "Siegfried," which references the Siegfried Line.

The image below illustrates the complexity of the suspension and the abundance of road wheels. These were painted with Vallejo Red Brown Primer 70.605. The metal surfaces of the roadwheel have not been painted yet, as I plan to do that in the final stages. The suspension articulation is also visible here.

Furthermore, the rear hull plate, designated as part R6, is secured in position, ensuring that the side armor skirts remain firmly attached. 

Step 4 involves attaching the tracks to the road wheels and sprockets.  However, before doing so, the tracks were thoroughly washed and painted with Ammo Mig One Shot Grey Primer 2024, followed by two light coats of Ammo Mig Dark Tracks 0035. The steel pins in the kit work effectively, but require precise alignment to fit properly.  Take your time when working with them; having an extra set of hands would be very helpful. 

Step 5 involves attaching the headlights, gun cleaning rods, pioneer tools, vision ports, and hatches to the top hull. The hatches could be left in the open position, but without an interior, this would not be an option without the addition of a "Paper Panzer Heer Figure" or a scratch-built interior.  Additionally, more pioneer tools and a cable are attached to the side armor plates. There are 8 grab handles (part K10) on each side of the hull.  Due to their small, delicate nature, they will be attached later in the tank construction process. A nice detail from Takom is the molding of the electrical conduits directly onto the hull surface. Note: In the image below, you can see that the right headlight is missing.  This is another instance where small, delicate parts should be left until the construction is nearly complete. I will be thoroughly cleaning my desk and floor to locate the missing headlight.

Steps 6-7 involve attaching the PE to the rear deck's underside. Takom has included a lip that makes it easy to secure with CA glue. See the image below. Additionally, the tube for the gun cleaning rods has been mounted on the side armor plate, and exhaust ports along with the engine hand crank have been integrated into the engine deck.  The instructions in this step indicate that the grab handles (parts K10) be installed. However, since these are small and delicate, I will wait until the final stages to attach them.  In step 7 the external fuel tank along with rear hull components such as wooden blocks and shackles are attached. 

The two-part external fuel tank unfortunately has a molding seam that needs to be removed, but there were no issues encountered in doing so.

Steps 8-10 involve assembling the main turret components, including attaching the lower turret floor cover with trunnions and then securing it to the hull. Additionally, the mantlet cover is affixed to the mantlet along with the lifting lugs.  In step 9, the upper turret assembly, which houses the 3.7cm anti-aircraft gun, is attached to the lower turret. The barrel is slide-molded and is pre-drilled. The only additional parts to be fitted on the upper turret, besides the gun, are the ventilator cover and the hatch cover. In step 10, the 15cm Kwk/L40 main gun is assembled along with the perforated muzzle brake, showcasing excellent detail. With everything else completed it was time to attach the 16 grab handles (parts K10). This was done intentionally at the end because they are delicate and could be easily broken off.

Upper  turret with 3.7cm anti-aircraft gun (image below)

Step 11 involves mating the turrets to the lower hull.

** Update: After addressing the missing headlight as noted in Step 5, I thoroughly cleaned the modeling desk, hand-cleaned the floor, and moved everything within the area, but I was unable to locate the missing part. I also searched through the parts drawers but to no avail.

Painting: The tank's two-tone camouflage pattern was created using Vallejo Model Color Red Brown Primer 73.605, which closely matched the RAL Rotbraun 2 (RAL 8012). For the green, the Vallejo Model Color Refractive Green 70-890 was used, providing an accurate match to Olive Grun (RAL 6003). As previously stated, the tracks were given a coat of Ammo Mig One Shot Grey Primer 2024 and two light coats of Ammo Mig Dark Tracks 035. The outer surfaces of the road wheels were painted with Ammo Mig Rubber and Wheels 033. The barrel received two light coats of Ammo Mig Matte Black 046.

Decals: The decals were applied following a light coat of Micro Set, followed by a coat of Micro Sol. No silvering issues were observed.  As with all Takom decals, I did not anticipate any problems. After allowing the decals to set, I applied a clear flat coat using Model Master Flat Clear # 4636.

I intended to showcase the completed project with a "blank slate" appearance as if it had just rolled off the factory floor and into the field, where a minimalistic two-tone camouflage pattern would be applied.  My goal was to maintain this clean look without adding any weathering agents, dirt, or grease. This is the result I present.

Conclusion: This was my first attempt at building a German "What-if" kit, commonly referred to as a "Paper Panzer," and I thoroughly enjoyed the process for several reasons. Through research, I became familiar with the concept of "Paper Panzers."  Takom's level of molding detail made the construction straightforward, with no major issues aside from a few I created myself.  The low parts count makes this a potential weekend build.  The kit features beautifully molded weld beads, and the manufacturer's attention to detail is evident.

Would I build another Takom "Paper Panzer"? Absolutely yes.

Highly Recommended for Beginner to Advanced builders.

Thanks goes out to Takom for this review kit.

Reviewed by Phillip Cavender

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