HOBBYBOSS
84551 German Sd.Kfz.171 Panther Ausf.G -
Early Version
Panther is
the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that
served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. The Panther's
excellent combination of firepower, mobility, and protection served as a
benchmark for other nations' late war and immediate post-war tank designs, and
it is frequently regarded as one of the best tank designs of World War II.
While sharing
essentially the same engine as the Tiger I tank, it had better frontal armor,
better gun penetration, was lighter overall and thus faster, and could handle
rough terrain better than the Tigers. The tradeoff was weaker side armor; the
Panther proved to be deadly in open country and shooting from long range, but
vulnerable to close-quarters combat. Also, the 75 mm gun fired a slightly
smaller shell than the Tiger's 88 mm gun, providing less high explosive
firepower against infantry, though it was still quite effective.
The Panther was also far cheaper to produce than the Tiger tanks, and
only slightly more expensive than the Panzer IV, as its design came to fruition
while the Reich Ministry of Armament and War Production was making great
efforts to increase war production. Key elements of the Panther design, such as
its armor, transmission, and final drive, were compromises made specifically to
improve production rates and address Germany’s war shortages, whereas other
elements such as its highly compact engine and its complex suspension system
remained with their elegant but complicated engineering. The result was that
Panther tank production was far higher than what was possible for the Tiger
tanks, but not much higher than what had been accomplished with the Panzer IV.
At the same time, the simplified final drive became the single major cause of
breakdowns of the Panther tank and was a problem that was never corrected.
- Kit includes:
- 2 photo etched
sheets
- Copper cable
- Commander’s
cupola with detailed MG34 AA mount
- Photo etched
screens for engine air intakes
- Main gun
barrel cleaning rod tube
- Photo etched
crow foot antenna
- Complete &
detailed turret interior
- Moveable MG34
bow machine gun
- Separately
molded jack
- Detailed rear
deck with storage bins, exhaust stacks and covers
- Detailed
transmission and final drive housing
- Detailed tracks
& running gear with phot etched spare track holders
Item
Name German Sd.Kfz.171 Panther Ausf.G - Early
Version
Bar
Code 6939319245519
Scale 1:35
Item
Type Plastic Model Armor Kit
Model
Dimension Length: 254mm Width: 97.7mm
Sprues, upper hull, lower hull and
turret
