Airfix 1/76 Panther 2019 Vintage Classics

[@Lt.Gruber]

The only part of this kit that lets it down is the tracks, otherwise for the time it looks very good and resembles the Panther and with simple painting and some scratch building of zimmerit looks amazing. Thanks foe the history on the kit I never knew about the box art issues

[@stryderprime]

I remember this kit. it was so simple to make and airfix is a good brand.

[@tigerpresentationsproducts425]

Well yeah for some kits others just u can’t use

[@philsmodelmaking2260]

I do seem to remember building at least one of these kits back in the 70's, but in the main, my airfix panther and tiger tank needs were served by the polyprop versions which were also a bit more robust (bendy!) for battles on the living room floor!

[@mokanaman]

I have some junk ones from the period, they seem to have a texture more faults and little rubbery or can bend easily. Id say your memory pretty sharp.

[@philsmodelmaking2260]

I still own one survivor, called in that range as the field gun and tractor, which is the same as their 25 pounder field gun and quad kit@@mokanaman

[@allansmith6140]

Add me to the list of people having made this kit many years ago, in fact the first tank I ever made and some fond memories there. I have one in my stash as well and most of the other classic airifx tanks and other ground vehicles, the panther is on my pending to be built soon shelve. I have never gotten into the sanding of the rivets/rescribing of vintage kits craze though I do occasional use those tools to re-add those details where I have had to inadvertently sand some off during the build of a modern kit. Have always thought of the sanding of vintage kits as an idiocy if not vandalism, why do that when you can go and buy a kit without them if it bothers you so much? There are still plenty of people into this practice, when watching youtube videos and it starts getting into the "oh geez raised rivets, they need to be sanded down" bs that's as far as I get on those videos.

[@mokanaman]

I understand people who collect kits to improve via sanding and retooling. My old vintage modeling magazines and books dates articles of people removing raided detail as far as the late 80's doing so today would be in the same spirit. My interest is in how the kit and mold looks today compared or displayed with a modern model. Tooling and molding machines could only go so far on a factory budget and family's could only spend so much on a kit. I like to display as is so others can dress up there versions as they please.

[@allansmith6140]

@@mokanaman My point was re vintage kits with vintage molds (today) and yes anyone can do as they wish obviously. The molds won't last forever and some have already reached the point of no return. There will come a day when people will pay big bucks for these old kits and reminisce on the days of these old kits and their prominent rivets and I really doubt they will be sanding them down if they actually build the model. You can look at a model in two ways; one as a small representation of a real object or two as an object in itself or both. It happens with everything, when its readily available people don't tend to think of their future, once they become rare they are like gold. For instance, the first IBM they monitor I bought was an EGA (16 colour). Then VGA with its 256 colours came along and CGA became junk and off they went to the tip. Try finding a CRT EGA monitor today. IF you can find one you'll be easily paying over 1K, you'll be paying big bucks for a modern LCD version of it too. If you are trying to get an old computer going you need the appropriate monitor. I kept mine (stuck it under the house) and boy am I glad I did. I could give you lots of other recent examples. As I restore stuff from electronics to mechanical I am well aware of how value of things change, in a lot of cases over short periods of time and so I tend to be conservative in my thinking. But yes, people can do whatever they please to their vintage kits and I have my view. By the way I am not the only modeler with this view. Each to their own.

[@mokanaman]

@@allansmith6140 The modelers who views the model as an object in itself does have a largish following and quite a few of them pass this channel. Normally the rivet counters do have a louder voice in comment sections and forums in favor of real life scale down. I do agree with 90% what your saying and collect near extinct models some not even existing on any official branded catalog. The aim is to do a straight build and showcase/ document all elements and details in video form for the future when these models are gone which will happen. The saddest fact model injection molds can last forever in machine tool steel if cared for correctly. Rust or fire will only destroy it. Reason why molds are dumped as the large block of steel can be sold at high value for scrap if not making the brand any money at that point. Examples of bandai of reverse engineering old kits and releasing clear (tighter molds) versions of them are also the case. This airfix kit would be the same as it would be cheaper to retool in china then ship the steel from France or England to Asia. On the electronics side an old monitor cannot fall out of a mold and is worth keeping, am sitting on some historical tech myself. Rare chance some old kits without copyright issues can return.

[@allansmith6140]

@@mokanaman By the way speaking of molds and such and the issue with the coranavirus and how that is impacting on the general global supply chain thinking. I know this guy that was running several injection molding machines in a factory up the road from me, I built him a clone of an old valve guitar amp which is how I got to know him. Some months ago he finally gave up on his business as he could not compete with china. Whatever he's make, sooner or later his customers would source the stuff from china and undercut him, things like car parts, bottle tops etc. He ended up selling his working machines off at scrap value as there is no market for them in australia, most injection molding businesses have gone bust. I did think of letting you know to see if you wanted them but I guessed that even if you did you would not have the space to house and/or operate them as they were quite large. Now I am wondering if he made a big mistake, maybe he should have tried to hold off a bit longer and I would not be surprised if injection molding makes a come back here soon. The problem with getting hold of hand sanitizer for instance isn't because of the sanitizer itself the chemicals for which is made here, its that they can't get hold of plastic bottles which mostly come from china.

[@allansmith6140]

Interesting about bandai of reverse engineering kits, so its already started with old kits then. I did notice some minor differences with my airfix panther kit when I looked at it some months ago but I put it down to me perhaps confusing it with some other kit I made seeing its been a while since I made the first one. Thanks for letting us know about that, very interesting! I do have some vintage plastic bagged airfix tanks in my stash, got to watch out with them as I have noticed the rubber tracks on some of them starting to "melt" where they made contact with the plastic parts and glueing themselves onto the polystyrene.

[@whybother7632]

i built it and it was quite easy (im a beginner,) the only issue are the tracks

[@udorechner6846]

I build this kit as a kid in the early 1970's and i loved it. It's a very simplified kit. There are some mistakes in that kit. It lacks the rear stowage bins left and right from the exhaustpipes, it lacks the circular large door in the back of the turret, and it lacks the engeneer tools every german tank carries. But it is a nice kit. I hope your glueing technique has improoved since that video becaus it looks gruesome. Why using super glue when there a a lot of way better modelling cements on the market. And last the positioning of the german crosses on the instruction is completly wrong. The front boxart shows the nearly correct position, some reference pictures would help. Greetings and best wishes from Germany.

[@imbartman6622]

Dont use super glue you monster

[@mokanaman]

Im too far gone my friend lol.

[@callensparksir]

Are you still using super glue?