Panzer IV/70 (A) Sd.Kfz.162/1

1/35 scale Hobby Boss kit #35048 + some improvements

From memory, it was one of the few kit to offer so many photoetched parts, so many details and so many separate parts, enough to compete with Dragon, at a much lower price when it was released !
Well, I have to admit that some dreams should stay dreams ...

Basically it's still a not so bad kit, but it shows its age, and I think the Dragon will be more detailed, and with a much nicer plastic!
The adjustments are not always exact, some details a bit rough, the choice of a different plastic for the separate rubber tyre sections is strange (it does not melt with regular plastic cement) ... But having the separate rubber tyre is a huge advantage, as is the articulated bogie!

Although I did not fully exploit it, the design of the parts facilitated my representation of an abandoned and partially dismantled tank!
Speaking of dismantled tank, I was inspired by photos of an abandoned and decommissioned tank in March 1945, on the Austria / Hungary border. It was knocked out of service by removing the sprockets and shortening its tracks. I don't know if the other missing running gear parts have anything to do with this !?

The biggest challenge was to represent the absence of sprockets and transmission housings , because no details are present on the kit ... I had already done this on a Stug IV, but a lot of details were already present on the kit (thank you Dragon!), while on this Tristar hull no details are presents …
I considered for a moment to 3D printing, but it was overpriced (well, the same price as the whole kit ...) and scratchbuilding it beyond my reach, I fell back on something simpler, leaving the housings!
The sprocket shaft come from the Sherman M4A3E8, somewhat modified using plastic card and brass rod.
The representation of the missing bogie is quite simple, a few holes to fill and a 0.25 piece of plastic card does the trick !

Among all the details that have been remade, a lot of small details, and a large portion of tool holders... using 0.25mm and 0.13mm plastic card to replace the lack of PE kit.
I also remade the shutters for the engine vents, although they are supplied in photoetch, they all 5 in one part ...
Finally, the last major task was to redo the welds of the casemate using Tamiya two-component putty and a toothpick and do the casting texture using Tamiya putty dissolved in Mr Cement.
I chose not to install the side shields, a bit for ease, a bit because the reference photos don't have them either and a bit because I prefer the vehicle without!
(the tracks was replaced by Masterclub one's after the photoshoot)