Model Armour

Panther Additional Armour

(for Tamiya Kit)

Manufacturer: Hauler

Scale: 1/48

Material: Photo-etch & Resin

Serial Number:  HLX48320

Price: €11.40

Introduction

Hauler of the Czech Republic has made a reputation for themselves over the last few years for producing extremely high quality 1:35^th, 1:48^th and 1:72^nd scale accessories, detail sets and full kits from a variety of materials including Resin and Photo-etch. They also produce a range of PE detail sets, in all three main armour modelling scales. This set is intended to provide the field installed additional anti-aircraft armour for the Tamiya 1/48^th scale kit of the Panther.

Set Contents

The set is supplied in one of Hauler's small transparent envelopes, stapled to a cardboard header, with a small instruction leaflet. It consists of one photo-etched brass fret measuring seven by six centimetres, and a small grey resin pouring block with six parts attached to it.

Installation-wise the set is fairly simple, essentially consisting of just six flat plates in various shapes to place over the engine deck grills, and a double thickness contoured piece for over the turret. Also provided on the photo-etched fret are the attendant brackets for mounting each of the six plates, which consist of just strips folded to shape, and rivets to place over where they are connected to the plates.

The larger contoured shapes for on top of the turret are mounted atop each other by way of the six small grey resin pillars provided still attached to their pouring block. They simply need to be cut from the block, their end cleaning with a scalpel blade and fixed to the appropriate holes in both plates and thence to the turret roof.

Conclusion

A very nice set which should make the Tamiya Panther stand out from the crowd. Slightly expensive for what's include in the set, but nevertheless a nice addition to the basic Tamiya kit.

My thanks to Hauler for the review sample.