DML Dragon Hetzer Tank Destroyer Early 1:35

[Kermit]

Highlighting has been added. On to a coat of satin varnish!

[Thomas_M]

Only the different lighting conditions make it almost impossible to compare this to previous pictures. But in the end it´s a cool lookin´Hetzer!

[Kermit]

Back to work on the Hetzer! Base painting and decalling has been finished.


Before i move on to the weathering process i am going to assemble and paint the tracks first. Tedious but necessary....



And that's only one side.....

Found this nice picture online that shows us very clearly how the tracks sag on the hetzer. Going to use this as my reference.



Thanks for watching!
Richard

[Thomas_M]

That´s an annoying task to do those kit tracks! These days I usually make use of Fruil metal tracks. These will sag by their weight alone and look ace!

I see that the real vehicle has a different Balkenkreuz than your kit. Checking pictures online there also seem to have been vehicles with no national insignia at all. Choices!!

[Kermit]

Yes, it seems that anything goes with hetzers. Number placement and coloring seems to have lots of variation as well. The kit did not even offer the non colored style balkenkreuz.

[Kermit]

Two nights later the Hetzer is standing proudly on it's own feet. Did i tell you guys this is only the second time i ever completed an individual track linked model? This one went smoother than the Revell Panther D (ICM rebox).



Now comes the task of carefully painting them on the model....

[Thomas_M]

To paint them on the model? Didn´t you leave them open in one spot so you could take them off to paint them? Or, could you take them off together with the drive sprocket, for example?
I once did build such single link kit tracks on my Wirbelwind Flak tank. I made a bottom run and a top run, finally to be assembled on the model after painting.

[Kermit]

I figured i could get away with painting the tracks on the model on this particular one since the only hard to reach places are on the top run which will be covered with schurzen anyways....shhhh

[Kermit]

Turns out i underestimated the paint on model issue. Virtually impossible! But i luckily managed to take both tracks off by seperating them carefully into two sections.

[Thomas_M]

Turns out i underestimated the paint on model issue. Virtually impossible! But i luckily managed to take both tracks off by seperating them carefully into two sections.