(Login TopGunBob) Registered Users from IP address 72.95.2.179
It will be my birthday, (the big 5-0 this year)and I'm the sort that believes it is better to give than to receive. With this thought in mind, I'll be giving my Birthday present to all of you on that day (October 31rst). Here kitty, kitty, kitty.
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
Dave, if my memory is correct on a few posts back, Bob has a half-finished Panther A hull master on his workbench. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY! I believe this is the "kitty" he is referring to!
Here Kitty Kitty. Yep, the Kitty is coming. Give Bruce a big pat on the back for this one! To answer those of you that thought the old product line is going to return. Nope, no way, nadda. All gone! Kaput!
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
I'm giving Bruce some kudos for this one as per Bob's suggestion. I just may have to up my order too! Who knows when we may see any sniff of a Panther D otherwise! According to my research, the D version numbers were only slightly less than the G's! Also, the D's came out first, and overlapped production with the G's! Gonna be some good times with this new Panther D!
My suggestion to Bob was to make a conversion that could be used to make a D or an A. It isn't too hard to do if you make separate parts for the things that changed during the model runs (different engine intakes, letterbox or ball bow MG mount, etc.). There will be some small details that may require modeling skills to remove or insert some things that changed, or perhaps Bob could make all these separate too. That is up to him. As long as I can get the basic D/A hull shape, I can do the other stuff. Note there are zimmerit sets in resin that might be suitable for some of the early models with trimming, but you'll have to check photos. At this point, the experts can tell which factory made a Panther by the zimmerit pattern. It used to be so simple.....
I completely forgot about the turret mods and the cupolas, but Bob will have those covered as well. This conversion opens up Panther models for Kursk, early-mid Italy, and of course the early fighting in Normandy; the later ausf G Panthers didn't show up until July 1944 because the units based in France had been re-equipped with ausf As in late 1943-early 1944, before the ausf G was issued to the troops. This conversion effectively doubles the time frame for modeling Panthers.
Bob; if there is any way in hell you can add two additional panthers to my existing order, please do! I don't really care what the cost will be. Chris Schwach
Here we go again, or should I say, I've done it again! Due to the urgings of Bruce, Pat, Chris and many others, Iron Division Part Deux is just around the corner. This time however, it will only contain "Limited Edition" sets and maybe a few full kits. Now I really have to figure out this photo-etching system! Now that I have full control of the ID lines, this will open the door to lots of things I couldn't do before. HOORAH!
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
I'm looking at at least 10, maybe 12 hulls (to include 1-2 Bergepanthers as well). I keep telling Bob my goal is to make him rich beyond the dreams of avarice. There are 14 major production versions of the Panther D, A, and G, and I want to do all those, and at least 1-2 will be command tanks, and then the two Bergepanthers, one with the original light armament and the other with the 2cm cannon augmenting the MG 34s. I hope I live long enough to finish this stuff, but on the other hand, you whippersnappers can look forward to one heck of an estate sale when I kick off.....
