1:72 E-25(P) "Fuchs" Medium Battle Tank, Lower Rhine, mid 1945

Dizzyfugu · December 16, 2017, 06:39:51 AM

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The "Entwicklung" tank series (= "development"), more commonly known as the E-Series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardized series of tank designs. There were to be six standard designs in different weight classes, from which several specialized variants were to be developed. This intended to reverse the trend of extremely complex tank designs that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The E-series designs were simpler, cheaper to produce and more efficient than their predecessors. But, on the other side, their design offered only modest improvements in armor and firepower over the designs they were intended to replace, such as the Jagdpanzer 38(t), Panther Ausf.G or Tiger II. However, the resulting high degree of standardization of German armored vehicles would also have made production, logistics and maintenance easier. Indeed, nearly all of the E-series vehicles — up through and including the E-75 — were intended to use what were essentially the Tiger II's eighty centimeter diameter, steel-rimmed road wheels for their suspension, meant to overlap each other. An innovative conical spring system, replacing their predecessors' torsion bar system which required a special steel alloy, simplified production and required less internal space.

Focus of initial chassis and combat vehicle development was the E-50/75 Standardpanzer, designed by Adler, both being mostly identical and only differing in armor thickness, overall weight and running gear design to cope with the different weights. But there were lighter chassis variants, too, including the light E-5 and E-10 for armored, tracked reconnaissance vehicles, and the medium E-25.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The E-25 designs, in the 25-50 tonnes weight class, were to be replacements for all Panzer III and Panzer IV based designs still in service, as well as for the early variants of the Panzer V (the Panther). This chassis' main designers were Alkett, Argus and Adler, with the involvement of Porsche. The proposed vehicle family would include medium reconnaissance vehicles, a medium Jagdpanzer and a heavy Waffenträger, but the chassis was also considered for other armed vehicles.

The original E-25 chassis used five Tiger II style road wheels per side, combined with "slack-track" design. Track propulsion was switched to a rear drive sprocket, as a consequence of mating the engine and the gearbox into a single tail-mounted, very compact power pack that made the voluminous and heavy power train all through the hull obsolete. This allowed the tank's body to be lowered, and the gained space offered more room for the crew's operations, heavier guns and ammunition storage.
The first member of the E-25 family that entered production was the medium tank hunter. It received highest priority and the project was called "Jagdpanzer E-25/88", running under the inventory ordnance number "SdKfZ. 310". However, at the time of its introduction the E-25 chassis was also considered for a medium battle tank in the 35 ton class, since it had become clear that the E-50/75 battle tanks were rather large and resource-consuming. A lighter, more agile vehicle was needed, and it was to be armed with either the highly effective 75mm L/70 cannon (used in the Panther and the late Jagdpanzer IV) or the more powerful 8.8 cm L/56 gun, used in the Tiger I and the Jagdpanther.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Porsche was tasked with the adaptation of the E-25 chassis for a turret for both heavy guns. The work was in close collaboration with Henschel and the Oberschlesische Gusswerke Beuthen who were both working on a new, unified cast steel turret for the 88mm gun for a wide range of medium tanks like the Panther, the E-50/75 family and the heavy Tiger II. Alternatively, the new E-25 battle tank was to accept the so-called Schmalturm, which could carry both cannon types, too.

After the Allied invasion in the Normandy in 1944 and with ever-rising pressure through the Red Army from the East, the E-25 MBT project eventually gained more and more priority and momentum. As a consequence, Porsche was assigned by the Heeresleitung to build a running prototype as quickly as possible, ideally until early 1945.

Porsche was certain that the original E-25 chassis was too short and light for the adaptation of the cast turret. In order to keep the tight timeline, Porsche decided to develop a new welded steel hull while using as many Einheitspanzer components as possible. The resulting vehicle had little in common with the original Adler E-25 chassis and rather resembled the bigger and heavier E-50/75 family. Overall dimensions ended up close to the Panther hull, as a result of a certain minimum width that was necessary to mount the new turret's bearings and balance its weight. However, the new tank's overall silhouette was considerably lower than the Panther's or the E-50/75 family MBT's.
The Porsche design also made full use of several new technical solutions for the engine and the new, space-saving E-50/75 suspension. For instance, thanks to the rear-mounted power unit with the gearbox and the driving sprocket wheels, the front armor could be optimized to offer very good ballistic protection (achieving a very shallow 30°angle) despite a maximum thickness of only 70 mm. The thickest armor, the cast steel gun mantlet, was 80 mm.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The tank's running gear consisted of six steel-rimmed wheels per side, mounted in three staggered pairs, similar to the heavier E-50 tank. Thanks to the lower overall weight, a new Niresit track with less width could be used. The so-called "Beuthen Turm" offered excellent ballistic protection, a very low profile and featured a commander cupola with a full 360° view through periscopes as well as a 200cm width stereoscopic optical rangefinder for the gunner. A few vehicles were additionally equipped with FG1250/1251 infrared illuminators, too, allowing night operations in coordination with special versions of the Sd.Kfz.251 with long-range infrared illuminators, and complemented by assault troops using Vampir-modified Sturmgewehr guns.

Savings in material and complexity were achieved through simplified shapes and the use of stock components from other or older tanks, as well as the reduction of the crew to only four: the traditional radio operator in the hull, next to the driver, as well as a hull-mounted machine gun, were completely omitted. The driver was furthermore moved to the right side, a result of the secondary ammunition bunker in the hull being placed in front of the loader in the turret for easy access.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

In this form, the tank was tested in early 1945 and hastily pushed into production, receiving the designation Sonderkraftfahrzeug 316 and officially christened "Fuchs". In order to reflect Porsche's involvement in this new tank's design and to differentiate it from the standard E-25 tank, the vehicle and its chassis variant was called E-25(P).
The resulting medium battle tank received, depending on its main weapon, the suffix 'A' for the 75mm cannon (SdKfz. 316/1) and 'B' for the 88mm gun (SdKfz. 316/1). The Schmalturm did not find its way on the production vehicles, and both variants had an operational weight of roundabout 38 tons. This was considerably less than any German contemporary MBT from the E-50/75 family, and even lighter than the late Panther variants. For its weight, the powerful main weapons made the vehicle a highly mobile and deadly enemy, enabling the crews to execute "hit and run" tactics which were impossible with the bigger and slower tanks.

The first production vehicles were deployed to independent units at the Western front line along the lower Rhine in May 1945, but due to the lack of thorough tests, sufficient crew training and lack of combat experience with the new vehicle, the initial results were poor. The majority of tank losses was not through enemy fire, though - many tanks had to be abandoned and were destroyed by their crews after technical failures.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 105', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/Lower Rhine, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The Fuchs MBT was popular among the crews, though, since it offered a much higher mobility than its heavier Einheitspanzer brethren. The relatively large and spacious turret was another point that found much appraise – but its poor technical reliability was its biggest Achilles heel.
Due to the ever-worsening situation, less than 100 E-25(P) hulls were completed and probably less than 50 combat-worthy vehicles arrived at front line units and were involved in battle until the end of hostilities. But the design work, with many radical and innovative ideas, did not get lost – many of the Fuchs' design features like its hull layout and armor design or the Beuthen turret found their way into the highly successful German Leopard I MBT in the early 1960ies, which entered service with the German Bundeswehr in 1965 and still serves with several armies until today.

Specifications:
Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Weight: 38 tonnes (41.9 short tons)
Length: 7,02 metres (23 ft), hull only
9.77 metres (32 ft) overall, with the gun forward
Width: 3.96 metres (12 ft 11 1/2 in)
Height: 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in)
Ground clearance: 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Suspension: Conical spring
Fuel capacity: 450 litres (120 US gal)

Armor:
10–80 mm (0.4 – 3.15 in)

Performance:
Speed
- Maximum, road: 52 km/h (32 mph)
- Sustained, road: 42 km/h (26 mph)
- Cross country: 16 to 25 km/h (9.5 to 15.5 mph)
Operational range: 210 km (130 mi)
Power/weight: 14,47 PS/tonne (12,86 hp/ton)

Engine:
V12 Maybach HL 101 gasoline engine with 550 PS (539 hp, 341 kW)

Transmission:
ZF AK 7-200 with 7 forward 1 reverse gears

Armament:
1× 8.8 cm KwK 43/4 L/56 with 48 rounds
2× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns with a total of 5.200 rounds
(one co-axial with the main weapon, one manually operated on the commander's cupola)

The kit and its assembly:
This fictional Heer '46 is based on the fact that the famous German post-WWII MBT Leopard 1 – at least the Porsche prototype – was based on designs from the WWII era. So, why not spin this story further and retro-grade a Leopard 1 into a Heer '46 tank, as a kind of grandfather design with then-state-of-the-art technologies...?

Well, that job could be easily done with a Leopard 1 kit built more or less OOB and just painted in typical WWII colors – I have actually seen such things in simulation games like World of Tanks, and it did not look bad at all. But for the ambitious modelers, this would be a bit too simple, wouldn't it?
For instance, there are some features like the running gear on the Leopard that are very modern and would IMHO not fit into the late WWII timeframe. The general lack of high quality materials and design simplifications everywhere would certainly also take their toll. As a consequence the starting basis for this whiffy tank model actually became an 1:72 Leopard 1 (to be exact, it's Revell's Leopard 1A5 kit), but from this basis only a few parts were actually taken over.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Work started with the upper hull, which received the transplantation of the complete upper rear deck from a leftover Hasegawa Panther, including the turret's attachment ring. Internally the whole affair was reinforced with styrene profiles along the seams. The basic idea behind this move was to get rid of the rather modernistic, raised engine cover of the Leopard, and the Panther's armored cooling fan covers would add a very familiar, German touch. Furthermore, the Panther turret is set relatively further back than on the Leopard, resulting IMHO in a positive side effect for the vehicle's proportions. The front with the driver's hatch and the side walls of the Leopard hull were taken over, just the glacis plate was cleaned from the moulded snow claws for the modern Leopard track.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

While I could have used the original, casted Leopard 1 turret without any extra armor, I rather reverted to a donor part: an aftermarket resin turret from the German short run producer Modell Trans. What spoke for this aftermarket piece is that this Heer '46 turret piece was exactly that kind of add-on this kit would need: a retrograded Leopard 1 turret, with a simplified shape, a simple commander cupola, typical bulges for a late-war optical rangefinder in the turret sides and even a 8.8cm KwK barrel! The resin turret, which also comes with an AA machine gun, was taken OOB. Only the original resin gun barrel came slightly bent – this could have been corrected easily, but I replaced it with a more delicate white metal and brass piece, anyway. Additionally, an adapter for the hull opening had to be scratched.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

So far, so good - but the running gear became the biggest challenge. The Leopard 1's advanced torsion bar running gear with rubber-rimmed wheels would not make sense anymore, due to the special high quality materials needed for its construction. Since the Einheitspanzer family was to share as many components as possible, I decided to implant an E-50-style running gear with its typical cast standard wheels.
This sounds easy, but scratching a running gear is a real stunt! Work started with the attachment points for the driving and guide wheels at the hull's ends, which were cut off of the Revell kit's parts and glued into their respective places. The drive wheel was taken over from the Leopard, but the guide wheel at the front end was replaced by a simpler and smaller pair of wheels from a Russian IS-3 tank.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Using the E-50 as benchmark for the running wheels, I gathered twelve of them from the scrap box and from several Modellcollect kits in the stash (The 1:72 E-50 kits from Modelcollect and Trumpeter all come with the option to build an E-75, too, so that each kit offers two pairs of excess parts). Mounting these wheels to the hull, in a staggered fashion, became the kit's true challenge, though, because I did not have a sufficient number of original wheel carriers/suspension packs. Improvisation resulted in the adaptation of twelve leftover suspension arms from a Modelcollect E-100 kit, even though they had to be tailored in depth and length to fit under the Leopard's hull. It took some trial and error to find a proper position that would produce a plausible stance, but I think the effort of this transplantation really changes the tank's look into something Heer '46-ish?

The track was taken OOB from the Leopard 1 kit, and it is of the segmented IP type. It was mounted after most painting was done, starting with single track segments on the drive and guiding wheels, and then the gaps were filled with other track elements. A bit of a gamble, but the theory, that the track parts should match, was confirmed. Phew...

Painting and markings:
For some subtlety, the model received a classic German paint scheme with "Hinterhalt" colors (Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün and Rotbraun). Once the kit's components were finished (hull, turret and the separate wheels), everything received an overall coat with matt RAL 7028 (Modelmaster Authentics).
On top of that, a dense pattern of red brown (Humbrol 160) and finally green (RAL 6003 from Modelmaster Authentics) mottles in 1 1:2 ratio was applied with a flat, narrow brush, for a somewhat square shape of the blotches. Pretty straightforward, seen on a late war Panther - and suitable for a summertime scenario as well as in line with common field practice, even though at the time where the model is placed, tanks might have looked more extraordinary or improvised due to the general material shortages.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Once the basic painting was done, the kit received a thin, water-based wash with dark brown, carefully swabbed with a soft cotton cloth in order to leave just a thin and cloudy film on the surfaces and more of the wash in recesses and corners. There were only a few decals to apply, namely three small German crosses and the tactical code on the turret's flanks. Later some dry-brushing with light grey and hemp was done, emphasizing the edges and highlighting surface details.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The track segments were primed with a mix of acrylic iron, black and dark brown and received a final paint treatment after mounting them onto the wheels, hiding some glue stains and other blemishes.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Artist pigments (a mix of ochre, grey and brown) were dusted with a soft brush onto the lower kit areas, after having sealed the model with matt acrylic varnish beforehand.

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Kampfpanzer E-25(P) ,,Fuchs" Ausf. B (SdKfz. 316/2); vehicle 'M 104', 1. Kompanie der Unabhängigen Kampfgruppe Meuther; Mönchengladbach/lower Rhine area, Western Germany, mid 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Well, what could have been a simple paint job in order to achieve a time-warped Leopard 1 became a massive kitbashing project. However, I think this extra effort, esp. the adaptation of the E-50 running gear, and all the potential risks of mixing parts from different kits, was worthwhile? The paint scheme certainly suggest the WWII era, too. The resulting "new" tank looks IMHO pretty plausible, and both hull and turret shape remind of the Leopard 1 without looking like the real thing behind this build. In fact, from certain angles this one appears like the missing link between the Panther and the Leopard 1, and a lot like an inspiration for the Soviet T-54/55 or even the T-72?

ysi_maniac · December 16, 2017, 09:40:56 AM

Love this, really.

Dizzyfugu · December 16, 2017, 11:05:38 AM

Thank you!

zenrat · December 17, 2017, 12:36:56 AM

NARSES2 · December 17, 2017, 01:28:17 AM

That's interesting

Old Wombat · December 17, 2017, 05:24:50 AM

Dizzyfugu · December 17, 2017, 05:51:09 AM

Thanks a lot. Yes, this one is a bit complicated and subtle - but I found the idea of a retro-graded Leopard 1, or its potential predecessor, had it entered production and service, quite interesting. The result looks pretty cool and plausible.

Gondor · December 17, 2017, 07:25:41 AM

Very nice indeed

Gondor

PR19_Kit · December 17, 2017, 01:17:11 PM

It looks totally 'normal' to me, which I guess is the mark of a good Whiff model.

But then I don't know all that much about tanks, especially German ones.

Dizzyfugu · December 18, 2017, 12:38:24 AM

Seeing is believing...

I take your doubts as a compliment.

chrisonord · January 03, 2018, 10:56:58 AM

Could have sworn I commented on this before, a back dated leopard eh? Genius, could have changed the way the war was going in an alternative universe for sure
Chris.