PzIV-Hetzer Hybrid - Done

[buzzbomb]

During the current pestilence.. some time has been spent culling the model room of "stuff".
Found another box 'o' bits. This time left over Panzer IV stuff, some Italeri, Dragon and Tamiya stuff and also some Hetzer leftovers from a ARV conversion.
Some key components were missing to cobble up a complete Pz IV but enough to get going


So after a session of hacking and mauling plastic we have this PzIV/Hetzer hybrid.



So far a 75mm gun vehicle is on the cards, but that would cross over to the Real World Panzer jager IV vehicles but this could be a variation of that.
Of course we could go out and do something like a rotary 37mm mount, or may quad 20mm Rotary for an anti infantry role ?

I suppose another way to look at this type of build is the vehicle is smaller than the box of sprues, so it is a space saver, but finding shelf room, is an entirely different fish

[tigercat]

looking good . How about a 105mm gun ?

https://armourfast.com/product/lefh-18-howitzer-105mm/

[Dizzyfugu]

A classic 8.8cm PaK would IMHO be a natural choice - but I doubt that the Panzer IV chassis could take it, due to size and recoil.

Personally, I did  a similar Jagdpanther/Sturer Emil kitbash a while back:


1:72 Jagdpanzer E-25/88 (early) a.k.a. SdKfz. 310/2 'Dachs', vehicle '136' of the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 654; The Seven Mountains region near Bonn, Western Germany, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[zenrat]

Some kind of engineering vehicle?
Crane?
Mineclearer?
Barbed wire layer?
Pebble plough for clearing the way up English South Coast beaches?

[buzzbomb]

Some kind of engineering vehicle?
Crane?
Mineclearer?
Barbed wire layer?
Pebble plough for clearing the way up English South Coast beaches?

Fred, you know, I have been sitting here playing Civilization and thinking Mine Clearer, but my rational self goes, why not just use a stock Panzer IV. I am now thinking 75mm again, but with Night Fighting IR gear fitted.

[NARSES2]

Firstly I do like what you've done so far 

Secondly how about a short barrelled heavy mortar type weapon for the main armament. A smaller/lighter companion to the Sturmtiger ?

[buzzbomb]

Narses.. I like the way you are thinking

So I have done two versions, the weapons are interchangeable
Rotary 37mm Cannon version


Rather large, Low Pressure Demolition gun, I figure much like the Churchill AVRE, although similar to the Brummbar, but larger calibre and lower pressure.. more mortar like


The top hull extension is either to store lots of 37mm hoppers or a reasonable amount of large calibre Demo rounds.
So maybe the best of both worlds. I tried putting a longer gun like 88mm but they looked either too long and impractical (too much chance of grounding over rough ground), or to similar to existing vehicles.

[Old Wombat]

 

[zenrat]

I did think about a large demo gun but it seemed too close to a Brummbar.
Both weapons fits look good.

[NARSES2]

That just looks so good already 

[buzzbomb]

I have stampeded down the Engineer Vehicle path

Of course that meant a dozer blade



There is some RW precedent, a Stug with Dozer Blade and a Panther as well.


(thanks to Panzerserra, who does a lot of whiffers as well,  for having these pix handy)

[NARSES2]

This is looking better and better 

Thanks for posting those two photos as well, fascinating. Dozer blade looks very well used on the Panther example.

As an aside if you removed the Panther turret you'd have an interesting looking vehicle, almost sci-fi like ?

[tigercat]

looking good .

Panzer Serra has a wealth of information and photos such a great resource.

[Dizzyfugu]

I really like the howitzer version, makes perfect sense as a blockade buster. 

[PR19_Kit]

Just the thing for the M25 on a busy day, sweep all the BMWs onto the hard shoulder.