Panzer IV/70 (V) Aug. 1944
![](/albums/img/9/9/6/1574996-74842-77-p.jpg "At this point I chose to fit the superstructure to the lower hull - much earlier than the manual suggests. I prefer doing "heavy" work before lots of tiny parts are fitted. | View full picture")
![](/albums/img/6/5/5/1577655-74842-50-p.jpg "And now the tedious work of assembling the tracks (type 5b). I assembled 50 links so far and cleanup is minimal: a 0.5mm drill is used to clear out any obstructions and one quick pass with a file cleans up slight burrs. As the metal is quite soft, some links are slightly bent, but this can easily corrected by hand.
The bags are not marked, but the links are handed. Above is the RH track, with the "pins" pointing to the hull. Seen from the front, the links should resemble the shape of an A - only Nibelungen fitted them the wrong way around for some time in 1943, with the shape resembling a V. | View full picture")
![](/albums/img/3/9/0/1583390-74842-27-p.jpg "The LH track test-fitted. I noticed that when the idler is in this position (most slack), the track touches the rear mudguard. But as the tracks usually get a bit longer, as I already wrote, I'll hopefully be able to put it into a more "tight" position. | View full picture")
Opmerkingen
11 15 October 2023, 11:36
Jean-Christophe ZeusInspired by David Coyne's blog on Track-Link, I decided to take a break from my two KV-1s and build something largely OOTB. I think I should cut Dragon some slack here: so far the fit is fantastic, and the details are super crisp. Some dragonisms in the instructions, but nothing too bad. The worst one concerns the return rollers: the ones indicated are of a later type, and only 6 ones are included. So I followed David's lead and used the same he used, of which 8 are included.
15 October 2023, 11:42
Jean-Christophe ZeusI assembled the tracks over the weekend: 96 links per side in segments of 10. Each segment took about 20 minutes to clean up and to assemble. Then I started securing the wires with a dab of thick, slow drying superglue. I'm still trying to figure out how and when to mount the tracks.
23 October 2023, 11:35
Jean-Christophe ZeusNow I think the model is ready for painting. I left off the two rear armour plates for now, otherwise it'll be difficult to paint the louvres and the sides of the engine compartment. The headlight is also kept for later, and the superstructure roof is not glued on yet. I'll paint the lower hull and running gear first, install the tracks when they are burnished and weathered, and only then I'll do the upper hull.
29 October 2023, 07:22
