Panzer IV ausf. C. Tristar 1/35 -- English version --

ASSEMBLY
The kit comes with a many sprue in dark yellow colour, a small PE, printed in a transparent and a small decal sheet.
The kit is equipped with knitted single track, the general breakdown of the kit is very detailed in some cases, as indicated below, the joints are not precise, so you need to use putty to repair the problem.
The assembly began with the tank hull, that contrary to common kits on the market is split into several pieces.
Be very careful in editing this piece for an 'error at this stage would then be amplified later.
The lids of the transmission shall be accompanied by bolts printed separately on comfortable plastic supports that facilitate their use.
The train is rolling very detailed (note the instructions as they may be committing an error in relation to the position of the leaf), the wheels are separated from the rim thereby producing an interesting effect.
The instructions do not explain the various options should therefore be very careful as in the case of lids individual trucks that come in various versions.
Good documentation is a must, no doubt suggest the book Acthung Panzer 4.

Some wheels were damaged (scratches) to justify a prolonged and intense use.
Completed the train rolling I started building the top of the Pz IV, it consists of a frame and various sections of armored plates that together form the upper hull.
I found my kit after the installation of such plates remained different slots and it was therefore necessary to use putty.
Then I rebuilt all the welds at the top of the hull using hot stretched sprue.
The operation was long and sometimes boring but the end result fully satisfied me.
Some details of the kit, albeit printed in more than good I decided to replace them, I refer in particular to the handles present in the turret and on the bonnet with brass rods, supports the tow cable with steel rod, the mainspring of ends of the wings with very thin copper wire (taken from an electrical cord), the plate of the rear plate light.

This last detail, thanks to the documentation I have positioned differently from the instructions.
I fitted the head lamp cord and the horn.
The instructions suggest mounting the armored plate on the front of the hull without explaining when inserted.
This was mounted on sheets LATE therefore willing to play an exemplary employee in the Balkans in '41 I decided to mount it.
I suggest, for this, read the documentation before deciding on the assembly model.
It 'was necessary connection to the hull with a strip of plasticard and putty.
Always at the front of hull I added support for tracks of replacement, played with Evergreen plasticard-section L.
Relatively to the rear of the hull, I replaced the exhaust of the motor head (on top of the muffler) with brass rod, with the same material but I played the lower section of the gun cleaning rod.

During installation of the tower to look out the triangular sections at the sides of the shield of the gun which do not match perfectly with the rest of the structure.
The commander's dome is broken into many pieces but they are not very precise in the joints, so be careful with their assembly and using liquid glue "green cap" Tamiya can address the gaps that remain after assembly.
The accessories on the fenders are detailed with PE provided in the kit, well made.
To give a touch of originality to the model, thus highlighting the aspect of lived half, I decided to omit the jack lifting and its wooden heel, as well as the tracks of replecement.
On the track, at first I decided to use those supplied by the kit (single tracks jointed) but after having installed a good portion I did not get the desired result so I decided to opt for tracks Friul model.
These required a laborious job of cleaning all the holes were not as free with a mini hand drill and then I had to overcome the problem.
But once assembled the effect weight has been secured!
Using the antenna support provided in the kit I replaced the "whip" too stocky with hot stretched sprue.

 COLOUR AND WEATHERING
After the assembly phase I prepared the model for painting by washing with warm water and mild soap to remove the grease that has settled on the model during assembly, using a soft brush (to avoid remove the thin PE present on the fenders).
After waiting for the perfect drying of the model I started with a pre-shading with Tamiya acrylic black, then I laid some thin layers with different tones of gray produced by mixing various colors Tamiya.
In the days after I took the base color lightening the central part of the panels so you start trying to give depth to the model.
Then with oil colors Black and Sienna Natural W & N, diluted with White Spirit (preferred other thinner because it does not leave marks and evaporates faster than classical thinner), I outlined all the panels and areas in shadow model.
The inside of the tower was previously off-white colored with acrylics followed by washing with very diluted oil to give depth to detail and "dirty" areas, eventually with dark color (black, dark green, etc.) I reproduced the Vallejo scrapings.

Drying have been made in laying the decal on a layer of clear gloss (the sign is a divisional of transferable Archer), I colored the accessories on the fenders and muffler with brown enamel and oil paints.
The use of White Spirit damping effect of the lens, leaving the polished surfaces with a satin finish very realistic.
Dry brush with a light gray enamel revealed further details of the model.
The tracks have received a base color of brown and black acrylic paint, then I continued washing oil with earthy tones very dark, very fine sand paper then I pointed protruding parts, those in contact with the soil, which are characteristic color steel.
The meshes of replacement , however, have received a coloring with shades of brown and rust, differentiated between them to avoid too much uniformity.
To give an even more experienced with the model I played with scrapings of the dark colors of Vallejo, then I highlighted the "bottom" of the same color with slightly lighter to simulate a thickness of paint.
The effect, I play for the first time, is still improving but the result is still enjoyable.
Finally I dusted with Mig pigments the flat surfaces (following pavement crew) and the area of the train rolling.
The use of pigments must be determined carefully and in small quantities as an excessive use can easily nullify the earlier work of aging.
To anchor the pigments to the model I used White Spirit sprayed with an airbrush at low pressure

The basis on which you placed the model is a pavement in chalk I will put in a wooden base made to establish a frame.
Using a mixture of Tamiya colors (brown, gray and a small piece of desert yellow), I sprayed the uneven pavement marking with darker central part of the pavement where it will place the Panzer IV, after I made perfectly dry color washes of oil to give depth to the collection.
I added some accessories to handle the simplicity of the base, in this case I added accessories in resin ARMAND BAYARD fitted with copper chain that simulate street furniture.
I also added based on a couple of cans of fuel in the Verlinden resin.
For these accessories for the first time I used a simple technique but at the same time effective.
After spraying the tank with Tamiya acrylic, I did a little diluted washing the whole piece, after a few minutes I gently removed the excess color with a rag.
The net effect seems very nice!
A final dry brush completed the finishing of the base, followed by bonding the wagon with the aid of glue.
The final touch was to deposit a portion of the pavement mixture of pigments (properly preserved) previously used for the train rolling and the bottom of the hull.

The tank crewman is in resin kit , painted with acrilic colours Vallejo and oils for face.

Conclusions.
The installation of this kit was engaging and enjoyable even if the excessive breakdown of parts required extra work to finish.
The yield of final product Tristar is truly remarkable, and then I can only advise those who want to try assembling the PZ IV C.
I address special thanks to friends Forum www.zimmerit.com for the valuable advice received during the assembly of the model.
Documentation:
Acthung Panzer IV

special thanks for Alberto Cazzavillan for support of traslation and Marco Bellina for badge of German Tank Army insert on base.

 

Michelangelo Sicilia