Hi all and thanks for your kind comments!
High time for a new chapter in my Panther saga.
Today the rear engine access hatch.
This one I have worked at on and off since April last year…
Had a number of brakes away from it as I simply got tired, and I am glad I did so as I got new information during that time and didn’t had to remake anything.
This is a very interesting item full with nice things as welds, chains, nuts, etc.
The more you look at it the more you find.
The kit parts compared with the real thing reveal some items both to be made and customize.
As I have paid once for the parts I decided to remake them instead of make new ones.
If I had proper tools then making new parts would have saved time but hey who is in a hurry here?
This is how the kit one would look with the 2 starter device pin that was not included in the kit.
Look rather decent but the plate is to thin, small and shall be lowered 6mm on the rear hull plate to be accurate.
The tow bars are also to thin and has a wrong shape.
This is some photos of the real thing:
Please note that the starter plate and tow bar is not centred with the tank.
The Panther engine was installed 25mm to the right because of some items for the engine cooling system.
Also note that the nuts in use was not castle nuts but ordinary nuts with a locking pin (no locking bars here) as with the exhaust covers showed before in this saga.
Also here I didn’t make those tiny pins…(no tools, no patience…)
A new aluminium plate was bolted to the kit part and the “oldâ€