Here is my latest work, the Panther IR Scope. This is just a prototype that I built to figure out how to make it and test the functions. It is mainly made of plastic and butterboard with metal parts needed to show the fine detail not achievable in plastic. There is one main part missing which is the spot lamp diffuser glass and surround, this is to difficult to hand make and requires photo-etched parts and a glass. A few minor fine details are also missing.
The spot light has some damage that happened when I did not secure it well enough in the lathe and it spun out.
If it goes into production it will be mainly metal and photo-etched brass, the only resin part might be the spot lamp.
Before taking this project any further I need your input to see how many of you would be interested in one. I will offer it as a kit and assembled. A problem in producing it is making the base that fits inside the cupola and may have to make two of the half round fittings, one for the Armortek cupola and one for my own as they vary slightly in size.
There is another part to this set that I have not made a prototype of, that is the rear armored plated stowage bin for the batteries and daytime stowage. I am uncertain as to wether it was the right or left rear bin that was replace or it may have been either. When researching this some time ago I seem to remember it being the left bin, but I have also found reference to it being the right bin. Any help anyone can give would be appreciated.
A rough estimate of price would be around $150.00 to $200.00 for the kit (consisting of around 50 parts) and over $300.00 for a finished product. This does not include the armored stowage bin as I still have to figure out how to make it with the correct armored thickness.
Work will not strat on this for around three months so there is plenty of time to make up your mind, however I would like to know if you might be interested now so I know wether to pass on this one and look into making something else.
Comparison Picture
Regards
Mike