1:35 Dragon Sd.Kfz.234/2 PUMA Pz. Lehr Div.

[Luft46]

Hello everyone!
I found this in the bargain bin at the local hobby shop for 1/2 off what a new one retails for.
I was going to do Prip Prillers FW190A8 that buzzed Sword beach on D-Day but I don't think my modelling skills for aircraft are up to par yet.



These are the markings and camo pattern that I am going to do.
It is from the Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy during the D-Day invasion.


Box color reference.



Sprues, instructions, photo etch etc.

It will be my 1st attempt at a tricolor paint scheme.
I have yet to find any photos or history of this particular vehicle yet.
This is my 1st thread since joining so wish me luck.

[Mike00]

Nice choice I will be interested in this build.

[Joker56]

Looks a cool kit , I will follow with interest

[T3hGuppy]

Nice and grats on getting it half off.

[Rob]

Very nice - great value too

[Russ72]

Nice stuff, looking forward to the build.

[DC87]

Always had a soft spot for German 8 wheelers, very modern looking.

Great find, looking forward to following.

[Luft46]

The build.
I am going to do this model in 3 parts.
1. Build
2. Painting
3. Weathering



Step 1 completed.
No issues with the fit of the parts.
No flash on pieces, typical Dragon quality.



Step 2 completed.
Typical Dragon vague and convoluted Instructions are as always hard to follow.
So I cut all the parts off of the sprue and did a test fit before gluing to make sure everything lined up.





Step 3 completed
Had a good size gap on both sides of the 4 leaf springs.
I solved this by using Tamiya extra thin on one side 1st and then when that dried I glued and clamped down the other side.
No problem but again the instructions clearly show a spacer under the springs that doesn't exist in the kit.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

NICE!

[UKguyInUSA]

This looks like a colorful tank...will be nice to see how you shade and weather this.

[Thomas2542]

Nice detail on that kit. Im looking forward to seeing the finished model.

[Luft46]

Suspension Cont.
For some unknown reason at part 4 the instructions have you leave the suspension and move onto the interior build.
I decided to jump to part 8 thru 10 to finish the suspension.








Attaching the lower hull to the suspension.
I little bit if a gap that was removed by gluing one side 1st then working across.





The completed suspension.
I decided to leave the wheel hubs off so I could prime the lower hull/running gear easier.
I will attach them directly to the wheels later.

PS I screwed up during the build and was able to fix the problem with a Excel #13 saw blade.
Can any of you spot the mistake I corrected?

[Luft46]

Lower hull interior build steps 4 thru 7 complete.



Front drivers seat.



Rear drivers seat.

Upper hull interior build steps 11 thru 14 complete.



Front drivers position, drivers upper hull escape hatch can be displayed open or closed.
The 2 lower hull escape hatches can only be displayed closed.



Rear drivers position, all visors are movable.
I have 5 small parts that mount onto the visors but I have yet to figure out how they go on.
I am looking for any reference photos of the 234.

I got bored so I jumped forward into the turret build.
Step 21 thru 24







The turret was a pretty straight forward build with no issues.
In the background you can see some of my unfinished misfit toys.
PS. I got a new Iphone 5S and this thing takes very nice photos!

I continued on to step 24 to finish the tires.








To seal the small open gap in the center tire tread I used Tamiya super thin glue to melt the pieces together.
The hull half's still haven't been glued yet because I'm debating what to do with the interior.

[Russ72]

Nice interior detail. Can the hatch (is it an escape hatch) be modelled open?

p.s. I couldn't spot the fix up in the previous post.

Russ

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Nice work!
This looks like a very nice kit

[MarkVerploeg]

Nice progress so far
The dragon 234's are really good and loads of details and parts for the chassis
After seeing this i can't wait for the 6 or more wheels sig
I have the 234/1 for it
Should be yhe same as this for the moat of the build
Cheers Mark

[Luft46]

I decided to prime the interior and paint it before continuing with the build.
I used my Badger Patriot 105 to apply Ammo of Mig Black primer with 25% thinner at 15 psi air pressure.







I allowed the primer to dry for 4 days.
I then painted it with AK Interactive RAL9001 Cremeweiss AK092 with 33% thinner at 13 psi air pressure.
I like the way the black primer gives the interior some subtle preshading.
I left the engine section black to hide it when looking in the open air intake grills.

[Luft46]

The build continues...

I finally finished the assembly part of the kit.
Now begins the painting.
I primed with Ammo of Mig Black Primer A.MIG-2005 for a pre-shade on the undercarriage, turret, pioneer tools and wheels.
I then over sprayed with AK Interactive Dark Yellow Primer AK176.

















Update:
I installed and primed the antenna mount that I missed during the build.
I also primed the 9 wheel hubs AK Dark Yellow and painted the wheels with AK 720 Rubber/Tires to give them a worn look.
I used AK 712 Thinner and had no problems spraying the paint thru my Badger 105 Patriot.

[Coen]

I just caught up on your thread Luft.
She looks awesome so far. I'll be interested to know what camo you end up with.