u/SeniorSpaz87

Hello all,
While the PzIV army marches ever forward, due to the time it takes to get parts in I decided to, in the meantime, start rough drafts on my ideas for a Panzer VII Lowe MOC. I have the hull design basically done, two different gun ideas started, and thoughts on how to match the turret curvature. My biggest problem is that very unique gun shield/mantlet. I can’t find a premade piece in existence that comes close. I’m having trouble imagining how to build it out of bricks. I could easily 3D print my own, but that seems like a cop-out. So, I figured I’d turn to y’all. Any ideas on how to go about making that oddly-shaped mantlet?

Figured I’d let yall know. Been waiting quite a bit for this one to appear stateside. https://cobi.com/products/cobi-jagdpanzer-iv-70-v-tank-destroyer-set-2668?shop_consented_scopes=email%3Averified+openid+pay%3Asession_token+profile+shop%3Aaccount_uuid&shop_sign_in=true&variant=53462275162455

Feel free to use my code lol https://loox.io/z/w-JcmoyVT

Presenting my current assembled tricolor collection. From left to right, back to front QuanGuan Stug III LE, QuanGuan Hetzer LE, Cobi JagdTiger, Cobi Panther A, Cobi Elefant, Cobi Konigstiger, 12GO Panther A, Cobi PzIVH LE, Cobi PzIVG (really a F2), Cobi Stug IV LE, Cobi Wirbelwind LE, 12GO Wirbelwind (converted into an Ostwind II), QuanGuan Sdkfz 251 LE, Cobi Puma, QuanGuan Panther A LE.

To still be built: Cobi Tiger H, Cobi Stug IV, Cobi Stug III LE, Cobi Hetzer LE, Sdkfz 251/9 Stummel, 12GO PzIVH (to be turned into a PzIV/70(A), QuanGuan Hetzer LE (to be used as parts for PzIV/70(A), Cobi JgPzIV LE, QuanGuan SturmTiger LE, QuanGuan Tiger E LE, 12GO Tiger E, QuanGuan Tiger (P) LE, 12GO Konigstiger, TK2 Panther A, TK2 Tiger H, Cobi 1:12 Tiger 114 1:12.

I think I like a certain color pattern…

A big thanks to those who helped me aquire these two incredibly rare sets.

On my quest to collect or build every major Panzer 4 variant out there, I present my take on the Zerstorer 45.

I decided to go with the Mobilwagen form found in various media and "War Thunder", instead of the theoretical planned Wirbelwind-style for three reasons. First, the reference materials for the Wirbelwind style consist entirely of artist renditions. AKA guesses. Educated guesses, but guesses nonetheless. As we have 3D models of the Mobilwagen version I have much more to work with. Second, a 3cm Wirbelwind would look... Exactly like a Wirbelwind... Lego, Cobi, Quan Guan etc dont have a pole that accurately reflects the 2cm gun barrel, so they use the larger barrel more fitting of a 3cm or 3.7cm barrel. As such I can make the argument that any of my Wirbelwinds are in fact a Zerstorer 45, and I didnt want to go down that path. Third, this version *did* exist. They took a Mobilwagen, removed the 3.7cm Flak43 turret and installed the 3cm Flakvierling turret in its place. While mass-produced Zerstorer 45s would have likely been made into Wirbelwind layouts, this is the only for that historically existed.

So what is the Zerstorer 45? Well, its a *extremely* late-war German SPAAG prototype. Two was made, and one sent off with the sole Ostwind 2 (another MOC I did a few weeks back) to the Armored Replenishment and Training Regiment stationed in Ohrdruf/Thuringia, where both prototypes were lost to history. The Zerstorer 45 was another SPAAG based on the Panzer 4 chassis, and would have mounted the quad-barrelled 3cm Flakvierling turret, giving it much greater range and stopping power compared to the earlier quad-barrelled 2cm Flakvierling turret, and far greater ROF than the 3.7cm Flak43 (the same idea the Zwillingflak43 (44?) installed in the Ostwind 2 prototype aimed to achieve). A Mobilwagen was used for the testbed vehicle and was sent to testing in early 1945. The testing grounds were overrun by the Allied forces no long after, and the vehicle was lost to history.

I made many changes to the donor vehicle of this build; a QuanGuan PzIVG. You can see comparisons with my modified Panzer 4E which uses the same base build, just with a corrected gun and radio placement. The front running boards were extended slightly to allow the front armor to be lowered further, the exhaust was changed to more accurately resemble a late-model Panzer 4, the engine deck was shorted by one stud to fit the rear wall, the turret mechanism was moved forward one stud to make the gun mount centered on the deck instead of the entire tank, and the deck was lowered to create the working bay. The gun is my own design, based off one of those random German quad 2cm turrets you can find all over the place. I compacted the guns into the proper 2x2 layout of the 3cm flakvierling turret, added the gunner's seat, and added platforms for the loaders to work from. Small details included the working rear hatch, working driver and radio operator hatches inside the armored walls, spare ammunition boxes alongside the walls, weapons racks and ammo cans for the crew, a spare barrel mounted to the rear running board, the hull MG being covered, and chain was added for locking the walls together.

Up next is probably going to be either a 3.7cm early war Mobilwagen (again using a QuanGuan Pz4G as a starting point), an Ostwind using a 12GO Wirbelwind (same base as my Ostwind 2, but actually a more detailed design as I have to design the pointed Ostwind "nose"), or a PzIV/70(A) using a 12GO Pz4H (likely waiting on my Cobi JgPz4 and Pz4/70(V) to arrive for reference first). I also have started designs for the final two Panzer 4 variants; a Dicker Max and a Kugelblitz - though those are still quite a ways out. I may also redesign my PzSflIVc to be more to scale; its currently more like 1:25 scale.

On my quest to collect or build every major Panzer 4 variant out there, I present my take on the Zerstorer 45.

I decided to go with the Mobilwagen form found in various media and "War Thunder", instead of the theoretical planned Wirbelwind-style for three reasons. First, the reference materials for the Wirbelwind style consist entirely of artist renditions. AKA guesses. Educated guesses, but guesses nonetheless. As we have 3D models of the Mobilwagen version I have much more to work with. Second, a 3cm Wirbelwind would look... Exactly like a Wirbelwind... Lego, Cobi, Quan Guan etc dont have a pole that accurately reflects the 2cm gun barrel, so they use the larger barrel more fitting of a 3cm or 3.7cm barrel. As such I can make the argument that any of my Wirbelwinds are in fact a Zerstorer 45, and I didnt want to go down that path. Third, this version *did* exist. They took a Mobilwagen, removed the 3.7cm Flak43 turret and installed the 3cm Flakvierling turret in its place. While mass-produced Zerstorer 45s would have likely been made into Wirbelwind layouts, this is the only for that historically existed.

So what is the Zerstorer 45? Well, its a *extremely* late-war German SPAAG prototype. Two was made, and one sent off with the sole Ostwind 2 (another MOC I did a few weeks back) to the Armored Replenishment and Training Regiment stationed in Ohrdruf/Thuringia, where both prototypes were lost to history. The Zerstorer 45 was another SPAAG based on the Panzer 4 chassis, and would have mounted the quad-barrelled 3cm Flakvierling turret, giving it much greater range and stopping power compared to the earlier quad-barrelled 2cm Flakvierling turret, and far greater ROF than the 3.7cm Flak43 (the same idea the Zwillingflak43 (44?) installed in the Ostwind 2 prototype aimed to achieve). A Mobilwagen was used for the testbed vehicle and was sent to testing in early 1945. The testing grounds were overrun by the Allied forces no long after, and the vehicle was lost to history.

I made many changes to the donor vehicle of this build; a QuanGuan PzIVG. You can see comparisons with my modified Panzer 4E which uses the same base build, just with a corrected gun and radio placement. The front running boards were extended slightly to allow the front armor to be lowered further, the exhaust was changed to more accurately resemble a late-model Panzer 4, the engine deck was shorted by one stud to fit the rear wall, the turret mechanism was moved forward one stud to make the gun mount centered on the deck instead of the entire tank, and the deck was lowered to create the working bay. The gun is my own design, based off one of those random German quad 2cm turrets you can find all over the place. I compacted the guns into the proper 2x2 layout of the 3cm flakvierling turret, added the gunner's seat, and added platforms for the loaders to work from. Small details included the working rear hatch, working driver and radio operator hatches inside the armored walls, spare ammunition boxes alongside the walls, weapons racks and ammo cans for the crew, a spare barrel mounted to the rear running board, the hull MG being covered, and chain was added for locking the walls together.

Up next is probably going to be either a 3.7cm early war Mobilwagen (again using a QuanGuan Pz4G as a starting point), an Ostwind using a 12GO Wirbelwind (same base as my Ostwind 2, but actually a more detailed design as I have to design the pointed Ostwind "nose"), or a PzIV/70(A) using a 12GO Pz4H (likely waiting on my Cobi JgPz4 and Pz4/70(V) to arrive for reference first). I also have started designs for the final two Panzer 4 variants; a Dicker Max and a Kugelblitz - though those are still quite a ways out. I may also redesign my PzSflIVc to be more to scale; its currently more like 1:25 scale.

I’m missing the QuanGuan tricolor Tiger 2, but besides that my 1:28 collection is complete until the new Jagdtigers come out in a few months.