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Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.L

Here’s a project to get you started if you’re new to the hobby, or maybe just getting back into it.

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.L (Sd.Kfz.141/1) 1/48th scale
By Andy Burton

The Tamiya 1/48th Military Miniatures series are excellent kits with crisp detail and excellent fit of parts as can be expected from Tamiya. There are some omissions from the kit, the air intake grills and headlight electrical cable conduits being the main ones, but there are aftermarket detail sets available to upgrade the kit for the more advanced modeller. The lower hull escape hatches and turret shot deflectors are features that were not present on later versions of the Ausf L so again the more experienced modeller will have to take care when using these parts depending on what version is built.

However this review/project is aimed at the beginner and is straight from the box as per the kit instructions using the kit decals and painting/markings options so accuracy of the models detail is not our concern here.

All the kits in the Tamiya 1/48th Military Miniatures series will build into very nice models straight from the box without any extra detailing at all, which makes them a good choice for the less experienced modeller. My only criticism of these kits is the use of a die cast metal hull as it is too heavy and also means you have to use superglue for fixing some of the plastic parts to it at the start of the build sequence, but once that’s out of the way the kit is just a normal plastic kit.
On the plus side 1/48th scale model AFV’s don’t take up much space when finished as they are about half the size of a 1/35th model. This kit retails at £16.99 but if you shop around you can find it on the net for less, considering that a new release 1/35th kit by any of the main stream company’s like Tamiya, Dragon etc. can cost you anything from £30 to £40 this represents excellent value for money.

Introduction

This is a full step by step [straight out of the box] construction and painting guide for the Tamiya 1/48th scale Panzer 3 Ausf L. it is intended primarily for the beginner or less experienced modeller as a project in basic model construction, painting and weathering.

[Straight out of the box] means that no extra aftermarket detail sets or scratch built details will be added to this model, all you will need is the kit, a basic set of tools and glues etc. to build it.
Painting will be done using an airbrush and compressor but if you don’t own an airbrush a “how to guide” on how to achieve similar results using a can of aerosol model paint will accompany this review.

Weathering will be achieved using commonly available paints and thinners etc. and all the techniques shown and described in the review will have links to our Techniques Bank for more in depth explanation and photos.

Please Note! If you are under 16 years of age make sure you get your parents consent and guidance before attempting this project, as using extremely sharp modelling tools, superglue, liquid poly etc. can all be hazardous if unsupervised. Safety tips are included in this review for every step of the project, please follow them carefully and avoid accidents.

Read the awesome Build Now review