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Panther D early vs Panther D late - differences between in-game models


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All,

I would like to use mods of Panther D early for Panther D late (for some reason, D early is popular and modded very often whereas D late is modded hardly at all).

Can I do it merely by renumbering .bmps? Or are there differences between 3d models of both types which do not allow that?

And if it is technically possible, will the skins developed for D early applied to D late be historically inaccurate?

Thanks in advance,

Zwolo

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That´s an interesting topic... as far as I know, the 3d models are the same, so simple renumbering should do the job.

Actually I think there is no 'historical Panther D early' apart from the version that was designated Panther D1 - and it just doesn´t seem likely BFC is referring to that version. Historically speaking, a late model D and early A should be the same - though there might have been a few D´s upgraded with A parts. I can´t confirm that with photographic footage, but only drawings so far. Maybe in time I´ll stumble over a few photographs.

As it is, I just can point to a few very excellent books I value very much and regard them as very accurate...

Does that answer your question?

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Originally posted by Vergeltungswaffe:

There are some differences in the D and the D late models. The cupola vision blocks are different, for one thing.

I hope you will post back how it looked after renumbering, as the bmp's may not wrap around the other model quite the way they should.

The Panther after renumbering seems all right and the skins wrap around fine. I think the different cupola vision blocks (narrow slits in D early, wide in D late) are just a feature of the skins, not the model, so if you load a mod with narrow slits instead of wide slits, the tank will look perfectly OK, just with the narrow vision slits.

The other difference I spotted is the communication hatch on the left hand side of turret - present in D early, but not in D late. That's also a feature of the skins, not the 3D model and the Panther will look all right.

Summing up, you should not have a problem with weird looking tanks, but possibly with some anachronic details (and I am not even sure whether they are ahistorical- my knowledge of the Panther is not sufficient to confirm whether there is a clear-cut division and all early-production tanks really had narrow vision slits and communication hatch, whereas all D models produced later had wide slits and no hatch).

Zwolo

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I´ve done extensive research on the Panther and you just wouldn´t believe how many minor details differentiate one tank from another - it even seems probable the different factories used different armor thickness. Though this is yet to be confirmed...

Also you mustn´t forget upgrading/retrofitting. An early model A could as well have been an upgraded model D. But even the ´late´ model D (if you prefer to call it that way optically is not substantially different from the ´early´ model D - just minor details like rain covers over the optics and hatches, deleted smoke launchers etc.

If anyone is interested I can point to a few VERY good books on that matter or maybe post a conclusive report of my findings... :D

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Originally posted by Earl Grey:

[snips]

If anyone is interested I can point to a few VERY good books on that matter or maybe post a conclusive report of my findings... :D

Yes please.

Especially if it will enable me to work out how to build my Matchbox 1/76th Panthers without further enriching Messrs. Jentz and Spielberger by purchasing their mighty tomes.

All the best,

John.

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