As soon as Profiline announced the availability of their SiG 33 conversion kit it was instantly placed into my build schedule. The SiG isn't a particulary flash looking beast and truth be told looks like it is made of Lego. However, it is this boxy shape that makes it's outline so unique and to me a 'must have' for my collection.
Not a lot of SiGs were made and units were present at both Stalingrad and Kursk (making them even more desirable). Luckily, there is quite a bit of reference material for the SiG 33 and a lot of models represent units from the 201st Panzer Regiment, 23rd Panzer Division (the G-Units from Kursk). Such as those pictured below.
However, I like the challenge that the camouflage scheme below poses and have decided to model the unit below.
So here's the Profiline kit.
As usual I was more than happy with the detail and quality of the resin parts. Profiline kits seem to keep improving and the SiG kit comes with some photo-etched parts and a pivioting system for the main gun. More on thes later I'm sure.
Starting the Build:
OK, now I don't know if one was supposed to be there but the was no picture CD inside the box. The SiG is not a complex beast and there are ample construction photos on the Profiline website so the lack of a CD was not a concern. First step in construction was to use a dremel to remove the tools and support bars from a HL Tauchpanzer top deck. Next I removed the transmission deck but only transmission deck at this stage. I wanted to fit the replacement deck with as much support as possible so I left as much of the deck in place.
With the transmssion deck gone I used some scrap styrene to form a ledge on either side of the hull. This ledge allows the new deck to sit nice and square.
I added more scrap styrene as shims to the new deck so that a snug fit was acheived.
The citadel was then test fitted and the old hull cut away as necessary so that the correct fit was made.
