Last year when the Armorpax/Spearhead consortium announced their Panzer IV model I told Dave Dibb, when he made a Stug IV I'd have one! Well, here it is. My Stug chassis was number three off the line although the superstructure was number one out of the mould. To the best of my knowledge my model was the first running so I like to think it's number one!

As per usual there were quite a few modifications I wanted to do so poor old Howard was roped in again to help! We re-enforced the rear of the chassis (now done as standard in manufacture) after extended testing by Spearhead and Mark highlighted a potential weak spot in the rear corner, we also modified the rear idler adjustment to (try) and make it Humpy proof (ie easy for adjusting!). Oilite bearings were fitted in the return rollers as they are a little noisy (solid rollers rather than rubber rimmed rollers) but they work fine without if you chose to leave them as they are. The chassis component parts were stripped down for painting and were re-assembled in time for the UKTC Barbeque at Mark-1-Tank. It performed very well and impressed everybody with the sounds and manoeuvrability. After Howard told me to take it easy, he was later seen towing Dave Dibb's rolling chassis around the M-1-T proving ground!!!

The electrics were mounted on a lift out panel similar to my 1/6th JagdPanther. This again used the negative earth principle for simpler wiring. Spearhead supply two Electronize ESC's and a Benedini sound unit with the kit and these were duly mounted on the panel. A flashing LED module was used to simulate MG flash. There is a multi-way XLR plug with a flying lead to connect the top to the chassis.

The superstructure is supplied in two halves and we decided to bolt the two halves together to make it one rigid unit. The remote MG was modified so that the Armorpax unit fitted atop a standard servo and had a LED with fibre optic up the barrel to flash with the Benedini sounds. A LED was mounted in the Saukopf mantlet synchronised with the remote MG flash as well. As many detail parts were bolted onto the superstructure as possible for robustness. The brass chequer plates were chemically blackened so that if they scratched they wouldn't show brass although it wasn't overly successful. The mudguards and schurzen were made from steel for the same reason and they are starting to suffer already!!! The mudguards are sprung and are mounted on custom made hinges with a single pin so that they can be removed.

The model debuted at this year's War and Peace Show and although we had a couple of teething troubles ran very well considering the conditions. If you look closely some of the schurzen plates have a tide mark where the level of the liquid mud came up to! You have to remember that there is little suspension travel (just like the real thing) so you cannot charge across obstacles like you can with the Tigers and Panthers, a little thought is involved! All in all I think it's a good model and I'm very pleased with it. There was one or two things which we changed which we think are an improvement but that's just me, I think the stock model is good enough as it is. Anyway, is there any such thing as  a perfect model out of the box? If there was there'd be nothing for us to do!!! I like the idea of the metal hull and fibre glass top (mixed media?) as it has the best of both worlds. If you see me and the Stug come and ask me about it and I'll tell you all about it and if you're good I'll even let you have a drive and you make your own mind up!

This the handy piece of angle iron that Howard found to re-enforce the rear of the chassis. This is now re-enforced in the manufacturing process.	Here's a close up of the modified idler adjustment, Humpy proof-hopefully! When it was completed it's barely any different from the original.	The following two pictures were taken so that I could see how the bogies fitted together as all components were stripped down for painting.	In this picture you can see the back of the bolts which on the real thing bolt the bogies to the chassis. These are now cast on the bogies in manufacture.	While the chassis took shape in Uckfield, I started work on the top in Tunbridge Wells. Here we see the rear engine hatch cut out to reveal the controls.
The gun breech is moulded from resin and although a robust unit, I decided (again to try and make it Humpy proof!) to remove the cast pivots and replace with a steel pin right through the breech. The mounting brackets were later bolted into the superstructure.	Here's the gun offered up to see what it looks like. Note the chassis tub without any fixtures or fittings at this point!	Howard decided that the standard hinge for the commanders hatch wouldn't be Humpy proof so a steel one was fabricated.	Here the top is married up with the chassis. The front locates with a lip at the front...	...and at the rear, a modification of the real thing! There is a right angle bolted to the top and the same bolted to the bottom and then these are bolted together. On the model, the moulded bracket was ground off and two angles of steel were bolted together and then to the top. This then locates with the bottom!
Here we see the first pieces of chequer plate fitted, the first tools, the working sprung mudguard and the working convoy light from Steve Winstone. Also in this view are the Flamvernichter exhausts, an option from the original large round muffler of the PZ IV.	The working headlamp is also a Steve Winstone product. All the tools were bolted on with the bolts passing through behind the tool clamps with 8BA countersunk machine screws. The front mudguard is sprung as well.	The right hand side tools are going on! Also in this view is the motor and bevel gears, the front locating lip and the hinged mudguard. The hinges are scratch built with a removable pin for ease of dismantling.	This rear view of the top shows the engine hatch fitted and schurzen brackets. The brackets, aerial mounts, air vent cover are all bolted on. Check out Howard's idea for a handle on the hatch!!!	This view shows the detail around the drivers hatch. The concrete block and jack block are again bolted on. The holes for mounting the gun can be seen in the gun apeture.
Looking along the schurzen rail you can see all the brackets on the back of the plates themselves and on the running board...	...and this is what it looks like from the side.	The spare wheel carrier is as supplied but doesn't use the mounting bracket down to the running board. Instead it's bolted direct to the side of the superstructure to allow ease of removal of the top.	Meanwhile back in Tunbridge Wells the electrics panel takes shape. Note the chocolate mints left over from Christmas!	Ably assisted by Batty Bat! "Cor, this metalwork's cold on my bum Dad!"
At the back, the raised section carries the control switches, charging socket, Voltmeter and hour meter which all appear in the engine hatch aperture.	At the front sits one of the main speakers and the two Electronize ESC's. Also in this view can be seen the two XLR sockets on the upright of the raised section only one of which is use until I fit an animated dolly!	The Benedini sound module and amplifier fits neatly into a die-cast box from RS. This helps protect the electronics and also keeps the amplifier cool!	In this view can be seen the XLR plug which connects the top to the chassis and the RC Rx mounted at the bottom of the picture.	Back in Uckfield, Howard's putting some paint on...
...and this is what it looks like all in green!	Inside the workshop, Howard used an airbrush to apply the yellow...	...and finally the Mysteron Circles! Don't ask!!!	And now, the piece de la resistance, the name "Thors Hammer"! Not Humpy's Hulk as Dave Dibb suggested :-)	The completed article in front of Dave's rolling chassis demonstrator showing all the unpainted detail clearly.
A fine picture of the model on one of Mark's bridges...	...and a side view from in the ditch!	This view shows the underneath of the model with the bogie mountings.	And after it's come over the brow you can see the track rack and towing eyes at the front.	The next few pictures show the working lights from Steve Winstone in some low light conditions.
		For the technically minded, some of these pictures were taken with a 30 second exposure! So it was darker than it really looked. Very cool though, thanks Steve.
		The next five pics show mine and Dave Dibbs Stugs at the Easton Manor farm premises of M-1-T. Dave's Stug had all the engineering improvements mine had by Howard, the electrics by me and the modelling by Dave.