Barrel cleaning rods storage tube detailing made with styrene stripes, antenna made from paint brush bristle, screen mesh added to engine ventilation openings (should have placed mesh on top of vents rather than inside, thus took some artistic license). Initial Panther tank debuted at Kursk Salient battle July 1943 saw various tanks disabled from engine overheating, thus Type 2 exhaust pipe (2 pipes) were replaced with Type 3 (3 pipes, one extra on left exhaust), then Type 4 (4 pipes, 2 extra on left exhaust), finally Type 5 (4 pipes, 2 extra on right exhaust). YouTube Panther Tank engine roar - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSc6dWyVMhg

Inset 1 : Commander figure made from 1.35 TAMIYA German Tank Crew kit, painted half-black for standard Panzer tunic and half-white for winter camouflaged pants to match winter boots. MG42 machine gun and ammunition drum, used against low-flying enemy aircraft, glued on turret. Water canister, helmet, storage poach hung off turret hooks. Panzer V Panther Ausf. A Command Tank (SdKfz 267) - www.panzermuseum.com/ww-ii/panther-tank.html

Panther tank engine powered by 700-horsepower Maybach HL 230 P30 V-12 petrol engine which ran at 3,000 rpm. It drove two front drive sprockets via gearbox and steering unit (most postwar tank design moved drive sprockets to tank's rear for better traction to take advantage of rear engine weight). Mayback engine usually had operational life up to 1,200 miles, but due to excessive engine overheats in Summer 1943 Ostfront battles, engine governor was fitted to succeeding Panthers in late 1943 which limited revolutions to 2,500 rpm, lowered power output to 600-horsepower, thus reduced top speed from 35mph to 28mph. YouTube Panther Tank Engine startup - www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbma5VSWA1s

Incidentally, weakest part in all Panther tanks was its final drive gear, although the AK 7-200 synchromesh gearbox box and MAN single radius steering system (operated by steering leverages) were versatile, shortage or gear cutting machinery in Germany prevent mass production of hollow gears, thus compromised design resulted in premature gear fractures. Glosk Panther Tank design - www.glosk.com/GM/Augsburg/-2439456/pages/Panther_tank/76379_en.htm

Rollover : Close-up of Panzerfuhrerkuppel (tank commander copula) : cast armored enclosure with 7 prisms which gave commander full view of battlefield from interior of tank. Streamlined Soviet tanks never appreciated this concept, hence throughout WW2 vast majority of their tanks had no commander copula. Thus Soviet tank commanders would have to open hatch, stick his head out, take a quick look-see, and risk being wounded from direct enemy fire or shrapnel. Copula's Fliegerbeschussgerat (Flier Bombardment Equipment) machine gun bracket came from 1.35th TAMIYA Panzer IV kit. Rear circular entry door called Einsteiglukendeckel (entering hatchway). PzKpfw V Panther  - www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Panzer/panther.htm

Small bolted circular plate on right covers un-installed pistol port called Nahverteidigungswaffe (close-in defense weapon) to fire against enemy combatants on top of vehicle. Port can transverse 360-degrees and fires projectiles in 50-degree arc, using variety of pistol ammunition such as Schnellebelkerzen (Fast Fog Candles or Smoke Candles), Wurfgranaten (Throw Shells or Pistol Grenades), Rauchsichtzeichen Orange (Smoke Marker Orange or Orange Smoke Signal), Leuchtgeschossen R (Tracer Bullets R or Singal Flares). As noted, German nomenclature can be more descriptive than American counterparts. German Signal Pistols - www.lonesentry.com/manuals/tme30/ch7sec2sub3.html

MG42 machine gun and ammo drums at copula side, used for anti-aircraft defense by placement on copula ring hinge apparatus. MG42 possessed phenomenal rate of fire circa 1,200 rounds/minute, combatants on receiving end were quite intimidated by its sound since individual bullets leaving the MG42 could not be heard, only a constant gunfire roar. However, MG42 crew could only fired in short burst since prolonged firing shook gun off its accuracy, not to mention supply of ammunition would be quickly used up. MG42 in Action - youtube.com/watch?v=kp-rCZuIbyk&feature=related

Inset 2 : Panther crew loading 75mm tank shell munitions, figures came from 1.35th DML German Self-Propelled Artillery Crew kit, they wear reversible winter jackets (other side is mouse grey for Autumn camouflage). Tank shells and munition crate came from 1.35th TAMIYA German Tank Ammunition Crew kit. Lone Sentry Tank Talk - www.lonesentry.com/tanktalk/index.html