Braille Scale

In aircraft and armored vehicle scale modeling, Braille scale commonly means 1/72 or 1/76 scale . 

 
The term was coined by the owners of Missing-Lynx web forum in 1998. Other forums have taken a liking to the phrase since then, and incorporated in their own websites.( source Wikipedia)

Obviously this is not an official designation, but rather a kind nickname, given to these little kits, which, of course, will end up blinding those who mount them, considering their hopelessly too small size. 

There are debates about what this term really means (which scales) but in the end, as a scale can always be smaller or larger than another one, it's of no interest, so we'll consider the 1/72 scale while recognizing that the term can be applied to any other scale according to everyone's taste. 

The Panzer IV

The Panzerkampfwagen IV, (PzKpfW IV, or Panzer IV or PZ IV, is a German medium tank used by the German army during World War II. 
Originally designed to support  infantry units and armed with a 7.5-cm short barreled gun KwK 37 L/24, it losed its support role  and is rearmed with a long anti-tank gun 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43 from 1942, from F2 version and finally a gun L/48 gun barrel for the  G / H / J. Constantly evolving according to the new threats appearing on battlefields, but also to the attrition of the German industry, it survived the war and was the German Army most used Tank (9,000 produced), and some will even  be used after WWII.   Beyond its role as a medium tank, its chassis was used to develop many other machines: self-propelled artillery, tank hunters supporting anti-aircraft weapons etc...  Its Allied counterparts were the American M4 Sherman(50 000 produced) ,  and the Soviet T-34, (60,000 produced).

Projects

Travelling, seeing, understanding, witnessing history, wanting to share it, without taking sides, taking away emotions, transmitting them while being creative rather than using them as a weapon

A Story, 

Starting from a photograph, known or unknown, linking history to creativity by telling a story, while being precise, and faithful with both history and model.
 

 Contact  : [email protected] 
https://xilef-1.jimdosite.com/
https://t-72.jimdosite.com

Sonderkraftfahrzeug (Sd. Kfz.)

Sonderkraftfahrzeug means "specialized motor vehicle". It  is the name given to vehicles used by the German army. To defines their type and use:

• 1 to 99: unarmored military vehicles;
• 100 to 199: tanks;
• 200 to 299: armored reconnaissance and infantry fighting vehicles;

The Panzer code receives the code 161 (Sd.Kfz. 161) which designates a medium tank. This code is used only to design the first versions ( from ausf A to ausf. F1, still equipped with the short barreled 7,5cm gun. les Ausf F2 et G équipés du canon long (L43) auront le code 161/1, et les Ausf  G, H, J équipés du canon long (L48) auront le code 161/2.  les engins basés sur chassis de PZ IV, mais qui ne sont pas des chars moyens auront d'autres code :  Sd.Kfz. 162 jagdpanzer IV, etc...

"Ausführung"

Often its diminutive "ausf" is used instead. Ausfurhung can be translated into "version". In a Panzer model, it designates the successive versions of the same series, not meant to change its role or its use (designated by the Sd.Kfz) but the improvements / modifications made during production.

It is obviously to differentiate the major modifications, and not the improvements of details : For example, increase of the armor, change of the transmission system, change of the type of the gun etc...
 
The PZ IV has been produced in 9 versions (Ausführung), each of them involving a major change, either to improve the machine or to simplify production : A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and finaly, the ausf J. 

Gun Specifications

Successive versions of a Panzer are sometimes differentiated by the improvement of the on-board artillery. The caliber of the guns increased constantly during the conflict passing from the pieces of 2cmcun embarked in the PZ II to the 12,8cm gun of the Jagd-Tiger (without mentioning self propelled artillery).

The first version (Ausf A to ausf F1) had the  7,5-cm KwK 37 L/24.

7,5 is the caliber of the gun in centimeter 

KwK : mean KampfWagenKanone, literally "fighting vehicle cannon" 

37 : the year it entered service 

L24 : Defined the length of the barel: 24 multiplied by the caliber of 7,5cm, meaning 180 cm (indeed 176,5 cm)
Ausf F1 and G:7.5 cm KwK 40 L43
Ausf G to J : 7.5 cm KwK 40 L48

Airfix (1971)

It is at 1/76 scale kit, , not 1/72, but for a long time it was the only easily available kit of PZ IV, so it would be a shame not to mention its existence. Many modelers  have built  this kit and turned it  in many versions, at that time there was very few kits at this scale. 
It is produced by Airfix since 1971, and was again released in 2018 with a label "vintage classic" that says everything about the quality of what is in the box: it was well in the 70s but since many other kits are much better. 

Esci 

WIP

Hasegawa (1998)

In 1998 Hasegawa released 3 PZ IV kits, one F1, F2 and G. The 3 kits are based on an older Kit of Panzer IV, the  "Munitionspanzer IV" included in the Karl Mortar Kit, therefore, it 's not a totaly new kits, some pieces are quite old, and the tracks, especially are rather bad and can't be used. Later on, hasegawa produced a Wirbelwind kits which includes a better quality roadwheel  set, but the tracks remain the same. For a long period, the hasegawa kit was the only one accurately representing a G type Hull, which was interesting, combined with other kits to improve details and provide better tracks.