Text © Glen Porter 2006

Images © Brett Green of Hyperscale 2006

Description

This is my Dragon Stug IV (late production) with a few modifications and Revell link and length tracks.

As a reference, I used Achtung Panzer Stug III and IV and Wydawnictwo Militaria No 94. The text is all in Polish so I could only rely on drawings and artwork. Achtung Panzer, on the other hand, was a mine of information especially on the differences between the late and early models. One of the differences shown in both books is the bow towing arrangements. The early vehicle used bolted or riveted towing eyes on the front plate just inboard of the tracks like the Panzer IV. The late model, which was based on the Panzer IV Ausf J, had the side armour plate extended a little forward to form an eye for towing at either end of the front plate.

In the Dragon Late Stug IV kit, they tell you to cut these side armour towing eyes off and use the bolt-on ones supplied. I did the opposite, filled the holes for the bolt-ons and left the side armour ones as is.

The kit part for the LHS spare road wheel carrier was very chunky and extended out too far so I discarded it and scratch-built one from plastic card. Much narrower and more detailed.

The figures are Preiser Panzer Crews.

Paints are Tamiya enamel lightened with white. After the main camouflage colours were applied, the model was glossed with Tamiya acrylic gloss and decals applied. I then went over the whole model with Tamiya German Grey and a fine brush to make chips and scratches where I thought the paint would wear and followed with a brown filter wash. Most of this wash was left on to darken the model and add shadows to the recesses. The final Dullcote was applied and I almost literally attacked the model with the new Tamiya Weathering powders to give that dirty dusty look and high-light the detail.

Conclusion

For about eighteen months now, Dragon’s 1/72 scale kits have been considered co-leaders in the Small Scale Armour field along with Revell Germany. I say co-leaders because I don’t think they (Dragon) have surpassed Revell yet but they are awfully close. The only thing holding them back is their DS 100 tracks. They have bettered Revell in the level of detail and equaled them in moulding quality but Braille Scale Modellers want link and length tracks no matter how good the DS 100s are – and they are good. I can understand why Dragon have persisted with the DS 100s. Their pre-built and painted kits use the same parts as their construction kits and I can’t see a production worker struggling with L&L tracks. However, why not do both DS 100 and L&L tracks for each kit? Okay, it will increase the cost of the kit but I think most Braille Scale modellers would be willing to pay the extra for the quality.

Now, having said all of that, it’s not the reason I used the Revell tracks on this kit. Some of Dragon’s other 1/72 scale kits based on the Panzer IV, namely the Nashorn and Hornisse, have lengthened chassis but Dragon supplied the same length DS 100 track, so we know they are going to be short. By using the Revell tracks, I now have two lengths of DS 100s to lengthen the tracks for those models.

The above criticisms aside, these later Dragon Braille Scale kits are superb. With a level of detail never seen before in 1/72 scale and parts moulding to rival Tamiya, they almost fall together. The interior detail in their Sd.Kfz. 251 C has got to be seen to be believed. Go Dragon. Wow!

Text © Glen Porter 2006.
Images © Brett Green 2006.

Our thanks to Brett Green for permission to use these images, which first appeared in Glen’s article on Hyperscale.