Dragon

Sug.III.Auf.G. early production w/schürzen

Recently I have been working on a Trumpeter Stug III(B) kit which I am backdating to an (A). It is also a good kit with good exterior detail. However, compared to the Dragon kit it is over-simplified and toy like.

The Dragon kit comes with many options, spare parts, photo-etch parts and some excellent decals. The kit can be built with the hatches opened or closed as separate parts are provided. The hatches have interior and exterior detail and if the commander's cupola is modeled closed you can still have the scissor scope poking through its small hatch at the front of the closed round hatch. The extra hatches could also be used to detail your Trumpeter Stugs after you use your carving skills to remove the molded closed hatches.

The kit comes with two options for the engine intake vents. They can be modeled open using the very nice PE engine screens or you can model them closed with the alternate pieces. The kit also has the extra 105mm gun if you wish to make that version or you can use it on another project (Trumpeter conversion maybe?).

The detail on the wheels and running gear is excellent some of the best I have seen in 1/72.

Some of the tools are molded on to the fenders (shovel/axe/towing hooks) and this is a drawback to the over-all quality of the kit. The rest of the tools are moulded as separate parts.

The kit comes with the early local defense machinegun and shield. I was a little disappointed the shield not being PE but I am being greedy. The machinegun and shield are very detailed.

The schürzen are also a little bit of a disappointment as each side is molded as a solid piece of plastic. It would have been better as PE parts or at least separate pieces. The rails and schürzen holders are plastic but very thin and delicate.

The box contains very many finely detailed parts and I am sure that with minimal effort it will build into a nicely detailed and complex model. The markings included in the box are excellent and offer four options.

This Dragon Stug III G simply blows away the Trumpeter Stug III G kit and in the US the Dragon kit retails for about $5 less than the Trumpeter (Although I have been picking up Trumpeter kits on eBay for $6-8).

Article Last Updated: 31 August 2010