This
is an injection molded kit in gray styrene plastic. Also included
is a small fret of etched-brass parts and two soft rubber tracks.
The vehicle is a heavy German panzerjager based on the Pz IV chassis
and carrying the powerful 88-mm L71 Pak 43 antitank gun (a version
of the gun on the Tiger 2 tank and the Jagdpanther). The Hornisse
is also known as the Nashorn. The Nashorn/Hornisse shares a chassis
and superstructure with the SP 150-mm howitzer "Hummel". Instructions appear
very good, consisting of eight exploded-view line drawings. Color
drawings show markings for six different vehicles belonging to two
Panzerjager Battalions. In the scan we see that a large sheet of water
slide decals is included with a plethora of vehicle numbers.
Overall quality appears superb and state of the art for plastic modeling kits. Detail is fine and sharp. The suspension and lower hull has sprues shared with Dragon's 1/72-scale StuG IV kit and along with Revell's Pz IV kit is accurate enough to model with the bottom visible (such as with a tank blown over on its side). Dragon's roadwheels are molded as a separate tire with separate hub which can be painted separately from each other. A choice of middle or late Pz IV sprockets are offered. I have not confirmed
the interior crew compartment to be 100% accurate but it looks good.
Ammunition bins can be modeled open or closed, with separate and beautiful
88-mm rounds given. The Pak 43 gun is a work of art with many small
and separate parts. Beautifully molded crew sub-machine guns and an
AA-gun mount are included, but no Mg 34 AA machine gun. The driver's and
radio operators hatches on Sprue C are molded open though there is
not interior detail. Note that the driver's visor can be assembled
open as well. No crew figures are included. The rectangular engine
vents (louvers on each side of the vehicle superstructure are tough
to model well (as I found ESCI's Hummel kit). Dragon gives us a choice
of two well-molded plastic louvers, or more challenging etched brass
louvers. This leaves us with an extra set of vents to use with ESCI's
old Hummel kit! |
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