StuG III Ausf. G Early production | ||||
Kit # 7283 | Preview by Rob Haelterman - heman_148(at)hotmail(dot)com |
As I haven't
really been able to find the time to drool over this kit,
and as I am no ace in taking good digital pictures, I am
really indebted to Joaquín García Gázquez for allowing
me to wrap these pictures into a quick preview of this
outstanding kit.
Contrary to what some other internet
reviewers try to make you believe, the loader's MG shield is included;
it's part B28. Why Dragon marks part B15 (closed loader's hatches)
as not for use, but tells you to glue the split hatches in the closed
position instead is anybody's guess. Please beware and not make the
oft repeated mistake of installing the MG shield in the raised position
with the hatches closed. To stay up, the shield needed the front hatch
for support. You also have the choice to have the commander's hatch
open, closed, or only the small flap opened. A periscope is included. Even the underside of the fenders is detailed. PE is inlcuded for the engine grilles and one fender support each side. For those that are not into PE, you get styrene parts for some of these as well. Reasonable detail for the gap behind the gun is included, but not for the inside of the vehicle, except for the roof hatches and ventilator. Two minor errors have been found in
the kit so far. The first is with the driver's visor, which is closed.
Of course, the driver could close it, but then he would drive blind.
The second is with the cupola assembly. Part B18 should be turned
180° with respect to parts B19 and B20 so that the hinge of the
hatch does not coincide with a periscope. Note that most of the cupolas
of the StuG could be rotated, so you can actually install B18 on the
roof as you like, as long as you respect its relative position with
respect to the hatch. (There was a period in time when the cupola
was fixed due to a lack of ball bearings.) Note that the exact same vehicle can be built from kit 7284 (StuH 42), which also allows other versions to be built. There are five marking options:
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Article Last Updated: 29 December 2009 |