In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/35th Scale
German V-2 Missile
Kit no. 9002
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1993
I paid $28.98 for this kit back in the 90’s at a local shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1993
I paid $28.98 for this kit back in the 90’s at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
he V-2 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2, "Retribution Weapon 2"), technical name Aggregat 4 (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a "vengeance weapon", assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.
The V-2 rocket also became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944.Research into military use of long-range rockets began when the studies of graduate student Wernher von Braun attracted the attention of the German Army.
A series of prototypes culminated in the A-4, which went to war as the V-2. Beginning in September 1944, over 3,000 V-2s were launched by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets, first London and later Antwerp and Liège.
According to a 2011 BBC documentary, the attacks from V-2s resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 civilians and military personnel, and a further 12,000 forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners died as a result of their forced participation in the production of the weapons.
As Germany collapsed, teams from the Allied forces—the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union—raced to capture key German manufacturing sites and technology. Von Braun and over 100 key V-2 personnel surrendered to the Americans and many of the original V-2 team ended up working at the Redstone Arsenal.
The US also captured enough V-2 hardware to build approximately 80 of the missiles. The Soviets gained possession of the V-2 manufacturing facilities after the war, re-established V-2 production, and moved it to the Soviet Union.
he V-2 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2, "Retribution Weapon 2"), technical name Aggregat 4 (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a "vengeance weapon", assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.
The V-2 rocket also became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944.Research into military use of long-range rockets began when the studies of graduate student Wernher von Braun attracted the attention of the German Army.
A series of prototypes culminated in the A-4, which went to war as the V-2. Beginning in September 1944, over 3,000 V-2s were launched by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets, first London and later Antwerp and Liège.
According to a 2011 BBC documentary, the attacks from V-2s resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 civilians and military personnel, and a further 12,000 forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners died as a result of their forced participation in the production of the weapons.
As Germany collapsed, teams from the Allied forces—the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union—raced to capture key German manufacturing sites and technology. Von Braun and over 100 key V-2 personnel surrendered to the Americans and many of the original V-2 team ended up working at the Redstone Arsenal.
The US also captured enough V-2 hardware to build approximately 80 of the missiles. The Soviets gained possession of the V-2 manufacturing facilities after the war, re-established V-2 production, and moved it to the Soviet Union.
THE KIT:
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a V-2 in the foreground that is in a splinter camouflage pattern of cream-yellow, dark-earth and dark-green.
In the background there is another V-2 that has been launched and a 3rd one on its trailer. Other support vehicles are in the background also. These are all field grey with no markings.
The V-2 in the foreground has some white numbers on it. However, there is no decal sheet in the kit with these numbers on it. Bad move DML!!
One side panel of the box has 2 color photos of the V-2 on it shown made up in the box art scheme. One photo shows the whole rocket and its launch base. The second photo just shows the rocket’s bottom and the launch base.
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a V-2 in the foreground that is in a splinter camouflage pattern of cream-yellow, dark-earth and dark-green.
In the background there is another V-2 that has been launched and a 3rd one on its trailer. Other support vehicles are in the background also. These are all field grey with no markings.
The V-2 in the foreground has some white numbers on it. However, there is no decal sheet in the kit with these numbers on it. Bad move DML!!
One side panel of the box has 2 color photos of the V-2 on it shown made up in the box art scheme. One photo shows the whole rocket and its launch base. The second photo just shows the rocket’s bottom and the launch base.
The other side panel has 2 color box arts of other 1/35th scale AFVs that DML makes: kit no. 9001, a Soviet SU-76M and kit no. 9003, a Soviet Armoured Car BA-20.
These are followed by DML’s street address in Hong Kong, China and their FAX number. Copyright date for the kit is given as 1993. Kit was made in Hong Kong.
These are followed by DML’s street address in Hong Kong, China and their FAX number. Copyright date for the kit is given as 1993. Kit was made in Hong Kong.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 3 light-grey trees in 2 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
Page 1 begins with a dark and grainy black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 5 gives a total of 6 assembly steps.
Page 6 is a painting and marking guide, showing a single illustration of the box art scheme and decal application instructions in the 6 languages. These were a waste of time as there is no decal sheet in the kit or any crew figures.
The trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions.
There are 2 identical light-grey letter A trees. These hold the V-2’s body and fins etc (19 parts each)
This kit contains 3 light-grey trees in 2 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
Page 1 begins with a dark and grainy black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 5 gives a total of 6 assembly steps.
Page 6 is a painting and marking guide, showing a single illustration of the box art scheme and decal application instructions in the 6 languages. These were a waste of time as there is no decal sheet in the kit or any crew figures.
The trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions.
There are 2 identical light-grey letter A trees. These hold the V-2’s body and fins etc (19 parts each)
Light-grey letter B tree holds the parts of the launch base (8 parts)
Great detail, but the kit really needs a decal sheet of the numbers as is shown on the box art illustration.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.