In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/35th Scale
Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther, Early Version
Kit no. 9012
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00 back in the 90’s.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00 back in the 90’s.
HISTORY:
The Jagdpanther (German: "hunting panther") was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service late in the war (1944) and saw service on the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the very powerful 8.8 cm PaK 43 cannon of the Tiger II and the characteristically excellent armor and suspension of the Panther chassis,[1] although it suffered from the general poor state of German ordnance production, maintenance and training in the later part of the war, which resulted in small production numbers, shortage in spare parts and poor crew readiness.
Type
Tank destroyer
Place of origin
Nazi Germany
Service history
In service
1944-1945 (Nazi Germany)
1945-1960s (France)
Production history
Produced
1944–1945
Number built
415
Variants
G1, G2
Specifications
Weight
45.5 tonnes (100,300 lb)
Length
9.87 m (32 ft 5 in)
Width
3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)
Height
2.71 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew
5
Armor
80 mm (3.14 in) frontal
100 mm (3.93 in) mantlet
45mm side
40mm rear
Main
armament
1 × 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71
57 rounds
Secondary
armament
1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
600 rounds
Engine
Maybach HL230 P30 (V-12 petrol)
700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight
15.4 PS/tonne
Suspension
dual torsion bar
Operational
range
160 km (99 miles)
Speed
46 km/h (28.6 mph)
DML Dragon is a prolific model manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Jagdpanther leading a second Jagdpanther down a cobble-stone street that has trolley tracks on it. These 2 tanks are going past battle damaged buildings in a city in France. I deduced where they are because there are signs on the building in French. Two German soldiers are taking cover in a door way that is blocked with a metal accordion folding gate. One soldier is armed with a Panzerfaust.
The lead Jagdpanther is in overall earth yellow (dunkle-gelb). It carries a German cross followed by a red number 314 outlined in white on its sides. It has zimmerit anti-magnetic paste on it. However, the parts in the kit are smooth surfaced.
One side panel has a small color box art of kit no 6032, that is a U.S. T-26E3 that DML markets, followed by the street address for Marco Polo Import Inc. in California, who years ago was the importer of DML kits. Their FAX number is also supplied here and the copyright date is 1995.
This kit was made in Hong Kong, China.
The other side panel has 3 walk-around color photos of the model made up in the box art scheme, followed by a repeat of the Marco Polo address etc. again.
The Jagdpanther (German: "hunting panther") was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service late in the war (1944) and saw service on the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the very powerful 8.8 cm PaK 43 cannon of the Tiger II and the characteristically excellent armor and suspension of the Panther chassis,[1] although it suffered from the general poor state of German ordnance production, maintenance and training in the later part of the war, which resulted in small production numbers, shortage in spare parts and poor crew readiness.
Type
Tank destroyer
Place of origin
Nazi Germany
Service history
In service
1944-1945 (Nazi Germany)
1945-1960s (France)
Production history
Produced
1944–1945
Number built
415
Variants
G1, G2
Specifications
Weight
45.5 tonnes (100,300 lb)
Length
9.87 m (32 ft 5 in)
Width
3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)
Height
2.71 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew
5
Armor
80 mm (3.14 in) frontal
100 mm (3.93 in) mantlet
45mm side
40mm rear
Main
armament
1 × 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71
57 rounds
Secondary
armament
1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
600 rounds
Engine
Maybach HL230 P30 (V-12 petrol)
700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight
15.4 PS/tonne
Suspension
dual torsion bar
Operational
range
160 km (99 miles)
Speed
46 km/h (28.6 mph)
DML Dragon is a prolific model manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Jagdpanther leading a second Jagdpanther down a cobble-stone street that has trolley tracks on it. These 2 tanks are going past battle damaged buildings in a city in France. I deduced where they are because there are signs on the building in French. Two German soldiers are taking cover in a door way that is blocked with a metal accordion folding gate. One soldier is armed with a Panzerfaust.
The lead Jagdpanther is in overall earth yellow (dunkle-gelb). It carries a German cross followed by a red number 314 outlined in white on its sides. It has zimmerit anti-magnetic paste on it. However, the parts in the kit are smooth surfaced.
One side panel has a small color box art of kit no 6032, that is a U.S. T-26E3 that DML markets, followed by the street address for Marco Polo Import Inc. in California, who years ago was the importer of DML kits. Their FAX number is also supplied here and the copyright date is 1995.
This kit was made in Hong Kong, China.
The other side panel has 3 walk-around color photos of the model made up in the box art scheme, followed by a repeat of the Marco Polo address etc. again.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 11 grey parts trees, the single grey hull tub part, 2 decal sheets, the instructions and a catalog ordering form . Trees are in 7 sealed cello bags.
Instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion folds out into 8 pages in 8 ½” x 12” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the parts trees illustrations. Some parts are shown blued-out, meaning that they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit in 6 languages, including English, followed by international assembly symbol explanations and a list of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, suggested to complete the model. The bottom of the page shows the first assembly step. It says there to make your own zimmerit with putty and then apply it to the parts that are shown shaded in the assembly steps.
Page 3 through 7 give a balance of a grand total of 16 assembly steps. More parts are shown shaded to indicate where to apply zimmerit made from putty.
Page 8 shows a 4-view of the jagdpanther in the box art scheme and illustrations of the two decal sheets. It is a tank of the Pz.Jag. Abt. 654, Normandy, France 1944.
At the bottom of the page is the copyright date of 1995 again and PRINTED IN HONG KONG, followed by the decal application instructions in 6 languages including English.
Grey letter A parts tree holds: Alternate road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, rear storage bin parts, tools etc. (51 parts) 25 parts are excess.
This kit contains 11 grey parts trees, the single grey hull tub part, 2 decal sheets, the instructions and a catalog ordering form . Trees are in 7 sealed cello bags.
Instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion folds out into 8 pages in 8 ½” x 12” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the parts trees illustrations. Some parts are shown blued-out, meaning that they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit in 6 languages, including English, followed by international assembly symbol explanations and a list of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, suggested to complete the model. The bottom of the page shows the first assembly step. It says there to make your own zimmerit with putty and then apply it to the parts that are shown shaded in the assembly steps.
Page 3 through 7 give a balance of a grand total of 16 assembly steps. More parts are shown shaded to indicate where to apply zimmerit made from putty.
Page 8 shows a 4-view of the jagdpanther in the box art scheme and illustrations of the two decal sheets. It is a tank of the Pz.Jag. Abt. 654, Normandy, France 1944.
At the bottom of the page is the copyright date of 1995 again and PRINTED IN HONG KONG, followed by the decal application instructions in 6 languages including English.
Grey letter A parts tree holds: Alternate road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, rear storage bin parts, tools etc. (51 parts) 25 parts are excess.
Grey letter B parts tree holds: the rear hull wall, mantle parts etc. (12 parts) 1 part is excess.
There are 4 identical grey letter C parts trees. The each hold 48 individual track links.
Grey letter D parts tree holds road wheels (16 parts) All these parts get used.
There are 2 identical grey letter E parts trees: The each hold leaf springs, the main gun, idler wheels, hatch doors, engine air intake grills etc. (29 parts) All these parts get used.
Grey letter F parts tree holds: final transfer covers, mantle, jack, hatch doors, engine crank etc. (40 parts) 1 part is excess.
Grey letter G part is the single hull tub piece.
The grey single hull roof part is not alphabetized.
The two decal sheets complete the kits complete the kits contents.
Both sheets have red turret numbers outlined in white on them One has white tank and artillery kill marks and white kill rings to go around the main gun barrel.
The two decal sheets complete the kits complete the kits contents.
Both sheets have red turret numbers outlined in white on them One has white tank and artillery kill marks and white kill rings to go around the main gun barrel.
There are no clear parts, crew figures or interior detail parts.
The kit should have really had zimmerit molded into the appropriate parts.
I recommend this kit to modelers of average building skills.
Kit was courtesy of my wallet back in the 90’s.
The kit should have really had zimmerit molded into the appropriate parts.
I recommend this kit to modelers of average building skills.
Kit was courtesy of my wallet back in the 90’s.