In Box Review of Dragon 1/35th Scale
German Pontoon Set, Premium Edition
Set no. 6532
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2009
Out of production.
I paid $28.89 for this kit years ago at a local shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2009
Out of production.
I paid $28.89 for this kit years ago at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
A wood bridge (uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry.
Most bridges are temporary and used in wartime and civil emergencies. There are permanent pontoon bridges in civilian use that can carry highway traffic. Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water crossings if it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers. Such bridges can require a section that is elevated or can be raised or removed to allow waterborne traffic to pass.
Pontoon bridges have been in use since ancient times and have been used to great advantage in many battles throughout history, such as the Battle of Garigliano, the Battle of Oudenarde, the crossing of the Rhine during World War II, the Iran–Iraq War Operation Dawn 8, and most recently, in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, after crossings over the Dnipro river had been destroyed.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Carries: Pedestrian, automobile, truck
Span range: Short to long
Material: Various: steel, concrete, boats, barrels, plastic floats, appropriate decking material
Movable: Generally not, but may have movable sections for watercraft passage
Design effort: low
Falsework: Not required
A wood bridge (uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry.
Most bridges are temporary and used in wartime and civil emergencies. There are permanent pontoon bridges in civilian use that can carry highway traffic. Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water crossings if it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers. Such bridges can require a section that is elevated or can be raised or removed to allow waterborne traffic to pass.
Pontoon bridges have been in use since ancient times and have been used to great advantage in many battles throughout history, such as the Battle of Garigliano, the Battle of Oudenarde, the crossing of the Rhine during World War II, the Iran–Iraq War Operation Dawn 8, and most recently, in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, after crossings over the Dnipro river had been destroyed.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Carries: Pedestrian, automobile, truck
Span range: Short to long
Material: Various: steel, concrete, boats, barrels, plastic floats, appropriate decking material
Movable: Generally not, but may have movable sections for watercraft passage
Design effort: low
Falsework: Not required
THE KIT:
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a German pontoon bridge set up in a river, next to a knocked-out bridge. It has 13 German infantry-men crossing it.
The inflated pontoon rafts are medium-grey. The wood deck and railings are light tan wood. The infantry-men all wear field-grey uniforms and black jack boots. Nine of them wear steel helmets. Three are bare headed and the man in the lead wears a cloth side cap.They are mostly armed with 98K carbines and have various field-equipment on their belts and shoulder-straps.
In the background there are 2 stake-side trucks and 2 more infantry-men beside a building
One side-panel of the box shows a black and white repeat of the men and raft on the box art and 8 men standing alone. Followed by a CAUTION: When you use cement or paint, do not be near an open flame and be in a well ventilated room. For modelers aged 10 and over.Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. Dragon’s European office address in Graz, Austria is provided, in multiple languages, including English. Followed by their street and web address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a German pontoon bridge set up in a river, next to a knocked-out bridge. It has 13 German infantry-men crossing it.
The inflated pontoon rafts are medium-grey. The wood deck and railings are light tan wood. The infantry-men all wear field-grey uniforms and black jack boots. Nine of them wear steel helmets. Three are bare headed and the man in the lead wears a cloth side cap.They are mostly armed with 98K carbines and have various field-equipment on their belts and shoulder-straps.
In the background there are 2 stake-side trucks and 2 more infantry-men beside a building
One side-panel of the box shows a black and white repeat of the men and raft on the box art and 8 men standing alone. Followed by a CAUTION: When you use cement or paint, do not be near an open flame and be in a well ventilated room. For modelers aged 10 and over.Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. Dragon’s European office address in Graz, Austria is provided, in multiple languages, including English. Followed by their street and web address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
The other side panel of the box shows 10 more black and white illustrations of features in the kit: 5 bonus hands for the pioneers provide alternative poses. Gen 2 field gea, Details on rubber raft realistically represented. Road deck and railings with realistic wood plank features. Detailed ropes on rubber raft. Length of white string for raft included as bonus.
WHAT’S IN THE KIT:
The kit contains 21 medium-grey parts trees, and a length of white string in 8 sealed clear cello bags.
There are no decals provided. Nor does this kit need any.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is printed on slick-coated paper and folded in the center to create 4 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 2 begins with CAUTION about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of GSI and Model Master brands of hobby paints.
The bottom of page 2 to the top of page 3 gives a total of 6 assembly steps for the pontoon bridge.
The bottom of page 3 is a painting and assembly instructions for 8 of the figures.
Page 4 has another painting and assembly instructions at the top for 8 other figures. At the bottom there is a painting guide in color for the wood deck and pontoons. The deck is wood brown. The pontoons are medium-blue.
Trees are alphabetized.
There are 4 identical medium-grey letter A trees. These hold the rubber pontoons and their bottoms and tie down loops (33 parts ea.)
The kit contains 21 medium-grey parts trees, and a length of white string in 8 sealed clear cello bags.
There are no decals provided. Nor does this kit need any.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is printed on slick-coated paper and folded in the center to create 4 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 2 begins with CAUTION about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of GSI and Model Master brands of hobby paints.
The bottom of page 2 to the top of page 3 gives a total of 6 assembly steps for the pontoon bridge.
The bottom of page 3 is a painting and assembly instructions for 8 of the figures.
Page 4 has another painting and assembly instructions at the top for 8 other figures. At the bottom there is a painting guide in color for the wood deck and pontoons. The deck is wood brown. The pontoons are medium-blue.
Trees are alphabetized.
There are 4 identical medium-grey letter A trees. These hold the rubber pontoons and their bottoms and tie down loops (33 parts ea.)
There are 5 identical medium-grey letter B trees. These hold the parts of the wood deck and its railings (10 pars ea.)
Lettering jumps to the 2 identical medium-grey letter GA trees. They hold steel helmets and field gear (67 parts ea.)
There are 2 identical medium-grey letter GB trees that hold more field equipment (53 part ea.)
There are 3 identical medium-grey trees that have 6109 on their tabs. This is Dragon’s rubber dingy set. They hold 3 figures and their equipment (42 parts ea.)
Two other medium-grey trees have 6105 on their tabs. This is Dragon’s Wehrmacht Infantry set. One tree holds 8 figures and their gear I63 parts) The second tree holds ammo cans (10 parts)
A medium-grey tree that has the kit’s number on its tab, but is not alphabetized, holds 13 alternate figure’s arms.
Another small medium-grey tree has 6070 on it’s tab. This is from Dragon’s kit of Fallschirmjagers. It holds 3 98K carbines and a MP36 submachine gun and its shoulder stock (4 parts)
A final small medium-grey tree has an MG34 on its tab. It holds a heavy machine gun and it’s ammo belt and bipod (8 parts)
The string completes the kit contents.
This is a neat kit and will look good on a water base diorama.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.