In Box Review of Dragon 1/35th Scale
German Sd.Kfz. 171 Panther A, Early Type (Italy 1943/44)
’39 –’45 Series
Kit no. 6160
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2002
I paid $31.98 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Kit is available on the web at 3 locations overseas and one location in the U.S.
Kit no. 6160
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2002
I paid $31.98 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Kit is available on the web at 3 locations overseas and one location in the U.S.
HISTORY:
The Panther tank, officially Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation: Sd.Kfz. 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to the end of the war in May 1945. On 27 February 1944 it was redesignated to just PzKpfw Panther, as Hitler ordered that the Roman numeral "V" be deleted.[citation needed] In contemporary English-language reports it is sometimes referred to as the "Mark V".
The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It had excellent firepower, protection and mobility, although its reliability was less impressive. The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (690 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armour, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire and a weaker high explosive shell. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements.
The Panther was far cheaper to produce than the Tiger I. Key elements of the Panther design, such as its armour, transmission, and final drive, were simplifications made to improve production rates and address raw material shortages. Despite this, the overall design has still been described by some as "overengineered". The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure.
Most design flaws were rectified by late 1943 and early 1944, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high-quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the tank's effectiveness. Though officially classified as a medium tank, at 44.8 metric tons the Panther was closer in weight to contemporary foreign heavy tanks. The Panther's weight caused logistical problems, such as an inability to cross certain bridges, otherwise the tank had a very high power-to-weight ratio which made it highly mobile.
The naming of Panther production variants did not, unlike most German tanks, follow alphabetical order: the initial variant, Panther "D" (Ausf. D), was followed by "A" and "G" variants.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1943–1945 (Nazi Germany), 1944–1945 (Kingdom of Hungary), 1944–1949 (France)
Used by: Nazi Germany, Hungary, Limited use by other militaries
Wars: World War II
Designer: MAN AG
Designed: 1942
Manufacturer: MAN, Daimler-Benz, MNH
Unit cost: 117,100 R.M.(Without weapons, optics, or radio), 143,912 R.M. (combat ready), 2,000 Man hours
Produced: 1943–1945 (1946- 9 postwar for the British Army)
No. built: about 6,000
Variants: Befehlspanzer (command tank), Bergepanther (armoured recovery vehicle), Jagdpanther
Mass: 44.8 tonnes (44.1 long tons; 49.4 short tons)
Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in), 8.66 metres (28 ft 5 in) gun forward[5]
Width: 3.27 m (10 ft 9 in), 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) with skirts
Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (driver, radio-operator/hull machine gunner, commander, gunner, loader)
Armour: 16-100 mm
Main armament: 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 with 79 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 × 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns with 5,100 rounds
Engine: V-12 petrol Maybach HL230 P30 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 15.39 PS (11.5 kW)/tonne (13.77 hp/ton)
Transmission: ZF AK 7-200. 7 forward 1 reverse
Suspension: double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels
Fuel capacity: 730 litres (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)
Operational range: Road: 260 km (160 mi), Cross-country: 100 km (62 mi)
Maximum speed: 55 km/h (34 mph) (first models),46 km/h (29 mph) (later models)
The Panther tank, officially Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation: Sd.Kfz. 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to the end of the war in May 1945. On 27 February 1944 it was redesignated to just PzKpfw Panther, as Hitler ordered that the Roman numeral "V" be deleted.[citation needed] In contemporary English-language reports it is sometimes referred to as the "Mark V".
The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It had excellent firepower, protection and mobility, although its reliability was less impressive. The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (690 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armour, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire and a weaker high explosive shell. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements.
The Panther was far cheaper to produce than the Tiger I. Key elements of the Panther design, such as its armour, transmission, and final drive, were simplifications made to improve production rates and address raw material shortages. Despite this, the overall design has still been described by some as "overengineered". The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure.
Most design flaws were rectified by late 1943 and early 1944, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high-quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the tank's effectiveness. Though officially classified as a medium tank, at 44.8 metric tons the Panther was closer in weight to contemporary foreign heavy tanks. The Panther's weight caused logistical problems, such as an inability to cross certain bridges, otherwise the tank had a very high power-to-weight ratio which made it highly mobile.
The naming of Panther production variants did not, unlike most German tanks, follow alphabetical order: the initial variant, Panther "D" (Ausf. D), was followed by "A" and "G" variants.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1943–1945 (Nazi Germany), 1944–1945 (Kingdom of Hungary), 1944–1949 (France)
Used by: Nazi Germany, Hungary, Limited use by other militaries
Wars: World War II
Designer: MAN AG
Designed: 1942
Manufacturer: MAN, Daimler-Benz, MNH
Unit cost: 117,100 R.M.(Without weapons, optics, or radio), 143,912 R.M. (combat ready), 2,000 Man hours
Produced: 1943–1945 (1946- 9 postwar for the British Army)
No. built: about 6,000
Variants: Befehlspanzer (command tank), Bergepanther (armoured recovery vehicle), Jagdpanther
Mass: 44.8 tonnes (44.1 long tons; 49.4 short tons)
Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in), 8.66 metres (28 ft 5 in) gun forward[5]
Width: 3.27 m (10 ft 9 in), 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) with skirts
Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (driver, radio-operator/hull machine gunner, commander, gunner, loader)
Armour: 16-100 mm
Main armament: 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 with 79 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 × 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns with 5,100 rounds
Engine: V-12 petrol Maybach HL230 P30 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 15.39 PS (11.5 kW)/tonne (13.77 hp/ton)
Transmission: ZF AK 7-200. 7 forward 1 reverse
Suspension: double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels
Fuel capacity: 730 litres (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)
Operational range: Road: 260 km (160 mi), Cross-country: 100 km (62 mi)
Maximum speed: 55 km/h (34 mph) (first models),46 km/h (29 mph) (later models)
THE KIT:
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of plastic model kits in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art is a color illustration of a Panther, moving down a city street past some battle damaged buildings and 6 German infantrymen on the sidewalk. Four of them are standing and the fifth man is seated and the sixth man is prone. They all wear field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. Five are armed with Mauser 98K carbines and the sixth man is armed with an M42 machine gun.
The Panther is overall earth yellow, with anti-magnetic mine paste on it and a red 221 outlined in white on the sides of the turret. A crewman is standing in the roof hatch on the turret. He is wearing a black uniform and a cloth side cap and earphones on his head.
The lower left corner of the box art says: Unassembled model kit. This kit contains 425 parts. For modelers age 10 and over. Box contains a model of one tank.
One side-panel of the box begins with a color illustration of Dragon’s kit no. 6139, of a Sd.Kfz. 250/10 w/3.7cm Pak.
Followed by a CAUTION: When you use paint, do not be near an open flame and be in a well-ventilated room. For modelers aged 10 and over. In 6 languages, including English. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. Importer for Europe is Italari in Italy, with their street address. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright of the kit is 2002, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made there.
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of plastic model kits in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art is a color illustration of a Panther, moving down a city street past some battle damaged buildings and 6 German infantrymen on the sidewalk. Four of them are standing and the fifth man is seated and the sixth man is prone. They all wear field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. Five are armed with Mauser 98K carbines and the sixth man is armed with an M42 machine gun.
The Panther is overall earth yellow, with anti-magnetic mine paste on it and a red 221 outlined in white on the sides of the turret. A crewman is standing in the roof hatch on the turret. He is wearing a black uniform and a cloth side cap and earphones on his head.
The lower left corner of the box art says: Unassembled model kit. This kit contains 425 parts. For modelers age 10 and over. Box contains a model of one tank.
One side-panel of the box begins with a color illustration of Dragon’s kit no. 6139, of a Sd.Kfz. 250/10 w/3.7cm Pak.
Followed by a CAUTION: When you use paint, do not be near an open flame and be in a well-ventilated room. For modelers aged 10 and over. In 6 languages, including English. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. Importer for Europe is Italari in Italy, with their street address. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright of the kit is 2002, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made there.
The other side-panel of the box shows 3 color walk-around type photos of the model made up, without the anti-magnetic paste on it and no markings, in overall earth-yellow.
Contains parts for one model. Copyright and Dragon’s address are repeated.
Contains parts for one model. Copyright and Dragon’s address are repeated.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 10 medium-grey parts trees and medium-grey hull tub part. Four embossed white plastic sheets and the decal sheet in 7 sealed clear cello bags.
I have added one of my companies (Armor Research) black resin turret correction and metal ammo and a Part Brand PE fret.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages, printed in color on slick-coated paper, in 8 ¼” x 14” page format,
Page 1 begins with a color repeat of the box art, over the parts trees illustrations,
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit. Over international assembly symbol explanations and a listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paintgs. In 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 7 gives a grand total of 27 assembly steps in full color.
Page 8 is the painting and marking guide.
It shows two 4-view profile illustrations of Panthers.
The first one is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with 1. Abteilung Panzer Regiment 4, Italy, near Anzio, 1944.
The second one is overall earth-yellow. With a black 701 on the sides of the turret.
It was with 7.Kompanie, Panzer Regiment 23, Eastern Front, Winter 1943/44.
Below them is the decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English. The 2002 copyright date for the kit and Printed in China. A small black and white repeat of the box art is shown.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the top, rear wall, jack, turret parts, main gun barrel etc. (23 parts)
This kit contains 10 medium-grey parts trees and medium-grey hull tub part. Four embossed white plastic sheets and the decal sheet in 7 sealed clear cello bags.
I have added one of my companies (Armor Research) black resin turret correction and metal ammo and a Part Brand PE fret.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages, printed in color on slick-coated paper, in 8 ¼” x 14” page format,
Page 1 begins with a color repeat of the box art, over the parts trees illustrations,
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit. Over international assembly symbol explanations and a listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paintgs. In 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 7 gives a grand total of 27 assembly steps in full color.
Page 8 is the painting and marking guide.
It shows two 4-view profile illustrations of Panthers.
The first one is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with 1. Abteilung Panzer Regiment 4, Italy, near Anzio, 1944.
The second one is overall earth-yellow. With a black 701 on the sides of the turret.
It was with 7.Kompanie, Panzer Regiment 23, Eastern Front, Winter 1943/44.
Below them is the decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English. The 2002 copyright date for the kit and Printed in China. A small black and white repeat of the box art is shown.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the top, rear wall, jack, turret parts, main gun barrel etc. (23 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds: fenders, hatch doors, tools, fire extinguisher etc. (42 parts)
Medium-grey Letter C is the hull tub part (1 part)
There are 2 identical medium-grey letter D trees. They hold: the drive sprockets, idler wheels, main gun barrel etc. (45 parts ea.)
Medium-grey letter E and F trees are co-joined. Together they hold: more turret parts, a different rear wall etc. (51 parts)
There are 4 identical medium-grey letter G trees. They hold: road wheels and individual track links (56 parts ea.)
There is a set of armor skirts molded in styrene is included in the box.
The decals complete the kit contents.
My Armor Research set, from the company I own, of the resin and metal turret set that corrects errors to the turret provided in the kit, 75mm metal ammo set and Part Brand’s 4 part brass PE set, completes the kits contents.
There are no figures in the kit or any interior detail.
Detail is excellent.
Detail is excellent.