In Box Review of Dragon 1/35th Scale
German Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf. C
3 in 1 Kit no 6224
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2004
Available at 5 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $37.99 for this kit at the hobby shop in Valparaiso, IN, where my son lives that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2004
Available at 5 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $37.99 for this kit at the hobby shop in Valparaiso, IN, where my son lives that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle.
Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. Some sources state that the Sd.Kfz. 251 was commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers after the manufacturer of the vehicle; This has been questioned, and may have been only a postwar label] German officers referred to them as SPW (Schützenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in their daily orders and memoirs.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Hungary, Italian Social Republic, French Army, Independent State of Croatia, Czechoslovak Army, Yugoslav People's Army
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Designed: 1937–1938
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22560 Reichsmark
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Mass: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL42 6-cylinder petrol engine of 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track) Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Maximum speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle.
Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. Some sources state that the Sd.Kfz. 251 was commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers after the manufacturer of the vehicle; This has been questioned, and may have been only a postwar label] German officers referred to them as SPW (Schützenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in their daily orders and memoirs.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Hungary, Italian Social Republic, French Army, Independent State of Croatia, Czechoslovak Army, Yugoslav People's Army
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Designed: 1937–1938
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22560 Reichsmark
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Mass: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL42 6-cylinder petrol engine of 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track) Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Maximum speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
THE KIT:
Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in shrink-wrapped jam-packed tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 251/7 Ausf. C Pioneer Panzerwagen. This is one of the 3 versions that can be built if you choose.
It is parked on a grassy field near some large buildings. It is in a base of sand yellow with green stripe camouflage. No markings are shown on it.
Looking out the top of it there are 4 crewmembers manning the gun. They all wear field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. The vehicle carries a wood bridge for ditch crossing and a howitzer.
The box art says the kit can be built in this version or as a Sd.Kfz. 251/10 Ausf. C with just the howitzer on it or as a Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C with machine guns and circular canvas roof supports.
Another corner of the box art says: Unassembled model kit. The kit contains 820 parts. Box contains model of one armored vehicle and five figures.
One side-panel of the box has color illustrations of the 4 decal sheets in the kit, the rubberized parts of a coat and boots, the 2 brass PE frets included, an extra figure of a driver, 4 German pioneer figures, grenade cases, infantry weapons, pioneer tools and mines and explosives.
These are followed by a CAUTION that warns you to not use paint and cement near a flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room, in 6 languages, including English.
Kit is un-intended for modelers age 10 and over. Dragon’ European office address in Graz, Austria is provided. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright of the kit is 2004, followed by Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made in China.
Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in shrink-wrapped jam-packed tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 251/7 Ausf. C Pioneer Panzerwagen. This is one of the 3 versions that can be built if you choose.
It is parked on a grassy field near some large buildings. It is in a base of sand yellow with green stripe camouflage. No markings are shown on it.
Looking out the top of it there are 4 crewmembers manning the gun. They all wear field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. The vehicle carries a wood bridge for ditch crossing and a howitzer.
The box art says the kit can be built in this version or as a Sd.Kfz. 251/10 Ausf. C with just the howitzer on it or as a Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C with machine guns and circular canvas roof supports.
Another corner of the box art says: Unassembled model kit. The kit contains 820 parts. Box contains model of one armored vehicle and five figures.
One side-panel of the box has color illustrations of the 4 decal sheets in the kit, the rubberized parts of a coat and boots, the 2 brass PE frets included, an extra figure of a driver, 4 German pioneer figures, grenade cases, infantry weapons, pioneer tools and mines and explosives.
These are followed by a CAUTION that warns you to not use paint and cement near a flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room, in 6 languages, including English.
Kit is un-intended for modelers age 10 and over. Dragon’ European office address in Graz, Austria is provided. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright of the kit is 2004, followed by Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made in China.
The other side panel shows 3 color photos of the model made up in each of the choices you can opt for to build. These are followed by illustrations of features of the kit: New assault bridge and brackets for it for the Sd. Kfz. 251/7 version and its interior and tool box and machine gun mount in 2 styles, vehicle tarp by DS, 3.7cm Pak with gun mount, ammo storage case, authentic aluminum 3.7cm Pak barrel, brass ammo, new storage box with open or closed option, new Notek blackout light, brass width indicator bars and new front and rear machine gun mounts are rotatable.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 18 medium-grey parts trees, a loose medium-grey hull tub part, a clear tree, a rubberized tree, a length of string, brass pins, resin folded canvas roof cover part, silver stickers for rear view mirror lenses, a turned aluminum gun barrel, a brass PE fret and the decal sheets in 22 sealed clear cello bags.
The smaller parts, the metal ones, the PE frets, the decal sheets etc. all have the cello bags they are in taped to a stiff cardboard
The kit contains 18 medium-grey parts trees, a loose medium-grey hull tub part, a clear tree, a rubberized tree, a length of string, brass pins, resin folded canvas roof cover part, silver stickers for rear view mirror lenses, a turned aluminum gun barrel, a brass PE fret and the decal sheets in 22 sealed clear cello bags.
The smaller parts, the metal ones, the PE frets, the decal sheets etc. all have the cello bags they are in taped to a stiff cardboard
that is printed on one side with a black and white illustration of tank tracks, in 7 ¼’ x 9 ¼” format and inside a clear cello envelope.
The instructions are a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ½” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations. A few parts are blued-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of GSI Creos, Mr. Colour and Model Master brands of hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to the top of page 9 gives 13 steps for assembly of the 251/7 version, 15 steps for the 251/10 version and 13 steps for the 251/1 version.
The bottom of page 9 is a painting and marking guide for the 3 versions as a 4-view and two 3-views.
The 4-view is the 251/7 version. It is overall Panzer-grey. It shows a German cross on its sides and rear and a white license plate with serial no. Wh1384966 on the front and twice on its rear.
It is shown as it looked during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.
The first 3-view is the 251/1 version. It is overall winter white, with no markings shown, as it looked on the Eastern front in 1942
The second 3-view is the 251/7 version again. It is the box art scheme (already described above). It further shows a German cross on its sides and rear, but no other markings.
Illustrations of the 2 decal sheets in the kit are shown.
Page 10 is another marking and painting guide that shows 2 4-views and two 3-views.
The first 4-view is the 251/10 version in a base of sandy brown with grey wave pattern camouflage. It has a skeletal white German cross on its sides only. It is shown as it looked in Kursk in 1943.
The first 3-view is another 261/10 version in a base of red-brown with green wave pattern camouflage. It has a skeletal white German cross and red hull no. 330 on its sides outlined in white. No other markings shown. It is shown also as it looked in Kursk in 1943.
The second 4-view is a 251/1 version. It is in a base of sandy brown with a red-brown wave pattern camouflage. It only has the German cross on its sides and no other markings. As shown in Kursk in 1943.
The second 3-view is a 251/1 version in overall sandy brown, with just a skeletal white German cross on its sides. As shown with an unknown unit in 1944.
Dragon needed to name these units and also put a history in the kit too.
The bottom of page 10 repeats the kits copyright date of 2004, Dragon’s European office address in Graz, Austria and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the hull top, nose panel, chassis side rails, floor etc. (25 parts) 5 parts are excess.
The instructions are a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ½” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustrations. A few parts are blued-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of GSI Creos, Mr. Colour and Model Master brands of hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to the top of page 9 gives 13 steps for assembly of the 251/7 version, 15 steps for the 251/10 version and 13 steps for the 251/1 version.
The bottom of page 9 is a painting and marking guide for the 3 versions as a 4-view and two 3-views.
The 4-view is the 251/7 version. It is overall Panzer-grey. It shows a German cross on its sides and rear and a white license plate with serial no. Wh1384966 on the front and twice on its rear.
It is shown as it looked during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.
The first 3-view is the 251/1 version. It is overall winter white, with no markings shown, as it looked on the Eastern front in 1942
The second 3-view is the 251/7 version again. It is the box art scheme (already described above). It further shows a German cross on its sides and rear, but no other markings.
Illustrations of the 2 decal sheets in the kit are shown.
Page 10 is another marking and painting guide that shows 2 4-views and two 3-views.
The first 4-view is the 251/10 version in a base of sandy brown with grey wave pattern camouflage. It has a skeletal white German cross on its sides only. It is shown as it looked in Kursk in 1943.
The first 3-view is another 261/10 version in a base of red-brown with green wave pattern camouflage. It has a skeletal white German cross and red hull no. 330 on its sides outlined in white. No other markings shown. It is shown also as it looked in Kursk in 1943.
The second 4-view is a 251/1 version. It is in a base of sandy brown with a red-brown wave pattern camouflage. It only has the German cross on its sides and no other markings. As shown in Kursk in 1943.
The second 3-view is a 251/1 version in overall sandy brown, with just a skeletal white German cross on its sides. As shown with an unknown unit in 1944.
Dragon needed to name these units and also put a history in the kit too.
The bottom of page 10 repeats the kits copyright date of 2004, Dragon’s European office address in Graz, Austria and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the hull top, nose panel, chassis side rails, floor etc. (25 parts) 5 parts are excess.
Lower case letter a is silver stickers that are rear-view mirror lenses (2 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds: the dashboard, shield, skirts, tools etc. (38 parts) 4 parts are excess.
Medium-grey letter C tree holds: machine guns, steering wheels, transmission etc. (51 parts) 1 part is excess.
Medium-grey lower-case letter c tree holds: jerry cans, gun barrel etc. (43 parts) 1 part is excess.
There are 2 identical medium-grey letter D trees. They hold: bogies, four 98K carbines etc. (22 parts) 4 parts are excess.
There are two identical medium-grey letter E trees. They hold: individual track links, tires, road wheels, drive sprockets etc. (35 parts)
Lettering jumps to the letter H hull tub part (1 part)
Lettering jumps to the medium-grey letter J tree. It holds the sight and elevation parts for the 3.7 cm gun (13 parts)
Lettering jumps once more to the medium-grey letter N1 tree. It holds the roof plate for the 3.7 cm anti-tank gun. (1 part)
Medium-grey letter N2 holds the engineering version parts. (18 parts)
Lettering jumps again to the medium-grey letter P tree: It holds: cable reels and cable cutters etc. (56 parts)
Medium-grey letter Q tree holds ammo boxes (32 parts)
Lettering jumps again to the rubberized letter Y tree that holds the canvas roof part (1 part)
Lettering jumps one final time to the clear W tree.
The 3.7 cm turned gun barrel for the Platoon Leaders halftrack.
There are 5 medium-grey trees that are NOT alphabetized.
The first one holds: weapons and field gear (53 parts)
The first one holds: weapons and field gear (53 parts)
The second one holds figures (60 parts)
The third one hold rifles (3 parts)
The fourth one is rubberized and holds a coat and boots (3 parts)
The fifth one holds another figure (5 parts)
Letter MA is a Brass PE fret and has parts for the bridge and straps. , etc. (25 parts)
Letter MB is a PE fret that is a storage box (4 parts)
Letter MC is metal width indicator rods, ammo rounds and string in a sealed plastic bag. (13 parts)
The 4 decal sheets complete the kits contents. There are no clear parts. Detail is excellent.
There is a second instructions in the kit that is printed in color on one side of a slick-coated sheet that is 8 ½” x 11” format.
It shows features of the kit at the top, over front and back views of the 4 figures. They all wear camouflage smocks and field grey trousers bloused into black jack boots. All have camouflaged cloth covers on their helmets.
One man is standing and carrying a ammo box in his left hand and a 98K carbine in his right. He has full field gear on his belt.
The second man is kneeling. He is holding the nozzle for a flamethrower and has the fuel tank for it strung on his back.
The third man is standing and holding a potato masher type grenade in his hands, ready to throw it. His 98K carbine lays at his feet. He has full field gear on his belt.
The fourth man is kneeling and is holding a pair of cable-cutters in his right hand and his left hand atop his 98K carbine lying on the ground.
A small swath of the camouflage pattern is shown.
It shows features of the kit at the top, over front and back views of the 4 figures. They all wear camouflage smocks and field grey trousers bloused into black jack boots. All have camouflaged cloth covers on their helmets.
One man is standing and carrying a ammo box in his left hand and a 98K carbine in his right. He has full field gear on his belt.
The second man is kneeling. He is holding the nozzle for a flamethrower and has the fuel tank for it strung on his back.
The third man is standing and holding a potato masher type grenade in his hands, ready to throw it. His 98K carbine lays at his feet. He has full field gear on his belt.
The fourth man is kneeling and is holding a pair of cable-cutters in his right hand and his left hand atop his 98K carbine lying on the ground.
A small swath of the camouflage pattern is shown.
This is a neat kit, with the 3 options you can choose from to build it.
Highly Recommended.
Highly Recommended.