Build Review of the Trumpeter 1/35th Scale
German Entwicklungsfahrzeug E-10
Item no. 00385
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2007
This kit was given by Trumpeter to Cybermodeler site, in August of 2007, to review. I was on the staff there then and the manager of the site gave the kit to me. The MSRP then was $39.95.
It is available at Squadron for $38.00 or at Mega Hobby for $44.16 or at Hobbylinc for $39.29 or at Sprue Brothers for $49.99 or at 1001 Hobbies for $35.99 and at Kit Linx for $41.55.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2007
This kit was given by Trumpeter to Cybermodeler site, in August of 2007, to review. I was on the staff there then and the manager of the site gave the kit to me. The MSRP then was $39.95.
It is available at Squadron for $38.00 or at Mega Hobby for $44.16 or at Hobbylinc for $39.29 or at Sprue Brothers for $49.99 or at 1001 Hobbies for $35.99 and at Kit Linx for $41.55.
HISTORY:
The Germans learned from their combat experiences that while their tank killers like the Marder were somewhat effective against allied armor, their high profile made ambushing more difficult and were easy prey once discovered. The lack of a fully armored crew compartment also made these tank killers easy prey for commando teams and air support.
A new class of combat vehicles were underway near the end of the war with the intention of providing crews with better protection. This was accomplished by creating a fully enclosed crew compartment as well as by reducing the height of the vehicle as much as possible without sacrificing ground clearance. The smallest of this new class of vehicles was the E-10.
The E-10 was armed with a 75mm main gun which was mounted into the glacis plate and eliminating any of the over-the-hull structures of earlier tank killers. While this vehicle never entered production before the end of the war, the same design philosophy was also applied to Soviet tank killers like the SU-85 and SU-100 and even the more modern Swedish S-tank.
The Germans learned from their combat experiences that while their tank killers like the Marder were somewhat effective against allied armor, their high profile made ambushing more difficult and were easy prey once discovered. The lack of a fully armored crew compartment also made these tank killers easy prey for commando teams and air support.
A new class of combat vehicles were underway near the end of the war with the intention of providing crews with better protection. This was accomplished by creating a fully enclosed crew compartment as well as by reducing the height of the vehicle as much as possible without sacrificing ground clearance. The smallest of this new class of vehicles was the E-10.
The E-10 was armed with a 75mm main gun which was mounted into the glacis plate and eliminating any of the over-the-hull structures of earlier tank killers. While this vehicle never entered production before the end of the war, the same design philosophy was also applied to Soviet tank killers like the SU-85 and SU-100 and even the more modern Swedish S-tank.
THE KIT:
Trumpeter is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Macau, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of an E-10 moving down a coble-stone road, raising dust. It is in a camouflage wave pattern of tan, dark-green and red-brown. Walking beside it are 3 German infantry-men, that are dressed in field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. Two men are firing their MP-40 sub- machine-guns. The third man is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine. There is a knocked out tank by the road, that I cannot identify, because too little of it is drawn.
The top of the box art says the length of the model, made up is 200mm (about 8”), width: 82mm (3 ¼”), height: 57mm (2 ¼”), total parts 517, PE parts 1 piece, total sprues 17 pieces, hull, track.
The lower right hand corner of the box art says: BONUS, Both belt and links track available.
One side-panel of the box shows 6 color walk-around type photos of the model made up, followed by a one-paragraph history of the E-10 in English and Chinese. Kit is for modelers aged 14 and over and made in China.
Trumpeter is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Macau, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of an E-10 moving down a coble-stone road, raising dust. It is in a camouflage wave pattern of tan, dark-green and red-brown. Walking beside it are 3 German infantry-men, that are dressed in field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. Two men are firing their MP-40 sub- machine-guns. The third man is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine. There is a knocked out tank by the road, that I cannot identify, because too little of it is drawn.
The top of the box art says the length of the model, made up is 200mm (about 8”), width: 82mm (3 ¼”), height: 57mm (2 ¼”), total parts 517, PE parts 1 piece, total sprues 17 pieces, hull, track.
The lower right hand corner of the box art says: BONUS, Both belt and links track available.
One side-panel of the box shows 6 color walk-around type photos of the model made up, followed by a one-paragraph history of the E-10 in English and Chinese. Kit is for modelers aged 14 and over and made in China.
The other side-panel of the box shows 2 color side-view illustrations of the E-10. One in a wave pattern camouflage and the other in a spot pattern camouflage of tan, red-brown and dark-green. Followed by an illustration of the brass PE fret in the kit and a PRECAUTION: Contains small parts suitable for ages over 14. This box contains parts for construction of one scale model. Glue and paint are not included in the kit. With English instructions and Trumpeter’s web address.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit consists of 130 parts on nine sprues molded in light gray styrene, a separately molded lower hull, two sets of vinyl track, and one fret of photo-etch parts.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 6 ½” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view of the E-10 in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, in English and Chinese, international assembly symbol explanations and decal application instructions in the two languages.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 to 10 give a grand total of 19 assembly instructions.
The vehicle comes with a nicely detailed suspension and your choice of 'early' and 'late' design tracks. The tracks are also provided in vinyl or as individual track links molded in styrene.
The trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds the road wheels and axle end-caps (22 parts)
The kit consists of 130 parts on nine sprues molded in light gray styrene, a separately molded lower hull, two sets of vinyl track, and one fret of photo-etch parts.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 6 ½” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view of the E-10 in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, in English and Chinese, international assembly symbol explanations and decal application instructions in the two languages.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 to 10 give a grand total of 19 assembly instructions.
The vehicle comes with a nicely detailed suspension and your choice of 'early' and 'late' design tracks. The tracks are also provided in vinyl or as individual track links molded in styrene.
The trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds the road wheels and axle end-caps (22 parts)
There are 2 identical light-grey letter B trees. They hold: drive sprockets, idler wheels, center side armor panels etc. (27 parts ea.)
Light-grey letter C tree holds: the top, rear wall, tow cables, end side armor plates etc. (34 parts)
There are 5 identical light-grey letter D trees. They hold the early style individual track links (38 parts ea.)
There are 6 identical light-grey letter E trees. They hold the late style individual track links (35 parts ea.)
Light-grey letters M, N, P1 & P2 trees are co-joined. They all hold tools etc. (together they hold 64 parts).
The lone light-grey hull tub part is next but I have assembled it.
There are 4 black long runs of vinyl tracks in the early and late patterns.
The brass PE fret holds side armor panels etc. (30 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit’s contents. It holds red numbers 0 to 9, outlined in white and black German crosses outlined in white. The sheet comes with a tissue to protect its face. It was floating around loose, so I taped it to the decal sheet.
I have assembled all but the track and the side armor panels. Also painting and marking it needs doing.
This tank was experimental and never went into production. It will be something DIFFERENT for modelers to display for sure.
Recommended.
Recommended.