Gary Kato provides an In-Box review of Dragon's 1/35 Heuschrecke IVb 10.5cm le.F.H.18/6(Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen III/IV.

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Thanks!

I so must get this kit!

It's nice if you keep the turret on, otherwise you have a lot of work to do.

I have this kit setting aside waiting to be built. Will there be an online build of this kit in the future???

Im thinking that as well!
Excellent review Gary. Worth its weight in gold for anybody going to build this ... or even considering buying it!
Somebody on PlanetArmor (Sam Dwyer?) has shown this kit built and painted recently. It does look very impressive though!!

Probably not by me before the end of this century. I'm sure someone here would be willing!

Excellent review Gary. Thanks.

You are correct in your assessment of the correct designation. Dragon have got that wrong. They have made a 10.5cm leFH 18/1 L/28 auf Waffenträger Geschuetzwagen IVb but called it the 10.5cm le.F.H.18/6(Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen III/IV, which is not quite right either. The 10.5cm le.F.H.18/6(Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen III/IV is the Leichte PzH 18/40/2 auf Geschuetzwagen III/IV, which was a proposed vehicle by Rheinmetall-Borsig. Only one prototype was build (apparently).
The drive sprockets are indeed different, the photos in "Encyclopedia of German Tanks of WW II" show two different sprockets. Another interesting point is that the vehicle in the pictures has tracks with solid guide horns. So unless these are supplied in the kit, that finally gives me something to use the growing pile of Tamiya/Academy rubberband tracks on... .
The lack of detail on the gantry crane is typical. No doubt Cyber-Dragon will bring a 'Limited' version with the deployed gun...
The interior is tricky. There are a number of ready interiors for the Pz.Kpfw. IV, but I don't think they would be adequate, judging by the shape of the hull. Are there interior pics of the APG vehicle available?

Despite the shortcomings, I look very much forward to getting stuck into this one. If only to use some of my spare rubber band tracks...
Cheers
Henk

Thanks for that review, Gary. Most useful and enlightening.

This one had been high up on my list of Must-Haves to add to the stash.

It's now much lower down on said list as I'd been planning to build it with the turrent half-elevated off, but the additional work involved on the interior & crane would be too much for my patience (not to mention my very rudimentary scratchbuilding skills).

Maybe The Trumps will give us one of these Grasshoppers, with all of Dragon's rough spots nicely ironed out?!

- Steve

Some more photos of the original on this page among the other armoured strangeness.

http://www.panzernet.net/panzernet/stranky/galerie/samohybky/galerieostatni.htm

David

The other kit mentioned in the review, was an old resin one. It was manufactured by On Track Models and featured in old issue from Military Modelling, back to about 1998 I think.

Cheers, MartinD

Joy! Voyager has come with a Heuschrecke PE set (PE35236) which includes the winch gear which Dragon omitted from their kit. Now you can show the turret being lifted/lowered.
http://www.voyagermodel.com/productlist.asp?itemid=PE35236

I got my Voyager set a few days ago. The hoist mechanism sure looks nice although you will still have to scratch build some pulleys and provide the chains for the hoist. Another problem is that the mounts on the gantry for the gun platform segment interfere with the hoist mechanism as it moves back and forth. Either these were unbolted after the gun platform segment was removed, or the hoist mechanism needs more room to clear the mounts, or the gun platform segment is not supposed to be attached to the gantry. Period pictures of the Heuschrecke show the gun platform segment was NOT mounted to the gantry but on the track fenders (at least at the time of the pictures). Were they mounted on the gantry later and the hoist mechanism changed? Were the gun platform segments mounted onto the gantry by the crew at Aberdeen? I would think there would be photos of the Heuschrecke taken by someone at Aberdeen when it arrived and was evaluated. Did Aberdeen get all the pieces for it and try it out?

Looking at the photos of the Heuschrecke as it is now aren't much help, I can't see any sign of how the segments were originally mounted on the track guards.

http://svsm.org/gallery/grasshoper

David

It can bring a grown man to tears to see the manner in which these unique vehicles are just left to rust away at Aberdeen. Someday, someone will complete the enclosure they have been talking about and funding for the last ten years. Hope it will not be too late.

Here is a link to some period pictures of how they were mounted at one time. Scroll to the bottom.
http://www.forosegundaguerra.com/viewtopic.php?p=63504

Does the Bandai or the Trumpeter version have an operational crane to dismount the turret? Talk about choices!!!

Does anyone have any links to pictures of the Heuschrecke at Aberdeen other than what is at www.svsm.org? Or even links to pictures of any Heuschreckes in other museums?

Since this vehicle used a Hummel chassis and hull, it shared the interior equipment as well, which is actually Panzer III based, not Panzer IV.

The Trumpeter kit seems to have everything you need to have the crane to lower/list the turret. www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10071062z14/70/14