Matthew Lenton builds and discusses Dragon’s s.Pz.Abt.653 field-modded Panther with the PzKpfw IV turret, and finds a few issues.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

I don't know....I'd think a kit with 30% of the parts missing would be written up as a low.

Yes, you're right.

A very informative review of a rather unique prototype. I am surprised by the solid turret back as I recall reading somewhere that in one case it was open and another that there were two doors back there for a winch that was positioned in the interior. As you mention, information or pictures of this unique vehicle are in short supply. The Ausf. D Early looks to be the base vehicle and while it has it's faults, it is still better than the older G version kit. I can also confirm that the Early D kit comes with the 16 bolt road wheels. Good review and very nice to read it.

Thanks,
Jan

Jan, the information I could find seemed to suggest that once converted in this way, the tank was used as a command tank, rather than a recovery tank. Bearing in mind what I said about these very early Bergepanthers having been fitted with little or no specialist equipment, I had a kind of amused vision of the heavy tank battalion taking delivery of the original Bergepanther, and saying "what the hell's that supposed to be...?" and deciding to fix it by sticking a spare turret on top.



Yes, the Early is the base for this and for the Late kit too, the problem here is they should have used the Early wheels, but for no reason at all they picked the Late wheels. Silly mistake which could probably be easily corrected by Dragon even now.



Thanks! It's nice when one's efforts are appreciated (hint, hint...)