Dragon Models fills in their gaps in the line of Pz. IV tank offerings! Todd Michalak takes a look at one of their latest releases with an Inbox review of the new Pz.Bef.Wg, IV Ausf. J w/Zimmerit Fahrgestell Nr 92200 kit (6823).

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Todd,

Are you going to build this kit?

Hey Dustin! I will! Once we get into the new year and I get that mess of a bench cleared up! Will be nice to get back to the full-sized Pz.'s!

Good deal! I'd like to see more of your armor.

SO would I my friend!!

Todd,
Nice review. Look forward to your build, I'm guessing the spare parts bin will be overflowing sometime soon!!

Cheers,
Rick

Why did they drop PE antennas? Factoring flash cleanup in the plastic parts are not easier to assemble.

0Just had a quick look thru my stash, and the Brummbar Mid-Production with Zimmeritt seems to have the same hull - i.e. with the Zimm moulded in al around the sides etc

Not sure what they would drop the PE antenna Tim. The PE antenna seems like it would be a trivial part and since it existed once, why not keep it for future kits. A discussion I had in person with another kit manufacturer about something similar, left me believing it was partly a business decision whereas the availability of outsourcing that PE sheet might not be an option....or cultural business where they honestly don't care. They know they have provided the base kit with minor issues that can be corrected with AM parts.

Awesome Jeremy...thank you very much! LOL! For some reason I could not find one...I had looked at DML 5696, and while it had Zimm, there was extra plating involved. The kit you must have is no. 6500? I managed to track down a review and it indeed looks to be the same hull from what I can tell. I will go back in and amend my review to reflect this...thank you! LOL...either too many kits out there or I am just getting old! Guessing the latter!!

Looks like they forgot to delete one of the return rollers ... again! There should be 3 - not 4 on the 'J'

I would have to agree with you in the first case - that this "J" should indeed have only 3 rollers per side. But perhaps the named specific hull had 4 per side? I would generally assume that the Dragon, having decided to kit a very specific vehicle, would get that vehicle's major details right. After all, They did identify the specific thing and they would surely have done their homework on that specific thing, right?

Anyone out there KNOW anything about the named vehicle kitted here? Was it actually a "J" and did it actually have the typical "J" 3 roller configuration or still have the prior H 4x set? Or did the D just plain goof it up?

Bob

Am trying to recall where I read / heard of some Ausf Js still having 4 return rollers. Anyways in the intstruction I see Tom Cockle named as one of the technical consultants. If keen to pursue you may want to post a query to him over at ML.

The 4 return rollers is correct for this kit. Panzer IV J vehicles were produced with 4 return rollers until Dec. 1944 when the switch was made to 3. Spielbergers revised edition of the Begleitwagen Panzer IV has some pics of this tank 92200 and line drawings showing 4 rollers. This is a much better edition than the origional having nearly twice as many pages at 300+ and only deals with the panzer IV and none of the variants such as the Brummbar, Flakpanzers, etal.

One other bit, of the 105 odd Pz.Bef.Wg. IV J's, 17 were new vehicles produced in Aug./Sept. 1944 with the other 88 from refurbished vehicles. Given that, it would follow that most if not nearly all would have 4 return rollers rather than 3.