My post build assessment of The new Dragon StuG III E.

Read the Review

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Thanks, Adam, for the honest assessment. Looks like the Bronco kit might be the better alternative.

yes, thank you for the honest report; it seems to me Dragon is hit and miss; their subject matter is often pretty cool but some of the construction/instruction is fiddly and unclear; if you're willing to work with it good results occur but the process can be a bit of a downer; a challenging build is one thing; utter frustration is another; good job by the way;

The newer dragon kits usually don't have serious fit problems. Besides I like the plastic they use its easy to trim and clean up.

I adore their plastic, and fit problems are almost unheard of, the problem is the lack of actually tooling new sprues to go with new kits. This "they can alter or change old sprues" mentality isn't wrong, it's just not what we pay for.

Thanks for great review

Good to here an honest assessment .Something quite rare these days .Well done Adam

For something like this a little foresight could have gone a long way. Rather than having you fill all kinds of holes, most companies just have alternative places to drill holes. That's easier, won't destroy molded detail and shows the maker has the modeler in mind when designing the thing.

Don't get me wrong, this is nothing new with Dragon. They've been doing this since the imperial series. But with 100% their own molds there is no excuse anymore especially for the price point they are asking. Sure I can get it cheaper by looking around, but for what they are doing should they really be asking for it in the first place?

Or have all those cheap subsidized loans from the Chinese government all coming due and they have to show more profit and lower costs?

Thanks Adam for a fair and honest revue. DML had this coming, alas I don't see them taking any notice if previous experience is anything to go by.
For any unfortunate who is in the process of building this kit, it may be better to try filling the holes in the track guards (fenders) with stretched sprue. The technique is old school, but by heating up good quality sprue(DML, Tamiya)over a candle until floppy, you can then pull it out to the required OD. Force it into the hole then trim the ends This should remove the filling and sanding. I can't suggest anything for the big square holes, unless anyone has some square section sprue or plastic strip around.

If you don't follow the instructions correctly or in "order" , you will have fit issues. Dry fitting also comes into mind. Patience. Adam admits making mistakes....we all do. I would not give up Dragon's detail for Bronco's so so detail. After building several Dragon Stug III's , PZ III's...you know where to pay attention too...the fit at the fenders & chassis. I've built several Bronco kits as well...I know what to expect..I prefer Dragon any day concerning Stug's. I find myself liking the DS tracks but that's only because I'm pressed for time lately. lol Good review Adam.

Good to know that the Bronco offering is the better choice for an "E". I'm guessing tat the same applies for the "D" as I'm interested in Bronco's Africa Korp version in particular. Dragon appears to be sitting on its laurels and had better get with it if it wants to keep us enthralled!

Thank you, and I completely agree with you. At the end of the day I'd still have the Dragon over the Bronco.

Reluctantly I'd have to agree, its just that I resent what they offer that needs surgery simply because of their cookie-cutter approach to sprues. A bit of this, one of those, two of those, etc. Then cut here. Considering the CRAZY prices of new releases I'd expect more. Ya, I know: "whine whine whine" and why not?

Seems pretty bush league. What are they, the Maquette of the 2000s?
I like Dragon but their releases over the past few years are pretty half-hearted. Not that I need more Stugs heh heh!