Pulled the dragon shilka out of my stash and I was wondering what I need to do to it to bring it up to speed.

I am not going to replace it with a meng kit before you all suggest that as I am reducing the stash. I don't want to go over board either.

Replacement tracks and gun barrels and possibly some PE to build a captured syrian army version

how does the kit build are there any fit issues

Klaus,

I finished my Dragon Shilka a few months ago and I use the RB Models of metal barrels and the Eduard PE for the model. I judge metal tracks for this kit a a bit too much investment, and if I bought all these things I'll spend more than the Meng kit costs. Some thing as you think.

The big plus of the Meng kit is the interiors, lacking in the Dragon kit, but depending on how you gonna show him, this doesn't matter. If you want a working suspension for a dio or vignette, Meng kit is the way, or a surgery like I make it. A company that I don't remember the name now does a driver compartment set.

The Kit itself it's not so bad, I can't remeber any fit issue or major drawbacks. Like a old kit it is, has the limits of the products from that period. Some details maybe has been noticeable by rivet conters (or russian armor experts), not my case. IMHO, the kit builds very nice, and the result is very satisfying, with the PE an metal barrels I really like the result of my building.
The Eduard Pe goes ok, and the RB Models barrels are a bit trick, but not impossible to handle or too hard.

With PE's and Barrels, a nice paint job and weathering, you will end with a good looking subject.

My Shilka:



If you like, check the result. here

I agree that the Dragon Shilka can still be built into a very nice kit, even using the kit tracks, which are not that bad. Metal barrels and a PE set will dress it up nicely.

I believe Audren is referencing the 3D in Scale Driver's Compartment set. It looks really nice. There are two sets of it, one designed for the Meng kit and the other for the Hong kit. Based on this, I am not sure either would fit the Dragon kit.


A review of it can be found here.

There was an old resin set by Trakz designed for the Dragon kit with a complete driver's compartment and turret interior. It was pretty nice. It still comes up from time to time on eBay, but can go for quite a bit.

Yes Gino, it's that set from 3D in Scale. I don't know if he's worthwhile in the Klaus's situation , but he's look pretty nice. I guess maybe he can be used in the Dragon kit even don't being designed for him, teoricaly, the parts may have fit issues (the angles from front glacis) gonna be unseen, and what you can see trough the open hatch hide the rest. But ... I'm only guessing.