Dragon now has an impressive number of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) M3 halftracks in its line-up, with yet another interesting version joining the 1/35 scale family. The newest one features an M3 fitted with a Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20mm cannon.

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Thanks!

to Dragon,with out the crews, I simple have no incentive to buy.

Same with any kit of an open top vehicle. No crews, why buy?

Super especially true for Israeli. No pre 1982 Israeli figures in plastic. Period. (And I am not going to buy numerous Tamiya m51 kits just for crew figures)

When was the last armor release with included figures by them?

Tamiya's been including some nice figures with their kits. The Nashorn, SU-76, and their new Archer have in action figure that have come a long way from their old figures.

This is the fourth m-3 in this series, released this year for dragon. I think that the cost of the figures is not that much, there are so many brands out there to choose from.

Quote 'When was the last armor release with included figures by them?'

You may not be aware Timothy but Dragon's recently released 6857 Sig.33 'Grille' kit comes with a set of figures.

So they can, when they want to, include them with an open-topped vehicle.

I will surely buy it, as IDF fan, missing figures ? AC MODELS made a set of IDF paras of great quality, perhaps other in coming. Perhaps also more figures from DML !!!!

AC Models' figure set for this subject is beautifully sculpted and cast, just very expensive for a dozen figures.

Kylie

All these '67-73 kits cry out for vehicle crews and infantry riders, it's odd that no company is really addressing that (despite those beautiful paratroopers from AC).

Another attempt at flogging every known variant of a particular vehicle. I'd be more impressed with a two or three in one kit release.

Frank, I couldn't agree more. While it's not a period of any interest to me as I only build Second World war stuff, Dragon can do it. I bought a few of their Sdkfz 251 3 in 1 kits and they're great. Obviously you can build a straightforward SPW C or D depending on the kit but then you've got the choice of two other variants. The photo etch in them's all usable, there's a driver, folded tarp to go over the top in different sizes. Fantastic kits. Also because there are a lot of generic sprues in there and you only use what you need for a specific type there's piles of spares which you can use to dress up other half tracks with. As you say this seems to be an excuse to bleed modellers dry buying a kit which has a few extra bits in it that were different to the last one they built. I notice that DML have released another 1/35th Wurfrahmen (Stuka Zu Fuss) which I've got as a 3 in 1 (2 of them thinking about it) so why release another kit of the same thing with one option? Maybe they realised that the 3 in 1 kits were great value and stopped producing them?

Richard- Why do you need a crew for a half track? I've never had a problem populating my German half tracks. Okay there's not really any IDF figures about but I assume that your comment applies to all half tracks. Even if a crew came with them I wouldn't use it as (a) they may not fit what I want for a diorama (b) I try to avoid using figures OOB as they look exactly the same as everyone elses build of that kit. One of the beauties of half tracks is that you can individualise them. Whether that's just putting additional kit in there or putting a few figures in it gives it the edge in my opinion. DML released a crew for their German half tracks which seemed a great idea. Only problem is they don't fit as they're too tall so you can't use the driver or radio op. You're better off sorting your own figures out.

Couldn't agree more Karl, and you're singing to the choir on that one -and yes, those 3-in-1 kits are great value, and hence how they disappeared. Offer one kit and then offer the same with some extremely trivial PE extra and -wow! By darn, a NEW offering! (gag) Also irritating when they promise and don't deliver (SDKFZ 251 A, UHU, etc) or bring it out and withdraw it (Opel Blitz radio truck -what the HECK happened to that one, by the way?) Nonetheless I love those Dragon kits, stupid instructions and all so I guess that makes me a hopeless-case builder/hoarder, eh?

Wish Dragon would stop teasing with these variants we know were actually on M5/M9 halftracks and just do the M5 already.

Put all these new halftracks together and there's enough new plastic for them to have done an M5. Boggles the mind.

They do that a lot. On their earlier release of the Pz III K they included enough extra parts to customize or otherwise equip almost any variant of that tank. Not that they'd ever tell you. Hate it when the extras are so vague that you might never unravel just what it was to be used for. Same, apparently, on the M2/3/5/16 etc. Boggle indeed.

I would be very impressed if anyone can find a photo of this version of halftrack in IDF service, bet you cant

Hi;
Well now, let's see; Maybe I can now build the version that was used in the Kirk Douglas movie Cast A Giant Shadow !!!!!


CHEERS; MIKE.