Dragon presents a limited-edition kit of the "Gongchen" tank, the very first tank used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

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Other than an example or two of squared off front fenders, most photos I have of Post WW2/Chinese use of Type 97's, do not show squared fenders. Memory tells me that perhaps a bit over few dozen, up to a hundred or so, Type 97's (and Type 95's) ended up in China from 1945 on, but with most 'appearing' around the 1948-1949 time frame. With this release however, I don't see the advantage over a Fine Molds kit, or at best, a $10 Tamiya Type 97, which still builds into a nice model, even today. Representing a PLA vehicle of the period is not hard at all to overcome and/or model as well. Plenty of photos also exist that show multiple styles of PLA/Communist/local/tribal markings.

Must be one for their domestic market "limited edition". Don't see how this is anything better than Fine Mold's or Tamiya's. I certainly will not buy one. Dragon must be running out of ideas except to make inaccurate Black Plagues.

Having built both the Fine Molds and Tamiya kits, the Dragon kit really has much better detail. If they could make these fenders, they could/should have offered the extended mud guards for a Guadalcanal tank.

What would really make the type 97 stand out is an interior, as on this tank it would be far more visible than on most larger tanks like the panther or tiger.

Give it some time and they'll re-release it as a "2 in 1" kit. I smell marketing desperation. Sad.