Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
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Review
Dragon: Panzer IV Ausf G.Posted: Wednesday, February 06, 2019 - 01:14 AM UTC
Cody Kwok takes a look a the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G Apr - May 1943 Production from Dragon Models in 1/35th scale and then builds it. Expect to see more from Cody as he is a machine when it comes to kit building.
Read the Review
If you have comments or questions please post them here.
Thanks!
timcc2008
United States
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 139 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 139 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 06, 2019 - 01:28 AM UTC
Excellent review!
ctkwok
Alabama, United States
Joined: May 21, 2018
KitMaker: 197 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Joined: May 21, 2018
KitMaker: 197 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 07, 2019 - 04:27 AM UTC
Thanks! My Border Models PzIV is arriving any day now and I'm excited to see how much they've upped the game over a decade old kit.
Taeuss
Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 07, 2019 - 09:11 AM UTC
I was thinking the same thing as I contemplate ordering the Border kit as it looks definitive and hopefully the instructions are better than Dragon's. The Border kit seems to be simpler to build with at least equal detail.
Posted: Thursday, February 07, 2019 - 04:57 PM UTC
Cody, I enjoyed your review. Funny enough, I was working on an in-box review of this kit myself. I thought I would just add some comments that I had drafted to this comments section.
The box says the kit should represent an April to May 1943 production configuration. How close does Dragon come to fulfilling this statement?
An April 43 production vehicle should incorporate all of the following, at a minimum:
30mm Zusatzpanzer on the front hull and superstructure
Smoke candle dischargers on the turret
Notek headlight replaced with the covered headlights
Commanders copula with single piece hatch
7.5cm KwK40 L/48 main gun replacing the L/43 main gun
Turret and hull Type 1 schurzen installed
Dragon includes all of these items in the kit. Therefore, you can build a reasonably accurate April 43 production version. The kit also includes the L/43 barrel if you want to build a final version of this configuration since the switch over was made sometime in April 43.
A May 43 production vehicle should incorporate all of the following:
Incorporation of the Filzbalgfilter on the right rear fender
Moving the antenna mount to the left rear hull
Removal of the smoke candle dischargers from the turret
Dragon does not include the first two items in the kit. The smoke candle racks can simply not be installed and the hole filled in with putty. Therefore, a May production version is only accurate up to the date when the first two items were incorporated. After that, it would not be correct.
The box says the kit should represent an April to May 1943 production configuration. How close does Dragon come to fulfilling this statement?
An April 43 production vehicle should incorporate all of the following, at a minimum:
30mm Zusatzpanzer on the front hull and superstructure
Smoke candle dischargers on the turret
Notek headlight replaced with the covered headlights
Commanders copula with single piece hatch
7.5cm KwK40 L/48 main gun replacing the L/43 main gun
Turret and hull Type 1 schurzen installed
Dragon includes all of these items in the kit. Therefore, you can build a reasonably accurate April 43 production version. The kit also includes the L/43 barrel if you want to build a final version of this configuration since the switch over was made sometime in April 43.
A May 43 production vehicle should incorporate all of the following:
Incorporation of the Filzbalgfilter on the right rear fender
Moving the antenna mount to the left rear hull
Removal of the smoke candle dischargers from the turret
Dragon does not include the first two items in the kit. The smoke candle racks can simply not be installed and the hole filled in with putty. Therefore, a May production version is only accurate up to the date when the first two items were incorporated. After that, it would not be correct.
ctkwok
Alabama, United States
Joined: May 21, 2018
KitMaker: 197 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Joined: May 21, 2018
KitMaker: 197 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Posted: Friday, February 08, 2019 - 04:12 AM UTC
Thanks Mark! The antenna mount is easy enough but the Filzbalgfilter isn't trivial to add.
Totalize
Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 04, 2009
KitMaker: 743 posts
Armorama: 549 posts
Joined: February 04, 2009
KitMaker: 743 posts
Armorama: 549 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2019 - 03:02 AM UTC
Great review and build. I have the Dragon Panzer IV G Kharkov version but have not build it as as yet. I also have the Border Models Kit on order so this very helpful.