_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Mario Matijasic
News
Dragon: JS-2 and JSU-122
varanusk
Staff MemberManaging Editor
ARMORAMA
Visit this Community
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
Joined: July 04, 2013
KitMaker: 1,288 posts
Armorama: 942 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 11:48 AM UTC


Two new 3-in-1 kits from Dragon, a JS-2 Stalin II and a JSU-122 with German figures.

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
phil2015
Visit this Community
Illinois, United States
Joined: July 27, 2015
KitMaker: 502 posts
Armorama: 325 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 12:22 PM UTC

Interesting. Dragon already had a 3-in-1 isu152 kit where you could build a 122 or a 152. And they had a 2-in-1 kit where you could build a IS-1 or IS-2. I think there were some complaints about the IS-1 turret in that kit. Is this just a different repackaging of those?
Nate_W
Visit this Community
Missouri, United States
Joined: April 13, 2012
KitMaker: 395 posts
Armorama: 391 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2020 - 08:57 AM UTC
Pretty cool. That artwork by Ron Volstad is fantastic. I so wish that there were high res prints available for purchase of all his box art pieces. I have not built any of these vehicles, so I assume these are good models of them if dragon is reissuing with combo like this. I have built the German figure set and it’s a fantastic set to modify with good workable poses you can do a lot with.
Taeuss
Visit this Community
Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2020 - 01:00 PM UTC
The Stalin kit might be useful to have, depending on cost and if they're new versions and not merely repackaged reissues. I've already got the original issue of the JSU-122/152 and, while acceptable, the 152's barrel should be replaced as the actual gun barrel is a highly-detailed piece and the kit less so. I understand the Aber makes a -as usual- marvelous replacement metal barrel. The rest is adequate and while I haven't built mine yet I believe that they will produce reasonable models. Let's hope that these new kits (?) are a noticeable improvement over their twenty year old precursors.
GeraldOwens
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2020 - 09:53 PM UTC
I am not optimistic about this release. Dragon's original IS-2 and ISU-152 kits had dimensional problems--the lower hulls were too shallow, and the wheels were undersized, so the whole vehicle looked a bit squashed. They were in the process of redesigning the IS-2 molds when Tamiya released their all-new kit, which caused Dragon to pull the plug halfway through. They issued the partially revised kits to make back their investments, but reviews at the time said that while the kits had deeper lower hulls and now included Magic Tracks, they still had the undersized road wheels. One could use aftermarket resin wheels. or snag some from an old Eastern Express Stalin kit (very rough, but usable after a lot of clean-up), but really, with the very competent Tamiya kits available, what would be the point?

The IS-1 option isn't really useful, unless Dragon has designed a new turret shell, as it was shaped differently than the 122 mm gun version.

Since Dragon is using the original box art, I suspect nothing more has been done.
phil2015
Visit this Community
Illinois, United States
Joined: July 27, 2015
KitMaker: 502 posts
Armorama: 325 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 26, 2020 - 06:16 AM UTC
I would really like to have an IS-1. I'm working on the Bronco KV-85 for the Bronco campaign and it's nice. It just makes me want the IS-1 more. But the reviews on 4bo makes me think that if they haven't done anything but reissued previous stuff, this isn't going to help me get there.
GTDeath13
Visit this Community
Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
Armorama: 919 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 26, 2020 - 06:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I would really like to have an IS-1. I'm working on the Bronco KV-85 for the Bronco campaign and it's nice. It just makes me want the IS-1 more. But the reviews on 4bo makes me think that if they haven't done anything but reissued previous stuff, this isn't going to help me get there.


You just reminded me that I have that JS-1 kit somewhere in the closet. I had tried to correct the hull issue on the JS-2 kit no 6012 and it was not much of a problem but I will not do that again.

Trumpeter makes a JS-1 kit no 5587 and I think it has the correct symmetrical turret.

Regarding the JS-2/JSU-122 combo, I dont think it will be more than a rebox of their previous kits, which were not that great to start with. I sure wish Trumpeter releases some more JS series vehicles.
GeraldOwens
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 26, 2020 - 09:49 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I would really like to have an IS-1. I'm working on the Bronco KV-85 for the Bronco campaign and it's nice. It just makes me want the IS-1 more. But the reviews on 4bo makes me think that if they haven't done anything but reissued previous stuff, this isn't going to help me get there.


You just reminded me that I have that JS-1 kit somewhere in the closet. I had tried to correct the hull issue on the JS-2 kit no 6012 and it was not much of a problem but I will not do that again.

Trumpeter makes a JS-1 kit no 5587 and I think it has the correct symmetrical turret.

Regarding the JS-2/JSU-122 combo, I dont think it will be more than a rebox of their previous kits, which were not that great to start with. I sure wish Trumpeter releases some more JS series vehicles.

Trumpeter did a great job early on when they tackled the KV series (with the proviso that they had no photo etch, to keep prices low). They started cutting corners on the KV-1S, when they included the early pattern wide tracks used on the earlier KV kits, rather than the narrower pattern, as seen on late war heavy tanks. However, their Stalin kits are reported to be sort of half-hearted efforts, so I have steered clear of them thus far. Reviews indicate that they all feature the postwar type of heavy tank wheels. For their IS-2M kit, that's fine, but an IS-1 will need replacements. I do not know which pattern of track Trumpeter includes on their Stalin kits.
 _GOTOTOP