Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 01:07 AM UTC
Following on from their PzIV Program, it now looks as if the PzIII is getting a similar treatment.
This completely New tooling of the Panzer III is listed as:

6463 - Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J Initial Production (Smart Kit)

Features:

- Newly tooled slide-molded engine deck for Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J Initial Production
- Engine hatches can be assembled open or closed
- 5cm Kw.K L/42 gun w/delicate detail
- Complete gun assembly reproduced w/full detail
- Gun barrel and mantlet are slide molded
- 3-directional slide-molded gun sleeve for greater detail
- new injection-molded tow cable for engine deck w/cable mount included
- Hollowed-out undercut on turret bottom included
- Gearbox access hatch finely designed
- Photo-etched mesh included
- Air deflector accurately represented
- Slide-molded cooling air intake
- Photo-etched air-intake grills
- Side hatches can be assembled open or closed w/interior details
- Idler wheels w/photo-etched parts
- Detailed track tension adjuster
- Slide-molded stowage bin w/fine details can be assembled open or closed
- Fenders w/pattern detail on both top and bottom surfaces
- Turret realistically made by 3-directional slide molds
- One-piece slide-molded lower hull w/exquisite detail
- Lower hull sides come w/full detail
- Fully detailed weld seams on hull bottom
- Slide-molded torsion bars included
- Slide-molded hydraulic shock absorbers are well detailed
- Detailed suspension swing arms
- 40cm Magic Tracks
- Final-drive housing covers are separate parts for maximum detail
- Accurate sprocket wheels
- Road wheels w/accurate detail
- Injection-molded on-vehicle tools have clasp detail
- Exhaust pipes w/hollow ends
- Notek headlight w/exquisite detail
- Toolbox w/padlock produced by slide mold


Click Star to Rate
5 readers have rated this story.
Get a daily email with links to all our latest news, reviews, and features.

Comments

Looks like a great kit. I always wanted to model a Pz. III with the markings on the box art since I saw pictures ofg the real thing in Squadron's Panzer Colors books. Do you know anything more about the other marking options in the kit? Thanks for the update.
MAY 12, 2009 - 12:45 AM
Nice to see this one come out...I too am curious about the potential markings options but guess these will be limited to the Eastern Front units since it doesn't have any "tropen" modifications for N. Africa. Hopefully this signals future Pz III kits are in the pipe...the III-N for N. Africa had all kinds of parts in it for the spaced armor on an L so I'm guessing that too isn't too far off...maybe even an M since they did the M hull and exhaust already for the CH white-box StuG III on an M hull.
MAY 12, 2009 - 03:43 AM
Sigh....so much for my New Years Resolution....but when the Pz. III is your favorite AFV, what's a man to do?? Cheers, Mike
MAY 12, 2009 - 08:22 AM
Can you list those? Are they difficult to scratch-build? What ones in particular are you hoping for? Presumably the E-F for Poland and France? The G for France? The L & M are already handled by Tamiya, correct? So presumably DML wouldn't rush into their space, or do you disagree?
MAY 12, 2009 - 09:01 AM
Bill, The major "tropen" external modification involved opening up holes with armored vent covers in all the engine deck access panels to increase the airflow/cooling. This originated as a "tropen" requirement but soon became a standard feature on all Pz IIIs regardless of destination. This "initial" J doesn't have the vents in the deck. I suppose you could scratch-build them but it would be a difficult task to undertake due to the complex shapes involved. My guess is that DML will get around to doing a Early/Mid (although you can't really call them that officially) type that has the armored vents and cutouts already in the deck. As for future Pz III kits...the J represents a definite break in the III series with the E-F-G-H representing the earlier war designs and the J-K-L-M-N representing the later and majority of types produced. If I had to bet money, I'd say that DML already has plans for an M in the works...they already have all the pieces (long 5.0cm gun, hull, exhaust, spaced armor) as evidenced in their N and J kits and StuG III ausf M chassis CH white-box release. They may, or may not, choose to do an L but they have that essentially ready to go too from the III N kit since they based that one on an L chassis. I just think they are spreading these out so as not to saturate. I don't think they care one way or the other about Tamiya having an L available (don't think they have an M unless their N kit can also be done as an M?). Sadly I think the earlier war Pz IIIs are less likely to get produced as those would require essentially all new tooling from the ground up for the different versions. They may choose instead to go the "Orange Box" route from the Imperial Series for those...hard to say for sure.
MAY 12, 2009 - 02:37 PM
THIS STORY HAS BEEN READ 14,882 TIMES.
ADVERTISEMENT

Photos
Click image to enlarge
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
Dragon Models ReviewsMORE
Panzer IV Ausf G. In-Box Review
by Cody K
Bergepanther mit Aufgesetztem Built Review
by Andrew Jerome
IJA Type 97 In-Box Review
by Russ Amott
M3 Halftrack Built Review
by Pete Becerra | of 2 ratings, 100% found this helpful
Sd.Kfz 251/1D Built Review
by Jesse
IDF Magach 3 w/ ERA In-Box Review
by Sebastian Schoof
StuG.III Ausf.F Built Review
by Matthew Lenton
M67A2 In-Box Review
by Federico Collada
King Tiger with Zimmerit 1/35t Built Review
by Karl Flavell
Sdkfz 250/4 mit zwilling MG34 In-Box Review
by Karl Flavell
M752 LANCE Missile Launcher In-Box Review
by Jon Arnold
Sd.Kfz 250/7 In-Box Review
by DJ Judge
T54E1 Build In-Box Review
by Shawn | of 1 ratings, 100% found this helpful
Vollkettenaufklärer 38(t) Built Review
by Talal Mashtoub
Jagdpanzer IV A-0 Built Review
by Adam Mann

ADVERTISEMENT