introduction

Dragon originally released their 251 w/wurfrahmen (kit # 6284) some time ago, but came in for some criticism due to naming it a 251/2 but then not including the mortar - which was after all what made it a 251/2! Cyber Hobby have now rectified this and also added a rivetted hull, which was originally offered by Dragon.

the contents

Distinctive Cyber Hobby box, inside the Dragon 'card' sits atop all the sprues of light grey styrene. The card in this kit includes 3 decal sheets, the generic numbers sheet common to nearly all of Dragon's 251's, a small one for the dashboard dials, and one holding various types of balkencreuz. Also included on the card is a driver figure in Dragon's light tan vinyl, a small bag containing two rear-view mirror stickers, a pair of brass width indicators, and two photo-etch frets.

Fourteen sprues of light grey styrene under the card, ALL of which we've seen before in various other Dragon kits. Seems like Cyber Hobby are taking a bit of a gamble therefore, in that there is nothing included in this boxing that you can't get from an existing Dragon kit. Let's have a close look.....

The following sprues are the same ones included in the 251/C w/Wurfrahmen, kit # 6284,
Sprues A, B, C, D, W, E, U, and V. In addition the hull is the same, as in all the 251/C kits, and the large photo-etch fret MA is the same. Sprues T and H are the same ones as contained in the 251/C Flammpenzer, kit # 6202. The other photo-etch fret MB is half of the one that was contained in kit # 6284 with the tiny addition of a brass mask that says 'Tilsit' for one of the marking options, and the sprue containing the mortar is the same one that's included in the German Mortar figure kit # 6215!

Now that we've established that we actually get virtually nothing new, let's have a look at what we can build!
This is advertised by Cyber Hobby as a 2 in 1 kit, although actually it's a 3 in 1 since the 251/1 Ausf.C can also be built by just leaving out the mortar and not installing the wurfrahmen launching brackets. The kit itself, can't be criticized, in that it's a perfectly respectable model of a 251 Ausf C. You have the option of the more common welded hull, or as stated earlier, all the parts necessary to make it the welded hull version are included. Highlights, are as in the earlier 251/2 (1?) from dragon, i.e. a transparent sprue containing all the parts necessary for the visors, the seat and photo-etched springs, a rack in place of one of the rear seats for holding cases of shells, photo-etched reinforcing strips for under the fenders, photo-etched parts for the Mg34 and front Notek light, even the manufacturers name moulded onto the tyres of the roadwheels!

Marking options provided in the kit are for 2 versions of the 251/2 Ausf. C mit Granatwerfer, one in grey and one in dark yellow, both from the Eastern front in 1944, and 3 for the 251/2 Ausf.C mit Wurfrahmen 40. One of which is dark yellow, one dark grey, and one in a 3 colour camouflage scheme.

in conclusion

I love 251's, and would probably buy every version offered. Having said that, I would feel ever so slightly cheated in that there's nothing brand new in this boxing (apart from the 'Tilsit' mask). With this in mind, the decision to buy one of these has to be a personal one, dependent on your need for another 251, and the contents of your spares box!

My thanks to Cyber Hobby for the review sample.