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Panther F mit Gummigedampften Stahllaufrollen
Ref. # 6403
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Dragon
Price: £25 (Far East)
Material: Styrene, aluminium, PE
To see higher resolution photographs used in this preview, please see the GALLERY ALBUM.
Introduction
The Panther F was a variant that was to have been produced in 1945, but in the event only a few prototype hulls were made in that year. It was the same basic specification as the Ausf.G but with thicker armour in places, a new smaller turret or Schmalturm was designed for it by Daimler-benz which was considerably narrower at the rear, and was fitted with a new Saukopfblende mantlet. The hull Mg34 was also to be replaced with an MP44 and a new AA gun mount fitted to the commander's cupola.
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The Kit
There's little to knock in Dragon's 'Smart Series' Panthers, on which obviously this version is based. The moulding is exquisite, no ejector pin marks or flash, in fact...it's a state of the art injection moulded kit, and having built a couple of them, the parts fit perfectly too apart from a few small badly designed photo-etched parts.
The contents of this kit are based on the earlier Cyber Hobby release of the Panther F 'Production & Prototype' version, which puzzles me what this one is meant to be? Other than the obvious difference of this one having all steel road wheels and a few other small corrections to the Cyber Hobby kit.
Inside the box there are thirteen large grey sprues, seven smaller ones and one transparent one. In addition we're given two separate inserts for the idler wheels, a bag of 'Magic Track' links, a brass tube for the rod case on the rear, an aluminium gun barrel, a separate lower hull, a pre-formed brass mantlet rainguard, two wire tow ropes, two brass photo-etched frets and an aluminium photo-etched additional frontal armour piece....and I can't get the lid back on again.
The instructions offer choices again, just like the Cyber Hobby one. You can build a prototype or a production variant, although both have steel wheels this time?
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Construction begins with the completion of the lower hull and working torsion bar suspension. You have to be really careful when installing these to get the correct bars in the correct places. To allow for the thickened frontal armour we're given a small photo-etched aluminium piece to cement over the frontal armour on the lower hull, and it has detail engraved on to it, this piece was definately not in the Cyber Hobby kit...in aluminum. Apparently it is in PE Brass though! Several people have pointed out that it actually was in the original CH release, but unfortunately, because mine's gone missing from that kit and it wasn't on the instructions, I thought it wasn't. That's life! Although this is a steel-wheeled version, as far as I can tell all the rubber-tyred wheels are supplied on the sprues. The exhauts on the rear are supplied in two forms, with or without flame suppressors I think they're called, and the bases square or rounded. I haven't been able to find out if one or the other is correct or not, and no indication as to which should be used is offered in the instructions, as per usual, just the choice offered.
Moving on to the front hull, the MP44 is supplied as well as an MG34 as in the Cyber Hobby kit, although in this kit both production and protytpe versions are fitted with the MP44, or you can fit a blanking plate also supplied. In the Cyber Hobby version the prototype version was shown fitted with the MG34, whereas in this kit it's shown as 'not for use'. At the rear the heating fan assembly is provided as in the Ausf.G kit, a choice of covers for the snorkel vent, and a choice of centre panel for the engine deck, the only difference between the two being the size of the securing bolts down one side. Again though, no indication as to which is correct?
All the hatches can be modelled opened if you wish and carry internal detail, although a crew figure would have to be in place to obscure the empty interior. The photo-etch frets look to be the same as in the Cyber Hobby kit, containing things such as replacement tool clamps and the rack and pins for the spare track links etc. As mentioned there's a metal barrel included, along with a pre-formed brass cover for the mantlet.
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The tracks included are 'Magic Track' links, meaning they don't ned to be cut from the sprue and should need no cleaning up. In reality, each link has a small 'pip' that should be removed and two ejector pin marks that could be left, but if you want to make a good job of it, these should be removed as well. There are a few links with separate guide horns provided on the sprues for placing around the drive sprocket. Although this system works well, I can't work out why the Magic Track links won't themselves fit around the drive sprocket properly? Does this mean they're not the correct size?
The turret, as mentioned earlier, is the one supplied in the Cyber Hobby kit and looks to be about the correct size. Maybe somebody could tell me what the two bulbous protrusions are either side of this turret?
Marking Option
As you can imagine, marking options were always going to be a bit 'limited' in a kit of this sort, although having said that Dragon have some how come up with four versions? All four are of course unidentified, three representing Production types from Berlin during 1945, and the fourth just saying 1945. See picture 70 for the details.
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Pic 49,
Pic 50,
Pic 51,
Pic 52,
Pic 53,
Pic 54,
Pic 55,
Pic 56,
Pic 57,
Pic 58,
Pic 59,
Pic 60,
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Conclusion
It's a Panther...so it will sell like hot cakes. To tell the truth I would have bought one as well...I mean...it's a panther! Even if it wasn't, it's just a great kit with a wealth of parts, great detail, lot's of photo-etch and relatively easy to assemble! Recommended!
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Pic 61,
Pic 62,
Pic 63,
Pic 64,
Pic 65,
Pic 66,
Pic 67,
Pic 68,
Pic 69,
Pic 70,
Pic 71,
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My Thanks to Dragon for the review sample.
For full information on all Dragon products, please see their website,
Dragon Models Ltd.
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denotes 
Vinnie Branigan
