Raketenwerfer auf Fahrgestelle Pz.Kpfw. IVReviewed by Cookie Sewell
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Stock Number and Description | cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 23 (Dragon Models Limited ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6437); Raketenwerfer auf Fahrgestelle Pz.Kpfw. IV |
Scale: | 1/35 |
Media and Contents: | 1,339 parts (728 parts in grey styrene, 293 etched brass, 288 "Magic Track" track links, 25 clear styrene, 4 pre-bent brass, 1 twisted steel wire) |
Price: | estimated price US $41.99 |
Review Type: | First Look |
Advantages: | One-off German prototype gets the full treatment |
Disadvantages: | DML Ausf. B to E chassis very detailed and fussy to assemble, lots and lots of etched brass |
Recommendation: | Highly Recommended to fans of the Panzer IV and advanced German modelers |
FirstLook
Dragon Models Limited's affiliate
cyber-hobby.com continues with its series of boutique kits of German
prototype vehicles with this one-off based on a Pzkw. IV Ausf. C
chassis.
The Germans discovered that heavy high-explosive rockets made great
short-range infantry suppression weapons, and as such used them on
halftrack chassis as well as a number of lesser known chassis. This
one, of which a single prototype was built, would have provided
better protection for an assault crew to get close enough to deliver
the rockets to their target (generally infantry in buildings or
field fortifications where the high-explosives would be devastating
at close range.) Other than it was built, history of this particular
vehicle is short.
It should be noted the concept is not a bad one – today the Russians
now have the TOS-1 "Buratino" (Pinocchio) in service for the same
purpose, but it mounts 24 heavy 220mm rockets on a modified T-72
chassis.
The kit consists of the entire DML Pzkw. IV Ausf. C kit intact with
two new sprues of 31 parts to cover the plastic elements of the
rocket launcher installation. There are also another 112 etched
brass parts, and as this is a cyber-hobby.com kit they are essential
to its construction. This is fair warning as this is a pure kit for
advanced modelers, and there are few of the usual DML options for
with or without etched brass parts. The rocket rack is styrene but
all of the packenkiste launcher are totally brass, as an example.
The kit provides a new turret base and the launcher housing in
styrene. As the casemate section of the launcher was built using
Pzkw. IV Ausf. C parts, the kit, in sheer overkill, provides two
hull sprues for the Ausf. C to include the hatches and turret
details needed. It also provides a new hull upper glacis less
machine gun port and new applique armor as seen on the prototype.
The rest of the kit uses most of the new parts creatred for the Ausf.
D kit and the cyber-hobby.com Ausf. B "boutique" kit. In regard to
the latter, it uses nearly all of the new sprues and only changes a
few of the parts out, namely the mantelet and associated parts (Sprue
Y).
The running gear is quite detailed, but reportedly very fiddly to
assemble. For example, the drivers assemble nearly in the same
manner as the original: core sections, toothed rings with 12
separate bolts each, and caps and spindles – each one requires 31
parts and a LOT of patience. Bogie assemblies still consist of 18
parts each. The same "Magic Track" with 144 links per side of
snap-together tracks are provided, but as I noted with that kit they
are "handed" with the pin heads on the inside and the "keepers" on
the outside. They are bagged separately (left track on the left
side, right track on the right!) A jig for setting "droop" is also
included. One-piece "slide molded" idlers are again included, as
well as the normal two-piece kind.
Only generic white Balkenkreuze are included and the only finish
offered is grey.
Overall this is a very offbeat kit, and cyber-hobby.com has done
their best to make it as complete and close to the original as
possible. But it is not for the faint of heart or unsure of skills.
(NOTE: about 300 parts are left
over when done!)
A 12+12 IV (drivers and rollers)
A 33 x 2 IV D driver rings (NEW)
A 73 x 2 IV (wheels and suspension elements) (REDO)
B 24 IV (bow section)
B 32 IV (armored final drives)
C 23 Raketenwerfer conversion parts
D 90 IV (fenders and details) (REDO)
E 54x2 IV (hull top) (REDO)
H 55 (OVM)
J 55 IV Specific Parts (NEW)
L 2 (one-piece idlers)
K 144 Magic Track left side track
M 144 Magic track right side track
N 12 (Jerry cans)
34 IV (tires)
P 25 IV (Clear) (REDO)
S 2 IV (fenders)
U 8x2 28 cm rocket projectiles
W 47 IV B (upper hull)
X 1 IV (lower hull)
Y 3 IV C turret details
Z 1 twisted steel wire
MA 144 (etched) 6297
MB 32 (etched) 6297
MC 4 (etched) 6265
MD 112 etched brass 6437
ME 1 pre-bent etched brass
ME 4 pre-bent wire
Thanks to
Freddie Leung for the review sample.