Eduard German Hummel (early), 1/35th-scale
photo-etch for Dragon kit (item 35677)
by Frank De Sisto
Call me crazy, but what I like most about this set is the parts to detail
the figures and horses that DML has chosen to include with this version
of their revised Hummel kit. To begin with, there are straps and buckles
to detail the horses’ harnesses and halters, as well as their saddles.
These include separate reins for the rider’s hands, separate stirrups
and straps, shoes for the horses and spurs for the rider’s boots.
The other furniture gets straps and buckles as does the rider’s
personal equipment. The weapons also receive slings and the men’s
helmets get chin straps.
I have been bombarding Eduard with requests to release such sets for
figures both in 1/35th-scale and 1/16th-scale. Hopefully this may be the
beginning of a move in this direction.
The Hummel itself gets the standard parts for the exterior such as new
mud flaps, track stowage brackets, splash guards for the hatches, cable
storage brackets, as well as jack and block storage clamps. There are
also scalloped mounting flanges for the upper hull sides, where it connects
to the bottom of the superstructure/ engine deck.
The Hummel’s fighting compartment is where most of the details
go. There are storage brackets for gas masks, MP40 and various other bits
of personal gear, as well as bits and pieces to mount various kinds of
gun-related gear. The flanges typically used in German AFV construction
are also given. There are also parts for the 15cm sFH, but since my sample
was short two pages of instructions, I can only ID details for the cradle
and rifling for the interior of the gun muzzle. If this happens to sets
that are shipped to the consumer, a visit to Eduard’s web site will
enable the modeler to get the missing information.
Highly recommended.
Eduard products are available at retail and mail order shops and directly
from the manufacturer at: www.eduard.cz.
Visit their web site for images of reviewed items.
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