Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 Scale Armor Pro Series Kit No. 7407;= Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. N w/Side Skirt Armor; 150 parts (142 in grey styrene, 6= etched brass, 2 DS Plastic track runs; pre-order price US$19.95 via Dragon= USA Online
Advantages: the DAK Pzkw. III Ausf. N with the more common Russian Front fi= ttings
Disadvantages: no zimmerit molded on the hull
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German small-scale modelers
DML has now followed its nice Pzkw. III Ausf. N DAK version (No. 7386) wit= h the more well known one equipped with the schurzen turret and side shield= s. This version was commonly used as a Tiger escort in heavy tank battalion= s.
As noted with previous new Panzer III kits, only sprue D (wheels) and E (t= he tracks) are retained from the StuG kit. Five new sprues and a separate c= ommander=92s cupola cover the upper hull and turret of the N model and its = details.=20
As before the kit makes a great deal of use of slide molding for its parts= . The return rollers are molded together but the slide mold provides for th= e face details of each pair. The same is true for the gun barrel and a holl= ow bore as well as some other smaller details.=20
While this kit provides a nice set of schurzen shields (not as complex as = the 1/35 scale ones but nicely done and reasonably think for injection mold= ing) it does not provide =93zimmerit=94 paste on the hull. As a result the = modeler must do his homework on the chosen finishing options to see if they= need it or not before painting.
The kit now has supplemental directions for the DS Plastic tracks that adv= ises pulling on them if too short or trimming them if too long: as they do = take standard plastic cements this is not a major problem and will ensure a= good fit. The ones in the review sample were indicated as being 158mm in l= ength but when measured were only 153mm, so plan on some pulling and tweaki= ng.=20
The kit comes with six etched brass bits: the engine radiator air intakes = and exhaust grilles and the rain shield over the forward spaced armor array= . Two braces do not show up in the directions.=20
Credit is given to Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson for technical assistance.= =20
The kit offers five finishing options: 2nd Panzer Division, Kursk 1943 (gr= een blotches over sand, colored markings and crosses); 6th Panzer Division,= Kursk 1943 (tricolor bands, black crosses); 18th Panzer Division (sand wit= h green overspray, white 14); Panzerbrigade Norwegen, Norway 1945 (tricolor= with heavy brown overspray, no markings); and Pz.Abt. 212, Western Front 1=
944 (green over sand, no shields). A targeted sheet of Cartograf decals is = provided.=20 =09 Overall this is a nice (and simple!) kit of the close support and Tiger I = escort tank and as such should be a popular model.Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.=20
Cookie Sewell