Dragon

1/72 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (V) Late Production

Kit Number 7293

Reviewed By Howie Belkin, #16

Parts: 152 grey styrene, 2 one-piece flexible/glue-able tracks and 1 aluminum barrel; separate tools, many parts “slide molded” and 2 part wheels.

The Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (V) Late was an antitank vehicle built upon the Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis, with the “L/70” designating that it mounted the Panther 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun, and “V”, built by Vomag.  Entering production in August 1944 it was issued to the 105th and 106th Independent Panzer Brigades, then to other tank brigades together with independent Panzerjager and tank-hunter detachments of the Panzer divisions.  Some 137 of the 930 that were built saw action during the Battle of the Bulge.  Photos show them with and without zimmeritt or “schurzen” side skirts.

 DML’s box touts “new” this and that and for our purposes this is an all new kit.   They’ve used their “slide molding” technique to create some amazingly detailed parts so you can build a great model “out of the box.”  Putting you on the road to a perfect model are the “I wish every company provided us with:” two part road wheels!  Paint your rubber, then pop in the separate faces and you’ve got perfectly painted wheels!  They’re also molded as two-wheel units, cutting construction to less than half.  Note that DML correctly shows the first two road wheel pairs are steel rimmed, and as a bonus they provide additional steel wheels as later in the war IV L/70s appeared with more of them as rubber became scarce.  The spare road wheels on the engine deck are not two-part but since there are extra parts provided, you could make it so.  The spring suspension units have to be cemented to the hull but there’s some leeway which is fine if you want to display your model on rough ground.  Similarly, there’s very little axle behind the road wheels to be inserted into the suspension so use your favorite cyanoacrylate, and watch alignment.

Two engine decks are provided, allowing you to choose a simple, molded-on detail part or the detailer’s dream with all separate tools (the detailed jack even has a separate crank) and engine hatch covers.  Both have see-thru louvers with nothing to see underneath so blank it off with thin sheet plastic painted black if you enter contests.  You could leave the engine covers open and add an after-market or scratch built engine compartment.  The crew hatches on top of the hull are separate, detailed on both sides and can be shown open but there is no hull interior detail or crew figures.  Numerous scale-small parts require care, and include the periscope viewer (you can spread them apart a bit) and gun sight. 

The only apparent ejection pin marks are under the fenders but are easily hidden by the tracks or with “mud.”  The single length finely molded flexible tracks look great, they glue with every day Tamiya liquid cement, and have some slack so you can model some sag between return rollers.  I added the track after closing the hull halves but saved the detailed mounts for the “schurzen” skirts until last.  No skirts are provided - you can leave them off, tailor your own skirts, or buy photo etched ones.  Injection molded spare track is provided for the hull rear.  The armor plates behind the hull give a scale thin impression after assembly. You’ll probably use the aluminum gun barrel, but a suitably drilled plastic one is also provided. Dry fit the mantlet, cannon and pivot parts.  The fully detailed three sided lower hull has two holes on bottom that are easily filled.

Thin decals and full color painting instructions provide for five different “1945” vehicles; four in brown/green over yellow schemes in Germany including Pz.Abt.655 (all others are of unidentified units), the last in snow camouflage in Hungary.  Paint colors are called out in Aqueous Hobby Colour, Mr. Colour and Model Master Colors.  I added a Hitler Youth insignia from an old Micro Scale sheet and decal saving Future.

My biggest complaint is that the simple and straightforward six step instructions are too simple, too small.  Without additional reference you’d position the right front tow bracket D15 too low (it should be as high as D14); or not know the barrel lock B2 belongs off center (lined up with the barrel); or that the rear spare track D8 should rise above the engine deck ledge; that the top edge of the front armor plate B11 belongs even with the roof level; and you might miss the “odd little icon” showing that some parts require you to drill holes before cementing.  All that being said, this is a great, modeler-friendly little kit with a little price tag and a lot of scale detail.  Thanks to Dragon Models USA for the review sample.  You can get yours at better hobby shops or www.dragonmodelsusa.com or call: (626) 968-0322. Online, they show the Jagdpanzer IV L/48 Early is also being released.  Now if they’d only turn towards the U.S. M2-M3 series halftracks and many variants with their state of the art molding they’d make many a modeler mighty happy!

Jagdpanzer wheels photo shows “rubber” wheels in back, solid inserts in middle front and combined faces-inserted-into-rubber outside front of photo.

Sprue 06, the track and wheels picture, I would have preferred dark brown or dark “metal” colored track but nonetheless, both acrylic and enamel paints adhered well to it, and it cemented with ordinary Tamiya liquid cement.

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