Dragon 1/35 Chinese T-34/85

Sturzkampf wrote:

i wanted to buy this kit because the dragon's tiger I late is out of stock in the store. but i want some info before buying it.

The chinese volunteer one that was used in korea?  It's based on their older T-34/85 1944, which is just about the most accurate styrene T-34/85 out on the market right now.  The details are crisp though the grey plastic is fairly brittle (just like all other dragon kits...).  It's indy tracks are nice enough so you don't really need aftermarket replacements.  For extra details there is the pretty comprehensive Lion Roar PE set for the dragon kits.  Verlinden offers the engine detail and the rest of the interior.  Friulmodel's metal tracks for the T-34/85 can be used if you just have to have workable tracks.  Eduard also offers a turned barrel.

If you get all those, it will look something like this, .......

HeavyArty wrote:

It is a great kit straight out of the box too.  All the above extras are not needed to make a great model out of it.  It is the best T34-85 on the market.  Highly recomended.

yup, cuz otherwise you can spend the same amount of money on two 1/16 T34s....

Sturzkampf wrote:

thanks for the info. so its an all-plastic model, no?

No extra metal bits included unlike the newer Tiger kits.

Sturzkampf wrote:

here, the kit cost something like US$12.00

that's a buy it now ask questions later deal. lol.

zokissima wrote:

Is this kit any more accuate than their latter offerings of the T-34/85?

Such as the UTZ version?  That's just the 1944 model plus some extra conversion pieces, such as the rounded fenders which requires you to cut off the angular ones from the 1944 model.

Accuracy and detrail wise, the Dragon beats the Tamiya one, which is why previous posts had named it the best kit in plastic town. 

However, the Tamiya one really isn't bad of a kit if you can find it at a good price.  It's an easy and clean build which you can probably finish in a weekend. 

The No 138 kit from Tamiya is from a time period when Tamiya is changing turrets and extra bits to make some of their older kits into new kits, and most even has full colored box arts, so that T34/85 gets the solid dish wheels.  (others were something like the M4A3E2 Jumbo and Type 97 shinhoto, still they were better than these new re-BOX crap we see nowadays.) You might not enjoy the vinyl one piece tracks, or the weird final look of the front due to the huge space between the idler wheels and the fenders.  (I forgot why Tamiya did it, something to do with the track tension adjustment.) 

If you can find one of their special release kit no 89563 for cheap, it comes with their set of russian assault infantry which by itself costs over 10 bucks.

Sturzkampf wrote:

now, speaking 'bout the tracks. which kit has the best tracks? i mean the easiest, or the most detailed, too.

Tamiya has the easiest being they are in one piece.  It has a good enough amount of details on both sides.  If you can get it nice and flat since it sometimes gets twisted during packaging, it comes out pretty nice. For realism, the dragon tracks being individual piece can get you the correct amount of sag between the road wheels and the correct look of a real track that's link by link.  It sure is a pain to clean up and assemble though still better than some of their other kits and the final result is worth the effort.

now im going for the dragon's one. but the price of the tamiya one is very good, near to US$ 7.00.

i've seen tyhe page again. the dragon price dropped tosomething like US$ 9.00

Sturzkampf wrote:

now im going for the dragon's one. but the price of the tamiya one is very good, near to US$ 7.00. i've seen tyhe page again. the dragon price dropped tosomething like US$ 9.00

Get both!!!

Sturzkampf wrote:

now im going for the dragon's one. but the price of the tamiya one is very good, near to US$ 7.00. i've seen tyhe page again. the dragon price dropped tosomething like US$ 9.00

Holy geez, you gotta tell me where you're getting these prices. I wish I could get a DML T-34 for $10.