Here we go with the Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma. Let's start with an in-box review.
Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma In-box review
Title | Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma |
Manufacturer | Dragon |
Scale | 1/35 |
Type | Injection-moulded plastic with etched brass and turned brass fittings. |
Parts count | IP:490; etch 24; turned brass:4 |
Decal options | 4 |
Kit No. | 6256 |
Price | £47.50 |
Web Site | http://www.dragon-models.com |
Historical background.
The Puma was, in mid-1944, the first of the Sd.Kfz.234 series of heavy 8-wheeled armoured cars to enter production. Technologically advanced, it featured well-sloped armour and, unusually for a German WW2 AFV, a diesel engine. Fitted with a 5cm main gun in an enclosed turret, some 100 examples were produced. These were assigned to the reconnaissance elements of the 2nd, 20th and 130th Panzer Divisions, and also to the 1st SS Panzers.
Contents
Inside the sturdy, top-opening box, there are 493 parts, of which 19 are marked ‘not for use' on 14 grey injection-moulded plastic sprues. Three further clear sprues provide 16 more parts, two of which will remain unused. An etched brass fret features 24 parts, and there are four separate turned brass width indicator feelers. The lower hull is provided as two individual slide-moulded grey plastic parts.
There are no sink marks or visible ejector-pin marks anywhere, no flash and hardly any mould separation seams.
Two decal sheets, printed by Cartograf, are provided. One is a generic number plate sheet, and includes 2-part SS runes for reasons of political correctness. The 10-page instruction leaflet features a parts map, and covers construction in 25 stages, and finishing in two further ones. Colour call-outs are in gunze acrylic and Mr. Colour.
I'm not going to provide sprue shots. Dragon's own website does this far better than I could hope to achieve with my limited photographic skills and equipment:
http://www.dragonmodelsltd.com/html/6256%20Flash.htm
Brief description of major plusses and minuses
Construction starts with the complex and highly-detailed suspension. Careful construction will be required to ensure that all eight wheels rest on the ground, and in this respect, the Tamiya 8-wheelers, whose suspension arrangements permits a bit of play, are better. As fitted, this permits only a straight fore-and-aft wheel arrangement, but a few simple modifications would allow them to be set at an angle. The steering linkages are designed to permit this.
The lower hull interior is very well fitted out and detailed, as befits a series of vehicles, many of which had open-topped hulls. Unfortunately, the hull side doors are moulded shut integrally with the lower hull, and opening them would involve major surgery and scratchbuilding. The upper hull interior is adequately detailed, though much of this won't be visible on the completed model, even with the turret removed.
The hull side stowage bins are also moulded shut, but it would be fairly simple to scratch-build new doors and padlocks, and then to pose at least some of them open. Optional opened and closed engine deck vents are provided - but no mesh benath them - and the other hull exterior fittings are well-detailed. The OVEclamps are moulded integrally with the tools, except for the spade and axe, for which optional clip-free parts are provided. You get six superbly-detailed jerricans,but their mounting frames and straps are provided as injection plastic parts, and are thus too thick for scale accuracy.
Suface detail is excellent, and includes weld beads and cast texture where appropriate.
The road wheels include a spare. Tyres are made from hard plastic, and provided as two halves, featuring excellent tread detail. Two different styles of wheel hub are included.
The turret halves and mantlet are superb, slide-moulded, features, as is the main gun tube. Turned aluminium aftermarket replacements are available but no improvement on the kit part. The turret ring is accurately represented, and not as the traditional bayonet-type fitting. Turret interior detail is limited to a fairly well-detailed breech, but nothing else - no crew seats, radios, ammo stowage or even co-axial MG, though a stub barrel is provided for the exterior. There again, if built as the instructions intend, none of this would be visible on the completed model.
The etched fret provides a starfish aerial and hull lifting lugs,though the kit also provides plastic alternative parts which are close to scale thickness. You also get etched centre seams for the jerricans.
A quick taping together of the major components revealed no fit issues except for a small gap between the upper and lower hull pieces at the sides. This looks as if it will be disguised by the mudguards/ hull side stowage lockers. If not, it will be easy enough to fill with thin pieces of plastic strip.
Finish options:
Four are provided, as follows:
Note that for all except the first of these options, you have to make up your own number plates from the generic number plate decal sheet provided.
Conclusion
At first sight, this loks to be an excellent, well-fitting, accurate and superbly-detailed kit. There are only a few areas where it might have been better (jerrican racks, turret interior detail, stowage bin hatches, engine deck vents), but fortunately, there are etched sets which address these issues. My only really major gripe is that when I acquired my copy, as a Christmas present a couple of years ago, it was retailing for about £28. The very same kit is about to be re-released in the UK, with no upgrades at all, but this time the RRP will be £47.50! Grr!!!!
Next up, a review of the Griffon Model etched set.
Cheers,
Chris.
Cute and cuddly, boys, cute and cuddly!