[MoMo]

Re: Today's Dragons in the U.K.

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That KV is a real beauty. I'm lovin the german cupola.

Wasn't one of these used by the germans at the end around Berlin or some panzer factory or somesuch? Nice piece for a '45 scenario...
Tankguy

This Easy model version is a good bit lighter in weight than a Dragon version would be ( no metal slug in the hull! ) and |I feel that the detailing is a bit simplistic. However, as you say, it looks very good and sits well with the other 'captured' vehicles from Dragon.

[MoMo]

Hi Guys,
toybox have just posted pics and dates for Dragons expected to hit the UK in August.
I'll take the 251/10C with the 37cm anti-tank pea-shooter ( I never came across this one in kit form in any of the hobby shops I visit! ). I'll also go for the 'captured' Firefly with all that extra track armour! The T34/76 looks good too. I won't be buying yet another incarnation of the Maus!

[MoMo]

Time for Dragon to bring out a version of the 251/D with a 75 cm anti-tank gun! Now that's something to take seriously, if you're sitting in a Sherman!

[ZS-VAN]

That Sherman does look very interesting. The 251 with the 7.5cm gun should be awesome if they bring it out alright!

[tankguy]

That firefly and t-34 are interesting, and not even on dragon's site yet. I do hope we see another commonwealth firefly as these german ones are too much already.

[PickMattock]

I really hope they have a Commonwealth scheme of that track covered Firefly in the works. (That already makes three for the Germans, which is about three more than I care for.)

[MoMo]

That Sherman does look very interesting. The 251 with the 7.5cm gun should be awesome if they bring it out alright!

It's the hard-hitting version of the 251, ZS-VAN, so they've gotta make as good a job of the kit version as Hasegawa or ESCI, both nice versions. Also, it's one to do in about 13 different versions between the 251C and 251 D. I have made both kits and married them to Preiser's 75cm pak crew and they look great. if any of you guys build or paint, I would recommend that you have a look at this little set from Preiser. It is the most expensive group from Preiser ( about £5.00 for the five figures ) but the crew looks great when painted. They are wearing late war smocks, so you can use camo effects.

That firefly and t-34 are interesting, and not even on dragon's site yet. I do hope we see another commonwealth firefly as these german ones are too much already.

But you've got to admit, tankguy, that Dragon have created an interesting version of the Firefly by adding all that lovely track! I have never seen a pic of this particular vehicle, so I wonder if it's based on a real captured firefly. Probably it is.

I really hope they have a Commonwealth scheme of that track covered Firefly in the works. (That already makes three for the Germans, which is about three more than I care for.)

With all that track, PickMattock, you can't really say who the firefly is working for ( unless there are crosses on the rear of the gun counterweight/stowage ) so I'm gonna get one and say that it's been recaptured! I just love all that track!

[MoMo]

Hi guys,

Here are a few recent announcements and a couple of pics from the toybox site :

US SHERMAN M4A3 (105mm gun) HVSS, 713th TANK BATTALION OKINAWA 1945 ( no picture as yet! )( model no. DR60315, due September, 2007 ) ;

and :
SOVIET SU-100 7th MECHANIZED CORPS, HUNGARY 1945 ( model number DR60299, due August, 2007 )

Probably better modelled and more accurate than the FOV version, but is it as pretty?

and in 1.35 : KING TIGER Henschel Turret w/Zimmerit s.Pz.Abt.506 Ardennes 1945

King Tiger Henschel Turret w/Zimmerit s.Pz.Abt.506 Western Front 1945 Weighing 69.8 tons, Germany’s King Tiger tank entered production in mid-1944. It was an impressive vehicle, and being the final tank design to enter production during WWII, it could be seen as the pinnacle of German tank design. The King Tiger was armed with an 8.8cm KwK 43 L/71 gun and its frontal armour was up to 180mm thick. Such a formidable fighting machine had weaknesses though, since its heavy bulk and underpowered engine meant it wasn’t as mobile as it should have been. Dragon Armor has launched its second fantastic fully built-up 1/35 scale model of a Tiger II. This Henschel production version of the King Tiger is based on a tank from 3./s.PzAbt 506 that fought on the Western Front in 1945. Dragon's Zimmerit antimagnetic mine paste has been carefully and realistically crafted and textured to scale. The camouflage scheme features red-brown stripes over a yellow base, along with the tactical markings painted over the Zimmerit coating.

MoMo

[chascbv]

The Su-100 looks wonderful indeed; I'll buy one for sure!

As regards the Koenigstiger... well, I won't buy such a huge, expensive model if the mandatory track hangers are not included!! Also, I wonder why Dragon chose to model their two Koenigstigers as belonging to the same unit, namely Panzer Abteilung 506, especially given the fact that, among units operating this type of tank, PzAbt 506 must be the one with the poorest (almost nil for Koenigstigers at Aachen and then the Ardennes) photographic coverage! Why, oh, why?

[MoMo]

chascbv

Me too, Chascbv!

I got back from Edinburgh two hours ago, and I have to admit that even Wonderland hobby shop had a paucity of Dragons which I haven't witnessed there in a long time. Nothing new was available, so I had to content myself by buying another M2A2 with ERA. I think that it is perhaps ( debate? ) the most detailed and best-looking model of an AFV that Dragon have ever produced. In fact, I think that we should have a poll on that one!

The delicate detail of the vehicle, together with the amazing representation of the enhanced reactive armour make this a must for all Dragon collectors ( even if you swore--like me--that you would only collect WW2 stuff! ).

ANOTHER DEBATE : While in Edinburgh's premier hobby shop, I was lucky to purchase the very last two Hobby Master tanks in the shop. All the rest had been snapped up on pre-order, and I could see dozens of them on the shelves, behind the counter, waiting for their new, proud owners to collect them in person. Dozens more had been dispatched by mail-order, so it looked as if the shop's entire allocation of these little beauties had been spoken for.

I was very impressed by the quality of these diecasts. The KV looked wonderful, and reminded me of the good old days of CDC Armour. Following the CDC tradition, the tracks were nothing much to comment on, except for their annoying blackness and plasticity. The Achilles' heel of the diecast world seems to be tracks!

I also loved the Cromwell Mark lV ( but again....the tracks! ).

I appreciated that the outer box of both Hobby Master vehicles had a cellophane picture window which protected the display case from scuffs and scratches. ( Dragon take note! ). However, the best lesson for Dragon was the trouble taken by Hobby Master to print the tank's history on the black base of the display box where it can be plainly seen. This is a great benefit to collectors who tend to become confused when faced with a whole extended family of variants of the one vehicle. I think that Dragon should copy this feature as a matter of course....please?

Now I want these two which should arrive next week :