Cyber-Hobby/DML Orange Box Jagdpanzer IV L/70(A) - WIP

Looks like the ugly love-child of a Brummbar and Jagdpanzer IV L/70(V).

Will try the DS Tracks from the DML StuG IV Early with Zimmerit.  Last experience with DS Tracks wasn't so good - the DS Elefant Tracks broke and I ended up using individual link tracks.

 

 

As some other commentators have noted, this kit is something of a dog.  It is missing the periscopes and other details, the loader's hatch doesn't open, the barrel does not stay in place, i.e., it flops down.  I didn't even bother with the Thoma schurzen brackets because the attachment points seemed so weak that they would be guaranteed to fall off.    Obviously, the somewhat compensating factor was the Orange Box price.  New smart kit available from Dragon now.

 

 

Vintage Kubelwagen

Vintage Tamiya Kubelwagen.  Short on detail, but the axles work (?!).

Late War Camo

Hard edge or soft?  Screen caps of a JagdPz IV and StuG from German newsreel seem to show soft edge 3 color camo.  Newsreel supposedly from Feb or March 1945, but no way to know when film was shot.  Vehicles look to be in new condition, judging from completeness of schürzen.

Tale of Three (WIP) Dragons.

After a hiatus of several months, have been trying to complete a Cyber-Hobby Orange Box Sturmpanzer IV (late), a Cyber-Hobby Orange Box StuG. III Ausf. F mit winterketten, and a DML Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (6397).

 

 

 

The kit schurzen for the Stupa suffer from being massively thick and also from the fact that mounting points do not correspond to the individual plates.  In fact, the whole seems to be inaccurate but with the mounting rails already attached, decided against replacing them in their entirety with a AM set like the Eduard set stashed away for the next build of this kit (if it ever happens).  Instead, using the (probably inaccurate) kit schurzen as a temple, made a couple of new plates on each side by realigning the plate divisions with the mounting brackets.  Some of the resultant plates look suspiciously narrow, but we'll see how they turn out.  Maybe should have checked against Eduard set first.

 

 

 

 

It is interesting to contrast the more recent JagdPz IV with its older brethren.  Both the Stupa and Stug had fit issues, particularly between the upper hull and the lower hull tub; requiring in the case of the Stug removal of the locating tabs (suggesting warping of either or both hull pieces).  There also were other engineering issues such as the lack of locating pins to anchor the extended fenders on the Stupa which made assembly more challenging that might otherwise have been the case (and probably contributed to one being installed in reversed position).   In contrast, thus far at least, the JagdPz IV, while much more detailed and complex in assembly has had great engineering and fit.  While the Stupa and Stug are Orange Box kits, and the comparison might be akin to comparing a VW Bug from years ago to a current Audi (or an old Toyota Tercel to a new Lexus), the improvement in Dragon’s kits is impressive.  Which is not to say that the OB kits aren’t worth their lower price; but sometimes it’s nice to drive a Lexus rather than a Toyota.  UPDATE:  there were some fit problems between the upper hull and the lower hull/fenders, which required some moderate shaving/trimming to try to get a flush fit.

A pic of the DML Jagdpanzer IV L/70 as WIP:

 

 

 

 

Cyber-Hobby/DML StuG III Ausf. F mit winterketten (from DML StuG III Ausf. F/8) as WIP:

 

 

From what I've read, this kit needs lots of corrections to be accurate, so I probably won't be spending time on it for the foreseeable future.