Dragon DRA6600 Tiger Iinitial Production

Dragon DRA6600

Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E

1/35 Tiger I Initial Production

s.Pz. Abt.502 Leningrad Region 1942/3

 

Kit no: 6600

Scale: 1/35

Pieces: 532

410 in styrene + 12 in clear styrene + 85 brass pcs. + 3 plastic DS 100 tracks +18 Magic Track links+ 2 metal wires + 1 twisted steel wire + 1 steel spring

Ages: 14 and over

Price: GBP £35.26/ Euro 42.52 / US $53.53– from Hobby Link Japan

http://www.hlj.com/product/CYVCH6600

Hobby Link Japan has given us the newest 1/35 scale Tiger 1 from their production line this week – Kit DRA6600 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Initial production from Pz.Abt 502 – Leningrad region 1942/3... What a mouthful - I will just refer to this as the Tiger. This updated boxing covers three of the four Tigers that Hitler pressed into service on the Leningrad front in August 1942. Thorough historical research has seen an improvement in accuracy and kit detail to the point way past most modellers’ research. The historical debate of such early initial release Tigers goes on, but I for one are more than happy with the research that dragon has done for me.

 

This is the next in a long line of Tigers for Dragon, this one being different in that it is a smart kit - Dragon’s strategy is to reduce the tedium of the modeller and extrapolate the model building process. They have taken away the “Magic Tracks" or "Lego" as I call them – and replaced them with their Dragon “DS100 track” – an all in one track that is a mixture of Styrene and polystyrene. I personally like it as it takes away the tedium of assembling, then undercoating, then painting and weathering the tracks – usually it’s just a case of “glue together (once only at the end) - base colour – then weather , so you save a good few hours out of this step of the process, and I do have other things to do in my life believe it or not !

This kit is virtual re-pop of their older kit the DRA 6252 from five years ago – gone is the turned barrel for the main gun, the metal tow shackles and smoke dispensers and brass fenders and ammunition. In this kit Dragon has tried to raise the bar by including the affore mentioned DS tracks, a newly tooled under hull with correct positioning for the drainage ports, as well as revised tool bins on the Turret and the correct reversed pistol port for the “100" tank – (and included the horseshoe on its front glacis plate). Dragon has updated the stowage bins on two of the tanks. The “100” version with two lateral turret bins, and the Panzer III style tool storage on the back of the “121” vehicle. Dragon has also included two left hand and one right hand sets of tracks so the Tiger can run in uni-directional configuration which apples to the “3” vehicle. The “100” tank also has the “Schnorkell” apparatus included as in the first release kit (DRA 6252), an interesting option still for a diorama. Extra tracks are also supplied in the inclusion of eighteen “Magic Track “ links for the sides and front of the hull.

 

Now let me get started at the start. The instructions are the typical Dragon style with colour calls on each part should you want to paint as the kit is constructed. This sheet is ok but can get a little cluttered and confusing at points. My advice would be to highlight your individual versions options so you don’t get off track – pardon the pun.... I would have liked a little historical vehicle on these three first used vehicles or some pictures to back up the re- tooling and re-boxing. There is unusually for smart kit a small colour profile section of each tank. I suppose because so much effort has been put into the research of these three historical vehicles they want you to get it right!

The kit’s styrene sprues are moulded for the main part in the usual Dragon medium grey plastic, which is finely detailed and devoid of any flash. Details like weld seams are accurately done and believable. I do not witness any sink marks on this kit. Getting rid of some of the 6252 kit’s metal parts is in this case a good idea as the people at Dragon have made the plastic into a good representation of scale thickness. The kit doesn’t really suffer from the exclusion of these metal parts. To me it’s a time saving bonus. The technology is definitely catching up with the materials available.

Some sprue shots...

 

 

There is no engine again depicted with this release BUT included are the radiator bays and rear internal fuel tanks that can be seen through the radiator grilles if they are open - they give a nice depth to the back hull. The curved grilles on the rear deck for the radiators, which are very tricky to replicate but done very well here - can be shown open or closed in conjunction with the use of the snorkel. The rear deck has the option for tools with brass clasps which are included. There is a very handy top view of the hull which shows where each individual vehicle’s tools are stored to eliminate the guesswork.

Details on all of the interior hatches are included, as is some of the detail on the interior, including a seat for the turret gunner and the interior machine gun. The two piece torsion bars are joined internally together and affix to the suspension arms outside the hull. If done right allows you to have a fully workable suspension, great if you want your Tiger to be portrayed on anything other than a flat workbench. Be careful when gluing your fixed road wheel arm that you don’t glue it to the hull and end up with a non movable wheel.

One tip I have worked out from making one of these in the past is to secure the Glacis plate to the tank hull after you have glued down the deck to the hull, otherwise there can be a gap where you join the top of the hull to the back of the rear as you try and make it fit. They seem to make these with zero tolerance and so I would rather cover a gap at the rear of the tank than the front. With this and all kits I would say to dry fit first just to make sure – you can never be too comfortable!

The turret which is from the Porche Tiger P comes in four main parts, left and right and top sides and the gun and mantlet. The 88mm gun is rendered in full inside and out and has the option of a spring mechanism which shows the cannon in its full recoil from firing. This, well - the jury is out really on having this mechanism included, and if you don’t like it just don’t worry about it as its not ever shown really is it ? It is a little toy like, but once it is all in place on I challenge you all not to try it at least once! ;-)

Decals are provided by Cartograf for three different vehicles. Only one of these not being camouflaged .Colour call outs are given for model master Paints. All schemes represented are from the three vehicles from the s.Pz.Abt.502 in the Battle of Leningrad 1942/3. They are panzer grey with whitewash applied over two of the three tanks. Funny, the instruction sheet is provided in colour for a change when Grey and White are the only colours really represented! I would like this to be the case with all their kits but up till now it seems only the premium kits had this as standard - Here’s hoping that continues.

Some of the features of this kit I have taken from the Dragon website - Red items are newly tooled parts and bold are newly added bits since the initial release.

Features:
- Newly tooled Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E w/authentic detail
- New tooled Pz.III stowage bin
- Newly tooled hull bottom w/correct drains and hatches for Initial Tigers
- Newly tooled DS tracks w/open guide horns; three lengths included to model either standard or 'mirrored' tracks
- New s.Pz.Abt.502 markings presented by Tiger I specialist David Byrden
- New layout of on-vehicle tools on upper hull
- Track toolbox is newly designed
- Unique side stowage bins and reversed pistol port for s.Pz.Abt.502 Tactical No."100"
- Photo-etched strap on the Gen2 helmet for hanging on the turret handle
- Accurate welded joint at turret chin
- Hull hatches w/interior detail and optional periscope hoods
- Photo-etched mesh screen on top of the engine deck
- One-piece moulded cupola w/vision slits
- Clear direct-vision blocks
- Hatch w/interior details
- Screw holes in gun sleeve
- Mantlets w/limits stops and optional rain guard for s.Pz.Abt.502 Tactical No."100"
- Lucky horseshoe for s.Pz.Abt.502 Tactical No."100"
- Interior hull components: fuel tanks, radiators, fans
- Extreme attention to detail correctly replicates the curved cross-section design of the air cooling grills
- Accurate detail of exhaust extension for Tiger I initial Tactical Nos."3", "100" and "123"
- Retooled rear panel w/full Initial Tiger tool stowage
- Improved detail on muffler sealing valves
- Loader's hatch w/interior details
- Barrel recoils as in real firing
- Driver's vision port can be built open/closed
- Spare links for 'mirrored' tracks
- Accurately sized spare track holders
- Detailed full MG w/mounting frame ammunition bag and telescope
- Optional dust cover
- Omitting the front wheel exposes a highly detailed hub
- Accurately detailed slide moulded muzzle brake

Some more pictures for you as well…

 

 

 

So what do we think?

The only mark down for this is the omission of a full interior. For this though I am probably in the minority as most modellers don’t want to show it all – I however would like the option. (Maybe an add-on kit Dragon?)

Otherwise I like the inclusions and the fixes of the old kit – I do approve of the extra research done to get these just right, definitely for me this could be a kit to try and achieve complete historical accuracy. Maybe some history and pictures could also be a neat inclusion?

I don’t mind that it is a re-pop of an older kit – to me they have included enough to make this worth buying over the older kit. Again hats off to a company who try and perfect a popular subject. Well done again on an impressive version of this the earliest of Tigers.

 

Adam Norenberg

Many thanks to Hobby Link Japan for the review sample used here.

http://www.hlj.com/product/CYVCH6600