Here's the thread I hinted at elsewhere. After I finished the P-39 I decided I was going to finish the Panzer IV I'd started a few months ago. I don't usually build armour but when I do I enjoy it. This kit has been no exception.
This is Dragon's fairly new 3-in-1 Panzer IV Ausf. E. A kit the likes of which I've never seen before and quite frankly...it's amazing. It comes with lots of PE for those who like brass, a figure of Heinz Guderian and oddly, a vinyl cactus. It also includes two or three (I forget) turned aluminium shells and an aluminium barrel. If you so choose, you can forego the brass because there are two sets of everything like tools and turret bin mounts. So the tools are either straight tools for using brass mounts, or tools with mounts moulded on. The main gun too also comes in plastic...the seam is cunningly hidden inside other parts when assembled...the plastic gun has rifling while the aluminium one doesn't...I went with the plastic one.
My only criticism of this kit...and it's a small one, is that the instructions are less than perfect. I have a copy of a UK bi-monthly called 'AFV Modeller' with a review of this very kit. It wasn't until after I'd assembled almost everything that I noticed a part I'd left off in the magazine. On inspecting the instructions, the part is illustrated already mounted but can barely be discerned due to the angle of the drawing and the part isn't referred to by number anywhere...a small thing but enough to warrant a mention here I think. I believe this is a fairly common complaint about Dragon's instruction sheets...
Here's how she looked about three weeks ago.
PzIVProgress.jpg