Dragon Panzer IV Ausf. E

[RC_Hill]

I got this kit today... :lol:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/6264header.jpg

From what I understand, the first one hundred got to Dragon USA a few days ago...30 to Stevens International, 30 to MMD and 30 to some other place, but 10 went to a shop here in Arizona...it was a day late however...better late than never I suppose...I doubt if anyone has any real areas of the kit they want any pics of because I would like to work on it a bit this weekend and post some pics...but yeah, if anyone's curious about something, let me know...The soonest I may be able to post pics is this Monday however....I'm looking forward to going through it more today(Maybe today, for sure tomarrow ;) )

RC

[yagdpanzer]

Lucky Boy!! Can't wait to get my hands on one. :thumb:

[Flak]

OH!!! How lucky you are ;) I'm still waiting :( and NO schedule when it will arrive :(

[RC_Hill]

Thanks guys :) ... That really stinks Marco :(

Here's some scans of the instructions...the cover, the paint schemes, and page 1...Sorry that the scans have that stripe along the side...I tried to clean it up, but it didn't do any good....

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/DMLPzIVAusfECover.jpg

They really did a great job with the lay out of all the parts. It's easy to see what they can still incorporate into the Ausf D (new turret, early cupola option, 'hub caps' (see the Tristar IV Ausf D), etc.)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/DMLPzIVAusfEColorsPg1.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/DMLPzIVAusfEColorsPg2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/DMLPzIVAusfEPg1.jpg

I've gotten through page one already (and then some)...The speed at which I could assemble the suspension really surprised me :lol:

[panzerfist]

Hello friends,
It would be greate to see Dragon release the Panzer III Ausf.J the Stug III Ausf.G
and the Panzer IV Ausf.J (Battle of The Bulge) withe the same quality :)
Best regards,
José César ;)

[panamadan]

I believe that they will go all the way to the "J" with this one. Dan

[RC_Hill]

I agree Dan. Everything is laid out just so...it seems almost systematic to allow the use of other versions in the future....Though, I'm not really sure...It is easy to see where the Ausf C and D will come into play...

I think actually that the soonest I can post is Tuesday...I'm up kind of late (though I need to be up real early) because I need a little break from English (essay on Brave New World tomarrow)...I just haven't gotten as far as I wanted to get before I posted...Though I have to say that like all the other reviews THIS KIT IS AWESOME! I really enjoy how hard the plastic is too. That Tristar kit is WAY to soft for my liking (well brittle actually). The Tristar kit is a good kit, don't get me wrong, but as far as durablity, quality in the details and price, the Dragon IV E and soon to be released D (who knows when?) are way worth it....

[RC_Hill]

Here's some pics of the kit and where I currently stand with my progress...

I got her, though the box was a bit squashed....
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4009.jpg

A close up of the corner...10 and over, eh? ;)
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4010.jpg

I have to say that the suspension is really good, but it's tricky to get together...I would suggest to anyone building this that if yout do a late/DAK version, put the suspension armoured covers on first before you put on the leaf springs
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4002.jpg

The road wheel tires are beautiful...They can actually go on with an awesome friction fit...watch out for little bits of flash on the front near 'continental'
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4007.jpg

The upper hull/deck are really cool... A nice, even fit all throughout...I put the turret on there (not glued together just yet) to show the fit...very nice and tight, with the right amount of freedom to traverse either direction...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4011.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/f7d68959.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4016.jpg

Here is how they made the turret traverse...a smaller version of the typical (I guess it would be) 'pop, lock and twist'
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4001.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4003.jpg

[RC_Hill]

(continued from the last one)

The best glue in the world :thumb: I really like it...I wish I knew where to get refills though :(
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4005.jpg

Quick comparison of the Tristar and Dragon (just because the E is real close the the D)
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4018.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/pz4006.jpg

I have to add that I really wanted to have the gun done, but I'm trying to be as careful as I can be with this kit...as I'm sure you all can see my little quick fix jobs here and there...I decided to stick with the alloy barrel for this kit because, personally and from my references, the the plastic one is good because of the rifling, but it looks off scale...maybe that's just me though....

[Stuke Sowle]

Excellent!!! Thanks for sharing your progress thus far. Looks like this kit is something else.

[Evan August]

Looks like one hell of a kit! Your build appears to be going well so far. Unfortunately for me, I've never like the short barrel panzer IVs and Stugs. They just look like they need viagra or something. I hope they give this the same treatment as their 251s, and keep putting out more versions. A F.2 for Kharkov would be pretty damn sweet :lol: (or would those be Gs? I'm not a Panzer IV expert)

[RC_Hill]

THANKS :lol: and thanks ...ya bastard j/k lol...
yeah, the short barrel panzers aren't really my total favorite, but if it's DAK, then HELL YEAH! :lol:
I can see what you mean by them needing viagra...though to me, sometimes, even with a longer barrel, they look funny...that ISU-122 is like that...at least for me....oh, and the ISU-152 too...but that gun is cool...it looks like it would have been used by like the Terminator...

[panamadan]

Originally posted by Evan August@Oct 5 2005, 01:54 PM
Looks like one hell of a kit! Your build appears to be going well so far. Unfortunately for me, I've never like the short barrel panzer IVs and Stugs. They just look like they need viagra or something. I hope they give this the same treatment as their 251s, and keep putting out more versions. A F.2 for Kharkov would be pretty damn sweet :lol: (or would those be Gs? I'm not a Panzer IV expert)
Evan, try making a PV IV D or E as a training tank with a long barreled 75. ;) Dan

[RC_Hill]

Yeah, a long barrelled 75 would be cool...You know, I don't recall ever seeing someone make a D or something like it into one before...would be interesting to see....

I've been busy with work and school, so I haven't had too much time to make a lot of progress...it's all those little details that take a longest time to complete...

The gun is a bit tricky...measure twice and cut once, if you know what I mean...I had to make a correction...I had to use a jewelers saw...enough said...
It looks nice when it's together...

The tracks... :( ....That's all I'm going to say. They are really nice, but honestly, some of the clean up (seems, bubbles, etc) annoys me...I'm tempted to just use some MK workables...those are a bit difficult to work with, but once you get the hang of 'em, its a snap...

[panamadan]

I believe that there is a "D" with a long barreled 75 in some British museum. Also a model of it in "Achtung Panzer I". Dan

[RC_Hill]

I've heard of the actual thing and seen only like one or two pics, but I've just never seen someone make a model of a D into a long barrelled 75...Thanks for the reference though Dan.

[Finnmodeler]

Originally posted by panamadan@Oct 10 2005, 08:13 AM
I believe that there is a "D" with a long barreled 75 in some British museum. Also a model of it in "Achtung Panzer I". Dan
Hi,
Achtung Panzer IV has IV J which was with DAK markings. Sorry about confusion, I don't have knowledge of above mentioned conversion.

Br,

Niko

[Guest]

:lol:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/untitled.jpg

[RC_Hill]

Here's where I'm currently at with the build....erino....

Dry fit...a bit of a bow in the upper hull...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas005.jpg

The turret interior...shows the upper hull bow a bit better...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas004.jpg

Another view of the turret...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas006.jpg

Another shot of the turret....
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas003.jpg

A shot underneath the upper hull....When I first saw the info about the overal kit, I thought that all 4 bits of p/e would be used, but that's not true...You have two choices...I suppose to allow if you want to place an engine in there (as pictured on my kit) because those are what the hatches look like when they are opened...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas007.jpg

Here's what I'm talking about for that....
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/6264-27a.jpg

Here's my interior in the kit...the Green stuff is Squadron green stuff to fix my removal of part F36....
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/LasVegas008.jpg

[panamadan]

Whose interiors is that? CMK"s? Dan

[RC_Hill]

No...The CMK is detail crazy (a little too much p/e for my taste, though I have it for my Tristar kit ;) ) The interior is an R & J Products interior...Just right because it fills in all the extra stuff that's not in the Dragon kit (drivers compartment, fuel tanks, etc.)

[RC_Hill]

I'm a bit concerned about a couple things with this kit...the front, specifically the transmission covers demensions and a couple things which I have been trying to really figure out how to fix with the front...Here's an image that was posted at T-L...

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/ramcke_jager/modelling_construction_2996.jpg

I don't know what to think about that :(

Also, I have to say that I'm really surprised that Dragon doesn't do what AFV Club does and make a lot of their sprue sets in individual sets...like the cupola(s) or their vision ports, or something because they are all out there one just one sprue and it would help other sets (like Tristar or Tamiya or whoever)...Or just base kits and you get the parts to make the version you want in another set...that would cool because if you had like an old kit that just sucked balls, then that could help that kit to be much better :-)

[RC_Hill]

:o what the heck is that? lol

[James Tainton]

I'll wait for the inevitable ABER set. I doubt I'll ever buy a Voyager, Eduard, or LionRoar set of PE again- unless there is no ABER available for a certain kit.

[RC_Hill]

Originally posted by panzerfaust@Dec 27 2005, 01:47 AM
I'll wait for the inevitable ABER set. I doubt I'll ever buy a Voyager, Eduard, or LionRoar set of PE again- unless there is no ABER available for a certain kit.
Yeah...it may actually be more prudent to wait (even if it is like a year)...Aber is more technical, but at least you can trust the fit and the quality...It's still nice to dabble with other brands though :lol: That stowage bin actually looks sort of neat....I'm surprised though that Voyager is going to make another up-armored set, though for the DML IV E...seems kind sort of pointless, like some of the details that are seen on the Dragon IV E with the voyager p/e....(is it really important to 'update' the vents on the engine deck hatches? lol)

PMMS just posted a review today... :o
PMMS Voyager Pz IV Ausf E P/E review (http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/voyager/vm_pe35079.htm)

[martin]

Just looking at the build up of your Panzer IVE make's me want to get my one down from the loft and get started on it, but ive got to many half built kits to finish first.

Martin :) :(

[RC_Hill]

Originally posted by martin@Feb 16 2006, 11:56 AM
Just looking at the build up of your Panzer IVE make's me want to get my one down from the loft and get started on it, but ive got to many half built kits to finish first.

Martin

Don't worry Martin...we're all on that boat ;)

just an FYI...I'm gonna get this here kit done real soon....I'm tired of it just sitting in it's box, laughing at me (shows just how crazy I've become :lol: )...no seriously, I'm gonna paint the interior (which I need to show how that looks first...these images make it look like crap lol), just use the regular tools (not the ones meant to have p/e) and I'm just gonna pop the tracks on...well, maybe with that one...I'm not sure...I just want to finish this kit...I'll try to post by Wed/Thur...whichever day has most progress, the soonest! lol

[Larry Bates]

Originally posted by panzerfaust@Dec 27 2005, 03:47 AM
I'll wait for the inevitable ABER set. I doubt I'll ever buy a Voyager, Eduard, or LionRoar set of PE again- unless there is no ABER available for a certain kit.
I'm with you James,

R.C., Nice build. Oh, and go light on the sweets, :lol:

Larry

[RC_Hill]

Thanks Larry! :lol:

I'll try...no promises! ;)

[RC_Hill]

Here's an update...sort of :(

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e30/ramcke_j/PzIVE1.jpg

Turret off...I just went ahead and started painting it Nato Black...
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e30/ramcke_j/PzIVE2.jpg

Turret interior....again, painted in Nato black (preping it for painting later (this weekend? or Friday morning, maybe....)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e30/ramcke_j/DSC08463.jpg

The interior...I've opted to not assemble certain things...like the RO/MG position for the sake of time...the MG is in place, but not fully assembled...I mean, why bother if I'm gonna have his position 'buttoned up' so to speak...
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e30/ramcke_j/PzIVE3.jpg

[RC_Hill]

:o :lol: :angry:

I plan on building a Vorpanzer IV E that I have as a plain E in the future, but I'll wait on it for a while, so this is done, for me...I've put this kit aside for now, but I do plan to finish painting it in the future, for practice, sometime, when I get feel like pulling this POS out....