"...It's perfectly moulded, has lots of neat little touches, it's a variant we've all been crying out for,..."

<View full review here>
- Vinnie Branigan

Review from Model Art No.734 October 2007

This new Panzer Ausf F is a significant new release. Not only does it fill a major gap in 1/35 modelling by providing a Panzer II with the latest tooling, it also completes Dragon/Cyber-Hobby's range of 1/35 Panzers. With this kit the range now includes at least one up to date 1/35 model of each Panzer family that entered production in Germany in the lead up to or during WWII. The Panzer II Ausf F was the final production version of the Panzer II and saw combat in both Europe and North Africa. Its distinguishing features included a cupola and flat panels for the front lower hull and upper plate in front of the driver.

Overview

This kit features new tooling for the upper hull, turret and much of the interior, while sharing chassis parts with the recent Dragon Marder II. It has no parts in common with older Panzer II kits. This kit includes considerable interior detail for both the turret and the lower hull/fighting-compartment.

The model has approximately 500 parts and includes photo etch, clear periscopes, and decals. The gatefold instructions have 23 steps of line drawings. While the instructions are well planned, given the level of detail in some of the sub-steps they should be read carefully.

Hull

The upper hull and engine deck are new tooling, which is based on a main part that incorporates the main fenders (with antiskid tread plate) and upper glacis. The lower hull is a one-piece tub with considerable detail on the belly plate. The driver's visor can be assembled open or closed and includes a clear plastic vision block. The driver's hatch can also be modeled open to reveal internal detail.

The upper front and side plates are added using applique parts with separate parts for the visors/flaps. The hatch for the engine bay can be assembled open, however you will need to provide your own aftermarket engine. The side air intake grilles are very impressive featuring pre-shaped metal crossbars to give a realist effect. Details on the rear such as the lifting hooks, toolboxes (larger box can be modeled open) and splashguard are all separate parts.

The front and rear fender flaps are individual pieces which will meet most modeller's expectations and could be modeled folded up; while those wishing a thinner profile may thin them or use PE replacements. As expected the headlamps and Notek light are crisp and have clear plastic lens and PE base respectively. The multi-part exhaust comes with a photo-etched heat shield with the characteristic perforations.

Two sets of on-vehicle tools are provided of which one has the clamps molded on for easy of assembly, and the other is bare and is for use with the PE clamps provided. The multipart jack has optional PE brackets.

On the front glacis there is a spare wheel, which now has a choice of a new simple anchors or those from the Marder II kit with outer hooks. If you want you could fit a cable from your spares box around these stays or around the towing hooks on the front of the glacis.

The suspension is impressively detailed with a leaf spring suspension that has separate parts for each leaf spring, axle arm and spring cover plate. You have a choice of two types of detailed drive sprockets, of which one has more detailed bolt heads but would require longer to construct. For the rear idler there are three choices, allowing modelers to build specific vehicles seen in photos. The road wheels compare favourable to photos in terms of the counter sunk bolts and the hub pattern. The tires and return rollers are labeled “Continentau”, but you can slice of half the “U” if you really wish.

Tracks

The pre-cut injection plastic magic tracks have open guide horns and are "handed" in that separate left and right side tracks are provided with the track pin facing out accordingly. To avoid mix-ups each set has its own plastic bag and is in a different shade of gray. The links snap together for quick assembly and a whole run can be assembled in minutes; before you apply glue to the assembled track run. A small injection mark is on each side of the guide horns and could be removed swiftly with a hobby knife if desired.

New Turret with Interior

The turret is all new tooling and is based around a slide molded turret shell which has fine detail for counter sunk holes and even the slots in the head of screws. The commander's cupola is a separate slide-molded piece with interior detail including seven separate clear plastic vision blocks and a PE handle. The lifting hooks are finely detailed separate parts. This kit does not have a turret bin (commonly not fitted).

The turret's two guns are fully detailed both externally and internally. The main gun the 2cm Kw.K.30 is new tooling and has the muzzle hollowed out. The gun's mounting, breech and ZF-4 scope are all crisply tooled. The coaxial MG34 is Gen-2 tooling and has internal mountings. Other internal turret detail includes the multipart side vision blocks with separate handles, the commander's seat and the teeth on the turret's base.

Driver and Radio Operator's Compartment

This kit has a detailed hull interior with numerous internal fittings, most of it being new tooling. The driver's compartment includes the seat, dials, pedals and ZF SSG46 Aphon transmission. The hull sides feature the radio set (receiver and transmitter), radio operator's seat, new fuel tank, air filter, several storage bins (e.g. headphone box) and small details such as bolt heads, braces and cabling. The floor of the fighting compartment has antiskid tread and the newly tooled rear firewall includes one side of the radiator. You may want to add some crew gear like gas masks and MB38/40 from your spares box. Overall the level and crispness of the internal detail is impressive and surprisingly modeler friendly.

Decals

The Cartograph waterslide decal sheet has markings for seven Panzer II. The painting guide illustrates each tank in colour from three or four views, while the box has a side colour profile for each tank. The schemes are:

turret number II05 of 5th Leichte (light) Division, Libya 1941 which is overall dark grey
I, of 5th Leichte Division, Libya 1941 which is dark grey with dark yellow patches
942 of 22nd Panzer Division, Stalingrad 1942 which is dark grey with broad sand stripes
302 of 3rd Infantry Division (motorised), Southern Russia 1942
557 of Leibstandarte, Kharkov 1943 which is overall dark grey (box art)
559 of Leibstandarte, Kharkov 1943 which is white washed
R of 10th Panzer Division, Tunisia 1943 which is overall dark yellow.

Recommendation

This is one kit that will not disappoint the many modelers who had been anticipating a new Panzer II it for some time. The parts are crisp and well designed while the interior detail is very well laid out and the Magic Tracks further add to the kit's appeal. Highly recommended

- Neville Lord