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DRAGON MODELS LIMITED Product Specifications. 6386, Sd.Kfz.164 Nashorn 3-in-1 Smart Kit. 1/35th-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing 800 styrene parts (including 24 clear), two bags of Magic Tracks, one photo-etched brass fret, one turned aluminum gun tube, five metal parts, six water-slide decal marking schemes and eight pages of instructions in 17 steps. Introduction. This is the fourth release of a Nashorn kit from DML that I am aware of since the advent of the company over 20 years ago. If I recall correctly, the Nashorn may have been the first German release from them, with a newly-tooled replacement issued in 2002. Then, four years later, DML again decided to re-vamp the Nashorn and market it as a Premium Edition kit. Not content to with that, and in order to compete with the announced Nashorn from AFV Club, DML has gone ahead and released yet another version, this time as a Smart Kit. The most notable improvement here are the new superstructure armor plates, now with an extremely thin cross-section due to the employment of DMLs so-called Razor Edge technology. In addition, completely new ammunition stowage bins, also using the Razor Edge process are provided. These are completely detailed inside and out and can be modeled opened or closed. They include complete rounds as well as a full compliment of internal holding clamps. Other sprues, such as those for the suspension system and road-wheels, have been replaced with more recent iterations as seen in Pz.Kpfw.IV Smart Kits On top of all that, the kit can be built in one of three versions, which DML entitles Initial, Initial Modified and Early. Parts Genealogy. From previous kits in this series, the following parts sprues are provided: A (x2),
last type of drive sprockets (without hub-caps), final drive housings,
return rollers and some detail parts. New or modified sprues contain the following: B. superstructure
armor plates. Tracks. These Magic Track individual links represent the so-called Einheitsketten (standardized track link) with smooth cleats and opened guide horns. They require no clean-up of mold sprue attachment pips and fit together using friction (but will not stay together with any handling). They will need to be glued together when their position has been determined. Each has two very subtle knock-out pin marks on their inner faces, which will need the modelers attention. The links are handed, so be sure to work from one bag at a time and check the instructions carefully in order to identify the proper links for each side. Suspension System. This includes both styles of drive sprocket as seen on these vehicles. Note that the use of either type does not determine if this is an early or late production variation. The first Nashorns had the late sprocket, while the early type was seen intermittently according to the Panzer Tracts book cited in the references section below. The road-wheels show the manufacturers logo, as do the rubber-rimmed return rollers. The idler wheels have a separate axle that will aid in getting the proper sit of the track links; dont fix the idlers to their mounts until satisfied that all is correct with the tracks. The bogie units are multi-part assemblies as seen in the more recent Smart Kits; they do not articulate (and are therefore easier to assemble than those seen in DMLs Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B/C/D/E kits) but are fully-detailed through the use of clever parts break-down and slide-mold technology. Hull. The slide-molded hull is detailed with various rivets and mounting flanges. The mounts for the return rollers and idler wheels are also molded in place, while separate, two-part bump stops are then added. The belly plate has the mounts and covers for the suspension bogies molded in place as well as various access panels and drain plates, plus fine rivet detail. This is all made possible by the use of a slide mold. A separate access plate for the engines Fuchs-Gerat (engine pre-heating system) is given for the port-side of the hull; large tow hooks are also provided for each rear corner. New exhaust pipes, with slide-molded openings, and separate mounts are placed on either side of the hull. The exhaust system can be configured in three ways. Two of them feature the muffler (in two different configurations), while the third is the simple straight pipe configuration. For the latter, the rear plate features two spare road wheels and their mounts. A step, a distance-keeping tail-lamp and multi-part trailer hitch mount completes the area. The bow plate has a choice of two different styles of stowage racks for spare track links. Superstructure. The front of the superstructure is composed of a separate drivers compartment roof with separate hatch lids, drivers front visor (with internal detail to include clear part for the glass block), side visor flaps, detail parts for the tow cable brackets (but no wound metal wire for the cable), and three types of remotely-operated gun tube travel lock. New metal parts are provided here to depict the small counter-balance springs as well as the pull cable that ran to them from the drivers compartment. The track-guards are new and feature detail on both their inner and outer faces, without being compromised by ejector pin marks. Between them, they mount a multi-part jack and its block, and a pair of Bosch head-lamps (use of both of the latter depends upon the version being built). and an antenna base (no rod antenna is provided). The new multi-part front, side and rear superstructure plates are rendered using Razor Edge technology; this means that they are extremely thin, for excellent scale fidelity, while being devoid of knock-out pin marks. The rear plate is especially noteworthy as due to the use of a slide mold, the bolted flange at the bottom of the plate is properly represented. The rear superstructure double doors have nice latch and hinge detail and are also devoid of knock-out pin marks; they can be depicted opened or closed. Gun tube bore swab staffs are given in their rack and there are etched brass flanges to liven-up the area where the superstructure rear attaches to the hull rear plate. The new (and separate), slide-molded engine cooling air louvers are crisply-rendered. Finally, some vehicles had spare road-wheels mounted on the front of the armored superstructure; these are provided for using the spares in the kit and etched brass holders. Fighting Compartment. The fighting compartment has had much attention paid to it in this new release. The original closed one-piece ammunition lockers are given, as are new multi-part opened lockers, created using Razor Edge technology. They are complete with eleven 8.8cm rounds each. Some rounds are bare, while others have parts of the stowage brackets molded in place. Other separate parts are provided for the stowage brackets; when combined, these will result in very complete rack innards in a combination of configurations. Left open, these will look great on the finished model and will add quite a bit of interest to this area. New clear styrene periscopes and styrene mounts are given for various points on the superstructure upper edges as are three mounts for a now-included self-defense MG34. This is a Gen2 item and is complete with ammo boxes and drums, as well as belted ammo. A scissors periscope is also provided along with a working hinged etched brass mounting bracket, which can also be replaced by a styrene version. Other stowage includes a gas mask canister and three 9mm MP40s; no ammo magazine cases are given for the latter. Other stowage boxes and various details add some interest to the fighting compartment. These include lift hooks, spare antenna (this is nice, but especially frustrating since there is none for the actual in-use item!), styrene or etched brass 7.92mm ammunition box stowage rack, and grab handles. Finally, various internal stiffening ribs complete the area. New for this kit is the early style travel lock for the gun tube and a slide-molded engine compartment hot air diversion tube for the fighting compartment. Gun and Mount. The PaK43 can be made to traverse and elevate in its mount, while the gun tube will recoil in the slide. The gun tube has been almost totally re-vamped. It now consists of a new turned aluminum gun tube, which goes all-the-way from the breech to the muzzle brake. The breech is new and can be shown opened or closed. The curved shields are new and now come in two configurations; one has a cover over the un-used sight aperture, while the other is completely smooth. The former is marked as not for use, but it could be used if the modeler can find a reference for his particular Nashorn. This gun is equipped with the periscope-style Sfl.Z.F.1a gun-sight, which is provided as a clear styrene part. Various hand-wheels, reinforcement brackets and rods, as well as counter-balance spring housings finish the assembly. The gunners bicycle-type seat has been re-tooled to include tiny metal springs beneath it for maximum scale fidelity. Also new for this kit are the auxiliary armored panels sometimes seen on the gun shields. Molding, Fit and Engineering. I dont believe there will be any fit problems worth mentioning; this is based upon my experience with previous kits in this series. There are no sink marks or knock-out pin marks visible except where noted, and they are easily dealt with; mold seams are discrete and easily cleaned. Accuracy. This kit very accurately represents the overall appearance of a Nashorn produced from around March of 1943 to the autumn of that year. To model a true Initial version from February of that year, the modeler will need to source armored covers for the brake cooling air openings from a Pz.Kpfw.III, delete the opening and cover for the Fuchs-Gerat (engine pre-heating system), install a telescopic gun sight and open a slot in the gun-shield. Otherwise, the main components match extremely well with Mr. Doyles scale drawings in the cited Panzer Tracts book. What this boils down to is that the modeler can build almost any version of the Nashorn from whats provided in the box but not a true Initial version. Other issues (and minor ones at that) with this kit are in the area of omissions. The kit still lacks the rod antenna for the basic Funkgerat f radio, although the spare antenna seen in the fighting compartment is provided. Braided metal wire to go along with the provided styrene end-loops would have been nice to have to wrap around the tow cable brackets. All of these parts are easily available in the DML parts system, so it is rather odd that they are not included. Instructions. New for the Nashorn is an instruction sheet that now consists of line drawings as opposed to the previously-seen photographic style. Vociferous modelers complained about the latter, so DML has eliminated them in this kit. The instructions are comparatively dense and can be confusing if care is not exercised. I noted some English-language text interspersed among the steps where it was appropriate, something I welcome. Colors are, as usual, coded to match Gunze and Testors paints. Decals and Markings Information. The water-slide decals are from Cartograf and are crisp and well-saturated. Registration of the multi-colored designs is excellent; carrier film is thin and cropped close to their edges. A total of six vehicles can be marked with whats provided by DML; their painting guides are each composed of full-color multi-view drawings. They are: S.Pz.Jg.Abt.655,
Soviet Union, 1944. Conclusion. The previous iteration of this kit was well-done, accurate and buildable. This new kit is even more so, being both (generally) easier to construct and far more detailed than the original.
- Frank V. De Sisto Copyright 1998-2009 Dragon Models Limited. All Rights Reserved |