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DR6386
Sd.Kfz.164 Nashorn 3 in 1 - Smart Kit
The Nashorn, armed with the 88mm Pak 43 was a potent tank destroyer, when effectively deployed. Also known as the Hornet or Hornisse, this open top self propelled anti-tank gun, was introduced into service with the German Army in 1943 and shared its chassis and armoured body with the Hummel. It saw combat through to 1945, fighting on the Eastern Front, in Western Europe and Italy.
The Nashorn was one of Dragon’s earliest kits (kit 6001) (in fact the first Dragon kit I bought), and while popular was one of the first to be revised with improved kits being issued around 2002 (kits 6165 and 6166) and early 2007 (kit 6314). This new release is the first in the Smart Kit format and contains a surprising number of changes and includes some tooling borrowed from the latest Smart Kit Panzer IVs and Hummel. This release also has a metal barrel, many slide-molded parts, one PE fret and several pre-shaped metal parts.
This release is in the 3 in 1 format and allows you to build what are described as initial, initial modified and early production Nashorns. This flexibility is achieved through offering a choice of travel locks, three exhaust configurations, two spare track storage racks, two positions for the spare wheels, and several other alternatives.
The gatefold instructions have 17 steps of line drawings and where a step involves different parts for the different production configurations separate illustrations are provided for each option to improve clarity. Like other Smart Kits the parts require minimal cleanup of parts required and there are is a pleasing absence of visible sink marks even on some of the larger panels. . FIGHTING
COMPARTMENT & ARMOR Some of the most noticeable improvements in this kit are seen in the upgraded tooling for the armored body, gun shield and the interior of the fighting compartment.
The front upper hull is new tooling and has the raised driver’s compartment proud of the rest of the glacis plate which has realistic weld seams. The visors are cast in clear plastic have PE frames and can be positioned open or shut. The rain guard around the radio operator’s hatch is PE to give an in-scale effect
The side armor plates are relatively thin with tapered upper edges (razor edges) to give a more in-scale effect. There is considerable detail on both sides and no visible sink marks on the inside, which is impressive given the size of the parts and a pleasing improvement over earlier releases. The side louvers (vents for the mid hull engine) are separate parts with crisp edges on the angled slats. The rear armor plate also has thin edges and the doors can be assembled either open or closed. PE is used to depict fine detail such as flat lips on the inside of the side armour, the mountings for the aerials, small fittings and MG ammo, and a flange on the rear. Other detail such as tie downs, securing brackets for the tow cable, and storage boxes are crisp separate parts.
The fighting compartment has new ammunition storage bins which have two shells on each tier (another welcome improvement) and can be modeled open or closed. The kit includes 18 injection plastic shells allowing you to plenty of potential for dioramas etc.
Other detail in the fighting compartment includes the anti-skid floor with detail for the lifting handles, Gen-2 hand weapons including MP40 and MG34, gas mask with PE strap, warm air vent (feeds air from the engine to the fighting compartment), and twin periscope.
The 88mm Pak has been enhanced. The long barrel is a single piece aluminum tube with sharp detail for the steps and counter sunk screws where the actual barrels segments joined; this barrel is better than many after market items and would be a valuable item if purchased on its own. The muzzle break is the nicely detailed three-part item. The gun’s cradle has been redesigned so that there are no visible join marks. The breech and breechblock are well detailed, while other features such as levers, elevation cylinders, etc are all designed to a high standard. For the frame and springs supporting the gunner’s seat, you have the choice of using a single plastic part or a plastic frame with a pair of metal coils for the springs – this really is a scaled down version of the real springs.
There is a choice of travel locks each of which can be modeled up for transit or down for combat. The designs include can be displayed up or down The first option has two separate arms (like on the Hummel) on the hull front with a second internal travel inside the fighting compartment. The later designs has an A shaped profile on the hull front and includes PE for the cable used to remotely release it and a pair of metal coils for the springs.
HULL
The most obvious option for the hull is the type of exhaust system. All types have crisp tooling most of it being new to this release. The Initial and Initial modified versions both have a muffler mounted on the rear hull plate being fed by a pair of exhaust pipes. These versions differ in the position and size of the exhaust outlet with the initial version having a longer outlet pipe venting to the left and the initial modified a shorter piping venting to the right. For the Early option there is a pair of exhaust pipes with one venting on each side of the hull’s rear.
The hull has several other options depending on which production version you build including a choice of spare tracks racks for the lower front glacis and alternative parts on the rear hull.
The fenders are of the same standard as recent Smart Kit Panzer IVs and the 2009 Hummel with the anti-skid pattern on the upper and lower surfaces and a the lip (fold) on the outer edge. The fenders have integrated front flaps with sharp detail for the hinges and have the holes/brackets for the tools in their factory positions. The jack is a multipart item with and the jack block has optional PE detail.
There is a choice of drive sprockets (circular or cast lightening holes) and the road wheels have the tyre and rim as one piece with separate hub-caps. Two spare road wheel pairs are mounted on either the front upper armor (with PE support brackets) or the rear depending on the version you make.
The tracks are Magic Tracks where each link comes loose, and for most modelers will require no clean up, although each link has two small injector marks. These links are the 40cm wide type with open guide horns and no chevrons on the outer faces, a type that was common on the Nashorn.
The new decal sheet by Cartograf provides markings for six Nashorns. The painting guide illustrates each from three views (side, front, rear) and the profiles reflect the appropriate production configuration of each vehicle. Two of the Nashorns are Initial Production guns from the Eastern Front 1943. One is from schwere Panzer Jager Abteilung.655 (heavy tank destroyer unit) and has a three colour camouflage scheme, Balkan Crosses and tactical markings. The other is from s.Pz.Jg.Abt.560 and has a dark yellow base with green stripes and gun number black ‘232’. Two guns are the Initial Modified version and are from the same units as above but with camouflage marking of dark yellow with thin air brushed green and red-brown bands, tactical markings and Balkan Crosses. The gun from s.Pz.Jg.Abt.560 is red ‘131’. The last two Nashorns are Early Production vehicles. One scheme is yellow ‘305’ is solid dark yellow and from Pz.Jg.Ersatz Ausb. which was a training unit. The last is gun black ‘231’ from s.Pz.Jg.Abt.560 and has horizontal red-brown waves over a dark yellow base.
RECOMMENDATION
Dragon’s latest Nashorn has once more raises the standard for this well known WWII tank destroyer. This kit features numerous improvements and will allow modelers to build a very impressive model out of the box. Highly recommend.
-Neville Lord "It will prove a must have. Beautifully engineered with a considerable amount of new parts, I'm glad to see this one improved and looking forward to building it! Recommended" "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." "Overall this is probably the best of the Nashorn kits but it is a very busy kit with a lot of "moving parts" covering the variants so caution and care must be taken during assembly." Copyright 1998-2009 Dragon Models Limited. All Rights Reserved |