6500 - Sd.Kfz. 166 Stu.Pz. IV “Brummbaer” Mid Production w/Zimmerit

6500 Sd.Kfz.166 Stu.Pz.IV "Brummbar" Mid Production with Zimmerit (2 in 1)
1/35 injection plastic kit with decals and photo etch

The Mid production Brummbars, which entered production in in December 1943 had zimmerit applied as standard and were used in Italy, the Eastern Front, and Western Europe. This new release from Dragon is the first 1/35 release of a Brummbar with zimmerit molded into the parts. This will allow you to build an authentic front line Brummbar out of the box with no more effort or cost than would be required for a model that does not require zimmerit.

CONTENTS

This kit contains a "mid" production series Sturmpanzer IV, or Brummbar as it was called in Allied reports. The Brummbar was armed with a 150mm howitzer, had thick frontal and was built on the Panzer IV chassis. The Mid production series had a revised fighting compartment roof, modified driver’s compartment armour and periscope mounting, and a lengthened gun-barrel armour.

This kit is in the popular Smart Kit format and in a first for Dragon’s Panzer IV series kits includes Dragon Styrene tracks. Other features include side skirts, PE, clear plastic for the optics and a twisted wire for the metal tow cable. The construction sequence is largely the same as for Dragon’s previous mid production Brummbar without zimmerit (kit 6460) and as before there is the option of the star aerial and mount to build the kit as a command vehicle.

The pre-zimmerited parts are the superstructure (fighting compartment), hull, drivers compartment, and a sprue containing all the other parts covered in zimmerit including the rear hull, lower front hull (applique), brake access hatches and cowlings, front and rear fenders, mantlet ring, base for the command aerial, and turret escape hatches. The zimmerit is the horizontal ridge pattern and effectively captures the irregularities inherent from zimmerit being applied by hand. The radiating zimmerit around the mantlet and pistol parts are carefully reproduced and match that seen in photos. The mantlet ring is also realistically detailed with the radiating zimmerit and bolt heads. The Dragon cast on zimmerit is more realistic than what I have seen on aftermarket sets or achieved with putty.

The optional photo etch includes the baffles below the engine deck hatches, detail on the rear convoy light, flaps for the side plate engine vents, front fender detail, brackets for the upper glacis spare tracks, undercut detail on the rear idlers and a pair of flashings for the join between the rear deck and the superstructure.

FIGHTING COMPARTMENT

The fighting compartment is based around a 3-directional slide molded shell with pre applied zimmerit. This shell has holes for both pistol ports on each side (as accurate for a mid-production vehicle) with the option of depicting the ports open with the plug hanging from the included PE chains.

The roof is a separate part with sharp detail for the bolt heads and hinges. Other features include separate parts for the extractor fan vent (mid feature position) and the roof mounted MG34 (Gen-2 tooling) that used a hatch as the shield. The roof and rear hatches can be modelled open and each hatch has internal detail.

Given the inclusion of a full breech for the StuH.43/1 L/12 along with the recoil guard, mounting and gunner’s seat, there is considerable potential for modeling the Brummbar with the hatches open. The partial interior also includes the periscopes and the anti-skid pattern on the floor. The StuH.43/1’s barrel is slide-molded and has internal rifling.

SIDE SKIRTS

The metal side skirts are thin to give a realistic in scale effect and the ability to easily bend them a bit to reflect frontline service. With each panel being separate it is easy to depict a Brummbar missing a few panels. The panels have the positions for the plastic D brackets marked on to simplify assembly. The mounting rails are plastic with the triangular supports appropriate for a mid production Brummbar.

HULL

The lower hull now has molded on zimmerit along with the other detail previously seen on Dragon’s Panzer IV Ausf H/J hull. This includes detail on the bottom and sides of the hull (e.g. weld beams, and counter sunk holes), and separate parts for the rear idler mount and bump stops. The rear plate is a separate part with cast on zimmerit and still has the bolt heads on the underside of one of the flanges. The rear exhaust is a detailed multi-part assembly with a horizontal plate with anti-skid above it and a hollowed outlet. The fender-mounted filter is crisply reproduced.

The side fenders have a fine anti-skid pattern on the upper surface and underside and separate front and rear fenders. The holes for the fittings are predrilled and the bottoms of many of the brackets are crisply cast onto the fenders. The multipart jack has separate brackets. The two tow cables are made from twisted wire with plastic end eyes.

The engine deck is a separate part with crisp detail for weld marks screw heads, counter sunk holes etc. The engine hatches can be modeled open, although you will need to add a Maybach HL 120 engine. These vents on the hatches are sharply defined and have drop fit PE baffles underneath. A part fits where the firewall separating the engine from the fighting compartment was, but it appears structural as it is not detailed, but would be useful if adding an engine or showing off the interior.

Optional PE is included for the brackets for the spare tracks mounted on the glacis plate and the lower spare track rack is sharply detailed. The kit has six spare links (Q parts without injection marks), and these could be supplemented with spare links from other kits.

SUSPENSION

The new one piece Dragon Styrene tracks offer quick construction and have no visible sink marks. The tracks are the 40cm wide type with closed guide horns and chevrons on the outer faces, a type that was common in 1944.

The road wheels have the tyre and rim as one piece and separate hub-caps (correct later simplified profile) with small screw heads finely reproduced. Four spare wheels are mounted on rear racks as per a mid-production Brummbar. For the return rollers you have a choice of two all steel patterns.

DECALS

The Cartograf decal sheet has markings for the four profiled Brummbar. Two guns are from Sturmpanzer Abteilung 216 in Italy 1944 and are dark yellow with brown camouflage and white gun numbers (1, or 2 with spare numbers for other guns). Also from Sturmpanzer Abteilung 216 is a gun with a three colour scheme and placed at Ponyri which is near Kursk 1943 (Kursk predates the mid production series). The last Brummbar also has a three colour scheme and is gun number white 46 from Panzer Division Schleissen in Frankfurt 1945. Three different styles of Balkan Crosses are provided.

RECOMMENDATION

Dragon’s latest “Brummbar” should be popular as it offers up to date tooling with realistic zimmerit without extra effort or cost. With the inclusion of easy to use one-piece DS tracks, photo etch and attention to detail this new release will make an impressive model out of the box.
Definitely recommended.

- Neville Lord