About The Panzer III
The Panzer III helped form the backbone of Germany’s vaunted Panzer divisions, especially in the earlier stages of WWII. To keep this medium tank competitive on the battlefield, it received a number of improvements in armor and armament throughout its life. The Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J, manufactured between March 1941 and July 1942, was the first model to feature 50mm thick basic frontal armor. The rear and engine deck were also redesigned since the hull was lengthened. The Early Ausf. J retained the 5cm KwK38 L/42 gun, while Late models received the longer 5cm KwK38 L/60.
Dragon’s brand new 1/35 scale kit of a Panzer III Ausf. J was recently unveiled at the Shizuoka Show in Japan. This is a 2-in-1 Smart Kit that allows both Early and Late models with their different gun barrels to be produced. The kit is another masterpiece from the experienced Japanese design team, and because it’s a Smart Kit, ease of assembly is assured. This kit is replete with a sizzling level of detail, and no effort has been spared in producing the world’s best model of this Panzer III variant. A total of 1549 tanks of this mark were produced, ensuring that it was widely used on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. Its diverse use against T-34s and KV-1 tanks in Russia, or Grants and Valentines on North Africa’s battlefields, provides modelers with even more opportunities in depicting this tank in different displays or dioramas. This range of options is enhanced by a selection of high-quality decal markings. This is an exciting new Panzer III kit from Dragon, and it easily maintains the impetus of Dragon’s trailblazing Smart Kits!
Acht uitvoeringen mogelijk;
- 5th Panzer regiment 24, 24th Panzer Division, Stalingrad 1942.
- 1./3 Panzer Grenadier Division, Stalingrad 1942.
- 2nd Panzer Rgiment 18, 18th Panzer Division, Russia 1942.
- 23st Panzer Division, Eastern Front 1942.
- 5th Panzer Regiment 1, Panzer grenadier Division "LAH", Kharkov 1943.
- 3rd Panzer Regiment 7, 10th Panzer Division, Tunisia 1943.
- 1st Panzer Regiment 5, Panzer Grenadier Division "Wiking", Russia 1943.
- 3rd Panzer Regiment 8, 15th Panzer Division, Torbruk 1943.
Features
Gun and Mantlet:
- Brand new 5cm Kw.K L/42 gun with delicate detail
- Newly tooled 5cm Kw.K L/60 gun with great detail is included as option for variant
- Gun barrels are slide molded
- Complete gun assembly w/full detail
- Slide-molded mantlet is newly tooled
- 3 directional slide-molded gun sleeve for greater detail
- Optional add-on armor for gun mantlet
- New top plate for spaced armor over mantlet
- Photo-etched parts provided as option for mantlet add-on armor
Turret:
- Newly tooled turret made by 3-directional slide molds
- New slide-molded stowage bin w/fine details can be assembled open/closed
- Commander’s hatch w/interior detail
- Clear parts for vision port glass
- Direct sighting post can be made from supplied photo-etched part
- Commander’s cupola realistically recreates structural details
- Cupola vision blocks can be assembled open/closed
- Finely detailed vision block assembly with clear plastic parts
- Side hatches can be assembled open/closed w/interior details
- Pistol ports can be shown open/closed
- Turret side hooks especially designed w/ undercut details
- Includes hollowed out undercut on turret bottom
- Incorporates toothed ring in turret interior
Upper Hull & Engine Deck:
- Newly tooled fender with pattern detail on both top and bottom surfaces
- New injection-molded tow cable
- Newly tooled slide-molded engine deck for Pz.III Ausf.J
- Notek headlight w/exquisite detail
- Optional brackets for extra armor on hull top
- Optional extra armor on fighting compartment front plate
- Complete MG w/workable ball mount
- Cooling air intakes are slide molded
- Photo-etched air intake grills
- Air intake covers w/ mounts realistically reproduced
- Toolbox w/ padlock produced by slide mold
- Injection-molded on-vehicle tools provided with clasps
- Jack reproduced in multiple parts
Chassis & Suspension:
- One-piece slide-molded lower hull w/exquisite detail is newly designed
- Lower hull sides come with full detail
- Fully detailed weld seams on hull bottom
- Slide-molded torsion bars included
- Exhaust pipes w/hollow ends
- Detailed track tension adjuster
- Idler wheels w/photo-etched parts
- Accurate sprocket wheels and road wheels
- Final drive housing covers are separate parts for maximum detail
- Slide-molded hydraulic shock absorbers extremely well detailed
- Detailed suspension swing arms
- 40cm Magic Tracks
Others:
- Cartograf Decals offers accurate markings
