~~Germany was stunned when highly effective T-34 tanks were first encountered on the Eastern Front, and its own Panzer III and IV tanks were simply outclassed. The Third Reich’s response was to design and produce the Pz.Kpfw.V, more commonly known as the Panther. Some regard the Panther as being the best tank of WWII, with an ideal balance of mobility, firepower and armor protection. Weighing 44.8 tonnes and operated by a crew of five, the Panther was armed with a long-barreled 7.5cm KwK 42 L/70 cannon. Various modifications were made to the Panther design throughout WWII, with the final and most numerous variant being the Ausf.G, of which 2953 were produced from March 1944 till the end of the war. New features on the Ausf.G included redesigned hull hatches, removal of the driver’s visor on the glacis, tapered one-piece upper hull side plates, and some later vehicles also had a new mantlet chin to eliminate the shot trap.
Dragon has launched a much-anticipated 1/35 scale kit of a Panther Ausf.G, with the unique aspect of this kit being the molded-on coating of zimmerit. Zimmerit was an antimagnetic paste applied to German armored vehicles between August 1943 and September 1944 to prevent enemy combatants from attaching magnetic mines. The zimmerit on this model is highly crafted with an authentic pattern and true-to-scale appearance. The inclusion of zimmerit required a completely new tooling of the turret, mantlet, upper hull and lower hull in order to replicate its characteristic pattern. The molded-on zimmerit means modelers are saved the ponderous and time-consuming chore of having to create this feature from scratch. Normally such a texture is only available in resin at a high cost…but zimmerit on this Panther comes at no extra charge! The rear stowage boxes made from DS are another exciting innovation on this kit, with these items showing realistic battle damage. This Panther offers modelers a vehicle that can immediately fit into a diorama, and it’s even more desirable after appearing in its completely new coat!
Vier uitvoeringen mogelijk;
- 12th "Hitler Jügend", Normandy 1944.
1./Pz.Rgt.1"LAH", Paris 1944. - 9.Pz.Div. "Hohenstaufen", Normandy 1944.
- Pz.Brig.106, Northern France 1944.
Aantal onderdelen; 490.
Features
New Features:
- Extremely well-detailed injection-molded Zimmerit to accurately replicate the real thing
- Accurate weld patterns on turret with Zimmerit
- Stowage boxes with Zimmerit detail
- Stowage box with simulated damage provides more modeling choice from DS
- Newly tooled one piece DS Panther G tracks
- New Cartograf decal
Turret and Gun:
- Gun assembly recreated in detail, complete with breech
- Intricate slide-molded barrel travel lock with option of travel or combat configurations provided as separate parts
- Metal spare track brackets on turret sides
- Rear hatch with interior hinge detail can be positioned open/closed.
Upper hull and Engine Deck:
- Upper hull with separate engine deck
- Front ball-mount MG is movable
- Driver’s and radio operator’s hatches with interior detail and support arms
- Two types of engine-deck hatch
- Delicate spare track rack provided in great detail; slide-molded holes for hassle-free fitting
- Engine radiator details with two types of fan
- Armored exhaust guards – welded and cast
- Photo-etched parts for engine-deck grills and cupola details
- Storage tube with fine detail
Lower hull, wheel:
- One-piece slide-molded hull bottom with superb detail
- Full suspension assembly; road wheel and idler arms can be positioned on uneven terrain
- Multi-part idler wheels
