Dragon Models 9103 – Panzerkampfwagen Panther II w/German Volksstrum
The Cyber-Hobby Branded “Super Value Pack”, or otherwise known as the Orange Box Range, is Dragon Models budget range of kits. In these they take one of their older armour kits and add to then an older figure set and usually one other small upgrade of some kind. So in this box you find the older Panther II kit, together with the older German Volksstrum plus an OVM tool set ( on vehicle tools ). This gives you a perfect arrangement for a “Berlin 1945″ scenario as the war drew to an end. Though be aware that the “Panther II” is a mythical beast that never existed in the flesh.
The kit comes in a large tray and lid style box containing a total of seventeen light grey sprues. Two of those sprues are for the figures and include one small weapon sprue. A third is for the OVM tools, six are dedicated to the roadwheels and four to the individual link tracks. Leaving three sprues and the hull tub for the rest of the Panther II. There is also a small PE fret included for the Panther II, and even smaller one for the figures, and a length of cord for making the cable.
The quality of the mouldings are excellent with no flash and very sharp detail. There are a number of knock out marks but all are in areas where they won’t be seen. The level of detail, and number of parts, isn’t as high as some of the latest releases resulting in some oversimplification of some areas. The moulding detail includes a very nice, subtle texturing of the armour surfaces and some very well done weld beads. The instructions are a little on the brief side and could do with a little bit more indepth detail but the kit is a relatively straight forward build.
The chassis is a very simple construction. The suspension arms are separate allowing the running gear to be articulated. The road wheels are the steel road wheel type and are made up of a single piece per wheel so there are some small knock-out marks that need removing from the inner surfaces. The tracks are individual link tracks made up of three pieces each, one of which is very small. As these aren’t magic tracks but are rather moulded to sprues there is quite a bit of time needed to remove, clean up and assemble these tracks but the effort is well worth it in the end.
The hull too is somewhat simplified, with the armoured exhaust covers being moulded as part of the rear wall, the engine hatch being moulded in place, the fan covers already being part of the engine deck, and the front guards already moulded in place. There is a photo-etch fret included for the engine meshes though the moulded grilles are a little heavily done. The driver’s and radio operator’s hatches are separate parts but have no internal detail. The tools supplied as part of the kit have moulded on straps which are a little lacking in definition so the included OVM tool sprue is the much better option. Most of this shouldn’t however really detract from the finished result and depending on your point of view can be seen as simplifying construction. One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain and all that. Some areas do need a little better detailing but overall the finished effect is still good.
The turret is also a relatively straight forward build, again being more simplified than current examples, with the cupola moulded as part of the turret and having solid veiwing blocks and no periscopes. The rear hatch is also moulded in place. The cupola hatch can be modelled open if desired but the hatch has no interior detail, nor does the turret for that matter. The whole turret is dominated by the 8.8cm gun barrel which comes moulded as two halves with separate parts for the collar and mantlet. The size of the gun and the lack of a muzzle brake makes it a good candidate for an AM barrel with internal rifling as the gun is such a dominant feature of this kit.
The figures included are the older Volksstrum ( basically Home Guard ) set which was a good set in its day and really still is other than being a little understated in some areas like the folds and creases in the clothes, and the equipment detail, all of which could be sharper. The faces are good, being individual and cleanly done, though again they could be a little sharper and too heavy a hand with the paint could obscure the finer features. Despite being labelled “Volksstrum”, and including photo-etched glasses for one figure, nothing distinguishes them as elderly so they could be used in any setting.
Two wear M36/M40 greatcoats, one a Heer reversible winter parka and the fourth the standard field uniform. One wears a soft officers cap and high boots, the other three wear low boots with gaiters, two with M41 helmets, the fourth with a soft field cap. Equipment consists of three breadbags, three mess tins, three canteens with the small bakerlite cup, a bayonet in a scabbard, two Kar 98K rifle ammo pouches, two G43 rifle ammo pouches, one MP40 triple mag pouch, two MP44 triple mag pouches, and one rolled zeltbahn. Weapons consist of a Model 24 “stick” grenade, a holstered Sauer 38H, one Panzerfaust 60, one MP40 with a separately moulded stock, one Kar 98K rifle, one G43 semi-automatic rifle, and one very special one that really stands out, a Volkssturmgewehr VG1-5 ( “People’s Assault Rifle” ).
The decals that are included, as well as the paint guide, only cover one rather generic vehicle simply labelled “Berlin 1945″. As the Panther II was a vehicle that existed on paper only this isn’t surprising, though a few random “likely candidate” unit insignias would have been nice to complement the full range of turret numbers and kill markings that are provided.
Orange-Box kits, while the kits themselves are older kits, are still usually very good kits, and for around the same price as the kit alone used to sell for you now get a set of figures included. The Panther II may not be everyone’s cup of tea, being effectively a Paper Panzer, but if you look past that to take the kit on it’s own merits it is an impressive kit that contains a lot of detail and looks very good once completed. The figures are also a nice little set with just a few minor niggles. I see kits like this as a good intermediate build for someone who still finds the complexity of a contemporary Dragon kit daunting, but who wants a little more than the run of the mill Tamiya build. So all in all, great value for money.
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