alanmac

Hi As I said in the build thread, this is a wonderful rendition and your attention to detail is amazing. It really comes into focus with the photograph showing the matchbox, to show actual size representation. Well done. If I ever get round to building mine I shall use your build thread as inspiration but I make no promises that it will be anywhere near as good as yours. best regards Alan

Hi Superb. So much work done on such a small scale object. As I said its a favourite subject of mine but not sure I have the patience, skill etc to add anywhere near the level of detail you have added. Well done. Keep it up and look forward to seeing the finished model. best regards Alan

Hi Kristjan I've looked on Panzer Art web site. Can't find the corrected sprockets for sale. Have you got a link to them or maybe it was another company? Cheers Alan

Admire the amount of detail you've added to this. One of my favourite vehicles so I'm following and looking forward to seeing its progress. Great work so far. I'm a bit disappointed to learn that the kit as it comes from Dragon is not accurate. Maybe its time to buy the latest version from Tamiya. Keep up the good work.👍 Alan

hi I'm part way through building their 84532 Tiger II and I think its very good. I bit over complicated and fiddly in places but then again that's better than lacking detail. Even get a metal barrel. All nicely packed. More like a Tamiya kit in its presentation, plastic etc. than a Dragon kit.

You never know 😉

Hi Very nicely built and painted. Glad it went to a good home, and glad you decided to represent it as "factory fresh". Far to many over weathered models out there so this is a refreshing change. All the best Alan

Nice to see this one being built rather than languishing in some model "collectors" stash.😄 Looking good so far.👍

Top notch in every way. 👍

Hi Just to add that a good indication of the kit being a newer release, rather than anything from the Gunze era is if Ron Volstad did the box art. He started doing their box art about the time they started to introduce their Smart Kits. You'll see his signature on the illustration somewhere. In my opinion some of the best artwork ever on a kit box. Alan

Hi Looking good and done so quickly. Makes me feel terrible having it sat there unmade and what it could look like when done. Glad it went to a model builder and not a model collector 👍 Top job. Looking forward to seeing Panzer III built. Alan

Dragon Smart Kits are not ones dating back to the old Gunze Sangyo. Take a look through Terry Ashley's old reviews. Sadly due to health issues etc he doesn't do these reviews anymore, instead has a Facebook page he interacts on. Worth printing as pdf's in case the web site stops. some of the best reviews of their time and for many the benchmark as to how a kit review should be. https://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/dragon/dragon.htm Dragon's marketing message has been a bit all over the place and they've tried different sales techniques/names. most of the Smart Kits of the last ten years have been excellent, except for the instructions. As I say check out Terry's pages. The latest releases with interiors are trying to claw back ground lost to rising stars like Meng, Takom, Rye Field Model, and Border who include interiors. Even Miniart are increasingly showing what they can do with Panzer IV's with interiors. which was once Dragon's most praised range of kits (without interior). Dragon like others before them seemed to have " Peaked"a few years ago when fighting hard to win customers over from the likes of Trumpeter, Bronco and AFV Club. They seemed to have shifted their focus to manufacturing and selling other goods, with a greatly reduced output of new kits. Their releases of late seem to be reissues of their Smart Kits but with even less in the way of goodies such as metal barrels, cables, reduced photo etch. Scalemates gives you an interesting Timeline on the Dragon Panzer III kits, with this Panzer III M being a recent offering. move the slider along to see the progress. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dragon-6604-pzkpfwiii-ausfm--411682

hi Continued excellent work As regards the gun loading tray, whilst I think from side on view it does appear the thickness of the kit part I have a feeling in reality this is sheet metal formed to give it that edge, so it is indeed thin. Of course I challenge anyone to try to reproduce/shape something as small as that in PE, so I'm guessing the best option is the one you chose, the kit part. Alan

Hi Simon Thanks for detailing sharing your application technique. Now you just have to tell me how to keep my hand steady 😁 Seriously though, I've used a similar technique but was using a different glue, it wasn't gel type, so I think that might be the reason it wasn't as neat and clean as your finish. Good luck with the build. Looking good so far. all the best. Alan

Hi Got to say that is some very neat and tidy PE work. Apart from a very steady hand what do you use to secure it in place? I can't see any residue of glue etc. Cheers Alan