Dragon T-28 shock!

[nigelr32]

Hi all,

I was at MK last weekend and saw this kit on the shelves of Models for Sale. "What's this" I thought?? I've never seen any thing like this outside a Games Workshop outlet!!

Well, I just had to get my wallet out, and tonight I got it out to have a look over it. I was so stunned by the contenets I thought I'd share on here..

This is one very crammed box!!!

I took all the bags out of the box and laid them out on my bench. Bear in mind some of those bags have two, three and four sprues in them!! Yes, you can see eight track lengths!! Also note that the sprues are laid out on a 22" x 17" cutting mat.

Thats a 1/16 Tiger 1 track rolled up in the top left corner.

There is one major issue with htis kit that becomes apparent as soon as you look through it...

It won't all go back in the box!!!!

Go on, treat yourself, it's a mammoth kit that will take hours and hours of time out of your life!!

Nige

[Shar2]

I have one winging its way to me as I type. Looks even better than I was expecting. It'll go well with my Tortoise.

[Parabat]

What the... Far too many bits for me! I thought my King Tiger Friul tracks were bad enough! What an impressive spread, nice to see the meatl barrel.

[nigelr32]

What the... Far too many bits for me! I thought my King Tiger Friul tracks were bad enough! What an impressive spread, nice to see the meatl barrel.

Yeah, it's incredible isn't it!!

If you notice, the two sprues in the bottom left of the picture have lower halves of what look like Sherman turrets on them? In fact there are actually only about 4 parts on that sprue which are used, the rest go in the spares box.

[Mike]

That's a blimmin' full box!

[foxy]

Did anyone mention the price

Well if its Dragon, then its many parts.

[Shar2]

When they first came out they were around £65 Foxy, but these days you can get them for around £55.

[Mike]

TBH, that's a lot of styrene for your money either way

[snapper_city]

What a monster...

[nigelr32]

It really is a monster....

I have been pondering this kit all day in work, and as soon as i got home, out of the cupboard it came!!

First thing I've done is removed all the spare unused parts....

Just look at all that!!!!

Nige

[Mike]

That's an awful lot of unused plastic for a kit of which there was only one variant Is it just a case that they needed extra sprues for some parts, so we're lumped with lots of other parts we don't need, or have Dragon gone a bit What-if?

[nigelr32]

That's an awful lot of unused plastic for a kit of which there was only one variant Is it just a case that they needed extra sprues for some parts, so we're lumped with lots of other parts we don't need, or have Dragon gone a bit What-if?

From what I can gather Mike, they have used sprues from other kits. In a couple of cases there are only four or so parts used from the whole sprue!! Notice the two turret bases??

The kit still has over 700 parts to put together!!

Nige

[Mike]

Yes, I did wonder about those... any idea what they're turret bases from? Was the T-28 a bit of a Frankentank then?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I'd guess they are T23 turrets from an M4A3E8 (76mm Sherman HVSS).....They shared suspension components with the T-28, hence all the extra sprockets & final drives.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead

[nigelr32]

Yes, I did wonder about those... any idea what they're turret bases from? Was the T-28 a bit of a Frankentank then?

They're exactly the same as my Sherman composite hull lower turret, though the actuial kit sprue is totally different?

Nige

[bigh827]

That's an awful lot of unused plastic for a kit of which there was only one variant Is it just a case that they needed extra sprues for some parts, so we're lumped with lots of other parts we don't need, or have Dragon gone a bit What-if?

Tons of extra parts has been some thing you get with Dragon kits for years, in 1/35. I have several of their StugIII, and Panther kits, and you get a lot of unused parts, same with their old Sdkfz 250 kits.

The T-28 used the road wheels and tracks of the HVSS Sherman. The out set of tracks could be removed for rail transport, and pulled by the T-28 like a trailer.

The T-28 was built to take on the bunkers in Germany, but the war ended before they were finished.

You guys built some thing similar around the same time, 1945-46.

[nigelr32]

Tons of extra parts has been some thing you get with Dragon kits for years, in 1/35. I have several of their StugIII, and Panther kits, and you get a lot of unused parts, same with their old Sdkfz 250 kits.

The T-28 used the road wheels and tracks of the HVSS Sherman. The out set of tracks could be removed for rail transport, and pulled by the T-28 like a trailer.

The T-28 was built to take on the bunkers in Germany, but the war ended before they were finished.

You guys built some thing similar around the same time, 1945-46.

Thanks for the im put there Big H.

We have the Tortoise, a kit which Meng have released. I just ordered one on Fleabay.

Nige

[AngloSaxon]

Isn't the unused plastic in a Dragon kit something they have become known for? Take a look at the, not long ago released, CyberHobby Orange kit for the early Tiger:

All the blue are unused parts, it's like a Tiger recycling plant! I guess issuing some extra plastic is a lot cheaper than re-tooling.

Mike D.