THE ELM CITY HOBBIES SPRUE VIEW

Posted Jul 22, 2010

Finally, an early Kitty Cat............

This is the new release Tiger I Early from the serpentine powerhouse we call Dragon.

Modelers have been waiting for an early Tiger from anyone, and Dragon gives it to us in spades with a 3n1 Smart Kit. The kit will build into 1 of 3 different versions of the Early Tiger. s.Pz.Abt.502 Tactical No. “3”, No. “100” and No. “123”, all used in the Leningrad Region in 1942/43.

The kit consists of over 400 parts, including photo-etch engine screens, as well as tool straps and other photo-etch parts. 3 runs of Dragon’s revolutionary “DS” track with open guide horns, for you to model either the standard or mirrored tracks. Clear styrene parts for vision and view ports, as well as interior hull components for fuel tanks radiators and fans.

Here are photos of the sprues and instruction sheets. The gallery will open in a popup and you can click through to the next and read descriptions.

This is a very beautiful kit, and although I am not a WWII German armor modeler, I can see how this would appeal to people that don’t build German armor as well as the die hard German armor modeler. From the multi-piece slide molded muzzle brake, details to build 1 of 3 versions of this massive tank. Hatches have interior detail, spare “Magic Track” links for spare track. This kit has it all, and then some. The “DS” tracks are gorgeous, no need for separate track links with this kit, and the option for standard or mirrored track. Many options with this kit aside from the 3 different versions, including optional open or closed driver’s vision port, optional dust covers for the bow machine guns, and much more.

If you are a fan of Tigers, or just German Armor in general, this is the kit for you. Even if you aren’t a fan….this is a great kit, with lots of detail. Being a “Smart Kit” it should almost build itself. Some will look at the parts count and think it is a little low, but remember, this kit has the “DS” tracks as opposed to the Magic Track indy links, which add about 200 pieces to the parts count. That also makes this kit easier to build and less time consuming, as the Magic Tracks while a great step forward, they are a chore to build. The “DS” Track takes the chore out of it, and in this modeler’s opinion, look better than the Magic Tracks.

A great addition to you ever growing stash!!!

If you have any questions or comments about this kit, you can post them here:

http://www.scalemodeladdict.com/forum/index.php/topic,1077.0.html

This kit retails for $67.25CDN and can be ordered from Elm City Hobbies

I would give it 4.4 out of 5 Sprues!

Scott Millican lives in Elm City, New Brunswick.
No one is exactly sure where that is.
He owns an awesome hobby shop
and has a really cool website too.