PzBeobWg V Ausf. G

ArcticFox Pz Division
DRAGON 9041 - PzBeobWg V Ausf. G

The box contains 17 sprues with a total of 368 parts for the construction of this vehicle. The qualities of the molded parts and the details are excellent. The instruction for the construction of the vehicle is typical from Dragon and you can complete the vehicle in 19 steps. But it is lacking some details for exemple there is few or no details in regard of building the tracks. If we talk in overall this kit as been put together by Dragon in a bizarre way that is difficult to follow is the least I can say. From the 368 parts included over 80 of them can not be use because they belong to other kits from Dragon. There are several sprues that as been taking from other kits (Panther II, Panther Ausf. G and JagdPanther) to create this version of a Panther and the result is from the 368 parts included you can remove over 80 of them that doesn't belong to this kit.

Another weakness of this kit is the decals provided. Dragon did not even took the time to make a specific set of decals for this kit but instead they just use a set available from another kit (1/35 Grille kit # 9004). When come the time to paint this vehicle Dragon provide only one option, unknown unit in Germany, 1945. It would have been a minimum of decency by Dragon to give as a bare minimum at least paint scheme color in accordance with the two units emblem available with the decals provided in this kit.

I think that peoples from Dragon here miss a good opportunity to have a really interesting kit with a bit of research on there parts. It will have been easy for them to find that there is only one Armored Observation Vehicle base on a Panther ever built. And they use the chassis of a Panther Ausf. D with a modify turret using component of the Turret from the Panther Ausf. D. and A. But instead they decide to use the Panther Ausf G.

Conclusion

Dragon decide to take sprues from different Panther kit (Panther Ausf G, Panther II and Jagdpanther) plus some more parts specific for the Observation vehicle to create this kit. The instruction are lacking some details. The decals are borrowed from another kit. They provide only one painting option. It would have not been to difficult for Dragon to provide several option and personally I can think at least 3 options that could have been suggested. Two in accordance with the decals in this kit: 1st SS Panzer Division and the Wehrmacht Second Panzer Division and the third option with the color of the only vehicle made for testing.

Regardless all the negative around this Dragon Kit there is some positive as well to consider: The quality of the molded parts is very good. They have no flash or visible sink marks and you should consider the rarity of the Armored Observation Vehicle Panzer V Panther (only one ever made for testing) this is the kind of vehicle any modeler should have in is collection.