Dragon Military 1/35 PzKpfw III (5cm) Ausf H SdKfz 141 Late Production Tank Smart Kit

Dragon has released a number of fine Panzer III tanks in 1/35 scale before, including the recent Ausf.E (Item No.6631) and Ausf.F (Item No.6632). Now, Dragon has produced the very first Panzer III Smart Kit, and what a stunning creation it is. The Smart Kit depicts an Ausf.H variant, the first Panzer III version to be fitted with a 5cm Kw.K L/42 cannon. An order for 759 Ausf.H tanks was placed in January 1939, but as it turned out, only 308 were produced up till April 1941 before the Ausf.J entered production. To accommodate the bigger gun, the tank turret was redesigned and a turret basket added to the rear. Furthermore, additional armor plates were bolted to the rear, glacis and front superstructure of the hull. Mechanically the tank received a new transmission with redesigned sprocket and idler wheels.

This 1/35 scale Smart Kit has a great many brand new parts. For starters the lower hull, rear plate, glacis plate and front superstructure plate are all newly tooled. Add to this a new mantlet with 35mm-thick armor, and a new vision block. For a smoother ride there are newly tooled hydraulic shock absorbers. All in all, this kit has been completely overhauled in comparison with earlier Panzer III plastic kit releases. The Smart Kit label ensures it’s cleverly engineered for easy assembly thanks to the widespread use of advanced molding techniques. Up-gunned and upgraded, this Panzer III Ausf.H Smart Kit will attract a lot of attention from modelers!

Features:

- Accurately tooled rear hull w/newly tooled armor plates
- 5cm Kw.K L/42 gun w/newly tooled 35mm gun shield
- Brand new Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H realistically produced w/authentic detail
- Slide-molded engine deck for Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H
- Engine hatches can be assembled open or closed
- Choice of new hatches as options
- Armor plate realistically presented w/weld seams
- Einely recreated gearbox access hatches can be assembled open/closed
- Turret realistically made by 3-directional slide molds
- One-piece slide-molded lower hull w/exquisite detail
- Fully detailed wekd seams on hull bottom
- Full detail on lower hull sides
- Complete gun assembly reproduced w/full detail
- Turret side hatches can be assembled open/closed w/interior details
- Driver's vision port can be assembled open/closed
- Hollowed-out undercut on turret bottom included
- Cupola hatches can be assembled open or closed
- Vision ports w/open or closed option
- Commander's cupola authenically recreates structural details
- Fenders w/pattern detail on both top and bottom surfaces
- Slide-molded torsion bars included
- Injection molded tools w/clasp details
- Starter crank port cover can be assembled open/closed
- Slide-molded cooling air intake
- Photo-etched air-intake grills
- Toolbox w/padlock produced by slide mold
- Final-drive housing covers are separate parts for maximum detail
- Accurate sprocket wheels
- Idler wheels w/photo-etched parts
- Detailed track tension adjuster
- Road wheels w/accurate detail
- Exhaust pipes w/hollow ends
- Injection-molded plastic fender catch for accurate presentation
- Slide-molded hydraulic shock absorbers
- Detailed suspension swing arms
- DS Tracks