Press Releases

Plastic Model Kits

August, 2008

1/35 Italian Infantry, El Alamein 1942 (4 Figures Set)

After its declaration of war on June 10 1940, Italy had 250,000 troops available to fight against 30,000 British troops in North Africa. However, things didn't go well for the Italian Army, and after an Allied advance of 800km in December 1940, it was nearly destroyed. At this point, the Italian defense was stiffened by the arrival of General Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps. The desert war was to seesaw back and forth, with Italian soldiers playing an important part in the various battles, until Axis units in North Africa eventually surrendered in May 1943.

Dragon's newest 1/35 scale figure set depicts four Italian soldiers fighting in the hot and dry deserts of North Africa. Indeed, it completes a trilogy of El Alamein sets after the earlier No. 6389 DAK Infantry and No. 6390 8th Army figure sets. This set of Italian figures is set to be a singular success, especially considering it's the very first in decades to be produced to an up-to-date standard. These Italian infantrymen with full equipment are sharply molded and realistically posed for desert fighting, with every item in the box being a brand new tooling. Their brand new weapons include an M1934 pistol, M1938 submachine gun, M1930 light machinegun and M1891/1938 carbine. A variety of uniform items and headgear also offer modelers exciting prospects. With this perfect combination of molding technology, maximum detail and innovative subject matter, this set of Italian Army infantrymen in North Africa will prove to be a valuable and popular release.

1/35 US Army Tank Riders 1944-45 (4 Figures Set) ~ Gen 2

The column of olive-drab colored M4 Sherman tanks ground its way through the dusty, narrow lanes of northern France. On either side, thick vegetation and hedgerows pressed in. Clumps of battle-weary GIs sprawled on the engine decks of the Shermans, exhausted after continuous combat but grateful for the free ride. Their weapons remained close at hand, ready for an ambush or the next engagement with their German adversaries.

Such a scene can now be created thanks to the launch of Dragon's latest Gen2 figure set. The 1/35 scale set includes four U.S. Army soldiers suitable for scenes in the 1944-45 period. These American "tank riders" are the first of their kind to be made available, making the set a valuable asset. Dragon has recently produced some accurate Sherman kits, and at last there are now infantry figures to populate these tanks. Each of the four figures is strikingly posed, either sitting or kneeling, and they have been carefully sculpted to fit onto a Sherman engine deck. Detail is sharp and incredibly refined in keeping with their Gen2 status. Combined they form an impressive NW European 1944-45 scene for Shermaholics. But of course, these figures are also inherently versatile as they can be depicted resting in just about any context. As with previous Gen2 figure sets, these GIs are equipped with the most detailed and latest in molded weaponry such as the Garand M1 and BAR. Their personal equipment is equally well represented in high-quality molded plastic. Indeed, these tank riders are ready to mount up and move out!

1/35 Cyber Hobby Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf. C mit Zusatzpanzer (REG)

FEATURES
- Newly tooled uparmored Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C turret
- Authentic details on turret bottom.
- 2cm Kw.K 30 gun with correct detail.
- Slide-molded gun barrel with hollow muzzle end.
- Completely New uparmoured upper hull for Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf. C with fenders and engine deck fully detailed.
- Photo-etched exhaust shield in exquisite detail.
- ZF-4 scope with well-defined detail.
- Driver's hatch can be assembled open or closed.
- Fully detailed cupola with periscopes.
- Driver's visor can be assembled open/closed.
- Accurate details on hull bottom.
- Fenders with detailed tread pattern.
- Large storage box can be assembled open or closed.
- Road wheels and return rollers beautifully rendered with detail.
- Detailed idler wheels.
- Detailed driver sprockets.
- Seat backs accurately recreated.
- Side engine compartment ventilation exquisitely detailed.
- Gen2 MG34 with gun cradle.
- Detailed suspension system.
- Fuel tank reproduced with firewall assembly.
- Detailed injection-molded on-vehicle tools with brackets.
- Air filter with delicate detail.
- Additional set of on-vehicle tools without brackets.
- Photo-etched jack brackets.
- Jack in accurate details.
- Authentic jerry cans come with photo-etched parts.
- Magic Tracks in great detail.
- New Cartograf decals offer different marking choices.

About this Panzer II
As Germany developed its much-vaunted panzer forces in the 1930s, the Pz.Kpfw.II played an important role. Though only designed as a stopgap vehicle while the more powerful Panzer III and IV tanks were being developed, it played a key part in early WWII campaigns such as Poland, France, the Balkans, North Africa and Russia. Indeed, it was the principal main battle tank of the panzer divisions in 1940. By 1943, production of the Panzer II had ceased, though the chassis was to form the basis of a number of other armored vehicles.

Last year, Cyber Hobby released a 1/35 scale kit of a Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf. F (Item No. 6263), and this proved to be a hugely popular subject. Cyber Hobby is now following it with an earlier variant in the Panzer II family - an Ausf.C. The Ausf.C was the standard production model from June 1938 through to April 1940, with a total of 1,113 tanks produced. It was the most numerous variant of the Panzer II, and it served in armored units through much of the war. This means the kit will have widespread appeal, as it opens up so many options for modeling. The kit utilizes high-quality components from the preceding Ausf.F kit, but it has many brand new parts.

There's a new turret and upper hull to reflect the appearance of this particular tank. Designers resorted to widely using slide molds in order to gain the necessary level of detail, plus there's a generous inclusion of multimedia parts. While the tank is brimming with detail, designers have been careful to make sure it remains easy to assemble. The Panzer II may have been a small tank, but Cyber Hobby has managed to pack an enormous amount of detail into this kit. With a whole range of modeling vistas opened up - from the North African desert dunes to the mud of the Eastern Front or the cobbled stones of a French town - this kit is destined for great things in the hands of modelers!

1/35 Marder III Ausf.M Initial Production ~ Smart Kit

New Features

Fighting Compartment:
- Injection armor plates in "Ultra Slim" thickness
- Roof of fighting compartment comes with/different bolt details
- Full interior detail for fighting compartment Shell racks finely made
- Option of showing ammunition rounds in rack
- Periscope made from clear parts
- Handrail accurated reproduced
- Detailed radio unit
- Weather tarp suuport with the fine detail reproduced

Gun:
- Workable breech
- Gun travel lock reproduced w/crisp detail
- New gun shield and recoil guards for PaK40 that traverses and elevates
- Gun shield is produced by 3-directional slide molds

Upper Hull:
- Delicate detailed lower mount for PaK 40/3
- Perforated storage box finely made from individual parts
- Upper hull rendered with delicate detail
- Engine deck cover can be assembled open/closed

Lower Hull, Suspension & Wheels:
- New mud flap represented by photo-etched parts
- Slide-molded one-piece chassis with delicate details
- The mud flap and rear panel can be assembled optional
- New external exhaust pipe w/photo-etched exhasut cover
- Engine compartment rear panel is sharply detailed
- Lower-hull frontal armor has crisp detail
- Engine exhibits delicate details thanks to separate parts
- Two optional types of sprocket
- Sprocket and idler wheels accurately tooled
- Road wheels and suspension with crisp detail

Others:
- Bonus perforated storage box made from photo-etched parts
- Two types of plastic ammunition shell cases, ammo
- bes and cases with decal marking
- Magic tracks w/casting-number details embossed on every link
- New Cartograf decal


Almost as soon as WWII began, Germany began to realize it had a weakness in the penetration power of its tank guns. This truth was forcefully rammed home when panzers began facing well-armored Russian tanks like the T-34 and KV-1. There was an urgent need for mobile antitank weapons, and one solution was the Marder III Ausf.M based on the chassis of the Czech-designed Panzer 38(t). (Note, the "M" in Ausf.M stands for Mittelmotor, referring to the mid-engine layout). This tank destroyer mounted a 75mm PaK 40/3 L/46 antitank gun set well back on the hull. The Marder III Ausf.M was the most widely produced Marder variant, with 975 vehicles built from April 1943 to May 1944. Marders fought in all theaters, and some 350 Ausf.M were still in service in February 1945.

Dragon will release a fine 1/35 scale rendition of a Marder III Ausf.M Initial Production vehicle. No detail has been spared on this kit, and it is bulging and rippling with fine detail. The open-topped fighting compartment is crammed with components such as ammo racks and rounds that will allow modelers to really go to town. Using Dragon's proprietary "Ultra Slim" molding technique, the edges of the armor plates in this fighting compartment are produced to an extremely realistic thickness. This attractive vehicle makes widespread use of slide-molded plastic parts (e.g. a one-piece lower hull) to squeeze every last drop of detail from the available technology. There is also a liberal supply of photo-etched elements (e.g. exhaust shield, mudguards) to give that extra degree of finesse that modelers crave. Based on intensive research, this kit is carefully configured as an Initial Production vehicle and offers many convenient elements such as Magic Tracks, and the option of showing the engine compartment open or closed. As a Smart Kit, this new item will give great pleasure to model connoisseurs

1/35 T-34/76 No.112 Factory "Krasone Sormovo" Late Production
Features

Turret:
- Turret made by newly tooled 3-directional slide molds for Late Production
- Turret finely reproduced with cast detail
- Newly tooled turret top plate w/accurate detail
- Newly tooled hourglass turret hatch can be assembled open/closed
- Finely detailed new periscope
- Undercut detail on turret bottom reproduced by slide mold

Gun & Mantlet:
- Highly detailed new mantlet
- Slide-molded gun barrel
- Bonus metal gun barrel

Upper Hull
- Brand new box-like external fuel tanks on engine deck rear plate
- New Jack block w/realistic wood-grain pattern
- Upper-hull frontal armor w/realistic interlocking detail
- Two types of storage box provided
- Photo-etched engine-deck grills and louvers
- Exhaust covers finely detailed

Lower Hull, Suspension & Wheels:
- Newly tooled road wheels realistically reproduced
- Rear chassis plate especially tooled w/fine detail
- New track guards
- Finely reproduced newly tooled idler
- Detailed suspension system
- Suspension arms realistically recreated
- One-piece lower hull offers easy assembly
- Metal tow cable included

Others:
- Finely detailed Magic Tracks
- New Cartograf decal offers accurate markings


By the end of WWII, more than 57,000 T-34 tanks had been built by the Soviet Union, of which 34,870 were the original version mounting a 76mm gun. Initially, the leading T-34 producer was factory No. 183 in Kharkov. This production facility was then followed by Factory No. 122, also known as "Krasnoye Sormovo", situated in the city of Gorky. Named after Andrei Zhdanov, the factory was originally a shipbuilding facility. T-34/76 tanks produced at this factory had a number of distinguishing features such as notched glacis-hull side joints and a round access hatch on the rear plate.

Dragon has released a fantastic new 1/35 scale kit of a Late Production T-34/76 tank from the Krasnoye Sormovo factory. This builds upon the success of Cyber-Hobby's White-box Early Production kit, but it will obviously be much more accessible to the modeling public. This type of tank has never appeared on the market before, so this unique vehicle will be much sought after by modelers. Dragon's designers conducted an immense amount of research in order to include all the important characteristics of this variant and offer them in a convenient package to modelers (e.g. left-mounted headlight, brand new 3-directional slide-molded turret, new rear-mounted fuel tanks, newly tooled ribbed wheels). The kit is also fitted with numerous handrails reminiscent of Factory No. 112 tanks, these being present for the benefit of "tankoviy desant" riders. This is an exciting kit of an important T-34/76 tank, and it is just waiting to roll into action with a full complement of tank riders!

1/700 U.S.S. Spruance ~ Premium Edition

The USS Spruance (DD-963), named after Admiral Raymond Spruance, was the lead ship of the Spruance-class of destroyers. This class of vessel was designed as an anti-submarine warfare destroyer, and they were the first U.S. Navy ships to be powered by gas turbines. DD-963 was commissioned on 20 September 1975 and it had a displacement of 8040 tons. The USS Spruance ranged far and wide, and some of its many duties included observing the Iran-Iraq War, a maritime blockade of Iraq, a UN mission in Haiti, and hurricane relief in Florida. The USS Spruance was decommissioned in 2005, before being sunk as a target for air-launched Harpoon missiles in December 2006.

Dragon has previously released a 1/700 scale kit of the USS Spruance class, but the kit has now been completely overhauled and refitted. After intensive work, it has been relaunched as a Premium Edition kit. This means all the accuracy and detail of the original kit has been retained, while new photo-etched parts to replicate the deck railings, radars, masts and etc. Dragon's engineers have been careful to ensure the kit remains convenient to assemble, all the time maximizing the amount of detail on offer to discerning modelers. This enhanced Premium Edition kit is ready again to commence any mission assigned to it by modelers!

1/35 5cm PaK 38 w/Crew ~ Premium Edition

The 5cm PaK 38 antitank gun was developed by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in 1938 as the successor to the 37mm PaK 36. Entering service in December 1940, one of its first duties was to attack Soviet tanks when Operation Barbarossa kicked off in June 1941. Indeed, at that time the 5cm L/60 gun of the PaK 38 was one of the few weapons able to defeat the 45mm-thick sloped armor of the Soviet Union's formidable T-34 tank. The development of a Panzergranate 40 projectile with a tungsten core further enhanced its antitank properties. Weighing 830kg, the gun had a height of just 1.05m. A well-trained crew of five could achieve a rate of fire of 13 rounds per minute.

Dragon will release a fine 1/35 scale Premium Edition model of the 5cm PaK 38 antitank gun. Based on Dragon's original release of this weapon system, it has received a comprehensive upgrade to make it more appealing than ever. One of the major modifications is the inclusion of the THIRD WHEEL that was hitched to the split-trail spades to allow easier manhandling. This newly tooled wheel is designed to widen modelers' diorama horizons, as it permits the gun to be displayed in either a travel or combat mode. In addition, this Premium Edition kit also has a set of four crewmen with brand new arms and hands to operate the gun and hold scale ammo rounds. The crew also benefits from upgraded GEN2 weapons and equipment. This is a versatile and accurately rendered kit of an important antitank gun that served right through to the end of WWII, and it offers modelers endless possibilities