Back in May, Chris announced on this website that Panzer Depot would soon be releasing American M26 Pershing and Soviet SMK models. I would like to follow up with a brief review of these two models along with the recently released German Brummbar (Grizzly Bear or Grumbler) assault gun. First off, I would like to compliment the manufacturer for continuing to produce models that are unique in the 1/144 modeling field. To my knowledge, there is not a competing version of either the Pershing or SMK. There are two versions of the Brummbar made by 21 Century and Yujin, but the Panzer Depot version is definitely the best of the three. Secondly, the quality of the models has improved greatly since the introduction of the first Panzer Depot models and this is testimony to the manufacturer's determination to "get it right". The rough edges are gone, the detailing is better and the fit and movement of turrets has greatly improved. Right now, I would state that these three models are the equal of the WTM line. To simplify matters, I will briefly review each model separately.
German Brummbar
The Brummbar was an assault gun which mounted a 150mm howitzer in a heavily armoured box set upon a Panzer IV chassis. It was designed to deal with enemy fortifications and possibly with street fighting in mind. I believe that it was inspired by brutal lessons learned by the German Army in Stalingrad. The Panzer Depot model is an absolute gem in its detailing and colouring. It comes in summer and winter camouflages. The summer camouflage is excellent and Panzer Depot has even included this pattern to include the lower hull and road wheels. This little detail caught my eye, because it is typical of Cando's painting schemes. In an earlier blog, I mentioned that I had a beef with WTM’s habit of not matching the bottom of the chassis with the same colours or patterns of the top half.
Panzer Depot made the effort to do this and this impresses me. The colouring is subtle, but it is there. What is more even impressive with this action is that this model comes with detachable steel skirts which are typical of Panzer III and IV chassis late in the war. Since these skirts hide the lower hull, it would have been really easy to not include any camouflaging. There is also a winter version of the Brummbar available. I have not actually seen this model, but the photos look good. It has the stained white colouring that you would expect from a vehicle in the field. Once again this attention to detail compliments the manufacturer. This Brummbar takes it place nicely beside the series of Cando German SPGs that I have in my collection.
M26 Pershing
The M26 heavy tank was introduced by the Americans in 1945 to finally replace the over-worked and out-of-date M4 Sherman. It saw action only in the last months of the war and as such had little impact on the conflict. Production delays kept it from being deployed in 1944 when it would have made an invaluable contribution in both the Normandy and Ardennes battles. The tank went on serve in Korea and beyond and was the inspiration for all post-war US battle tank design.
Panzer Depot's version is unique in the 1/144 resin market. There may be a white metal version of it out there, but don't quote me on this. Once again the detailing is very good. It comes in the solid dark green colour with no patterns which is typical of US armour in the war. The turret fits nicely and turns smoothly. The 90mm gun is solid enough that easy breakage is unlikely. I noticed that there is a rough texture to some parts of the chassis. I am not sure if this is a flaw in manufacturing or actually an attempt to replicate rough edges associated with the actual tank. Some photos that I have seen of the tank suggest that it did indeed have such rough surfaces. Regardless, I am happy to have this model in my collection.
1/144 American tank models were limited mainly to the M3 and M4, so it is nice to see Panzer Depot introducing some new types. I hope that Panzer Depot will continue to manufacture American designs which could possibly include the M24 Chaffee, SPGs like the M8 and M40, and the tank destroyers like the M10, M18 and M36. Hope that you are reading this!
Soviet SMK:
The little known SMK (Sergius Mironovitch Kirov) giant was intended to be a successor to the T35 multi-turreted tank (for more information on this monster, please refer to an earlier blog that I submitted). Like the T35, it was designed to be a "break-through" tank, whose primary goal was to break through the enemy's primary defenses. Once the hole was made, smaller medium and light tanks would exploit the breach. It also shared the T35 multi-turret design, but with only two turrets versus the former's five turrets. It never made it beyond the prototype stage, but it was tested in combat during the Winter War with Finland in 1939/40.
The performance of the SMK, T35 and T100 (another multi-turreted monster) left much to be desired and the Russians abandoned this concept in favour of the single turret, multipurpose KV-1 design (which was also tested in the same conflict). Nevertheless, it is a very interesting example of Soviet designer's ability to "think outside the box".
Panzer Depot's SMK is simply outstanding and I believe it to be the company's best model to date. The detailing is excellent from top to bottom. The main turret housing the dual purpose 76.2mm gun fits nicely and turns smoothly. The second turret with the 45mm anti-tank gun required just a little filing to get the same smooth movement. Be careful with the guns as they are still somewhat brittle. I dropped the main turret on the floor and broke the 76.2 mm gun. Thankfully, it was easily set back into place with some super glue. The colour is a uniform field green with no camouflaging, slogans or numbers and this is typical of early Soviet patterns.
I must say that I love the look of this little beast. Its unique layout and look plus Panzer Depot's first rate manufacturing makes it a definite "must have".
In conclusion, I would state that all three models are excellent buys. The uniqueness of the designs plus first-rate detailing makes them all worthy additions any 1/144 armour collections. Congratulations to Panzer Depot for continuing to produce unique designs and for making the effort to improve the quality of its product. I am looking for your future releases and I may have some suggestions for model designs if you are interested.
Breleroth
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2 new entries from Panzer Depot - The German Maultier Truck and the US Long Tom Artillery Cannon
Well it's been awhile, what with life being busy, but look at what's coming out now- 2 new products from Panzer Depot, both just what the doctor ordered.
A 155mm M59 Artillery Cannon, best known as the 'Long Tom' is first out the door - and is a North American Exclusive to Miniature Tanks and Planes!!
This model has exacting detailing and near-perfect scaling for 1/144th. It comes with multiple moving parts as well as the option for removing the road wheels or leaving them on for transport!
Yes, I know a M3 half-track couldn't have pulled this beast, but I needed something to show the road wheels deployed and the arms closed. The great news is that I've almost got Eric (PD's Owner) to build a M40 - this cannon on the M4 tank chassis.
The best thing about this model is that I can now add some much needed artillery to my displays and collection. Wargamers will be able to add an entire new dimension to a tabletop game. I particularly like that the cannon is moveable, allowing me to have multiple cannons aimed in different directions and heights.
The usual drawback about this model is the usual for PD products, it is fragile. If this baby takes a shelf dive, you'll be gluing it back together. Of course I'm willing to take this fault to get a great new and interesting piece for my collection.
Next is the German Maultier half-tracked transport truck. The nice thing about this truck is that it isn't the Opel Blitz which has already been produced by Pro-Hobby. PD went in a different direction and made the second place workhorse of the German Army. Not as well known to the casual WW2 fan, it saw action on every front the German's fought on and had multiple varients produced.
This model comes with a Flak 38 for the back! you can put it on its slot in the cargo area (where it swings a full 360 degrees!) or use it elsewhere. No other moving parts on this model, but, hell, that's fine with me!
The usual fine detailing is done on this model and the paint is nicely applied. Not as fragile as PD's tanks, this baby can be handled without fear of damaging.
Okay, just a quick note on what's about to arrive on the scene. What a great time to be in this hobby!
---Chris
www.miniaturetanksandplanes.com
Monday, May 11, 2009
1/144th Scale Light Tanks
1/144 Scale Light Tanks
I am an avid collector of 1/144 scale armour and have a wide assortment of Axis and Allied tank models. One area where there is a definite void is 1/144 scale light armour. To clarify things, I am referring to pre-painted and assembled models. I am not including the very rare resin kits that are out there which require assembly and painting. Despite my best efforts, I cannot get these models to look like the assembled, ready-to-go versions and quite frankly, I often find the quality of these models lacking. So the focus of this article will be either assembled resin kits or white metal armour kits in 1/144 scale.
For the most part, there are six main manufacturers that fall into these two categories. They are namely, Cando, WTM, Popy, Yujin, Panzer Depot, and ProHobby. The first five deal in resin while the latter deals in metal. The amount of resin light armour models is depressingly small. Cando has 2 models; an early version of the German Panzer II and a Panzer 38T. Both are very good models reflecting Cando's commitment to detailing. Unfortunately, Cando's entire line is limited to German vehicles and there is nothing new on the horizon. WTM made one series of the Panzer II light tank (a later version) and it is definitely inferior to the Cando version in quality. Yujin produced a version of the German Panzer I. It is a relatively good model (though not up to Cando standards), but it is quite rare and therefore expensive. Popy produced yet another version of the Panzer II, which is also a good model, but hard to find. Therefore, there were a grand total of five light tank models on the market before Panzer Depot arrived on the scene and not one version of an Allied vehicle.
Fortunately, the newly arrived Panzer Depot has introduced two models into the genre, namely the American M3 and M5 light tanks. These are welcome additions and I hope that Panzer Depot will continue to introduce more light tanks. Both the M3 and M5 were among the first models introduced by Panzer Depot. I have not had the pleasure of seeing the M3, but the M5 is a nicely made small model. The detailing is good given its small size and there are only a few rough edges. Its main problem is the frailty of the 37mm main gun. I managed to break into two pieces quite easily. As such, simply gluing it back together was not possible and I had to replace it completely. It is my understanding that Panzer Depot has been trying to rectify this problem. The M5 is a welcome edition to my 1/144 resin light tank collection and I intend to add the M3 in the near future.
With the additions of these two vehicles, the number of resin light tank models rises to a total of 7. Given the variety of light tanks that once were in the field early in WW2, this seems an absurdly small number. Unfortunately, this number is not likely to increase too much with Panzer Depot being the only active manufacturer on the market right now. There is supposedly a series of Japanese armour on the horizon which includes one light tank, but right now this is more myth than fact. So this leaves the alternative of the white metal models. (Please note that Cando, WTM and Popy have derivatives of their Panzer II and Panzer 38T models in the form of the Marder, Hetzer, and Wespe SPGs. As such, these could also be included as light armour, but for the sake of the article, I limited the review to pure tanks alone).
The Prohobby 1/144 white metals are welcomed by avid collectors like me and fortunately the company manufactures quite a few different versions of light armour. The problem with these models is they are sometimes hit or miss with regards to manufacturing quality and paint jobs. Some are very good and can match up with the best resins. In others, the detailing and painting is lacking and perhaps this is the result of the difficulty in molding such models. In truth, if I had to choose between a good resin vs. a good metal model, I would likely opt out for the resin model. Another potential problem is that repairing broken parts (i.e. gun barrels) is much more difficult than working with resins or plastic models. Lastly, I question if the scale of some of these models is accurate. For example, one of ProHobby's best models is its version of the M3 tank. When you place this model beside the Panzer Depot M5, it is definitely larger. Keeping in mind that the M5 was an updated version of the M3 (it shared the same chassis), it follows that the two tanks should be comparable in size. Moreover, when the Prohobby M3 is placed against resin versions of the M3 Lee/Grant and/or M4 Sherman (both medium tanks) it is definitely too large. Inaccurate scaling is a real problem with a stickler like me. For this reason, I will be replacing the Prohobby M3 with the Panzer Depot version in the near future.
Despite these potential problems, I have a good collection of Prohobby metals. The greatest selling point is simply the variety of models produced. With the exception of the two American light tanks, resin models are limited to German vehicles and the Panzer II in particular. In addition to a nice selection of German light tanks (6), Prohobby produces the tanks from:
• Japan (1)
• France (1)
• Italy (1)
• Poland (2)
• Soviet Union (8)
• US (1)
With the exception of versions of the Panzers I & II, none of the rest are available in resin. If you are serious about including 1/144 light tanks in your collection, then you should give these ProHobby models a serious look. Miniature Tanks & Planes offers a very good selection of these models should you be interested.
In concluding, I would definitely like to see more resin models of WW2 light tanks on the market. This is especially true of Russian armour, as the Red Army made extensive use of light tanks in the first years of the war. I think that versions of the T26, BT series (the forerunner of the T34) and T40 through T80 would be an excellent place to start. Some British tanks would also be nice, as true British armour is woefully under-represented in 1/144 scale. I hope that you are listening Panzer Depot!
--By Breleroth
I am an avid collector of 1/144 scale armour and have a wide assortment of Axis and Allied tank models. One area where there is a definite void is 1/144 scale light armour. To clarify things, I am referring to pre-painted and assembled models. I am not including the very rare resin kits that are out there which require assembly and painting. Despite my best efforts, I cannot get these models to look like the assembled, ready-to-go versions and quite frankly, I often find the quality of these models lacking. So the focus of this article will be either assembled resin kits or white metal armour kits in 1/144 scale.
For the most part, there are six main manufacturers that fall into these two categories. They are namely, Cando, WTM, Popy, Yujin, Panzer Depot, and ProHobby. The first five deal in resin while the latter deals in metal. The amount of resin light armour models is depressingly small. Cando has 2 models; an early version of the German Panzer II and a Panzer 38T. Both are very good models reflecting Cando's commitment to detailing. Unfortunately, Cando's entire line is limited to German vehicles and there is nothing new on the horizon. WTM made one series of the Panzer II light tank (a later version) and it is definitely inferior to the Cando version in quality. Yujin produced a version of the German Panzer I. It is a relatively good model (though not up to Cando standards), but it is quite rare and therefore expensive. Popy produced yet another version of the Panzer II, which is also a good model, but hard to find. Therefore, there were a grand total of five light tank models on the market before Panzer Depot arrived on the scene and not one version of an Allied vehicle.
Fortunately, the newly arrived Panzer Depot has introduced two models into the genre, namely the American M3 and M5 light tanks. These are welcome additions and I hope that Panzer Depot will continue to introduce more light tanks. Both the M3 and M5 were among the first models introduced by Panzer Depot. I have not had the pleasure of seeing the M3, but the M5 is a nicely made small model. The detailing is good given its small size and there are only a few rough edges. Its main problem is the frailty of the 37mm main gun. I managed to break into two pieces quite easily. As such, simply gluing it back together was not possible and I had to replace it completely. It is my understanding that Panzer Depot has been trying to rectify this problem. The M5 is a welcome edition to my 1/144 resin light tank collection and I intend to add the M3 in the near future.
With the additions of these two vehicles, the number of resin light tank models rises to a total of 7. Given the variety of light tanks that once were in the field early in WW2, this seems an absurdly small number. Unfortunately, this number is not likely to increase too much with Panzer Depot being the only active manufacturer on the market right now. There is supposedly a series of Japanese armour on the horizon which includes one light tank, but right now this is more myth than fact. So this leaves the alternative of the white metal models. (Please note that Cando, WTM and Popy have derivatives of their Panzer II and Panzer 38T models in the form of the Marder, Hetzer, and Wespe SPGs. As such, these could also be included as light armour, but for the sake of the article, I limited the review to pure tanks alone).
The Prohobby 1/144 white metals are welcomed by avid collectors like me and fortunately the company manufactures quite a few different versions of light armour. The problem with these models is they are sometimes hit or miss with regards to manufacturing quality and paint jobs. Some are very good and can match up with the best resins. In others, the detailing and painting is lacking and perhaps this is the result of the difficulty in molding such models. In truth, if I had to choose between a good resin vs. a good metal model, I would likely opt out for the resin model. Another potential problem is that repairing broken parts (i.e. gun barrels) is much more difficult than working with resins or plastic models. Lastly, I question if the scale of some of these models is accurate. For example, one of ProHobby's best models is its version of the M3 tank. When you place this model beside the Panzer Depot M5, it is definitely larger. Keeping in mind that the M5 was an updated version of the M3 (it shared the same chassis), it follows that the two tanks should be comparable in size. Moreover, when the Prohobby M3 is placed against resin versions of the M3 Lee/Grant and/or M4 Sherman (both medium tanks) it is definitely too large. Inaccurate scaling is a real problem with a stickler like me. For this reason, I will be replacing the Prohobby M3 with the Panzer Depot version in the near future.
Despite these potential problems, I have a good collection of Prohobby metals. The greatest selling point is simply the variety of models produced. With the exception of the two American light tanks, resin models are limited to German vehicles and the Panzer II in particular. In addition to a nice selection of German light tanks (6), Prohobby produces the tanks from:
• Japan (1)
• France (1)
• Italy (1)
• Poland (2)
• Soviet Union (8)
• US (1)
With the exception of versions of the Panzers I & II, none of the rest are available in resin. If you are serious about including 1/144 light tanks in your collection, then you should give these ProHobby models a serious look. Miniature Tanks & Planes offers a very good selection of these models should you be interested.
In concluding, I would definitely like to see more resin models of WW2 light tanks on the market. This is especially true of Russian armour, as the Red Army made extensive use of light tanks in the first years of the war. I think that versions of the T26, BT series (the forerunner of the T34) and T40 through T80 would be an excellent place to start. Some British tanks would also be nice, as true British armour is woefully under-represented in 1/144 scale. I hope that you are listening Panzer Depot!
--By Breleroth
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