contest them is the Eastern Front. Participation in the monthly contest has been pretty bad the last few years (especially by me). So seeing as I'm an "officer" I should be setting a better example on the contest table. Since I've only got a month decide to build them largely out of the box. I've chosen two Dragon kits: T34/76 Mod. 1942(7266), and the Stug.III Ausf.G early production (7283).
T34/76 Mod. 1942(7266)
I couldn't resist a few tweeks. First the kit provided pe intake screen doesn't fit their own part. I'll be using an Eduard screen meant for the Cooperateva T-34. Next I added louvers to the big intake since you can see throught the screen. I also drilled out all of the lightening holes in the wheels (a fun evenings work!).
One last thing I modified on the T-34 kit was the rear transmission cover. I can't find a single picture of a T-34, where the transmission cover looks anything like the kit part provide (A15). So I carved the extra little housing away from the part A15, and the lower hull sides. I tride Jolyon's trick with the tracks (thank's Jolyon!), and it works pretty well. There was no cupping were the tracks go around the return or diver rollers. I still have a little more filling and sanding to do, before painting, and I need to find some suitable junkt to pile on it, along with a few Preiser figures. All in all a nice little kit, but lots of little fiddling to get it to go together right.
Stug.III Ausf.G early production (7283)
Boy do I like this kit! Unlike the T-34 this thing almost falls together (but not quite). Dragon really out did themselves on this one. I hope it's a sign of better things from them. Even the DS tracks are pretty good. I really like their Sherman's, but if only Dragon put the same king of effort into their allied stuff.....the Stug.III is just great. That being said, there are a few problems. Dragon has you put the wrong part on the wrong side of the hull in a few instances: grenade launchers(B7/8), rear tow pintles (A12/13), and the antenna mounts (B1/2 not A1/2!), but otherwise very nice. The only real trick is that the entire upper hull is made up of separate parts (fenders, front hull, main hull, engine deck), but they all go together very well. Care must be take because the front hull and fenders bend down slightly along the lower hull, so I just carefully bent the front third of the fenders down slightly. This is how the actual vehicles fender are, so why dragon didn't mold them that way, or tell you to do it is a mystery to me.
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