Dragon Models has released their (fourth? fifth?) incarnation of the German JagdPanzer IV L70 (A) self-propelled tank destroyer in 1/35th scale.

The Jagdpanzer IV (Sd.Kfz. 162) was based on the Panzer IV chassis built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turret-less Jagdpanzer ("hunting tank") designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the armored corps, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III). Guderian objected to the ‘needless diversion of resources’ from Panzer IV tank production, as the Stug III and Stug IV tank destroyers were still more than adequate for their role. Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle that this kit was modeled after was named Panzer IV/70.

When Windsock Datafile No. 161 arrived in the mail, I was reminded of that classic Monty Python lead-in line: “And, now for something completely different” because the subject of this Datafile is a somewhat little known WWI aviation escort fighter with a most unusual appearance. Although serving with some distinction, the fact that it was introduced into the conflict in limited numbers in the closing months of the war precluded a definitive assessment of the value of the Caudron R.11, and no doubt contributed to its place somewhere in the shadows of aviation history.

ICM has released a great value kit of a V3000S half-track with a Pak 36 anti-tank gun in the same box. Upon opening the box you find a total of six sprues (one of them clear). One sprue is devoted to the anti-tank gun, while the other five sprues relate to the vehicle. Actually, I am pretty sure you have all the parts in the box to build the vehicle as a typical 6-wheel truck or the half-track version.

You can see from the pictures that the surface detail is very good, both fine and restrained. The connection points to the sprues are small and should be easy to clean up the parts with a sanding stick.

The vehicle includes a full engine, suspension and transmission and the grille is hollowed. The cab is nicely detailed, with the instrument panel provided as a decal. The truck bed is well detailed with subtle wood grain. The tracks are of the link-and-length variety and care should be exercised when removing them from the sprues, as these parts are very delicate.