Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $42.50 Available online at www.dragonmodelsusa.com . Before the Tigers and Panthers, there was the Pz.Kpfw. IV, the mainstay of the German Army for many of the Wehrmacht's early victories. Dragon has released yet another Panzer IV, the PzKpfw IV Ausf. G LAH version. This kit is a basic early G model with no armor skirts and the standard Kw.K40 L/43 75mm gun. The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G was the first Mark IV to carry the new double-baffled muzzle brake on the main gun. Other modifications include the elimination of the two turret forward vision ports, the turret front port on the right side, and the signal ports, which were also removed from the driver's and radio operator's hatches, all of which were standard features on the earlier F2 version. This model was also the last production version to carry the split commander's hatch. The kit comes packaged in Dragon's standard size box for most of their 1/35 scale armor kits and it contains 16 sprues that includes one with clear vision blocks. There is absolutely zero flash. There are more than 740 parts in this kit, including tow cable, Magic Track links, and a photo-etch fret with fenders and exhaust shutters. A decal sheet with 5 marking options is also provided, 2 of which are from the 1st SS Pz. Division Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler", one from the 3rd SS Pz. Div. "Totenkopf", one from the "Grossdeutschland" Division and one from the 1st Panzer Division. Why Dragon would release a "G" model and call it the "LAH" version with all the other marking choices provided is a mystery. No figures are included which is somewhat of a letdown. Detail is superb as always from Dragon and they seem to have actually done an early G model with the right modifications. Dragon has detailed the top and bottom of the fenders, produced the teeth on the turret ring, supplied the bolt version and the welded version of the gun sleeve, an open or closed option on the fuel filler hatch, turret stowage bin with open or closed hatch, and a hull bottom with complete detail just to name a few highlights. I'm really looking forward to building this kit as I haven't built a Mark IV in over 35 years and that was the venerable Monogram 1/32 version, what a great kit. This kit will prove to be every bit as good as most Dragon kits are. A complete build review will follow shortly.

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