Dragon's 1/35 Panzer I Ausf. A (Early) By Don Barry

The Kit

This kit consists of 4 sprues of light gray medium hard styrene, 1 clear sprue, 1 small photo-etched fret with 8 pieces, 1 bag of Dragon "Magic Track" individual track links, and a 1 piece lower hull. Parts count is 183, plus at least 174 track links, since 87 are recommended for each side. 13 parts are marked "not used". The decal sheet, printed by Cartograph, has marking options for 3 vehicles in different theaters of operation. Instructions consist of a 4-fold single sheet, broken down into 11 construction steps. Construction drawings are of the exploded view type with parts called out by sprue letter and part number, with detail painting colors where appropriate. Paint color numbers refer to Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Color, Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color, and Testor's Model Master enamels.

Step 1 covers assembly and installation of the running gear onto the one piece lower hull. Roadwheels are one piece items, whereas the idler is built up from inner and outer rings and the central spoked rim. The inner and outer bogie frames are nicely detailed.

Step 2 shows assembly of the front and rear plates to the lower hull, as well as the support girder on the suspension.

Step 3 has the builder assemble the tracks, which is facilitated by the fact that the separate links "click" together, easing the construction of the track runs. The fenders are also prepped at this stage, with numerous holes being opened up. Rear plate details are also added, though it is my preference to get the track work done first.

Steps 4, 5, and 6 cover assembly and installation of the remainder of the lower hull details; jack, mufflers and guards, front fender mud guards, etc.
The photo-etched muffler screens are bent (curved) and installed at this step.

Steps 7, 8, and 9 deal with construction of the superstructure and engine deck assemblies. Separate inner vision block frames, clear blocks, and optional position outer covers are all nice additions, and seem to be the norm for Dragon kits these days. The engine deck also receives its share of photo-etched parts at this time, in the form of two grills at the rear.

Step 10 is concerned with the turret, turret hatch, armament installation, and the base for a figure in the turret (not included).

Step 11 shows mating of the hull and superstructure, installation of the turret, hatches on the hull, and other final details.

Conclusion

Overall, the kit exhibits crisp, clean surface detail throughout. Flash is minimal to nonexistent. Ejector pin marks are on hidden surfaces, or on adjacent plugs, which are numerous. I found no shrinkage flaws, even on the thickest parts. The superstructure shows delicate, petite weld beads all around. Tiny, engraved screw heads abound, with the slots oriented in random directions. Dragon's proprietary "Magic Tracks" come loose, bagged, and require little or no cleanup. Their click together feature greatly facilitates construction. Those who do not like separate link tracks should give these a try. I would strongly recommend this kit. Construction looks to be straightforward, and if the builder does not want to show a fully detailed interior, this looks to be the best of the current crop of Panzer 1 kits. My review sample was privately purchased. Thanks for reading and happy modelling.